Dear Stefania and all,

I think we need to make clear that they are 2 separate meetings - with
separate specific objectives --although it would be good to find ways to
make 'cross-fertilization' possible. By the way, the dates for the AMARC
9 in Jordan are: Nov 11-17, 2006.

The polycentric approach similar to the World Social Forum next year is
also an interesting idea but would require more organizing and
coordinating efforts, I believe.

What if we start with defining the objectives of the next OM conference?


Warm regards,
Mavic


-----Original Message-----
From: This listserv will be used to facilitate communication among
alternative media academics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of liffey
Sent: Friday, December 09, 2005 8:39 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: 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
> >
> >
>