A 2009 calendar commemorating Deyda Hydara’s struggle for press freedom and freedom of expression will be released early next year. The theme of the calendar is “Fight Against Impunity”.

A joint initiative of the Deyda Hydara Trust (DHT) and the International Federation of Journalists - Africa Office (IFJ), the 2009 Deyda Hydara calendar is conceived as an advocacy tool for the campaign against impunity across Africa.

Fleshing out the theme of the calendar, the IFJ, on the cover of the calendar, deplores impunity and urges governments to respect press freedom and freedom of expression on the continent. The IFJ states: “Over the last ten years, Africa has witnessed the brutal murder of a significant number of some of her best journalists. The common denominator in all these murders is that the perpetrators are still at large. The IFJ Africa Office condemns with vehemence and indignation these senseless murders and calls on governments to conduct credible and independent investigations into them in order to bring the culprits to justice. The IFJ affirms that impunity has no place in a democracy.”

The calendar is enriched with memorable Deydaian quotes. They include “Journalism is my life”; “A journalist has to be committed to providing truthful information to the public and must at all times be responsible to the public. A journalist has to transcend sentiment to be able to do the job right”; and “Maybe we are crazy but some of us would be proud to be gunned down or simply be killed for doing just that [fighting for press freedom and freedom of expression]”.

According to the DHT, the calendar will be distributed throughout Africa, and copies will be made available for free distribution at the marketing department of The Point and the GPU Secretariat at Garba Jahumpa Road, Bakau, in due course.

In another development, five students have been selected as beneficiaries of the Deyda Hydara Scholarships. They are all grade ten students.

Mrs Yadicon Njie-Eribo, the co-ordinator of FAWEGAM who doubles as a member of the Deyda Hydara Scholarships Committee, told The Point that the Deyda Hydara Trust would be responsible for the tuition fees of the Deyda Hydara scholars throughout their senior secondary school career.

She revealed that the scholarships are funded with proceeds from the Deyda Hydara biography - A Living Mirror: The Life Of Deyda Hydara.

Details of the beneficiaries, she said, would be made known early next year.