The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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The Drum Beat 194 - OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios: Strengthening Citizens' Media and Communication

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194
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III ANNUAL MEETING OF OUR MEDIA/NUESTROS MEDIOS: STRENGTHENING CITIZENS' MEDIA & COMMUNICATION

This issue of The Drum Beat highlights the 3rd annual meeting of the OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios network

and the IV International Communication Conference

Organised by Universidad del Norte, these events will take place in Barranquilla, Colombia from May 19 through May 21, 2003.

OUR Media III will analyze, critically, issues such as access to media and decision making with regards to media content; it will continue to promote the debate about the need to broaden participation in communication and media processes. The event will be an open forum for discussion of strategies to expand this dialogue given that it will bring together communication thinkers and leaders from the communication field from all over the world such as Jesus Martin-Barbero, Rosa Maria Alfaro and Orlando Fals Borda, and Denise Gray-Felder, amongst others.

The 3rd day of the event will focus on Communication for Social Change, a new way of looking at communication processes wherein individuals and communities are empowered and the focus is on a horizontal and public dialogue and debate; The Communication Initiative and La Iniciativa de Comunicación have stimulated open discussion and dialogue about different communication approaches including Communication for Social Change, which shares several principles with the vision of OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios.

For more about Communication for Social Change see:


WHAT IS OUR MEDIA/NUESTROS MEDIOS

OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios is an emerging global network of scholars and practitioners concerned with the field of alternative, community, and citizens' media. It has emerged out of the "Our Media, Not Theirs" meetings held in Washington D.C. in May 2001 and Barcelona in July 2002. Click here for more information.

THE OBJECTIVE

OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios seeks to facilitate an ongoing dialogue and discussion about theory and practice of communication in order to stimulate a process of reflection and changes in policies, regulation, research, and information and communication infrastructure.

THE PRINCIPLES

The thinking of OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios is founded upon certain core principles:

  1. All communities and collectives need to communicate, to express themselves, to inform and be informed, to dialogue with others, and to network. To have these communication needs met is the right of every community and collective. Every community and collective is entailed to the appropriate communication and information technologies and know-how to meet their historical communication needs.



  2. The need to support people's struggle to reduce inequality and to broaden participation in the production and dissemination of information.



  3. The need for a process whereby scholars and practitioners can exchange information and ideas, collaborate on research studies, and develop recommendations to the global policy arena on communication, information, and media.


Some of the papers from the OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios Meeting, Barcelona, 2002:


Other papers are available at the OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios web site. Click here for more information.

THE STRATEGY

The network is made up of 120 members from 27 countries and it encourages open discussion, design and implementation of collective initiatives and the creation of opportunities for dialogue between those who think and those who act, in order to strengthen citizens, community and alternative media.

THE ACTION

The members of OUR Media/NUESTROS Medios research, and work for or support citizens media around the world. Following are some examples of their work:

  1. Calandria - Peru - a civil society organisation that develops training for various actors and institutions, designs communication strategies, provides information and media production services, conducts assessment and orientation on the use of local media, promotes and legitimises development issues, and promotes exercising and valuing democracy. It also produces programmes, radio spots, videos, graphic material, and proposals to influence communicators, journalists, and communications media, to the end of seeking to consolidate public spaces for young people to communicate with each other and with their elders.

    Contact Rosa Maria Alfaro rmaria@caland.org.pe



  2. Radio Margaritas ­- Mexico - an AM station created by the National Indigenous Institute (INI) to serve different native communities. It reaches as many as nine different ethnic groups in 4 languages, with programmes of music, traditions, news, development and governmental issues, among others. Radio Margaritas was established in the region with the specific purpose of counteracting the influence of "modernising forces".

    Contact Lucila Vargas lcvargas@email.unc.edu



  3. Proyecto Planeta Paz (Project Planet Peace) - Colombia - works with social leaders from eight regions of the country. Its main strategy is to develop communication, dialogue and consensus-building skills of popular and social leaders as they negotiate peace building solutions with the State, the armed groups, civil society, and media. It is a training project that includes research and communication components.

    Contact Olga Beatriz Gutiérrez olgag@planetapaz.org



  4. Association for Radiophonic Training in Bolivia - Erbol - Bolivia - Asociación de Educación Radiofónica de Bolivia is a news agency formed by a group of journalists from La Paz in 1967. It has affiliations with 27 communications and educational organisations. Erbol runs workshops on radio programming and scheduling for journalists of its affiliated stations. The radio stations affiliated with Erbol function like public entities. They manage programming for politically active local populations. This programming includes public discussions on the air, news and information, public opinion surveys, and the participation of the radio audience.

    Contact Victor van Oeyen oeyen@pino.cbb.entelnet.bo



  5. Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) - Southern Africa - works to ensure freedom of the press, freedom of expression and media pluralism in Southern Africa. It is heavily involved in independent media in the new democracies of the region, promoting strategies for action plans, and training journalists in media rights and democracy. MISA registers human rights and media rights violations, has established a press bureau, and is supporting independent media development in the radio and television media sector.

    Contact Tracey Naughton broadcasting@misa.org



  6. VOICES - Bangalore, India - an NGO advocating media for change through media production and dissemination, media training and action research, development education, and networking and consultancy. Programmes focus on community radio, community-to-community capacity building (strengthening media capacities of less privileged communities), women in media, disability, information technology and social change, campaign communications, and peace and the Indian.

    Contact Ashish Sen voices@blr.vsnl.net.in


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This issue of The Drum Beat was developed by La Iniciativa de Comunicación, with specific translations into English by Dr. Rafael Obregon.

***

The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.


Please send material for The Drum Beat to the Editor - Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com


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