Dear all
We will send a summary report of the last 2 days of conference here in Bangalore as soon as I get a minute.
The conference closed very positively on thursday with a lively evaluation and discussion of the horizons ahead. Yesterday we had a wonderful experience going on a visit to Budikote village to see a community radio / media project being carried out by VOICES with support from UNESCO.
Some of the participants have already left, others are having last minute meetings, and others are leaving Bangalore today and tomorrow.
I just want to briefly flag some of the topics discussed on the last session of the Bangalore conference.
1. We put together a declaration which we will circulate as soon as possible.
2. We made an evaluation of the event and also the way the network is working at the moment with particular concern with how this onference was organized (see Elvira's point), how the website is working and what could be done to improve its efficacy (among other things)
3. We went through the criteria for hosting conferences - very similar to Clemecia's points-
a. Strong Local organization, commitment,
b. strong community, citizens' media activities in host city/town.
c. cost of travel, accommodation, airfares and visa issues for participants.
d. Funding opportunities: a city/organizing committe which funding could be sought.
e. whether OM stands alone or in conjunction with other conferences.
Two proposals were formally made: Sydney and New York. Both meet the criteria except that there are critical issues around cost and visas in both cities. The bid for Sydney has support from academics from 2 universities (University of Western Sydney and Queensland University of Technology. The conference could be held in Western Sydney, a region where 1 in 3 people are from non-english speaking background, costs are not so high, local community media is vibrant, and where we could see that people from East Asia and the Pacific islands are encouraged to attend.
Informally, there was incredibly high interest within the participants here in Bangalore, -particularly from South Asia- to hold the next conference in Mexico, - Cuba was also mentioned- so perhaps we should wait to hear from the Mexican colleagues about possibilities in Mexico.
The other proposal was for the hosting city to manage the web server, listserve and website.
A steering commitee of 5 people from this conference was proposed (like at last year's OM in Porto Alegre), to perhaps joing another 5 from the group to coordinate the first stages towards the next conference.
These were Alfonso Gumucio (Bolivia-Brasil), Tanya Notley (Australia), Jethro Petitt (U.S-U.K.), Tripta ... (India), Juan Salazar (Chile-Australia).
We thought we should put a deadline in February to decide the city (or cities if we think multiple events is the way to go) as well as the organizing team and the proposed dates.
Finally, the 50 odd people that took part of this year's conference would like to join the OM list, so what's the best way of doing this?
I'm flying back today so will send a report on monday.
Thanks
Juan Salazar
________________________________
From: This listserv will be used to facilitate communication amongalternative media academics on behalf of Rodriguez, Clemencia
Sent: Sat 12/10/2005 1:34 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RV: next OM conference
Clemencia Rodriguez
Associate Professor
Department of Communication
University of Oklahoma
[log in to unmask]
405 325 1570
________________________________
De: Rodriguez, Clemencia
Enviado el: Vie 09/12/2005 8:32 a.m.
Para: [log in to unmask]
Asunto: RE: next OM conference
Dear all
Some ideas about the next conference that have been discussed here at the OTHER OURMedia conference in Monpox:
1. Major criterion to take into account is that people from the global south can travel to the conference site without much trouble; any EU country and the USA would be excluded as the Shenghen and US visas are almost impossible to get for someone from the global south
2. Cost: holding a conference in Rome will be VERY expensive for participants
3. An idea we played with is the possibility to hold simultaneous OURMedia smaller events in different parts of the world--kind of what is happening right now with an event in London, the main event in Bangalore, and another smaller event here in Mompox (Colombia); if we plan it well, we could have joint sessions using internet, video, etc.
4. Some proposals we have floated around: Cuba, Cuzco (Peru).
Greetings from your colleagues and friends here in Colombia
Clemencia Rodriguez
Associate Professor
Department of Communication
University of Oklahoma
[log in to unmask]
405 325 1570
________________________________
De: This listserv will be used to facilitate communication among alternative media academics en nombre de liffey
Enviado el: Vie 09/12/2005 7:38 a.m.
Para: [log in to unmask]
Asunto: Re: next OM conference
There is also the World Bank World Congress on Communication for Development, in ROme, Italy, 25-27 October.
We were thinking (still on a very abstract way) to do some alternative event.
Altough I am not sure at all OM should be hosted in Italy - not even sure there would be enough support (in terms of organising committee: we do need this time some "stronger" organisation!)
