Please help to update, edit, correct this page... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios is a "network and forum" made up of engaged academics and also involving media practitioners, activists, artists and policy-makers which supports the growth of what it terms the "democratic potential of community, alternative and 'citizens' media". Contents [hide] 1 In Sydney, network of 500 2 History and background 3 Issues 4 2007 panelists and invited speakers 5 Events during OM6 6 OURMedia, Australia 7 Others connected 8 Partners, sponsors, participants 9 External links [edit] In Sydney, network of 500 It organised its sixth international conference in Sydney, Australia from April 9-13, 2007 at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and the theme of this conference was Sustainble Futures: Roles and Challenges for Community, Alternate and Citizens' Media in the 21st Century. Some 70 participants from overseas attended the Sydney conference. OURMedia 6 claimed to have 130 presentations from people in 35 countries, representing over one hundred organisations. Currently OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios claims to have a network of over 500 persons from some 50 countries globally. It says that its "purpose" is to "connect scholars, practitionres, activists, artists, and policy-makers to provide spaces for dialogue and exchange". [edit] History and background OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios focuses on forms of media that are beyond the mainstream. These forms of the media have been variously labelled, and also called the social focus media, citizens' media, community media, independent media, alternative media, tactical media, or participatory media. Some see the term citizen's media to be problematic, as it wittingly or otherwise depends on identities created by the nation-state. This network and forum was founded in 2001. It argues that "the intellectual and policy frameworks for citizens' media are often out of touch with the on-the-ground reality". OURMedia was born in 2000-01 in Mexico, at another communications event. It was started when the academics present realised that in the past couple of years, three books had been published on the alternative media, including Professor John D.H. Downing's Radical Media, another book on the alternative media, and a third by Clemencia Rodriguez. Founder members say that the idea behind it was to create a network that would serve as a series of bridges -- between academics, activists and practitioners. It was also intended to act as a bridge between the "global North and the global South" and to serve as a "bridge between different media technologies." OURMedia says it does not consider itslef as having any "centre", and it wants to balance off differences based on language, gender, race and th elike. OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios has held its earlier conferences in the United States (in 2001), in Spain (2002), in Columbia (2003), Brazil (2004), and in Bangalore-India (in 2005). During its conferences, there have been a mix of academic presentations, media activism initiatives, policy workshops, community cultural development round-tables, new media labs, research-led forums and presentations by local media producers. In 2001, the meet at Washington was held as a one-day pre-conference attached to the meet of the International Communications Association (ICA). In 2002, the meet at Barcelona in Spain was attached to the meeting of the International Conference of Media and Research. 2003 say the meet being held for the first time in the southern hemisphere, in the Latin American country of Colombia. This event was marked by the participation of a number of young people and students. In 2004, once again the event was held in Latin America, in the city of Porto Alegre, known for hosting the World Social Forum meetings. It was held again with the IMCR conference held there. 2005 saw OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios being held for the first time in the Asian continent, in the Indian city of Bangalore. For the first time too, this conference was not attached to any other mainstream conference. Likewise, its organisation was kept largely in the hands of the host country. This time, the conference was held over a four-day period. In 2007, some of the conference themes were: Participatory communication for social change Community/alternative media research Community/alternative media policy Civil Society, Social Movements and Media Activism Community broadcasting New technologies and social action Indigenous media Grassroots meda and youth [edit] Issues Some priority issues seen to be facing those concerned about the media and building the alternative media include: Problem of sustainability (of the alternative media) Media reform Media literacy Focus on children and young people Building an inclusive and just peace Strengthen women's and peace networks Innovative uses of of community media for peace building and conflict resolution Solidifying the field of citizens' media scholarship Linking between research and sustainability Cross-ferlitization of sustainable participatory communications for social change at a global scale. Collective action Bridging gaps between participatory development and alternative media to build common ground Legitimise community media, alternate media, participatory communication research within universities Legitimsise indigenous knowledge and reinforce traditional knowledge systems. [edit] 2007 panelists and invited speakers Among those taking part in the Sydney conference as keynote panelists and invited speakers were John D.H.Downing, professor of inernational communication and founding director of the Global Media Research Centre at the Southern Illinois University in the USA; Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, founding directore of ]]femLINKPACIFIC: Media Initiatives for Women]] in Fiji; Luis Evaristo dos Santos Soares of the Community Radio Centre in Timor Leste; Stuart Allan who is professor of cultural studies at the University of the West of England, UK. Others included Suman Basnet, regional coordinator for Asia and Pacific of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters; Faye Ginsburg, professor of Anthropology and director of the Centre for Media, Culture & History at the New York University; Helen Molnar, executive director of MC Media & Associates; Clemencia Rodriguez of Oklahoma Universit and OURMedia Network, Columbia; Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron of the Communication for Social Change Consortium in Guatemala and the OURMedia Network, Bolivia; Robert A. Hackett of Somon Fraser University and NewsWatch Canada; Dorothy Kidd of the University of San Francisco and the Media Alliance, USA; Andrew Garton of the Association for Progressive Communications, Australia (unable to participate); Barry Melville, general manager of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia; Nalaka Gunawardene, director and CEO of the Television for Evnrionment Asia Pacific in Sri Lanka; Kosala Keerthirathne of the Kothmale Community Media Centre also in Sri Lanka; Raghu Mainali, director