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ANNUAL REPORT

The year of the AMARC 10 Global Conference

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AMARC 2010 ANNUAL REPORT

AMARC World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters

International SecretariatEditor Marcelo SolervicensSecretary General705, Bourget, suite 100

Montréal (Québec) Canada H4C 2M6http://amarc.org

Thanks to:

Oxfam Novib, NetherlandsCanadian International Development Agency, CIDAEvangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED)Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDCOrganisation catholique canadienne pour le développement et la paixCentre de recherche pour le développement internationale (CRDI)UNESCOFord FoundationOpen Society InstituteGlobal Knowledge PartnershipFriedrich Ebert FoundationHenrich Böll FoundationOrganisation Internationale de la Francophonie

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1.- General Overview from the Secretary General 5

2.- AMARC International Board of Directors Overview of AMARC in 2010and Challenges 2011-2014 7

3.- AMARC Approach to Impact Assessment 11

4.- Overview of Outcomes of AMARC in 2010 11 4.1.- Outcomes and progress on advocacy programme:promoting, defending and reinforcing media pluralismcommunity radio; 13 4.2.- Outcomes and progress on promotion of knowledgesharing and capacity building for community media sustainability 15 4.3.- Outcomes and progress on content exchange and socialactions campaigns: making civil society voices heard 16 4.4.- Outcomes and progress on gender equality and women’srights programme: empowering women and engendering the media 17 4.5.- Outcomes and progress on network development andcommunication programme: reinforcing community radio and civil societynetworks. 18

5.- Activities and Outputs of AMARC in 2010 20 5.1.- January 2010 20 5.2.- February 2010 21 5.3.- March 2010 22 5.4.- April 2010 23 5.5.- May 2010 25 5.6.- June 2010 26 5.7.- July 2010 26 5.8.- August 2010 27 5.9.- September 2010 28 5.10.- October 2010 28 5.11.- November 2010 29 5.12.- December 2010 30

Contents

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Johannesburg Declaration 31

Bangalore Community Radio Declaration 33

Indigenous Statement to the Bangalore Declaration 36

Special Report on AMARC 10 World Conference of CommunityRadio Broadcasters - Comunicación Comunitaria 38

8-13 November, 2010DAY 1: Communications for a Better World 38

DAY 2: Recovering Memories, Building Futures 42 DAY 3: Communications Rights & Human Rights 50 DAY 4: Reinforcing Community Radio Social Impact 53 DAY 5: Community Radio Actions and Strategies 56 The Community Radio Movement Strategic

Plan 2011-2014 56 The International Board of AMARC 57 DAY 6: Networking, Solidarity, Social

and Cultural Events 58AMARC 10: LA PLATA Declaration of CommunityRadio Broadcasters 58

Financial Report 2010 62

AMARC Structure 65

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Voicelessness continues to be a key dimension of poverty and the democ-ratization of communications through the development of communitymedia, which represents a key step to the empowerment of the poor, mar-ginalized and particularly women.

The concentration of media in a few conglomerates is a trend reinforcedin 2010, against which community radio development has become a spe-ci c balance to counter its effects in citizen participation in reachingpoverty reduction, social inclusion, good governance and sustainable de-velopment. The key challenge for community radio remains the need toreinforce its effectiveness in facilitating communication processes at thelocal, national, regional and international levels so that social actors mayexercise democratic citizenship.

First of all, in 2010 there was increased recognition of community radio asa third tier sector of worldwide communication. At the same time, therewas an increase of repression against community radio in diverse countriesraising the challenges for international solidarity. In this regard the need towork to facilitate the establishment and recognition of community radio inlegislation in several countries is a key challenge for civil society and thecommunity media network.

Second, advances in the use of new technologies including the challengeof digital radio, continued to be a trend needing knowledge sharing andcapacity building to bridge the divide between North and South countries,including the challenges faced by emerging countries with profound inter-

nal social divides and exclusion of important sectors of society. The needfor knowledge sharing with civil society actors, including social media, and

1.- General overview fromthe Secretary General

Marcelo SolervicensSecretary General

of AMARC

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has become speci c challenge to the sustainability of the community radiosector.

Third, in 2010, the global and country challenges in reaching developmentobjectives, on good governance and democratization, on the inclusion ofwomen and the excluded (the poor, children, seniors, etc) have increasedwith the global economic crisis of the neoliberal casino economy increas-ing unemployment, national debt, prices as well as scarcity of food andnatural resources . This was accompanied by the occurrence of climatechange affecting production in the global South and by natural disasters.The Haitian earthquake in January with more than 300,000 dead, the Chil-ean earthquake with its effects on infrastructure, the oods in Pakistan,were some indications of challenges ahead and the need for communityradio to reinforce its effectiveness in the rst line of disaster prevention,management and reconstruction.

Fourth, major organizational developments within the global community

radios network, were the reinforcement of the harmonization processesof the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters and the GlobalConference AMARC10 that allowed to review the challenges for civil soci-ety, the community radio sector and to de ne orientations on how to in -crease the role and effectiveness of community radio in poverty reduction,social inclusion, good governance and sustainable human development.

In this regards, the more than 500 participants from 96 countries reunitedduring AMARC 10 World Conference, decided the strategic plan for 2011-2014, to reinforce the impact of community radio communication process-es in improving economic, social, and citizen, (including women) inclusionand participation; to reinforce the sustainability of community radio sec-tor and to foster community radio establishment where it has not yet beenestablished and the legal recognition of its speci c characteristics so it canincrease its effectiveness. The new international board was also demo-

cratically elected by AMARC members for the period 2011-2014.

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What follows is the Report by the International Board of AMARC pre-sented to the AMARC 10, - the World Conference of Community Ra-dio Broadcasters. This text captures the main conclusions of the work byAMARC and the challenges for the period 2011- 2014. Evaluation of AMARC in 2010

At AMARC 9 our General Assembly approved an ambitious Strategic Planbased on an extensive process of regional and international consultation.It was framed by high principles. Our goal: to combat poverty, exclusionand voicelessness and to promote social justice and sustainable, demo-cratic and participatory development. Our purpose: to amplify the voicesof the excluded and marginalized through community media and new ICTs,to support popular access to communications, and to defend and promote

community radio worldwide.Within that framework we established a new approach to planning andimplementation, which we described as ‘harmonization’. In this approachAMARC International and its Regional Sections agreed on common objec-tives within which to coordinate our actions and activities. We sought toimprove coordination and to achieve greater coherence in our global func-tioning. AMARC 9 also set a budget and fund-raising targets to match thescale of our objectives.

We had ve priorities: (1) to engage in political advocacy to improve theenabling environment for community media; (2) to strengthen the sustain-ability and effectiveness of community media through knowledge sharingand capacity building; (3) to amplify the voices of the marginalized and ex-cluded through content development and joint campaigns; (4) to promotegender equality and women’s rights; and (5) to strengthen our networkingand communication.

2.- Overview of AMARC in 2010

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Four years on, we have made signi cant progress in all of these areas.Since 2007 the AMARC International Secretariat has produced annual re-ports which provide a detailed account of AMARC activities. This reportto AMARC General Assembly provides a summary of the principal achieve-ments, some lessons learned and our recommendations for the future.

On political advocacy we have seen key advances in policies, laws and reg-ulations in Argentina, Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Jordan, Nigeria, Spainand Uruguay, among others. We have strengthened recognition for commu-nity radio at the international level – notably within the human rights sys-tem, and particularly in this year’s report to the UN Human Rights Councilof the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. We have also gainedregional recognition for community media within the Inter-American Com-mission for Human Rights, the European Parliament and the Council ofEurope. We have been active in defending community radio under attack,most intensively after the military coup in Honduras, but also in Mexico,

Nepal and the Philippines, among other countries. And we have led or par-ticipated in missions to countries were community radio is yet to develop,including China, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.

On knowledge sharing, capacity building andsustainability we have completed and dissem-inated an extensive global evaluation of thestate of the community radio sector. In Africawe have organized workshops to strengthencountry level sector associations. In the AsiaPaci c region, the role of community radioin disaster mitigation and response has beenthe focus of research surveys, workshops andanalysis. In 2010 we applied some of the latterexperience into direct support in response to

disasters in Haiti, Chile and Pakistan. We havelearned lessons, in doing so, that strengthenour capability for disaster response.

