Elizabeth has touched a very raw nerve of communication controllers in the
developing world.
Access to information and communication rights are to different areas for
those who exercise thought control in our countries.
For example, all third world govts are signatories to all kinds of rights,
children's, women's minorities, RH, etc. but in practice control "access" to
realise these rights. The strategy, thus, should be to continue advocacy for
real access in addition to advocacy for correct policy changes!
Community radio has been allowed in Pakistan but getting one is a Herculean
effort.
But Elizabeth and her groups efforts are praiseworthy. This reminds me of a
Persian proverb "qatra qatra darya mee shawad - first drop of water, and
another, yet another make a river."
Best wishes to all.
Zahid Hussein
President
Sustainable Resource Foundation (SuRF)
465 B, Street 10, F/10/2
Islamabad 44000
Pakistan
Tel: (92 51) 229 1533, 210 2296
Fax:(92 51) 210 2297
Mobile: (92303) 737 3686
----- Original Message -----
From: "Elizabeth Robinson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2005 5:08 AM
Subject: Re: Crisinfo.org - news ENG ESP FRE [February 2, 2005]
Dear Vickram,
A number of us from the AMARC broadcasting team
met with the Brazilian radio activists to both
talk strategy with them and provide solidarity.
While they were threatened with eviction and told
to shut down their unauthorized transmission,
they did continue to broadcast through the end of
the forum in the Gasometro (the site where press
were housed). Their spirit was marvelous and
within hours they had connected their own
struggles with those of volunteer workers who
they claimed had not been provide promised food
and transportation.
Your query is an important one, especially as
Brazil's official policies towards community
media are flawed at best and as the importance of
communication rights is hardly universally
subscribed. Even many participants in the WSF
including some international council members
remain unaware or unconcerned about the
differences between access to information and
communication rights. The CRIS participants did
their best to correct that, but there is much
still to be done. Thanks for keeping us all
aware that our ideals and our realities are not
yet the same!
Elizabeth Robinson
AMARC and KCSB fm
At 8:22 AM +0530 2/3/05, Vickram Crishna wrote:
>At 7:03 AM -0800 2/2/05, alejandra davidziuk wrote:
>>Crisinfo.org - news ENG ESP FRE [February 2, 2005]
>>
>>CRIS
>>
>>WSF 2005 - CRIS CAMPAIGN STATEMENT FOR THE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ASSEMBLY
>>Communications is a core theme at this year's World Social Forum. It
>>is a core theme because the demand for a better, more equitable
>>communications environment is emerging as the demand of a new social
>>movement for communication rights.
>>http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/671/
>>
>>FSM 2005: DECLARACI"N DE LA CAMPA-A DE CRIS PARA LA SAMBLEA DE
>>MOVIMIENTOS SOCIALES
>>La ComunicaciÛn es el tema central del Foro Social Mundial de este
>>aÒo. Es un tema central porque el
>>pedido de un mejor y m·s equitativo ambiente de las comunicaciones
>>est· emergiendo como la demanda de un nuevo movimiento social por
>>los derechos a la comunicaciÛn.
>>http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/672
>
>How does this compare with the actuality of the WSF, which threatened
>to shut down the independent radio movement and deny it the freedom
>of expression - http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/01/3491.php -
>"Porto Alegre, 28 January 2005. A convergence of community radio
>activists from all over Brazil has set up a low-power FM community
>radio station for broadcasting to the World Social Forum. In a
>strange turn of the table, the World Social Forum, which is supposed
>to be a tool of popular struggle and resistance all over the world,
>has informed the station that it is going to evict it in the coming
>morning to make way for the government data processing department,
>which suddenly needs to move into this small loft at the top of the
>Social Forum's media center."
>
>fyi, this is exactly what happened to the fledgling station we tried
>to set up at WSF 2004 in Mumbai. All commitments for space and
>support (not monetary, mind you) were summarily withdrawn without
>explanation the day before the opening.
>
>Apologia - machine translation:
>
>Cómo haga esto compara con la realidad del WSF, que amenazó a cerrar
>el movimiento independiente de la radio y lo negó la libertad de la
>expresión - http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2005/01/3491.php - "Porto
>Aklegre, January 28, 2005. Una convergencia de activistas de radio de
>comunidad de por todas partes Brasil ha establecido una emisora de
>baja potencia de la comunidad de FM para transmitir al Mundo el Foro
>Social. En una vuelta extraña de la mesa, el Mundo el Foro Social,
>que se supone ser un instrumento de la lucha y la resistencia
>populares por todo el mundo, ha informado la estación que lo
>deshauciará en la mañana venidera preparar el camino para los datos
>del gobierno que procesan el departamento, que necesita de repente
>para cambiarse a este pajar pequeño a la cabeza de los medios
>Sociales del Foro centra."
>
>Para su información, esto es exactamente lo que sucedió a la estación
>del volantón que tratamos de establecer en WSF 2004 en Mumbai. Todos
>compromisos para el espacio y sostiene (no monetario, le tiene
>incoveniente en) resumen fueron retirados sin la explicación el día
>antes de la apertura.
>--
>Vickram
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