I would love Amman! - but is there any risk that the conference would be taken over by radio people? ;)
btw, our event in london is going on (and Ourmedia was mentioned several times, so that we are in our mind at least connected with you there!), there is a general good feeling, together with a sunny day. A detailed report of the debate will be circulated to the list next week!
ciao!
Stefania M.
> Dear Juan and all,
>
> I'm not sure if you have already discussed the next Our Media
> Conference.
>
> Just the same, I would like to inform the group that the next KnowHow
> conference which is held once every four years will be held in Mexico in
> August 2006. The Know How Conference on the "World of Women's
> Information is a process of sharing knowledge and expertise between
> women's information specialists throughout the globe. "
>
> The other event and venue that we can consider if we want to hold Our
> Media back to back (with a certain event) is the AMARC International
> conference in Amman, Jordan in November 2006. I could give you the exact
> dates later.
>
> I think it will not be difficult to meet the OM criteria for both venues
> -- the KnowHow conference might just be a little too soon though.
>
> Best,
> Mavic
>
> Mavic Cabrera-Balleza
> Senior Programme Associate
> International Women's Tribune Centre
> Tel : 1 212 687 8633 ext. 200
> Fax: 1 212 661 2704
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: This listserv will be used to facilitate communication among
> alternative media academics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of Juan Salazar
> Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 2:15 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: OM5 update 2
>
> Hi again from Bangalore
>
> I understand Alfonso will be sending out a summary of day 2 in the next
> couple of hours. I just wanted to thank everyone sending their support
> and suggestions. They have been tabled for tomorrow's end of conference
> OM meeting. I'd like to invite you to suggest any ideas or proposals for
> a next conference so we can discuss them tomorrow, thursday 12pm GMT
> aprox. The criteria is on the OM site. Basically what we would consider
> is strong local commitment to host an OM conference, funding
> possibilities and time frames; links to any other conferences; cost of
> living in host city and location. The proposed time frame so far would
> be between december 2006 and june 2007 but will depend on all the other
> variables.
>
> more soon
>
> Juan
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Dorothy Kidd [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wed 12/7/2005 3:24 AM
> To: Juan Salazar
> Cc: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: OM5 day one / NM 5 dia 1
>
>
>
> Dear Juan:
> Thanks very much for your report. Our Media 5 sounds like it has been
> an excellent event. I hope to hear more
> from you all, and from our friends meeting in Colombia, and those
> associated with Our Media about to meet in
> Hong Kong at the WTO meetings.
>
> best,
>
> Dorothy Kidd.
>
>
>
> Dept. of Media Studies,
> University of San Francisco.
> 2130 Fulton St.
> San Francisco, California 94117-1080.
> 415-422-5061
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Juan Salazar <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tuesday, December 6, 2005 5:29 am
> Subject: OM5 day one / NM 5 dia 1
> > Dear all
> >
> >
> >
> > Thank you to those who have send their support and greeting to
> > those having their own OM conferences in different parts of the
> > world. I don't have time tonight to send a translated version, so
> > apologies to the spanish-speaking members. We will try again
> > tomorrow, if not we will definitely send the final report in
> > spanish and english to be posted on the OM site.
> >
> >
> >
> > Here is a brief summary of some of the activities we held today on
> > our first day of presentations.
> >
> >
> >
> > The opening welcome was offered by Professor K.E.Eapan, founder of
> > the department of communication at the University of Bangalore.
> > Professor Eapan introduced the conference by briefly making
> > reference to the legacy of community studies in India, his
> > involvement in the teaching of communication studies since 1952 and
> > the current difficult situation of community media studies and
> > policy in India. He pointed out the importance of having a meeting
> > like this one here in India.
> >
> >
> >
> > Following was Dr Sham P. Thomas, director of the department of
> > communication at the UTC in Bangalore who welcomed the participants
> > on behalf of the staff of UTC - hosts of the conference.
> >
> >
> >
> > The opening address was given by Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron who traced
> > the nature of Our Media as a network, not only through a brief
> > summary of the past 4 conferences, but also by poibnting out some
> > of the challenges that lie ahead. As you can see in Alfonso's
> > document -attached- it was clearly a call for engaging in dialogue
> > and facilitating the process of networking. The address has in a
> > sense set the tone of the conference for the 3 days ahead. For the
> > first time OM has been held in Asia, outside of the Americas or
> > Europe; for the first time it isn't tied as a pre-conference to any
> > other conference (ICA, IAMCR etc); for the first time it has been
> > held over 4 days and has been organized without formal structures
> > of funding in place. Alfonso again mentioned the unfortunate event
> > of our Colombian colleagues who were discriminated by not being
> > given a Visa in time to come.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The first day of presentations begun with 2 keynote speakers. Raghu
> > Mainali, coordinator of Save Community Radio Nepal and Lawrence
> > Liang a senior researcher from Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore.