On joint campaigns we have continued to promote grassroots voices speak-ing out for women’s rights, against gender-based violence, against racism,for food security and to combat climate change, among others. We needto review our approach to social action campaigning and to strengthen ourlinkages with social movement organizations so that initiatives like thesetake on a new dynamic, more embedded in community-based action.

Earthquake in Haiti January 12th, 201016:53 local time

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On gender equality and women’s rights we have continued to support jointbroadcast initiatives for International Women’s Day and for the 16 Daysof Activism against Gender Based Violence. We have also produced andtranslated into 15 languages the Gender Policy for Community Radio, animportant standard setting document on media and gender.

On network development our main focushas been the recovery of AMARC-Africa,including an African regional conference

and general assembly in 2009, held in Abi-djan; the re-establishment of a Europeanregional section, including, in 2008 in Bu-charest, the rst AMARC-Europe confer -ence since the year 2000; and support for the continuing growth and de-velopment of AMARC Asia-Paci c, including a regional conference in 2010in Bangalore. In the Middle East and North Africa we sought to build on the

momentum of AMARC 9 by holding a conference in 2008 in Rabat, but wehave yet to establish a long term programme of work in this region. Oncommunications we have signi cantly improved our international function -ing including an electronic newsletter (AMARCLink), an annual report, apresence on social network platforms, and the establishment of coordina-tion tools and action committees.

We now need to review the results of the harmonization approach and thelessons to be learned. During the period 2006-2010 we have diversi ed ourfunding base and we have brought greater stability to the organization.But we have also stretched to the limits our resources. In future we needto improve our fund-raising strategies – with better coordination, morejoint projects development and a stronger focus on country level projectactivities.

Challenges for 2011-2014

In completing the process of harmonizing our regional and internationalactivities, while also assuring the sustainability of AMARC International, weface three major challenges:

First, we need to maintain a political orientation which is international-ist and movement - oriented, based on open consultation and transpar-ency. Second, we need to develop a decentralized delivery strategy in

2nd AMARC AsiaPaci c Conference.

Bangalore, India from20-23 February 2010

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which AMARC International is primarily an enabling and coordinating body,with implementation mainly at the level of regional of ces and of localpartners. Third, we need to de ne the core functions of the InternationalSecretariat – which should include fundraising, capacity building, commu-nications, monitoring and evaluation, – as well as direct implementationin areas of globally strategic importance – such as policy representation inthe UN system, international missions, and responses to major emergen-cies.

During the period 2006 – 2010, AMARC has grown as a movement, member-

ship as a whole has increased, our Regional Sections have developed newactivities, and we have built new alliances while maintaining our core fo-cus on community media and communication rights.

In the future, we need to continue to extend our political frontiers inat least three dimensions – geo-political, social and technological. At thegeo-political level we should continue to support the development of com-

munity media in the predominantly Arabic speaking countries of the MiddleEast and North Africa, we should deepen our engagement with China andthe Chinese speaking world, building on our two missions in 2009 and 2010.We need to do more to engage with countries of the former Soviet Unionand especially Russia. At the socio-political level we need to strength-en and develop our engagement with wider social movements - buildingpartnerships and joint initiatives, not only with the international women’smovement, but also with the peace and environmental movement, thelabour movement, indigenous peoples’ organizations, and the lesbian,gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, among others. At thetechnological level, as platforms, tools and practices of community mediachange, we need to engage with and increasingly involve those activists,networks and organizations who share our values, but who work in otherforms of community media – video, mobile, internet.

We achieve our goals ultimately when we make a difference at local com-munity level or in transforming the country level enabling environment– policies, laws and infrastructure. We need to strengthen our analysis ofcountry level needs and priorities, and to develop the capability to supportlong term country level strategies for change and improvement. At thesame time, our core strength lies in being a global network for solidarityamong activists for communication rights. This strength as a network restson shared values and assuring open and effective communications acrossthe boundaries of geography, culture and language.

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In concluding, the International Board of Directors would like to express our thanks andappreciation to the staff of our International Secretariat and our regional of ces in Af -rica, Asia-Paci c, Europe, and Latin -America and the Caribbean. Without their commit -ment and dedication to our goals and our movement, what we have been able to achievewould have been much diminished.

International Board of DirectorsAMARC InternationalNovember 2010

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The goal of AMARC is “to combat poverty, exclusion and voiceslessnessand to promote social justice and sustainable, democratic and partici-patory human development. In pursuit of this goal, AMARC’s purpose is toamplify the voices of the excluded and marginalized through communitymedia and new ICTs, to support popular access to communications, andto defend and promote the development of community radio worldwide.”

AMARC is the only organisation representing and engaging the global com-munity radio movement at local, regional and international level. It hasaccompanied the establishment of this third tier sector of communicationbesides commercial and public radio worldwide since 1983. When it comesto impact and attribution of impact, it is important to clarify how AMARCworks and its role as a communication actor.

First of all, in regards to impact, AMARC works as an association, as anetwork and as an NGO: as a grassroots democratic membership associa-tion it sets the concept of what community radio is for the developmentstakeholders community; as a network it encourages communications byreinforcing alliances and effectiveness of civil society interventions for abetter world; as an NGO it develops speci c projects along lines of actionby achieving the objectives of the strategic plan de ned by the membersin the world conferences.

Second, when it comes to attribution of impact, the re-ection of AMARC impact as a communication rights ac -

tor is based in the conclusions of the evaluation processin 2006. (support in part by Oxfam Novib, please visithttp://evaluation.amarc.org/evaluation.php ). Community radio, as aninteractive communication for development tool, facilitates communica-

tion processes leading to social change. Social impact attribution or socialchange by AMARC intervention (with support from Oxfam Novib) has to be

3.- AMARC Approach toImpact Assessment

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placed in this perspective: in terms of creating the communication spacesrendering social change possible.Third, as it has been long recognized, impact can only be assessed in thelong term (longitudinal analysis, process approaches with photographs atcertain moments of those processes, also results as being produced with acombination of parameters).

This said, the main evidences of impact on changes on policies and onpractices is the speci c experience in regards to disaster management.

(a) Advocacy and Policy development. The objective is creating, maintain-ing, and defending the existence of an enabling environment for commu-nities so that they have access to and appropriation of community radio.Signi cant impact on changes on policies and practices was that in 2010there were several governments, including Haiti, Ghana, Pakistan, Indone-sia and India as well as international institutions such as UNESCO and FAOrecognized the key role that community radio plays in disaster manage-ment and prevention. This is in terms of rapid response, as well as in theuse of community radio to rapidly access the most affected communitiesin their own languages and at the local level in terms of social impact. Thisrecognition was the result of AMARC rapid response in Haiti through mis-sions of support and knowledge sharing through the network together withactors of the civil society community.

(b) Knowledge sharing and Capacity Building. The objective is to ensuresustainability of community media by training or knowledge-sharing, lead-ing to improvement in the quality of radio, better content, and the par-ticipation of social actors and activists in community radio. In this regardimpact will have to be analysed further at the end of the project (seeoutcomes and outputs);

(c) Social Action Campaigns for Development & Democracy. The objec-

tive is to reinforce the contents of radio programming and the exchangesby local community radio at regional and international levels concerningdevelopment and democratic issues leading to social change. The speci ccampaigns related to actual funding from support will need more time tobe assessed. (see outcomes and outputs);

(d) Gender Equity and Women Rights. The objective is to strengthen wom-en’s voices and rights in community radio and society through advocacy,knowledge sharing, gender sensitive programme and broadcast campaigns,networking and membership development. The speci c activities related

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to the actual funding by Oxfam Novib will need more time to be analysedas impacts (see outcomes and outputs);

(e) Networking and Communications. The objective is to ensure allianceswith civil society movements, NGOs and stakeholders and to reinforcethe sustainability and visibility of the global community radio movementthrough increased communications, networking, monitoring, evaluation &impact assessment and exchanges between regions. The speci c activitiesrelated to the actual funding by Oxfam Novib will need more time to beanalysed as impacts (see outcomes and outputs);

4.- Overview of outcomesof AMARC in 2010

The general objectives for AMARC is to increase the effectiveness of AM-ARC network in achieving its strategic goal, adopted by the membersat AMARC 9 Global Conference in Amman in November 2006 and rati ed inAMARC 10 Global Conference held in La Plata, Argentina 8-13 November2010. This goal is to combat poverty, exclusion and voiceslessness and topromote social justice and sustainable, democratic and participatory hu-man development. In pursuit of this goal AMARC’s purpose is to amplify thevoices of the excluded and marginalized through community media andnew ICTs, to support popular access to communications, and to defend andpromote the development of community radio world-wide.

