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Unveiling of "Breathing" memorial sculpture
Speech by Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of the BBC Trust
16 June 2008
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Good evening
Secretary General, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to extend a warm welcome to the Langham, once itself a home for the BBC, and now a splendid vantage point for tonight's event.
Thank you for joining us this evening for the dedication of a sculpture to commemorate the lives of journalists and news crews who have died reporting the news.
We are co-hosting this evening with the International News Safety Institute (INSI), whose Director, Rodney Pinder, is also with us.
I'd also especially like to thank the families and friends of a number of those who have been killed in recent years for joining us this evening.
Before we hear from our honoured guest, Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, I would like to explain briefly the background to this evening's event.
Broadcasting House, the original headquarters of the BBC across the road here, is currently being redeveloped into a new home for all of the BBC's journalism, incorporating the most up-to-date digital capabilities. As part of that transformation, we are committed to including some works of public art which reflect the role and story of the BBC.
When the Broadcasting House architect, Sir Richard MacCormac - who is also with us this evening - was thinking about how best to represent the importance of journalism to the BBC, the idea emerged of commissioning a sculpture to honour all journalists around the world, not just our own, who have given their lives in the course of reporting the news.
I'm delighted that, out of that dialogue, the international artist Jaume Plensa has produced this remarkable light sculpture, called "Breathing", which each night will send a beam of light 900 metres into the air to coincide with the 10 o'clock news bulletin.
We have also commissioned a poem in honour of those colleagues from the former war correspondent and poet, James Fenton. You will have seen that printed on your invitation cards.
This is a subject close to the heart of the BBC family. Just a week ago we lost two more reporters - both murdered – Nasteh Dahir Farah in Somalia and Abdul Samad Rohani in Afghanistan. All of you will be aware of the risks journalists run every day and some will have played a part in the campaign to secure the freedom of Alan Johnston, our Gaza correspondent kidnapped last year. Alan was released. Many are less fortunate.
At such times, we are all reminded of the daily risks taken by journalists in some of the world's most dangerous places. The implicit contract whereby journalists place their lives at risk to help us understand the world and its events better needs to be reaffirmed at moments like this. That sacrifice is properly valued and the loss is widely shared.
I know this is an issue to which you Mr Secretary General have already devoted thought and concern. Eighteen months ago the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling for an end to the killing of journalists and the establishing of legal, political and social conditions to allow journalists to work free from danger wherever that work takes them.
In a moment we will be hearing from Mark Thompson, but first I want to say how honoured the BBC is to be joined here this evening by the Secretary General, for this special occasion. Ladies and Gentleman, Mr Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