> >
> >
> >
> > Raghu Mainali gave a dramatic account of the delicate situation of
> > independent media in Nepal since the events of February, 1st, 2005,
> > particularly through a case study of community radio broadcasting
> > amid government repression.
> >
> >
> >
> > Lawrence Liang gave an engaging, lucid, humorous account of the
> > position of independent media in the Indian scape, situated in a
> > delicate situation between the explosion of global corporate Indian
> > media (film industry, IT industry etc) and the panoptic gaze of the
> > Indian government
> >
> >
> >
> > A long, lively and interesting debate followed where it was decided
> > that the conference will end with an OM declaration to be tested in
> > months to come...The declaration will be drafted in the next couple
> > of days and discussed by the participants on thursday during the
> > last OM round table. In principle the declaration will incorporate
> > a note of protest for the discrimination to the Colombian
> > colleagues, a note of solidarity and call to stop the Nepalese
> > government violent reaction against community radio broadcasters in
> > Kathmandu, as well as an appeal to the Indian government to provide
> > specific legislation to protect, and legitimize community media in
> > India.
> >
> >
> >
> > The next two panels were pretty much dedicated to community radio
> > in India. The first panel, chaired by Ashish Sen (VOICES), was a
> > critical examination of the lack of a suitable legal framework to
> > define, promote and empower community radio in India. "General"
> > Narasamma is a local activist from Hyderabad and she presented a
> > case study started in 1997 which is currently run by 3 Dalit girls
> > in a small village in central India with two 100-watt FM radio
> > transmitters that have never been used for fear of government
> > repression. The project is an active call to reclaim the media to
> > serve the need of farmers and villagers and 150 hrs of material
> > have been produced. While the material has never been broadcasted
> > it is played back every two weeks at Sanghan meetings with the
> > purpose of raising awareness and debates among the community and
> > communicate local content of interest to the community. 23,000
> > people, from 70 communities have signed a petition to the Indian
> > government to open community radio licences, unfortunately without
> > much impact.
> >
> >
> >
> > Rammath Bhat followed with another illustration of a community
> > multimedia centre, the Namma Dhwani project set in Buditoke, a
> > small village of 3,000 people in the border of three states in
> > south-east India. The community is characterized as one of the most
> > diverse (culturally, linguistically) in the region. The project
> > began in 1999 and has been supported by Voices and UNESCO and
> > currently functions as a cable community radio with adjoining
> > telecentre and linked to a community services centre. The project
> > carries out activities such as capacity building, training and
> > provides a space for marginalized people such as scheduled castes
> > and people with disabilities. Topics include health, governance,
> > employment, entertainment, education, self-help, legal awareness
> > etc...
> >
> >
> > Finally Sejan Venniyoor provided an informative history of the
> > struggle for legitimizing community radio in India, from the
> > Supreme Court of India's declaration in 1995 that the airwaves are
> > public property to a draft community radio policy document
> > finalized in October 2005.
> >
> >
> >
> > The final panel of the day was a continuation of the same topic
> > with more experiences of community radio in India. In a panel
> > chaired by professor Leela Rao from Bangalore, we heard
> > presentation by Ganesh Mandekar from Abhivyakti Media, Dr. Vinod
> > Pavarala from the University of Hyderabad who shared his
> > ethnographic research on community radio uses and needs in poor
> > rural Indian villages, particularly with regards to issues of
> > gender and development; Ratna Mala a student from M.S University,
> > Tamil Nadu who gave a heartfelt account of grassroots networks in
> > tamil nadu, and the concept of democratic media when applied to
> > projects involving Dalits. Finally, Jethro Petitt, from the
> > Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University, U.K, offered
> > a series of cases studies of participatory communication, action
> > research and the role of research in community participation from
> > cases in Nigeria, Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.
> >
> >
> >
> > Ok, more tommorrow
> >
> >
> >
> > best wishes
> >
> >
> >
> > Juan Salazar
> >
> >
>
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