In AMARC 10 Global Conference there was further precision on the strate-gic lines of action to reach these objectives.

The strategic lines of action to reach these objectives are:a) advocacy, policy research, and defense of community radio in generaland particularly on gender equality and women’s rights;b) increased sustainability for community radio through communicationsand network development; knowledge sharing and capacity building andreinforcement of the AMARC WIN network;

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c) reinforce the social, developmental and humanitarian impact of com-munity media through news services, social action campaigns on develop-ment issues, good governance, climate change and particularly women’srights and gender equality;

Key outcomes and indicators of progress for 2010 according to the projectare as follows:

4.1 Outcomes and progress on advocacy programme: promoting, defendingand reinforcing media pluralism community radio;

By the end of 2010 AMARC made a signi cant contribution in reinforc -ing human rights, freedom of expression (FoE) standards and the allianceswith for democracy and communication rights. The outcomes in 2010 areas follows;• The defense of community radios under attack in several countriesthrough alerts and missions as in Honduras, Colombia, Mexico and in Zim-babwe. (see mission reports) contributed to reduce the risks of communityradio practitioners;

• Increased respect for freedom of expression and democracy by the es -tablishment of new community radios in Bangladesh and Nigeria, the rein-forcement of community radios in India and in Nepal. The new legislationin Argentina allocating half of the spectrum to community or associativesector;• AMARC contributed to the knowledge about community radio in newcountries, particularly in China and in the MENA region : i. AMARC participated in the AIBD (Asia Paci c Institute for Broad -cast development) Media Summit in Beijing in May 2010, presenting papersand exploring how AMARC could interact with community based groups to

establish community based radios in the country. The AIBD consultationswere followed by a seminar in Hong Kong University and meeting withNGOs/groups like Citizens Radio and IFEX to explore the viability of com-munity radio.

ii. At the end of 2010 the political changes in the MENA region,opened new possibilities for the establishment of community radios in Tu-nisia, Egypt and Morocco.

• AMARC reinforced alliances with FoE international and regional organisa -tions such as IFEX, IMS, etc.• The report by Frank Larue, UN Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression,highlighted recognition to community radio as a standard for FoE by theinternational community;• 76 Country Reports and situation of FoE and particularly of community

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discussed worldwide and have been recognized by the OAS and the UN FoErapporteur. Workshops were conducted at several AMARC Conferences;• More than 350 new people in local communities mainly Bangladesh, Nige -ria, Argentina accessed to community radio thanks to legislation;

4.2 Outcomes and progress on promotion of knowledge sharing and capac-ity building for community media sustainability

By the end of 2010 AMARC made a signi cant contribution to increase thecapacity of community radio to combat poverty, exclusion and voicesless-

ness and to promote social justice and sustainable, democraticand participatory human development. In 2010 the outcomesare as follows:

• AMARC did a diagnostic of knowledge sharing, capacity build -ing and mentoring needs of community radio in Africa & MENA,Asia-Paci c, Eastern Europe, Latin America & Caribbean and pri -orities were established;• AMARC facilitated exchange of information to expertise andsupport by updating its interactive market-place platform;• AMARC increased coordination and alliances with partners in implemen -tation of knowledge sharing and mentoring, including Commonwealth ofLearning, Panos, Farm Radio International, International Press Service,etc.• AMARC gave support to 52 community radios with sustainability problems

at several levels, thus reinforcing its capacity for supporting its members.Among others, to 13 community radios in Haiti, following the earthquake;to 3 community radios in Honduras following the dif cult situation createdby the coup d’État in that country; 36 radios in Senegal, Burkina Faso,Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Benin, Cameroun, Ghana,South Africa, Kenya, through its empowerment programme; In Asia Paci c,support was given to starting community radios in India, Nepal and Indo-

nesia;• Following several training for trainers activities, knowledge sharing andmentoring either through speci c activities (Conferences in India, SouthAfrica and Argentina) or through speci c projects or international cam -paigns, AMARC 18,897 persons (estimated half of them women);• Increased access by 370 new persons to community radios in Latin Amer -ica, Asia Paci c and Africa. The main curses developed are: radio tech -nique, development and good governance, water & sanitation, food secu-rity, HIV-AIDS; human rights; climate change adaptation and mitigation;

ASIA Media Summit2010. Beijing, China

from 25 - 26 May 2010(Image: CRIEnglish.com)

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• 87 new NGOs participate in community radio programming thanks to em -powerment projects in Africa and international campaigns;• Thematic platform on water & sanitation is created on website;

4.3 Outcomes and progress on content exchange and social actions cam-paigns: making civcil society voices heard;

In 2010, more than 800 radio stations of AMARC’s network contributed toamplify the voices of the excluded and marginalized (covering 200 million

community radios audiences) and work effectively with 300 civil societyorganizations making their alternatives (expressed in local, national, re-gional or global) for a) heard at local, regional national and global levelsthus increasing the impact of communication processes facilitated by com-munity radio. In the year 2010 these are the outcomes:

• Increased offer of information and coverage of regional andinternational events by increased subscription to Pulsar newsagency and extension of it to Portuguese and to English;• The establishment of Simbani in Africa has been reported.A platform for sustainable exchange has been established andexchanges on information have been reinforced with IPS andother information producing agencies in Africa. AMARC Africahas developed its expertise in radio campaigns and in coverageof international events;• The Asia Paci c interactive platform will be established in2011. Work is in the making;• AMARC 10 Global Conference was part of the delocalised ac -tivities of the World Social Forum in 2010;• 36 community radios produce and distribute a series of pro -

grammes on HIV-AIDS in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya audience of 1.800,000 (with an es-

timated average of 50,000 audience per radio);• 36 community radios produce and distribute a series of programmes onwater and sanitation in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Ghana, South Africa and Kenya Audience of 1.800,000 (with an es-timated average of 50,000 audience per radio);• 67 community radios contribute to 8 March Women’s Day Global Broad -casted Campaign, under the theme “Empowering and celebrating womenas agents of recovery”, with coverage in 28 countries and an estimated 1million not repeated listeners;• Food security campaign for 16th October World Food Day, 20110 with 48

AMARC 10 Global Con-ference of CommunityRadio Broadcasters8 - 13 November 2010La Plata

Argentina

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community radios under the theme “United against Hunger” in 30 coun-tries, with an outreach of 690,000 audience (average of 15,000 audienceper radio).• 16 days of activism against gender violence international broadcastedcampaign with the participation of 92 community radios in 48 countriesand a broadcast of 39 hours and a 1.380,000 audience, (estimated average15,000 per radio). This involves, 25 November (International Day againstGender Violence); 1 December (World AIDS Day); 6 December (anniver-sary of the Montreal massacre, when 14 women engineering students weregunned down; and 10 December (Human Rights Day).

• 18 December Immigrant Day will be covered in 2011;

4.4 Outcomes and progress on gender equality and women’s rights pro-gramme: empowering women and engendering the media

By the end of 2010 AMARC made a signi cant contribution to increase pro -motion of women’s voices and rights, speci c achievements on reductionof gender based discrimination and strengthened participation of womenin community radio. The outcomes in 2010 are as follows:

• 90 Women access community radios in new radios created in Bangladesh,Argentina, Nigeria and increase their number in other 50 community radiosin other countries (average of 4 new women per radio in 30 radios);• Discussion and distribution of AMARC Gender Policy for Community Radioin the Asia Paci c Conference, in the Africa seminar in Johannesburg andin AMARC 10 in La Plata in November 2010;• 68 women discussed on gender and climate change and on 2011-2014strategic plan at the AMARC 10 Global Conference of Community RadioBroadcasters in Argentina; The discussion was also advanced at the 2ndAsia Paci c Conference and at the Johannesburg seminar;

• 140 women from Africa, Asia-Paci c and Latin America received train -ing for trainers in gender evaluation methodologies, in use of new ICTs,in community radio management and shared in content development atthe 2nd Asia Paci c Conference, the Africa Seminar in Johannesburg andat the AMARC 10 Global Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters inArgentina,• 2 women participate in the UN Commission on the Status of Women(UNCSW) in New York (Sharon Bagwan Rolls Fiji, Sophie Toupin Canada);• 67 community radios contributed to 8 March Women’s Day Global Cam -

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paign, under the theme “Empowering and celebrating women as agents ofrecovery”, with coverage in 28 countries and an estimated 1 million notrepeated listeners;• Food security campaign for 16th October World Food Day, 2010 with 48community radios under the theme “United against Hunger” in 30 coun-tries, with an outreach of 350,000 audience.• 16 days of activism against gender violence International campaign withthe participation of 92 community radios in 48 countries and broadcastof 39 hours and 1.380,000 audience, (estimated average 15,000 audienceper radio). This involves, 25 November (International Day against Gender

Violence); 1 December (World AIDS Day); 6 December (anniversary of theMontreal massacre, when 14 women engineering students were gunneddown; and 10 December (Human Rights Day).• Reinforced alliances with civil society gender organizations, among oth -ers, FIRE, WINGS, etc;• The AMARC Women International Network held its 4-year conference atthe AMARC 10 Global assembly and elected the new representative of theWIN at the International Board of Directors. Where also adopted the orien-tations for the WIN strategic plan for 2011-2014;• All regional network of WIN are active and networking;• An AMARC WIN Newsletter was produced in March 2010;• The Directory of WIN is in preparation;

4.5 Outcomes and progress on network development and communicationprogramme: reinforcing community radio and civil society networks.

