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Making
Headlines Together |
UNITED
for Intercultural Action and AMARC-Europe (the European branch
of the World Association of Community Broadcasters) have recently
intensified their cooperation. Both networks are active around
21 March so co-operation seemed only natural. The European Union
promotes such transnational co-operation and has pre-selected
UNITED and AMARC's proposal for a project on anti-discrimination
in and by the media. This pre-selection opens the possibility
of applying for a longer term project.
At an expert meeting in Amsterdam, which has taken place 25-27
January 2002 the following idea was developed: There is a need
among grass roots non-governmental organisations for more and
better contacts with the media. From the media, whether community
media or mainstream media, there is a need for the development
of relations with non-governmental anti-discrimination organisations
and their public.
To fulfil this need a.o. the following activities could be developed:
- a conference introducing the horizontal approach into multicultural
media (how can we make sure multicultural media includes
also people with a disability, gays and lesbians...);
- a workshop on developing critical media strategies (how
to approach the media, how to help change the media, what is
free publishing, what is community broadcasting...);
- a workshop on the problems and possibilities of developing
anti-bias communication (how can we make sure that our communication
does not promote or perpetuate prejudice...);
- campaigning with a special focus on multiple discrimination
(how do our communities protect people that suffer discrimination
on several different grounds...).
At
the moment there are five partners in the project on a transnational
level: UNITED, AMARC, International Lesbian and Gay Association-Europe,
International Federation of Journalists / Diversity Online, and
NORDSAM (Nordic network on multicultural media, Scandinavia).
If the project is accepted, we will of course let you know!
21
March
March
21st was declared International Day for the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination by the General Assembly of the
United Nations as a reaction to the murder of 70 demonstrators
in Sharpe-ville, South-Africa, in 1960. During the annual European-wide
Action Week, which centers around 21 March, thousands of people
actively engage themselves for tolerance and equal rights. This
year once again hundreds of activities will take place all around
Europe, organised by a wide variety of organisations. Activities
range from special TV programs to cleaning the
walls of racist slogans.
European-wide
Action Week Against Racism, 16-24 March 2002
TH!NK - Free your mind from prejudice
Racism is not a local issue. European campaigns can help set
the agenda on all levels. We have to campaign on local, regional
and European level to get our point across. By linking local
and national actions, we can generate European-wide media attention.
We can show that there is an enormous amount of people that believe
in an intercultural open society. It gives all participating
NGOs a new energy to go on with their everyday struggle against
racism and intolerance. You will get motivated and inspired by
the ideas and enthusiasm of other people, learn from each other's
experience and views, generate more publicity because of the
overall scope and size of the activity, mobilise more people
as you reach a combined audience, etc.
This year AMARC, the European branch of the World Association
of Community Radio Broadcasters, has agreed to work closely with
anti-racism activists. Because of that, we have an even bigger
possibility of making some good headlines!
If
you would like to take part in this campaign, keep in mind that
it is the variety and creativity of many different simultaneous
activities all over Europe that make the UNITED campaigns unique.
There is a common date, and every year a theme emerges that gets
special attention.
In 2002 we ask everyone to "THINK! Free your mind from prejudice!"
If you need campaign posters, please let us know. Up to 100 can
be sent to you free of charge. So: get organised! Find like-minded
groups and start planning now!
Radio
Voix Sans Frontières - 21 March 2002
Broadcast of community radios world wide to mark
International Day Against Racial Discrimination
Radio voix sans frontières is a 24 hour multilingual broadcast
co-production of community radios world wide, to mark International
Day Against Racial Discrimination on 21 March every year. More
than 600 community, free, associative and rural radios participate
in this broadcast, which, over the past four years, was relayed
via satellite and the Internet and re-distributed locally on
FM and AM. The broadcast, now entering its fifth year, is co-ordinated
by AMARC, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters.
Radio
Voix Sans Frontières is live streamed on the Internet
at www.amarc.org/vsf, which is used as a relay point by hundreds
of local AM and FM community radio stations to rebroadcast programmes
locally. The idea behind the campaign is that broadcasters from
community, free, associative educational and rural radio stations
all over the world contribute their own programmes in either
pre-recorded or live formats, which is co-ordinated by an international
team, thus building an interactive global partnership of radio
stations, working for the cause of promoting communal harmony
and denouncing racial discrimination.
All community and free radios are encouraged to contribute and
participate in the broadcast campaign by:
- producing special programmes for the day
- sending pre-recorded audio materials
- publicising the broadcast on websites and in radio stations
Anti-discrimination
organisations are more than welcome to contribute their information
and ideas! For information on the European broadcast co-ordination,
to find out which is your nearest community radio station and
to publicise your activities through community radio, write to
europe@amarc.org
Watch out for updates on www.amarc.org/vsf
UNITED
for Intercultural Action
European
network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees
Linked through UNITED, more than 550 organisations from a wide
variety of backgrounds, from all European countries, work together
on a voluntary basis. They base their cooperation on common actions
and shared activities on a mutual respect. Through the UNITED
network organisations meet each other, work on common actions
and share information. You can find more information on www.unitedagainstracism.org
UNITED,
Postbus 413, NL-1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands
phone +31-20-6834778, fax +31-20-6834582
info@unitedagainstracism.org,
www.unitedagainstracism.org
AMARC
World
Association Community Radio Broad-casters / European Region
Radio Voix Sans Frontières is co-ordinated by AMARC, the
French acronym for Association Mondiale des Radiodiffuseurs Communautaires.
AMARC is a world wide grassroots network operating for social
purposes, independent of governments and large media corporations.
AMARC aims to support, defend and promote the interests of community
broadcasters through solidarity and international co-operation.
AMARC,
15 Paternoster Row, GB-Sheffield S1 2BX, Great-Britain
phone + 44-114-2210592, fax + 44-114-2798976
europe@amarc.org, www.amarc.org/europe
This publication has been produced with European Commission
funding. The information in this publication does not necessarily
reflect the position nor the opinion of our sponsors.
Up
UNITED
for Intercultural Action
European network against nationalism, racism, fascism
and in support of migrants and refugees
Postbus
413, NL-1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands
phone +31-20-6834778, fax +31-20-6834582
info@unitedagainstracism.org,
www.unitedagainstracism.org
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