amarc2oz

This from Raymund Villanueva, Kodao-Philippines community radio:

Dear colleagues:

Attached is the streamer that AMARC members displayed in the commemoration of the Ampatuan Massacre in the Philippines held on 23 November, 2010.  I urge everyone to use this as their profile picture on social networking sites, post this on their websites, etc.  Many thanks for your active participation in our Global Day of Action.

More international community radio news from:

AMARC international:  http://www.amarc.org/index.php?p=home&l=EN

Our locals, AMARC Asia-Pacific http://asiapacific.amarc.org/index.php?p=home&lEN

This last email highlights the difference between community radio in developed countries and elsewhere.  Imagine the reaction if journalists were killed on the basis of their broadcasts in Australia.  What would be said if Kerry O’Brien suddenly was shot shortly after giving the PM a hard time on TV?

Too hard to imagine?  But this is happening in other countries.  Why don’t we care?  Because it is imaginable?  Because its NIMBY?

I understand better now why the community radio in developed countries are not heavily involved in AMARC: the USA, Britain, France, Australia, Canada, etc.  And AMARC doesn’t seem especially interested in the stations in those countries.  AMARC runs a heavy human rights agenda.  Maybe there are only a handful of community stations in those countries that do the same.

That’s the gap.  Both sides of the development divide need to change their interest in each other if participation in AMARC is more widespread.  I think. 

That’s it for now.   AMARC News will be on the CBAA website soon.

www.cbaa.org.au

A fellow traveller convinced me to try the local cemetery before I was due to play a hot game of bridge in Ricoleta.  She said the cemetery would make the bridge seem more exciting.  I think she was joking.

Anyway, the cemetery is incredible.  Its like a small town, or a not so small town.  10,000 dead people housed in ..well, houses. 

Almost every grave is a full on construction with windows, doors, lighting and many floors.  Some look like an architect was involved.  They are laid out in a grid pattern of streets, complete with street lighting.

We spent hours there.  It was established 200 years earlier and is full now.  One weird thing is that coffins were visible, on shelves and racks.  Some ‘graves’ had eight or more stacked up. You could see the changes in coffin design over the ages. 

Lots of stories of ghosts apparently.  Something to do with the coffins not being buried.  The two staff members we saw seemed to be camped in a room similar looking to the graves at the end of one of the ‘streets’.  They had crazy intensely-staring eyes.   Or at least I think they were staff members.

Experience the local futbol” is high up on the Lonely Planet to-do list.  See where Maradonna played.

I signed up for the full (read fool) package: transport to the game, pub stop with beer and pizza on the way, a full game featuring famous club Boca Juniors (read Port Adelaide) and a pub stop on the way back to base.

The pick up point was outside the hotel.  I was stuck at there with three Americans that were very world-weary and had no shortage of things to complain about.  This was the trip for them.  The pick-up time was organised for 3pm  Still no sign at 4.  Three buses turned up a bit after that.  They were all full.  Apologies followed the directions to stand in the door well for the journey to the iconic La Bombonera stadium across cobblestone streets at fair speed.

It seemed like the tour was thrown together by the group of young heavily tattooed and a little bit stinky entrepreneurs.  They weren’t quite sure what they were doing.  Lots of confusing direction.  “We hop off now.  Everyone up.   Wait.  No.  Soon”  sort of thing.  There were about 100 of us-so-obviously-tourists packed into the three very old buses.  First stop: we all spilled out into a La Boca corner pub, to line up for beer and pizza. 

Beer warm, pizza not. It was a crush, but got friendlier as time passed.  Back on the bus to drive two more blocks, off the bus and walk 6 blocks to the ground.  A couple remarked to me that I was lucky not to have gotten a seat as they think they might have been impaled by something.

Then through security –actual frisking – and up to the very top level of the furthest stand.  It became a bit comic.  Because the game wasn’t a blockbuster, the house was less than half full, but us tourists were packed in a little pocket far from the action – and in fact, lots of empty seats between us and the action – sitting on concrete for the three hours. 

The game was ok, but the return bus trip, no better than the one over.  I guess this happens everywhere?  Mental note:  research actual tour details before booking.

Dealing with some comments:  Avenida 9 de Julio is 8 lanes of traffic in both directions.  My video didn’t detail it that well.  It takes five minutes and three lights to cross on foot.   I did make it onto the subway. 

It’s one of three options for getting around other than on foot.  You don’t see as much, and lack the fun of riding in the buses and taxis which all play a game of lane-changing dodgem cars.  The bus drivers seem really skilled and aware of the dimensions of their vehicles – or just really lucky – they go so close.

Public transport and street life in Buenos Aires reflects its massive size.  The first noticeable practicality is the rubbish.  At about 6pm, everyone chucks out onto the street all there rubbish tied up in plastic bags.  An army of people with carts on wheels the attack the bags, ripping them apart to retrieve any recyclables – for which they get money – but strew the contents of the bags all over. Then the garbage truck race around the streets to collect the leftovers.  Then streets mostly get swept by hand.