By the end of the three year programme, there will be increased visibilityof Community Radio; stronger alliances by the community radio move-

ment with civil society organizations and institutions atthe global, regional and national levels, reinforcement ofthe community radio network through increased harmoni-zation practices and impact evaluation methodologies and

orientations. The main outcomes in 2010 were:• Signi cant improvement of the interactive website ofAMARC. A total reorganization and appearance of the web-site is expected in 2011 and 2012;• AMARC Link was published and distributed but publica -tion of Interadio was postponed pending an analysis of itseffectiveness;• All structures of AMARC met in 2010 (Regional boards ofAfrica, Asia Paci c, Latin America & the Caribbean, and

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Europe, as well as of the International Board of Directors of AMARC. Therewas also the 2nd Asia Paci c Conference that elected the new regionalboard and the General Assembly of AMARC on November 12 elected thenew International Board of Directors of AMARC;• In 2010, AMARC entered into a renewed MoU with International Press Ser -vice renewed the MoU with FAO and with ECOSOC and obtained recognitionby the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in Geneva;• AMARC participated actively in the WorldSocial Forum International Board as well asin the Communications Commission;

• AMARC participated on impact assessmentexchanges with Panos and with ALER, OurMedia an Commonwealth of Learning;• Impact assessment methodology and ac -tion research techniques were shared at the 2nd Asia Paci c Conference,the Africa Seminar in Johannesburg and at the AMARC 10 Global Confer-ence of Community Radio Broadcasters in Argentina;• Harmonization processes and clari cation on the nature of links betweenAMARC structures were reinforced increasing effectiveness of AMARC in-terventions at diverse levels.

5.- Activities and outputs

of AMARC in 20105.1.- January 2010

__________________January 5th: Press release on renewed threats against staff and journalistsof Radio Victoria in El Salvador.

____________________

January 2010: Ashish Sen, Asia Paci c AMARC vice-president led a UNESCOfacilitated capacity building and advocacy consultation in Bishkek , Kyrgyz-stan to promote community radio in the country

____________________January 25 to February 10: First mission of AMARC to Haiti, conductedby Francesco Diasio, AMARC Europe coordinator and UDECA representative(Dominican Republic) the mission was to assess the situation of the com-munity radio sector in Haiti. (see Annex for details).

A A C 2010 A A O

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___________________January 28: Press release on Haiti after the earthquake: community radiobroadcasters mobilise in support of Haiti. __________________January 26: Report of the international mission of observation of freedomof expression to Honduras published.

__________________January: Publication of international mission on freedom of the press andfreedom of expression to Honduras: The Media War and Polarization of theMedia.

__________________January 25-29: Coverage of the World Social Forum Anniversary in PortoAlegre, Brazil, in Foro de Radios together with ALER. It was the celebrationof the 10 years of the World Social Forum with the International Seminar“Ten Years After: Challenges and Proposals for Another World to be Possi-ble”. There was also the International Youth Camp and the First Exhibitionof Solidarity Economy. (see annex and Pulsar website);

__________________January: Publication of AMARC Link, Volume 14, No 1, January – March2010. Distributed to 6789 emails and in website.

5.2.- February 2010 _______________________February 12-18: The Workshop Making Airwaves for Peace was held in India.Organized by the Women International Network in Asia Paci c, and ISIS

Manila, with partial support of Oxfam Novib. A cross cultural seminar onwomen’s participation in climate change adaptation, disaster mitigationand peace building through community radio. Trainer, Bianca Migliorettoand participation of 22 Women.

_______________________February 20-23: The AMARC Asia Paci c Regional Conference “Voices for aSustainable and Sound Future” was held in Bangalore, India. The Confer-

ence brought together more than 300 community radio stakeholders, in-cluding community radio representatives, NGO partners, donors and schol-ars mostly from the Asia-Paci c region and globally also. English was theworking language for the conference. (See Annex).The conference took a close look at special sectors of development, suchas the empowerment of women within the radio sector, the role of com-munity broadcasting in poverty reduction and in peace building, and duringnatural disasters. The conference also evaluated the individual situationin sub-regions of the Asia-Paci c region vis-à-vis the development of com -


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munity broadcasting and explored how to create enabling environmentsfor community radio development in countries where it does not exist.The participants exchanged knowledge on best experiences of communityradio in the region and elsewhere and explored ways to increase the socialimpact of community radio. The Bangalore Declaration, with an IndigenousStatement, was rati ed by the participants on the nal day of the confer -ence.The main goal of the regional conference was to provide a collective andcreative platform for policy discussion and advocacy (linked to a strategicplan for regional development) and the strengthening of the network to

address the challenges of the community broadcasting sector.The four-day capacity building Asia-Paci c Conference combined severalinteractive mechanisms: plenary presentations followed by questions andcomments from the oor and discussion groups with recommendations forthe Asia Paci c Regional Action Plan 2010 - 2013; Capacity building inter -active workshops and parallel workshops organised with partners in orderto develop capacity and knowledge on speci c topics. On the margins ofthe Conference, AMARC Asia-Paci c members came together in GeneralAssembly to receive reports and to de ne the strategic plan for 2010-2013and elect the members of the Regional Board.

______________________February 23: Bangalore Community Radio declaration: The right to know isessential to every person’s humanity. So we believe, so we struggle, so welive, so we celebrate.

5.3.- March 2010 _______________________March 6: Press release “Chile’s Community Radios have a key role in disas-ter response”. (see also “Consolidated report on information of the 27thFebruary Earthquake in Chile” (see Annex).

______________________

March 8: Global Campaign for Women’s Day, organized by the Women In-ternational Network, and coordinated by the International Secretariat andregional of ces in Buenos Aires, Kathmandu, Dakar and Rome; 67 partici -pating radios in the production (376 in the broadcast, see Annex)

________________________March 2010: AMARC Asia-Paci c conducted community radio workshopswith particular emphasis on women in community radio in Ahmedabad,India, organized by Drishti Media Collective.

_________________________March 21: Radio Voice without Borders under the topic migrations was held


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by AMARC network. For the thirteenth consecutive year the radio opera-tors members of the AMARC take part in Radio Voices without Frontiers(RVWF), a multilingual broadcast marathon against all forms of discrimina-tion. This year we added the under-topic: world migrations. Produced andcoordinated by the International Secretariat in collaboration with the re-gional of ces, producers and the community radio stations of everywherein the world, the international broadcast celebrated the UN InternationalDay for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Find this year radio pro-grams and past editions AT the following address http://www.rvsf.amarc.org .This year, broadcasting counted programs in English, French, Spanish,

Arabic, Nepalese and Indonesian. _______________________March 20-30: Second mission to Haiti, by Ernesto Lamas, Coordinator ofAMARC Latin America and the Caribbean, and Jim Ellinger from Austin Ra-dio and AMARC Vice president. The second international mission to Haiti ofAMARC helped to re-establish in the air Radyo Zetwal Peyizan, a communityradio in Fondwa, near Leogane. . On 12 January the station was completelydestroyed and its studios buried under concrete. On March 21st, the goalof re-establishing the broadcast capacity of Radio Zetwual was attained.The second international mission to Haiti of AMARC, brought solidarity do-nations of equipment and technical support to Radyo Zetwal Peyizan. Theinauguration ceremony counted on the participation of community radiorepresentatives from Haiti, of SAKS, of the delegation of AMARC Interna-tional, on local community rtepresentatives and of the ambassadior of theRepublic of Argentina José María Vásquez Ocampo, that was very much

interested by the activities of the radio. (see Annex)5.4.- April 2010

_______________________April: Publication of audios and scripts on HIV-AIDS in Africa, Senegal,Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya.(See Annex)

_______________________April: Coverage of the World Conference on Climate Change and the Rightsof Mother Earth, in Bolivia (Pulsar)

_______________________April 8-10: The regional board of AMARC LAC, held its annual meeting inBuenos Aires in the year of the 10th World Conference of AMARC and ofimportant changes in the regional and world network.These two themes were the key aspects of the meeting that counted onthe agenda the visit to the Pasaje Dardo Rocha, siege of the world confer-ence to be held in November this year.