of the Community Radio Support Centre of NEFEJ, the Nepal Federation of Environmental Journalists in Kathmandu; and representatives of hi8us of the United Kingdom. [edit] Events during OM6 Sydney's international conference in April 2007 featured a main-conference held between April 10-12 at the Guthrie Theatre of the University of Technology, Sydney on its Broadway Campus on Harris Street. Before the event there was also a pre-conference on tactical and community media on-screen, held on the Afternoon of April 9 at the Sidetrack Theatre at Sydney's Marrickville locality on its Addison Road Community Centre locality. During the 'community and tactical video ONscreen' event, the films screened were Rise up Maubere People! FRETILIN Today (Lucia Salinas, Australia-Timor Leste (36 minutes); Aboriginal Youth Media in Central Australia (Lisa Stefanoff, Leo Ortega and Wiriya Sati); Voices of the Magdalena (Alfonso Gumucio and Amparo Cadavid of Colombia, 35 minutes); Surviving the Street & METINI (The Life and Death of an Afar Woman), by GEM TV of Ethiopia (Deborah Kingsland, Australia-UK); Our December, Bitter but Beautiful/WTO in Hong Kong/Video Activism in Hong Kong; a selection of alternative videos from Japan; selection of tactical videos from Melbourne; and Redfern Waterloo Tour of Beauty (SquatSpace), 45 minutes. On April 13, there was a full-day visit to the Information Cultural Exchange centre located on the outskirts of the city. This was intended to act as a space for sharing and exchanging ideas through "hands-on community media training workshops lead by international and local community media organisations", and to showcase recent ICE projects covering diverse communities in Sydney. Information & Cultural Exchange is housed at the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union. Presenters during this day-long event included Uncle Greg who offered a welcome to country; Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union secretary Doug Cameron; Lena Nahlous of ICE; Ben Hoh speaking on weblogs; Voice of the Nile presenters of Sudanese radio programmes; Sierra Lieonian journalist Edison who has been involved in the Darkness Over Paradise television documentary in that violence-hit land; and MC Trey on urban music and outh cultures. During the event, an OMSix Polymedia Lab was also hosted, as an attempt in "skill-sharing, knowledge-sharing, and the exchange of experiences between media groups, projects, organisations, and activists". This was an open space where anyone interested could share information about experiments, or collaborations. Besides the plenary session, other parallel sessions held during OURMedia 6 included special focus events on: Participatory communication for social change Community/alternative media research Local cultures/media diversity Community cultural diversity Civil society/media activism Community broadcasting Community media policy New technologies and social action Youth and grassroots media Indigenous media New media/community media Panels, presentations and discussions were also held on themes that looked at: Open spectrum: digital television opportunities Community media interventions in Western Sydney Women and community media The future and sustainability of youth media in the 21st century Arab self-representations and community media Grassroots online video distribution workshop Working group meetings were held to discuss the future of OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios, with a focus on themes of governance and financing, communication infrastructure, and plans for the next conference. Two proposals for holding the next event have come up from Ghana, and from Athens, Iowa in the United States. [edit] OURMedia, Australia This event was hosted in a part of the globe which is seen as having a long and strong tradition of citizen engagement, experimental arts and community arts. Australia's community broadcasting sector is over three decades old. In 2005, Australia was estimated to have 341 community radio stations, 54 stations holding or seeking temporary licenses, 76 remote indigenous community TV licensees, and six generalist community TV stations. Besides catering to diverse language groups, the alternative media here has also been seen as catering to specific interests -- indigenous broadcasting, gay and lesbian groups, religious people, independent producers, social activists, artists, educational institutions, seniors, youth. [edit] Others connected Other academics and persons involved as part of the organising committee for the OM6 event were Juan Francisco Salazar of the University of Western Sydney, Australia; Ellie Rennie of Swinburne University of Technology in Australia; Tanya Notley of the Queensland University of Technology in Australia; Lena Nahious and Caitlin Vaughan of the not-for-profit organisation Information and Cultural Exchange in New South Wales, Australia; Clemencia Rodriguez of the University of Oklahoma; Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron of the Guatemala-based Communication for Social Change Consortium; Penny O'Donnell of the University of Technology, Sydney; Gabi Hadl of Tokyo University; Michael Meadows, Griffith University, Australia; Jethro Pettit of the Institute for Development Studies at Sussex University; Elvira Truglia of the Social Justice Committee, Montreal; Leo Berkeley of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology; Stefania Milan of the European University Institute, Italy; Antonio Castilio, University of Western Sydney; Hart Cohen, Univeristy of Western Sydney; Rachel Morley, University of Western Sydney; Tanja Draher, University of Technology, Sydney, and Lucia Salinas. [edit] Partners, sponsors, participants Partners and sponsors for this event included the University of Western Sydney, University of Technology, Sydney, Information and Cultural Exchange, AusAID, Institute of Development Studies, Channel Foundation, Search Foundation, RMIT University, the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, Sidetrack and the British Council. Participants for this event came from Australia, Argentina, Bangladesh, the Basque Country, Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Ethiopia, Fiji Islands, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand (Aotearoa), Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Turkey, UK, Uruguay, USA. [edit] External links OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios main site OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios 2007 conference OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios 2007 wiki OM6 photo group on Flickr.com Some photos from OM6, Sydney Engagemedia, website for video about social justice and environmental issues Handbook of Coding cultures Sliced Bread Attracton, creative opportunities for all abilities CITIZENSHIFT, online media for social change, Canada Creative Commons Australia Communications for Social Change Consortium, Guatemala Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OURMedia/NEUSTROSMedios" This page was last modified 04:11, 14 April 2007. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) 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