1. Introduction

1. AMARC Africa Capacity Building WorkshopCOMMUNITY RADIOS IN AFRICAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENTImproving Content, Strengthening Networks and Empowering Women19-22 July 2010, Johannesburg, South AfricaMarcelo Solervicens, Secretary General, AMARC

2. 1. Introduction • Conference is very important to increase effectiveness of AMARC Africa and CR with regards to coordination between CR , Networks & AMARC Africa, in regards to ameliorating quality and pertinence of content and for the Women International Network. • It is also important in preparation of the AMARC 10 Conference to be held in La Plata Argentina from 8-13 November 2010 to increase the effectiveness of AMARC in advancing the exercise of communication rights.

3. 2. Global Situation • The 21st Century has seen the need for increased participation of local communities in decision making. Democratisation, good governance and accountability of the authorities is a key challenge in Africa. • The global financial crisis has produced downturn of the economy; the global economic order is being challenged even within the G20 and has produced an increase in the number of poor particularly in Asia and in Africa. It is estimated that more than 2.5 billion people around the globe live on less than $2 a day. In its 2009 report FAO “estimates that 1,02 billion people are undernourished worldwide in 2009.”[1] and they are launching campaign on that issue for this year World Food Day.

4. 2. Global Situation (suite) • Natural disaster and climate change consequences have roll back some advances in food security and disease control, water and sanitation. The lack of leadership of world leaders increases the efforts to be done by global civil society to obtain climate change mitigation and adaptation. • Conflicts continue to produce large displaced populations and affect particularly women in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The democratization of communications through the development of pluralistic media are key dimensions to make the poor voices heard, to empower local communities to hold governments accountable and to contribute to confront the negative impact of climate change. • Democratization, good governance and accountability of governments are increasingly difficult in spite of advances in new technologies and social networks, the democratic promises of the information society are still to be seen. Former UN Secretary general Kofy Annan, “Press Freedom is the cornerstone of human rights. It holds governments responsible for their acts, and serves as a warning to all that impunity is an illusion”.[2]

5. 3. General vision on CR, Networks and AMARC • Human development is about putting people at the centre of development. It is about people realizing their potential, increasing their choices and enjoying the freedom to lead lives they value. There is need of a collaborative work to confront the democratic governance and development objectives (poverty reduction, food security, health including HIV-AIDS, water and sanitation, etc) in the context of recurrent conflicts, climate change effects and growing migration trends. • Ameliorate coordination: Networks reinforcement. Harmonisation challenges; • Ameliorate quality & pertinence of contents for increased social impact and sustainability; • Reinforce inclusion of women in CR and social impact on gender equality & women rights through Women International Network campaigns at national & regional levels;

6. 3. General vision on CR, Networks and AMARC • Community broadcasting refers to broadcast media which are independent, civil society based and which operate for social benefit and not for profit. Community radio is at the center of a communication process empowering local actors to become citizens through interaction and participation in decision making. By definition of its property, its objectives and managements community Radio favors a communication process system that influence public and private values, helps shape public opinion and public will help preserve lost cultures and languages and informs citizens who may be harder to reach about issues of importance to them. • Community radio has effectively become the third sector of broadcasting and there are community radios in all regions of the world. AMARC has been accompanying this process for 26 years and is seeking to find ways to increase the effectiveness of Community Radio to combat poverty, exclusion and voiceslessness and to promote social justice and sustainable, democratic and participatory human development. In furtherance of this goal AMARC acts to amplify the voices of the poor and marginalized through community media and new ICTs, to support popular access to communications and to defend and promote the development of community radio world-wide. • AMARC is uniquely placed to support the development of community broadcasting. It is the only grassroots organisation to focus specifically on community radio. AMARC defends the right to communicate at local, regional and international levels. It supports participatory communications as an essential element in reinforcing civil society and democracy.

7. 4. Strategic lines of Work of AMARC The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) members in AMMAN in 2006 defined the following lines of action. • Advocacy and policy research: To achieve improvement in the policy, legal and regulatory environment for community media and for the right of independent broadcasters to communicate; • Knowledge sharing and capacity building: To strengthen the sustainability, effectiveness and relevance of community media and to increase the appropriation of community media by excluded and marginalized communities to better identify, discuss, articulate and voice their development concerns; • Content exchange and social action campaigns: To amplify the voices of the excluded and marginalized on key issues in sustainable democratic development and to strengthen South-centered perspectives; • Gender equality and women’s rights: To promote women’s voices and rights, to combat gender-based discrimination, and to strengthen women’s participation in community media at all levels; and • Network development and communication: To strengthen AMARC’s structure and functioning, to strength country, regional and international networking and communication within the community media sector and to strengthen alliances between community media and other networks and social movements.

8. 5. Organisational Strategic Challenges • There is need to increase the effectiveness of community radio through proper harmonisaiton and coordination of the different levels of intervention within the community radio network and with partners and stakeholders. • Functioning of AMARC • A Network since 1983 to define what is community radio, represent its members, define strategic orientations and actions with civil society partners and stakeholders; • An Association of CR, Federations and production groups organized in a democratic structure based on the statutes of AMARC, (Organisation Chart) and giving services to members; • An NGO, doing specific projects • to fulfil the mission of AMARC contributing to the development of community radio worldwide; • to complement, explore, evaluate new mechanisms and define ways forward through the Cr networks;

9. MEMBERSHIP GLOBAL ASSEMBLY International Board International Secretariat Regional Assemblies (Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe) Regional Boards (Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe) Regional Offices (Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe) Women International network National Representations

10. 5. Organisational Strategic Challenges • Harmonization approach for increasing effectiveness of AMARC Network: (It has to be participatory) • What are specific areas of work of International, Regional, Country levels and Community radio or production group level? • What partners, allies, adversaries are better engaged at what level? • What areas gain from coordination between levels? • What mechanisms can avoid overlapping problems? • How do we monitor and evaluate to reality difficulties?

11. Examples: On a global scale, AMARC plays a leading role both encouraging and pressuring international governing institutions and national governments to provide a better working environment for community radio. AMARC’s work at a global level reinforces efforts at the local and regional levels. When a particular country refuses to recognise community radio or harasses stations and reporters, the International office, regional office and local organisation work together. • Information: AMARC is an International NGO member of several international multilateral organisations and lobbies those that either control or can influence the environment for community broadcasting. Among those that AMARC approaches on a regular basis through presentations, informal discussions, and campaigns concerning policy issues are: the International Telecommunications Union (ITU); the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression; the UN Human Rights Commission; UNIFEM; ECOSOC; the World Trade Organisation; the World; the Intellectual Property Organisation; UNESCO; Global Alliance on ICT’s for Development; The UN Development Program (UNDP); The World Bank and World Bank Institute. • Information: AMARC statutes place Federations, Associations & radio networks at the same level as community radios. In AMARC in LAC there is a tendency to have AMARC National Chapters to which belong Networks (Peru); In other cases they stand alone; In Asia Pacific; in Europe they tend to include the federations at the same level as the radios as is established in AMARC Constitution;

12. Conclusion • It is important to consider CR at the centre of a communication process; • It is important to consider specific levels of work and harmonisation mechanisms as an evolving process depending on country situation; • Specifically consider these elements with recommendations: • Challenges to network reinforcement and coordination with radios; • Challenges to content amelioration and participatory programming in CR; • Challenges to gender equality & Women rights in CR and society in CR and WIN;