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_______________________April 26: AMARC saluted the approval of 12 community radio licences inBangladesh, as one of the most important breakthroughs for communitybroadcasting in South Asia. _______________________April: AMARC saluted the 2009 report, of the Freedom of expression rap-porteur of the Inter American commission of Human Rights which analysesthemes of great importance for community broadcasting AMARC LAC hasbeen discussing and proposing its observance in order to guarantee respectof communication rights.

It is of particular importance in the analysis on pluralism, diversity andfreedom of expression in chapter VI on freedom of expression and broad-cast. The report highlights on community media: “On several occasionsthe InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights and the special rapporteurhave recognised that community media play a fundamental role in our re-gion to facilitate the exercise by diverse sectors of freedom of expressionand access to information. It is such a contribution that the State need tolegally recognize and reserve parts of the spectrum for this type of media,as well as to establish equitable conditions for the access to licences thatrecognize the difference of non-commercial media.”AMARC LAC saluted this report of the rapporteur, considering it should bea framework for the establishment of regulations by the States that guar-antee the reality of freedom of expression. The report can be red in the“All about CR” in the AMARC website at: http://www.amarc.org/index.php?p=Articles_Reports&l=EN

______________________April: Publication of AMARC LINK Newsletter with news and re ections ofthe Community radio movement. Distributed to 6789 emails and in web-site.

______________________April 28: AMARC Denounced that the prosecutor of the Public Ministry ofHonduras, Marco Tulio Campos, led a criminal complaint with the courtAmapala section against Pedro Canales Torres, José Ernesto Laso, WilmerCabrera Rivera, Ethel Veronica Korea, Rafael Osorio, Jose Danilo Osorio,members of the community radio Voice Zacate Grande on charges of usur-pation of the land as well as for the crime of theft of government to installradio without the authorization of the National Telecommunications Com-mission (CONATEL).


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5.5.- May 2010 ______________________May 3th: Declaration of AMARC for the International Press Freedom Day. OnWorld Press Freedom Day, AMARC asserts communication rights of disasterhit communities.

_______________________May 2-7: Third Mission to Haiti to support to REFRAKA, 2 year action plan ofcommunity radio in Haiti. Marcelo Solervicens, Secretary General, partici-pated in the International Freedom of Expression day in Haiti. A MoU was

signed between AMARC and SAKS for long term work for the developmentof community radio in Haiti; See annex with intervention by Sony Esteus,Director of SAKS and Vice-president of AMARC.

_______________________May 4th: AMARC and other FoE organizations published a statement on theMedia Situation in the Kyrgyz Republic “International media development,freedom of expression, democracy and Human Rights organisations notethe historic opportunity for building a strong and vibrant media environ-ment in the Kyrgyz Republic, whilst also expressing concerns about theunstable situation for journalists and media outlets”.

_______________________May 18-19: AMARC participated in the Madrid Radio Forum at the timeof the Summit of Heads of State and Governments of Latin America andthe Caribbean (LAC) and the European Union held in Madrid. Parallel tothis of cial meeting, the fourth Summit of Pueblos Enlazando Alternativas(People Linking Alternatives) was held in the capital of Spain. During thisSummit the participants rejected neoliberal politics and discussed the freetrade agreements between the EU and Latin America, development politicsand militarism in both continents. There was also a Tribunal to judge thefunction of the power of European multinationals, both in Latin Americaas well as in their countries of origin. The Summit will be held under thein uences of a nancial, economic, environmental and social crisis, whichhas resulted in more unemployment and precariousness in Europe and inmore poverty and social exclusion in Latin America.

_________________________May 10-16: Mission to Colombia by Maria Pia Matta, vice-president AMARCLatin America & Caribbean with Reporters without borders; (see Annex)

_________________________May 12: Geneva, WSIS Forum 2010High Level Panel on ICTs and Disasterresponse. AMARC made the report of the sub-group on Community Media

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cused on how community radios in Africa can be used as tool for develop-ment through improving content, strengthening networks, and empower-ing women.A total of 26 participants representing 16 countries drawn from the SADCregion (Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe), East Africa (Kenya andUganda), West Africa (Burkina Faso, Chad, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Ghana,Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone) attended the workshop.

The rst session was on how community radio networks can improve thesocial impact through harmonisation in reaching sustainable development.

Second session dealt on how community radios can improve their contentamong others, participation in programming, gender equality and women’srights as the main challenges that community radio have to overcome inorder to ful l that mission. There were also training for trainers’ workshopon digital editing and on using the web for content exchanges and use ofyou send it global software for programme transfers.On session six the participants elaborated recommendations on how con-tent could be ameliorated , for instance through knowledge sharing toproduce good quality programs on women’s rights and gender equality,development issues such as HIV AIDS and water and sanitation. There wasalso discussion on how to better articulate the relationship between net-works and radios to avoid overlapping and makes them complementaryin covering human development issues (HIV ADIS, water and sanitation,governance, women’s rights, etc). Finally the participants reinforced theirresolutions and proposed the Johannesburg declaration. (see Annex).

________________________July 22: Press release. “AMARC called to end harassment against commu-nity radios in Thailand”.

5.8.- August 2010 _________________________August 24: Press release. “AMARC and the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)appeal to the Government of Pakistan and Pakistan Electronic Media Regu-latory Authority (PEMRA) to allow setting up of emergency community radiostations in areas that have suffered from the current oods in Pakistan”.

_________________________August: AMARC published AMARC Link Newsletter Volume 14, No 3, May-August 2010 with news and re ections of the community radio movement.Distributed to 6789 emails and in website.


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5.9.- September 2010 _________________________September: Ashish Sen represented AMARC and was a resource person atthe Karnataka Community Radio Consultations supported by Friedrich Eb-ert Stiftung and organized by Namma Dhwani/ MYRADA at Budhikote, Ko-lar, and Karnataka. The workshop focused on current challenges of existingcommunity radio stations.

________________________September: Vice President AMARC South Asia, facilitated a workshop onCommunity Radio –Performance Indicators and Measurement.

________________________September: AMARC Japan Working Group and Combine Indonesia to facili-tate workshops with community radio stations on community awarenessand disaster risk reduction in Indonesia.

_______________________20 September. Press release. AMARC LAC produced a declaration “Callingto avoid a new coup d’État in Latin America” following attempts to oustEcuador president and calling for support to community radios.