Emails are coming through from AMARC.  The main issues after the conference are:

•  The adoption by the UN of community radio principles
• A global radio campaign against violence against women.
• The killing of community radio workers in the Phillipines

 The UN community radio principles

The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the UN Human Rights Council Mr. Frank La Rue tabled the principles of Community Radio which have been developed through the AMARC membership and which should be the basis of guidelines for governments when addressing the community media sector.

These principles are:
(a) Media diversity, content and perspectives;
(b) Recognition and promotion;
(c) Definition and characteristics;
(d) Objectives and aims;
(e) Technological access;
(f) Universal access;
(g) Reserved frequencies;
(h) Competent authorities;
(i) Licence and frequency allocation procedures;
(j) Non-discriminatory conditions;
(k) Evaluation criteria;
(l) Financing;
(m) Public funding;
(n) Digital inclusion.

The Special Rapporteur defines community-based media as non-governmental, public interest radio stations and print media that are run by civil society institutions, organizations or associations and any type of non-profit organization run by indigenous peoples for educational, informative, cultural or communal goals purposes. These media work for the development of different sectors of a territorial, ethno-linguistic or other community. They share their community’s interests, challenges and concerns and seek to improve the quality of life of their community and to contribute to the well-being for all its members. They must not be used as instruments for political campaigning.

 Violence against women

The AMARC members of Asia Pacific, which includes Australia have been invited by the AMARC Womens International Network to join the international campaigns and activities to stop violence against women through radio programmes, public service announcements, radio drama and many more in the different community radio stations around the globe.

 Bianca Miglioretto, AMARC-WIN Asia Pacific Vice-President, writes:

I would like to invite all radio stations in Asia Pacific to broadcast programmes to stop violence against women in their stations. I would also like to invite you to share your programmes with radio stations in the AMARC network by uploading them to the AMARC website in the original language with a short summary of the programme in English. Here two easy ways to do this:

 1) Upload your audio file on the internet via

https://www.senditglobal.com/ or http://drop.io/ or http://www.filefactory.com/

send the link with one or two sentences in English describing the content, length, country, radio station and language to secretariat@si.amarc.org with a cc to chhetri_prativa@yahoo.com or

2) send an email to secretariat@si.amarc.org with a cc chhetri_prativa@yahoo.com with one or two sentences in English describing the content, length, country, radio station and language and attach your audio file.

 Share programmes from radio stations around the globe with your listeners. It might be work intensive to produce many programmes to end violence against women for your station. But you can easily download and broadcast programmes from the AMARC-Website and inform listeners about violence against women in other places and what activities take please elsewhere. I am sure your listeners will enjoy it. Check out the AMARC website on http://win.amarc.org > 16 Days Against Violence on Women. You will find a number of suitable programmes in different languages. And your programme might be re-broadcasted in other radio stations and parts of the world.

We are looking forward to receiving many creative, short and longer radio productions to join the many voices to put an end to violence against women.

Death in the Phillipines

 This from AMARC:  AMARC condemns in the strongest terms possible the culture of impunity in the Philippines, particularly the unabated killing of journalists, including community media practitioners and advocates;

 AMARC shall likewise call on the Philippine government to end the culture of impunity and work for justice for all victims of human rights violations in the country;

AMARC shall call on the new Philippine government to ensure the swift and fair trial of the criminal cases related to the Ampatuan Massacre and protection of witnesses from further intimidation and violence.

I’m the only one left - or at least I thought I was. The conference is over, so these next posts are the steak knives you get when you don’t need them.  There must be thousands of blogs about Buenos Aires.  Lucky its not paper.

Deb flew out yesterday and I decided to hit the streets.  I went to the Palermo Soho markets, walked to Louis Borge’s house and then onto the Botanical Gardens. 

There were a couple of surprises there.  Lots of gum trees including this Murray Red.  Lots of people making use of the gardens. 

I don’t know if you remember Robin Erikkson from previous posts.  She was at the conference, from CKUW-FM, Winnipeg, Canada.

So in the middle of a city with 10 million people or so, I hear a “Hey Dave” a whole week after the conference.  Robin Erikkson.

I’d been walking the streets of Palermo all day, so it was good to see a familiar face.  And she had good advice, maybe too late. 

Robin was staying with local people who gave her three crucial bits of advice about being in Buenos Aires.

• always look down (the abundant dogshit)
• don’t be afraid to slap people (for women mainly)
• always look down

If only I’d had that advise at the start of the day. 

Robin introduced me to the concept of couch surfing – never heard of it before.

And because she is staying with locals, she knew some local bars. 

Hangover today.

I’ve got a game of bridge lined up and trying to find a good horseride.  Will let ya know.