International Symposium
« 25th Anniversary of AMARC :Development and Empowerment through Community Radio »
Montréal, November 7, 2008
AMARC turns 25: 2008 is the Year of Community Radio
The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters activities in 2008 will be marked by the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of AMARC.
It was in August 1983 that a group of community radio fans met spontaneously in Montreal for the first World Conference of community radio broadcasters, only to realise at the meeting that there was already an embryonic world movement which brought them together. In 2008, after 9 world conferences, the community radio movement has effectively become a recognized global sector of communication that has an effective social impact in making the world a better place.
Community Radio activities in 2008 will be under the sign of the 25th Anniversary of AMARC. We call upon AMARC members and Community Radio Stakeholders to organize activities to celebrate, reflect on lessons learned and on how to strengthen the social impact of Community radio to combat poverty, exclusion and voicelessness and to promote social justice and sustainable, democratic and participatory human development.
Please send your reflections on the 25th anniversary of AMARC and communicate your initiatives to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
(further information below)
AMARC tiene 25 años: 2008 es el año de la Radio Comunitaria
Montreal, 31 de Diciembre de 2008. Las actividades de la Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias en 2008 estarán marcadas por la celebración del 25 aniversario de de AMARC.
En Agosto de 1983 un grupo de apasionados de la radio comunitaria se reunieron, casi espontáneamente, en Montreal, Canadá para la primera conferencia mundial de radios comunitarias; allí comenzó a ser evidente la existencia de un movimiento mundial que los unía entre sí. En 2008, después de nueve conferencias mundiales, el movimiento de las radios comunitarias se ha transformado en un sector globalmente reconocido de la comunicación radiofónica que incide en hacer posible un mundo mejor.
Las actividades de las radios comunitarias en 2008 estarán marcadas por el 25 aniversario de AMARC. Llamamos a los miembros de AMARC y los aliados de las radios comunitarias a que organicen actividades para reflexionar sobre las lecciones aprendidas en estos 25 años y ver la manera de fortalecer la incidencia social de las radios comunitarias en luchar contra la pobreza, la exclusión para dar voz a los sin voz y promover la justicia social y el desarrollo humano participativo, democrático y sustentable.
Envía tus reflexiones sobre el 25º aniversario de AMARC y comunica tus actividades al [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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International Symposium
« 25th Anniversary of AMARC :
Development and Empowerment through Community Radio »
Montréal, November 7, 2008
1. Rationale
The world association of Community Radio Broadcasters, AMARC, in
collaboration with partners and stakeholders organises the international
symposium « 25th Anniversary of AMARC : Development and empowerment
through Community Radio » in Montréal, Québec, Canada on November 7th,
2008.
It was in Montreal that a group of radio fans met spontaneously in
August 1983 for the first World Conference of Community Radio
Broadcasters, only to realise that it was the existence of an embryonic
world movement of community radios. Since then and after 9 World
Conferences, the community radio movement has effectively become a
recognised global sector of communication that has an effective social
impact in making the world a better place.
It has been demonstrated that voiceslessness and powerlessness are key
dimensions of poverty. Conversely, access to voice, information, and
knowledge are vital factors in the fight against poverty. It is also
clear that radio has firmly established itself as the most widespread
electronic communications device in the world and a effective and cost
efficient way of reaching the world's poorest communities and favour the
inclusion of the excluded. In that context community radio has put the
tools of communications into the hands of people in hundreds of
communities, particularly women and the excluded, so they can create
their own means of cultural expression, news and information, dialogue
and facilitate the communication process needed to achieve sustainable,
democratic and participatory development. Community Radio has
contributed to give confidence and empowerment to the poor and excluded,
particularly women, so they can improve their social and economic
conditions, hold governments and corporations to account and become more
effectively involved in the democratic development of their community
and country.
AMARC has accompanied the emergence of community radio as a world tiers
sector of broadcast and has decided to transform its 25th anniversary in
the occasion to reflect with partners and stakeholders on how to
increase community radio effectiveness to combat poverty, exclusion and
voiceslessness and to promote social justice and sustainable, democratic
and participatory development.