5.10.- October 2010 _________________September 30 to October 10: AMARC and Pakistan Press Foundation con-ducted an international assessment mission to ood hit communities inThata District (Sindh), Muzaffargarh District (Punjab), and Sharsadda/Nowshera (Kyber Pakhtunkwa). The mission was supported by BHN Founda-

tion, Radio FMYY, Friedrich Ebert Stiffung and Oxfam Novib. ___________________October 16: AMARC community radios network, in Africa, Asia-Paci c andLatin America, ensured coverage of the World Food Day. The theme, of2010 was “United against Hunger”, bringing the voices of the poor to theinternational community. This year activity was done in conjunction withFAO. AMARC encouraged local indigenous, rural and urban radios to de-velop speci c topics regarding awareness and solutions to the challengesto food security, climate change, hunger and poverty reduction initiativesand strategies. AMARC ensured that chosen local community radios gavevoice to communities in order to highlight the particular experiences andconcerns.AMARC also contributed through its website with information to local com-munities on global and local initiatives including those being carried outby the FAO. 48 Community Radios in 30 countries participated in the cam-paign, with 14 hours programming with an outreach of 690,000 audience(average 15,000 audience per radio). 30 Civil Society Organizations par-


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ticipated in the campaign. 48 community radio practitioners also receivedmentoring on radio production for covering WFD 2010.;

5.11.- November 2010 ______________________November: In the framework of the activities of the World Social Forum,AMARC 10 Global Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters “Communi-ty Communication” was held in Ciudad de Lla Plata, Argentina from 8 to13November 2010. The venue of the Conference was Pasaje Dardo Rocha.The AMARC 10 World Conference was the rst to be held in South America,

where community radio was rst established in the world some 60 yearsago. AMARC community radios grouped in AMARC Argentina came togetherwith other media and journalists’ groups in the country to host AMARC 10.The Conference was attended by up to 512 community radio representa-tives and stakeholders from 89 countries from Africa, Asia-Paci c, Europe,Latin -America, North America and MENA. (a list of participants is attachedas Annex).The week-long conference was organized around the following themes:communications for a better world, recovering memories, building futures;communication rights are human rights; reinforcing community radio socialimpact; community radio actions and strategies and ended with a day ded-icated to networking and solidarity, social and cultural events. It combinedpanel sessions with open inter-active sessions and policy de nition plenarysessions; capacity building interactive workshops and parallel workshopsorganised with partners in order to develop capacity and knowledge on

speci c topics.

The conference allowed community radio practitioners and stakeholders toachieve the following important results:• Clarify the situation of community radio and con rm the existence of aworldwide communication rights oriented network and explore strategiesto increase the legal recognition of community radio as a crucial develop-ment tool and democratic mechanism ensuring media pluralism;• Exchanges best practices and explore strategies to increase the socialimpact of community radio, among others in:- the reduction of poverty and seeking development objectives;- ensuring gender equality and women’s rights;- defense of children rights, indigenous peoples; minority languag es;- confronting new challenges due to natural or man-made disasters;- ensuring con ict resolution and democracy building;• Exchanges of best practices leading to strategies to reinforce the sus -tainability of community radio through content development and capac-


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ity building strategies to ensure the appropriate use of new technologiesand social media, engaging with civil society, multilateral and governmentstakeholders at local, national and international levels;

The conference adopted the Declaration of La Plata, elected the membersof the international board of directors of AMARC and gave the 6th AMARCSolidarity Prize to the Haitian community radios in recognition for theirrole in supporting the Haitian population following the earthquake in Feb-ruary 2010.The AMARC 10 conference also adopted the strategic lines of action of theAMARC global network for 2011-2014 by building on the rich exchanges,

content and debates in plenary, seminars and workshops. The new presi-dent of AMARC, Maria Pia Matta indicated that challenges ahead are todeepen the social impact of community radios to confront the world chal-lenges of the 21st century; to increase sustainability of community radiosand; to express solidarity with journalists persecuted and advocate forthe establishment and further recognition of community radios in order toincrease pluralism of the media.

_______________________November 12th: Community radio stations, production groups, communi-cation associations and communicators from all over the world gathered atAMARC 10, the tenth Global Conference and General Assembly of the WorldAssociation of Community Radio Broadcasters, and adopted the La PlataDeclaration for Community Radio Broadcasters.

_______________________November 23: Philippines. AMARC marked the One Year anniversary of

the Ampatuan massacre in the Philippines. AMARC and its member in thePhilippines KODAO Productions called all community radio broadcastersto participate in the Global Day of Action on November 23 to mark theone-year anniversary of the world’s biggest atrocity perpetrated againstjournalists. See here: http://www.amarc.org/index.php?p=ampatuan_massacre&l=EN&nosafe=0

5.12.- December 2010 ______________________November 25th to December 10th: AMARC held the Campaign “16 days ofActivism Against Gender Violence”, an international campaign in whichwomen’s organisations, grassroots activists and human rights defendersall over the world coordinate their efforts to raise awareness on all formsof violence against women. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Vio-lence Campaign, encompassed four signi cant dates: 25 November (Inter -national Day Against Violence Against Women); 1 December (World AIDSDay); 6 December (anniversary of the Montreal massacre, when 14 women

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BANGALORE CommunityRadio Declaration THE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY RADIO BROADCASTERS (AMA-RC) – ASIA PACIFIC,BANGALORE, FEBRUARY 23, 2010.

The right to know is essential to every person’s humanity.So we believe, so we struggle, so we live, so we celebrate.

We, the champions and supporters of community broadcasting in the Asia-Paci c region, shall safeguard, uphold and promote Freedom of Opinionand Expression. This right goes hand-in-hand with the freedom to commu-nicate and be informed. This is guaranteed by Article 19 of the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights. We af rm that everyone has a right to life, with dignity. All people have

the undeniable right to be informed about decisions affecting the qualityof their lives such as right to health, right to education, right to work, theright to free expression, and the right to information. In cognizance of these principles, we declare:• Our reaf rmation of AMARC’s principles on Democratic Regulation inCommunity Broadcasting (May 2008) and the Montreal Declaration (Novem-ber 2008).• Our recognition of the increasing concentration and corporatization ofcommercial, private and state media.• Our recognition of the need for forging alliances and building networksat local, national, regional and international levels for solidarity, advocacyand sharing of information, experiences and technologies.• Our recognition that access to clean water and the right to food are uni -versal human rights.• Our recognition of the diversity in our communities.


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• Our af rmation of the immediate need for oppressed and marginalizedcommunities to take control over their own means of communication.• Our af rmation, in conjunction with the Indigenous Statement of the

Bangalore Declaration, of the immediate need for Indigenous people’sright to vote, the right to self determination, rights to land, resources,livelihoods, cultures, and their right to live with dignity.• Our af rmation of our solidarity with those discriminated against on thebasis of their sexual orientation including the lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgendered community and assert their right to live with dignity andwithout fear of persecution.• Our af rmation of gender equality and the rights of women to own andcontrol their means of communication.• Our recognition of the special needs of migrant communities, internallydisplaced persons, guest workers and refugees and their right to live freefrom discrimination, harassment and violence.• Our recognition of the disproportionate and disastrous impact of ClimateChange (natural and human created) especially on Indigenous Peoples, thepoor, the marginalized, women, and children.• Our recognition of the need for community radio broadcasters to reportissues in a manner that promotes non violent responses to con ict based onthe values of respect, dignity and diversity and which seeks to break downbarriers and stereotypes.• Our af rmation of our condemnation of all forms of violence and legisla -tion that restrict citizen’s rights, spreads an atmosphere of fear and servesectarian interests or extremist views.

Having recognized these challenges and af rmed our commitment to soli -darity with those who are confronted by these challenges we reaf rm theJakarta Declaration of AMARC Asia-Paci c, December 2005, and we con -tinue our struggle to democratize the media.It is against this backdrop that we commit ourselves and our communityradios to:• Place people’s communications rights at the centre of development andsupport initiatives for access to digital and other technological opportuni-ties that enable community broadcasting in an ever-widening scale;• Create spaces on the airwaves for diverse and marginalized voices, ir -respective of caste, creed, race, colour, gender, sexuality, faith, and dif-ferently-abled or other differences;• Challenge the hegemony of commercial, private and state media by pro -moting community-owned and operated media as an essential tool to thepreservation of the diversity of voices, cultures, languages and ecosys-tems;


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• Lobby governments to institute adequate mechanisms promoting mediafreedom, protection of community media, and protection of journalists;• Work towards ensuring food security and food sovereignty with those

whose lives and livelihoods are threatened by denial of these basic humanrights;• Develop collaborations with educators in order to develop participatorytools that will provide formal and non-formal educational opportunities,especially for non-literate communities;• Include the voices of all migrant, internally displaced peoples and refu -gee communities in our community radios and support their establishment,ownership and management of their own community radios;• Provide localized information about disaster risk reduction;• Provide localized emergency news, disaster recovery, relief, rehabilita -tion, and sustainable alternatives as well as create a space for traumahealing and reaf rming faith in the face of adversity;• Build alliances with grassroots and human rights movements for strength -ening communities and the community radio movement;• Endorse and implement Article 16 of the United Nations Declaration onthe Rights of Indigenous Peoples which reaf rms the right of Indigenouspeoples to establish their own community radios in their own languagesand have access to non-indigenous CRs without discrimination;• Promote and encourage gender equality in our communities with pro -grams that are fully integrative and supportive of women;• Endorse and implement the AMARC gender policy drafted by AMARC-APWIN members, and rati ed by AMARC International Board and incorporate

gender equality in all areas of community radio activity; and• Oppose violence against journalists, media practitioners, restrictive leg -islation, or sectarian interests, and work for an atmosphere of peace andprogress.

