Source:
http://www.amarc.org/index.php?p=montreal_symposium_2008


21st Century Key Communication Challenges at the heart of the 25th 
Anniversary of AMARC Celebration

Montréal, November 11th, 2008.

Dozens of community radio practitioners and stakeholders met in 
Montreal, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of AMARC and reflect on the 
challenges of community radio broadcasting. AMARC, in collaboration with 
Media@McGill, partners and stakeholders, organised the international 
symposium « 25th Anniversary of AMARC : Development and Empowerment 
through Community Radio » , November 7th, 2008 in Montreal.
The symposium was covered by Radio Centre-Ville and CKUT and the podcast 
is available at http://www.amarc.org/montreal

The participants honoured Michel Delorme, first president of AMARC and 
Evelyne Foy, first Secretary General, as representatives of thousands of 
community radio broadcasters that have contributed to AMARC successfully 
accompanying the development of a global sector of community radio 
during the last 25 years. The participants also debated the Montreal 
Declaration adding new points to include the changes in world context 
since the creation of AMARC, including the appearance of new 
technologies, media concentration, globalisation. The participants also 
decided to start a community media research network.
The final version of the Montreal Declaration will be published shortly.

The participants interacted on the presentations, among others of 
Melissa Cabana of Oxfam Quebec, of Frank LaRue, UN Special Rapporteur on 
Freedom of Expression; Ian Pringley of the Commonwealth of Learning, on 
the relation between communication and human development, communication 
rights and on the promotion of social justice and human rights. The 
closing session of the Symposium was opened to all and Amy Goodman from 
Democracy Now, was the key note speaker. The presentations are available 
at http://www.amarc.org/montreal

Through service to members, networking and project implementation, the 
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters AMARC, brings together 
a network of more than 4,000 community radios, Federations and community 
media stakeholders in more than 115 countries. AMARC advocates for the 
right to communicate at the international, national, local and 
neighbourhood levels and defends and promotes the interests of the 
community radio movement through solidarity, networking and Cooperation.