The international symposium « 25th Anniversary of AMARC : Development
and empowerment through Community Radio » to be held in Montréal,
Québec, Canada on November 7th, 2008 will bring together community radio
practitioners and stakeholders from over the world, NGOs, and academia
to reflect on the social impact of community radio in achieving
democratisation and development objectives world-wide. The symposium
will also allow to explore the international contribution of Canadian
Community radios and NGOs and their specific experiences and how can
AMARC best contribute to respond to the media concentration and the
reduction of the plurality of voices and communication rights.
2. Objectives
Following the 25th anniversary activities held at the Latin American
International Conference "Community Radios for a Better World", held in
Bogotâ, Colombia, February 28-29 , 2008; at the AMARC Africa Workshop
"What vision for a Community Radio Network in Africa" in connection with
the Our Media 7 Conference in Accra, Ghana 11-15 August 2008; with the
Asia Pacific workshop to be hold in October 2008 in Indonesia,
"Community Radios and Natural Disaster Preparedness and Relief", the
Montreal International Symposium « 25th Anniversary of AMARC :
Development and empowerment through Community Radio » will bring
together on November 7, 2008, community radio practitioners, supporters,
NGO representatives and stakeholders to reflect on the link between the
communication processes facilitated by community radio, development and
empowerment of the poor the excluded, particularly women, and to explore
ways to increase its social impact in achieving development goals and
democratisation of societies.
More specifically the participants in the Symposium will :
* Contribute to the reflection on the link between community radio,
development, empowerment and communication rights;
* Share experiences and define lines of action on the best way that
the AMARC network, NGOs and stakeholders may contribute to
increase the social impact of community radio in North America and
overseas;
* Explore the ways to increase networking a;nd partnership between
Canadian NGOs and development stakeholders with community radios
and civil society organisations efforts for democracy building and
achieving development objectives in Africa, Asia and Latin America
& the Caribbean;
* Highlight best practices of community radio in giving voice to
women in Africa Asia, in the Americas;
* Adopt the Montreal Declaration on community radio broadcasting.
3. Draft Agenda of the Symposium
The structure of the symposium is four knowledge exchange sessions,
followed by a ceremony with a Keynote speaker.
a. First Session : Communication, inclusion and development : 25 years
of learning
Objective : Establish a comparative portrait on the development and
characteristics of community radio in the context of neoliberal
globalisation and media concentration..
b. Second Session : Communication Rights and Development : The North
American experience and contribution.
Objective : Establish a portrait of the specific challenges of community
broadcast in North America and its international contribution.
C, Third Session : Increasing the Social Impact of Community Radio
Objective : Explore how can Community Radio, NGOs and stakeholders can
increase the social impact of community radio in achieving development
objectives and democratisation.
d. Forth Session. The Montreal Declaration on Community Radio Broadcasting
Ojjective : Review the Montreal Declaration on Development and
Empowerment through Community Radio
Closing Ceremony
Keynote Speaker presentation : to be determined.
Networking activity
To be determined
Participants
Approximately 100 participants including community radio
representatives, practitioners, NGO representatives, academia and
institutional representatives. The AMARC international delegation will
consist in community radio representatives from Africa, Asia-Pacific,
Europe, Latin America & Caribbean. See attached list
Outputs
Symposium Publication
Broadcast through AMARC network Community Radios
Montreal Declaration
Outcomes
The symposium will help further assess the social impact of community
radio in development and explore how AMARC can best help to remove
barriers that hinder CR development and contribute to increase the
effectiveness of CR in achieving millennium development goals thanks to:
* Increased awareness among community radio stakeholders on best
experiences and challenges for community radio from a global or
regional perspective
* Highlighting community radio social impact in achieving
development objectives and democratisation;
* Increased CR stakeholders partnership for sustainable, democratic,
participatory human development;
* Defining how can AMARC best contribute to the reinforcement of CR
networks in North America;
* Reinforcing the Women International Network of AMARC in North America;
* Adopting the Montréal Declaration of Community Radio, Development
and Democracy;
For further information and to register please contact :
Marcelo Solervicens, Secretary General AMARC, secgen@...<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/creative-radio/post?postID=y0QFbStHl2GjKam_N6Vz4KzhU97o9nr-F7Y-6ncMPbAxnTFTSJ4QoXiOFzrnwGC4t33Wfkb62Gbawg>
+1-514-982-0351