We, the representatives of community radio broadcasters, productiongroups and other community media practitioners from Afghanistan, Aus-tralia, The People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Fiji, TheRepublic of India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos PDR,Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Philippines,Senegal, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, United King-dom and the United States of America agree to uphold this declaration andstrive to implement the values and aspirations it states.


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Indigenous Statement to the Bangalore Declaration

With reference to Article 16 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indig-

enous Peoples (UNDRIP), Indigenous Peoples (IP) have the right to establishtheir own community radios in their own languages and have access tonon-indigenous CRs without discrimination.

Indigenous Peoples recognize the need for ICTs for widespread develop-ment of Community Radios (CRs) to provide creative solutions to the real-ization of voices and participation by IPs in decision making and to address

development problems faced by IPs in the A-P region. This is emphasized inthe E-Bario Vision of 2007, created by 14 indigenous media organizations.

As a rst step towards the realization of the above vision statement withinthe context of the AMARC regional action plan and in view of the BangaloreDeclaration, the group of Indigenous Peoples at the Bangalore A-P confer-ence 20-23 Feb 2010 recommend the creation of a network of IndigenousCommunity Radio Broadcasters - including broadcasters covering all areaswith a large proportion of IPs--to collaborate on achieving the following:• Raise awareness and in uence policy makers and civil society organiza -tions towards freedom of expression, rights to information and communityradio legislation that include provisions of speci c interest and value toIndigenous Peoples in Asia and Paci c

• Training of Indigenous community journalists, broadcasters and media

practitioners in reporting on Indigenous Peoples issues and in harnessingICT and new media

• Develop the capacity of Indigenous Peoples’ organizations for the set -ting up and making Community Radios sustainable and facilitating combi-nations and integration with other community media channels (internet,digital platforms, TV and traditional folk media, etc) • Create the opportunity for indigenous people to come together to estab -lish a “community of practice” and replicate these practices in IndigenousPeoples (IPs) communities

• Research and documentation of traditional knowledge that is importantto the preservation and conservation of indigenous traditions, languages,culture and community-based natural resources management and on ap-propriate formats for broadcasting for and within the context of cultural


di i

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diversity.

In the realization of the Bangalore Declaration on Community Radio as

well as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)the above statement and priorities for action will be instrumental for In-digenous Peoples’ inclusion in society on their own terms through self-determination and for amplifying their voices and participation in decisionmaking processes that affect them.


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Special Report on AMARC 10 World Confer-ence of Community Radio Broadcasters

COMUNICACION COMUNTARIA

Building for the Future:Community Radio and Poverty Reduction, Social Inclusion, Good Gover-nance and Sustainable Human Development

La Plata, Argentina

8-13 November, 2010The AMARC Conference was organized around the following six days ofthemes or activities: (a) Communications for a better world, (b) Recov-ering memories, building futures; (c) Communication rights are humanrights; (d) Reinforcing community radio social impact; (e) Community radioactions and strategies and (e) Networking, solidarity, social and culturalevents.

DAY 1: Communications for a Better World

The objective for the rst day was mainly to establish the portrait andchallenges of community communication from a general perspective andparticularly from those of women and the excluded. Under this theme,program content and its development was analysed from different perspec-

tives. Among other issues, participants delved into the relations betweenthe community radio movement and other civil society movements. Bestpractices of community radio concerning areas such as climate change andfood crisis, public policies for community radio, language minorities andassociative radios, community radio and gender equality and other issueswere shared and discussed. As part of the programme Women InternationalNetwork (AMARC-WIN) held their meeting while a workshop on Media De-velopment, Monitoring and Evaluation was conducted.


In the inauguration ceremony Florencia Saintout (Dean of the Faculty of

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In the inauguration ceremony, Florencia Saintout, (Dean of the Faculty ofJournalism of the University of La Plata) highlighted that her faculty wasthe rst one favourable for alternative journalism in Argentina and in Latin

America. She indicated that the situation of alternative radios has changedthanks to new legislation and the work done by alternative communica-tors. Ivan Maidana (Culture & Education Secretary of La Plata Municipalityrepresented local authorities. Gabriel Mariotto from (AFSCA) highlightedthe new legislation on audiovisual services in reference to alternative com-munications, facilitating new voices to be heard. Steve Buckley, AMARCPresident highlighted that AMARC has become a truly global social move-ment noting successes and challenges to community radio worldwide. Fi-nally, Janis Karklins (UNESCO) through teleconference highlighted the roleof UNESCO on communications for development and saluted AMARC work.

The Argentina journalist Horacio Verbistky was the keynote speaker of theinauguration Plenary of AMARC 10. In his presentation he explained theprocess that lead to the new audiovisual services legislation in Argentinarecognizing the three sectors of communications, (public, commercial andassociative). He insisted that it is no longer enough for the states to avoidrestrictions on freedom of expression and civil society needs to be part ofthat process to promote freedom of expression and democracy.

Community radio representatives or stakeholders - Franklin Huizies fromSouth Africa; Sharon Bagwan Rolls from Fiji, and Gustavo Gomez from Uru-guay, reacted to the presentation of Horacio Verbitsky highlighting condi-

tions of community radio in their regions.At the plenary 1 on women voices for gender equality. Lilian Celiberti rep-resentative of the collective Cotidiano Mujer of the Articulacion Femini-sta Mercosur, highlighted the need for women to have spaces of power,because they need to politicize the challenges that are seen until now asdomestic problems. She also evaluated that the election of three womenat the head of Latin American governments is not a great step forward forwomen because they are only isolated cases. There is need to create con-ditions so that women can lead unions, peasant organisations and othersthat are mainly led by men. She expects that the AMARC network joins thestruggle to politicize the women agenda in the public space.

Women community radio producers commented on her presentation amongothers were, Perla Wilson from Chile, Frieda Werden form Canada, and

Nimmi Chauhan from India.


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The rst seminar of the Women international Network (AMARC-WIN) per -mitted the participants to share experiences, evaluate the situation of

women in community radios and explore how to increase their impact indefending and promoting gender equality and women’s rights. There werereports on Asia Paci c by Sharon Bhagwan Rolls of Fiji and Argentina Oli -vas from Radio Voz in Nicaragua, presenting the situation of WIN in LatinAmerica & the Caribbean. Benilde Nhalevilo from FORCOM, in Mozambique,presented the situation of women in Africa. Miriam Menkiti from Nigeriahighlighted that her country, announced the breakthrough for communityradio in her country.

Main recommendations of the seminar were:• The Gender Policy for Community Radio should serve as guidelines andadopted by the different regions and countries to suit their own context.• There needs to be more access to frequencies for women• There is a need to link WIN with human rights, feminist and other socialmovements.• There is a need to have gender representation at all levels in AMARC ac -tivities from statements, workshops/meetings, etc.• We need to have gender audit and monitoring systems in place.

The workshop on Climate Crisis and Food Security, the question on foodsecurity was analyzed form the perspective of the need for mitigation andadaptation to climate change and the role of rural community radios. Per-

spectives from diverse regions were presented which included Rajni Chandfrom femLINKPACIFIC from Fiji, Fredrick Mariwa from Mandeleo Commu-nity Radio in Kenya, Miriam Menkiti from Nigeria and Mario Acunzo fromFAO, Italy .

Main recommendations of the workshop were:• In order to confront climate change challenges and ensure food securityand better living conditions of the poorest populations of the planet, thereis need to establish large partnerships, better de ne approaches, actionsand communication strategies. Community radio has a central role in ght -ing hunger among the poorest.• To promote information policies and to promote communication prac -tices that allow for building strategies for adaptation to climate changefrom the communities.• There is need for a creative use of technologies, new and traditional,

massive and interactive, public and private, may contribute from the com-munications perspective to ameliorate living conditions by properly man-


aging the risk of the climate crisis and food sovereignty.

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aging the risk of the climate crisis and food sovereignty.• Community radios are the space for basic social communication interac -tion to articulate alternative processes for alternative communication for

development.This workshop was also the occasion to reinforce the Memoir of Under-standing between Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nationsand AMARC stressing the need for a reinforcement of campaigns for theWorld Food Day and capacity building and content development in LatinAmerica & Caribbean, Africa and Asia Paci c.

The workshop on Public Policies on Broadcast was attended by severalaudiovisual authorities such as Gustavo Gomez from the National Tele-communications Directorate (DINATEL) in Uruguay, Gabriel Mariotto of theAFSC of Argentina, Pirongong Ramasoota from the community radio work-ing group Interim Regulator in Thailand; Jamal Eddine Nagi from MoroccanMedia Diagnosis. In their presentation they explored the models behindmedia systems, the public policies, the de nition of regulations regard -ing spectrum allocation and challenges regarding citizen participation inmedia development. There were recommendations to use the 14 principlesdeveloped by AMARC as a framework for the development of the commu-nity radio sector regulation.

The panel of the workshop on Language Minorities highlighted the needto defend minority languages. Chaired by Agus Hernan, Syndicat National

de Radios Libres (SNRL) France, the participants presented their experi-ences and with the participants in the workshop recommendations wereproposed to the AMARC 10 Conference. Candido Rodriguez, National Representative AMARC Guatemala and SantaCruz, working in an educational center and with community radio, ex-plained the existence of 25 different languages in Guatemala and that80% of the population speak these languages and as a consequence of lackof education and coverage languages are lost. People have lost a lot, butby reclaiming it through the radio we can regain the culture – in this wayradio plays an important role, also outside of education. Jorge Millan, PetüMogelein, indicated there are several indigenous languages in Argentina,but there was a situation when parents did not want to transmit their lan-guage to the children so that the children wouldn’t suffer from discrimina-tion because of it. This is particularly the case of Mapuche People.


Ko Larweh, Radio Ada, Ghana indicated that radio Ada broadcasts in dem -

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, ,bé, the fourth largest local group in the language, a language not spokenon air, until Radio Ada started four years ago. Ko Larweh said “Some

languages are not written, so we use the radio, to link up with the local”.Sylvia Sommers the head of administration in Radio Rabe, (Switzerland) anon commercial, community radio, broadcasting in 14 languages are givingvoice to language groups in Bern that are not represented by the of cialradio. Katsuya Soda, from “Nanmin now!”, Kyoto Sanjo Radiocafe in Japon, is thedirector of the radio program ”Nanmin Now!” on refugee issues in Japan,a program that includes refugee’s voices, to inform the people of Japanof the situation of refugees in the country. They are now broadcasting in10 different languages. Yoshitomi Shizuyo, of Multicultural Pro3 Group alsofrom Japan broadcast in 10 different languages, with children from othercountries, immigrants,

The main recommendations were that the 10th World Assembly, meeting in

La Plata November 2010, agrees:• To take the subject of native or/and minority languages among its priori -ties.• To create a “native or/and minority language International Secretariat”with all the necessary means for it to operate. This secretariat will alsohave a regional structure.• This secretariat will present some objectives and a working plan includ -

ing a nancing plan for its development and implementation.”The workshops on Sustainable Community Radio Management and MediaDevelopment Monitoring & Evaluation: mediaME-wiki (Organized by CAM-ECO) allowed participants to be trained in these subjects.

DAY 2: Recovering Memories, Building Futures

The objective for the second day was to explore, exchange knowledge andrecommendations on the best practices of community radio movement anddiscuss challenges facing the sector.

Delegates assessed the achievements of the community radio network andidenti ed the challenges of the medium, focusing particularly on de ningthe sector priorities and challenges for the future as they relate to achiev-

ing the objectives of the AMARC 10 global strategic plan for 2011-2014.It also looked at the best practices of community radio concerning areas


such as disaster management, indigenous peoples’ resistance, and codes of

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g g p ppractice and community radio as an education strategy.

The topics covered during the day included:The Keynote speaker for Plenary 2: Communication & Power: The Role ofCommunity Radio was Maria Cristina Mata, researcher at the University ofCordoba in Argentina. She began and ended her comments by praising thepower of AMARC as a network that ampli es the work of all of the individ -ual community radio members and their projects. She spoke of the natureof power and its relationship to communication. Power is not static, butdynamic and communication is key device to set the rules of the game. Wecannot change the world without changing the logic of power. Groups needto be on equal footing to participate in the process and community radiosdo this by allowing silent voices to be heard. One of the challenges facingcommunity radio is to open the mike not only to those who are equal, orsimilar, but also to those who are different. Community radios must actas aggregators to make room for the diversity of voices. Stations become

bridges to allow connections and expressions of diversity. Today’s newtechnologies make this more possible. Community radios can amplify weaksources (voices) that are at risk of being turned off (silenced).

Ashish Sen, of AMARC Asia-Paci c, said that information can be “deadwood” if not understood by the sender and the recipient. He talked aboutthe importance of radio in responding to recent and coming disasters –

with all the technology of the world today, we still live in the shadow offood shortages, tsunamis and climate change. He gave examples of fourradios confronting these issues in different ways in Asia, one run by Dalitwomen. He said the power of community media comes when the mediais owned and managed by the people themselves, making another (moreequal) world possible. Rosario Puga of Radio Tierra in Chile spoke of theimportant role of community radio in radicalizing democracy. The power ofcommunity radio comes from the diversity of voices. There is need to builda new form of debate in the public sphere expanding dialogue. The valueof community radio would be to allow diversity to be valued. Finally, LydiaAjono of the Ghana Community Radio Network, spoke of the developmentof community radio in Ghana and its role in getting more women involved,promoting peaceful elections, food security, and preserving disappearingcultural heritage. By better educating listeners on the issues, the radiosalso challenged the government to be more transparent as it addressed is-

sues of climate change and signed international protocols.


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Moderator Annie Game nished by highlighting these stories of success inshowing what is possible along the path to change, and the challenges in

the work ahead. After that, Maria Cristina Mata was presented with asurprise award as a ‘Sister of the Road” for her role in helping develop themedia and taking it forward in Argentina.

In the seminar The Future is Already Here: Information Society and NewTechnologies it was highlighted that community radio has shown an amaz-ing persistence through various ‘new technology’ cycles. It remains themost accessible media technology in large parts of the world, and hasenjoyed a recent rise in both North and South due to new enabling legis-lation in many countries. Yet it is embedded in a changing technologicalenvironment, and the AMARC congress dedicated several sessions to thistransformation and what it means for community radio.Gaston Montells from the AMARC New Technologies Program reminded par-ticipants that technology is usually developed according to industry needsand with the purpose to keep the “capitalist machine” rolling. He pointed

to restrictive rules on, for example, patents and copyrights, and demandedto “un-lock technology from the world of property and ownership”. BruceGirard from Fundacion Comunica added that community radio activists andadvocates should intervene both in the process of technology developmentand in policy processes to make sure that “our concerns are heard andimplemented”, and that “our signals are carried on all channels”. He andother speakers provided examples of how technology is appropriated andused productively. Jimmy Okello from Radio Apac in Uganda pointed to theimportant role of cellphones in Africa and its potential for increased com-munity involvement (while also noting potential problems of censorshipand surveillance). Sharon Rolls from femLINKPACIFIC in Fiji mentioned aproject of “suitcase radio”, bringing radio to communities, and Montellsnoted that digital broadcasting platforms provide opportunities, for ex-ample to broadcast simultaneously in several different languages.

However beyond analysis of the general problems, few concrete models orsolutions were proposed, for example, how to connect radio and cellphonetowards a different community media model, how to respond to commer-cial platforms like Youtube and Facebook, or how to relate to existing ex-periences of grassroots technology development. Sally Galliana from NearFM in Ireland asked whether community radios should develop alternativesocial networking platforms. Karel Novotny from the Association for Pro-

gressive Communication (APC) proposed collaborations with open sourcedevelopers, technology-oriented NGOs and community wireless initiatives,


and to explore alternative licences. Yet the various ideas and suggestionsi il hi hli h d h d f AMARC d l di d

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primarily highlighted the need for AMARC to develop a coordinated strat-egy for the future of multi-platform community radio.

The seminar 3 on Community Radio in Disaster Relief explored how cancommunity radio contribute to mitigate the effects of natural disasters.The participants came together to share disaster response and prepared-ness strategies through radio technologies. Community radio practitionersfrom Haiti, Indonesia, Japan, Chile and the United States re ected on re -cent experiences in providing help to their communities in the aftermathof earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes.

Imam Prakoso from Indonesia said that community radio has played an im-portant role in reducing panic amongst the affected population by provid-ing up-to-date information about the situation in their local area, and inactively coordinating aid distribution. However, Prakoso said, internationa

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3 Annual Rep 2010