[cr-india] Founding of AMARC Asia-Pacific -francais ci-dessous-espanol abajo-

[George Lessard in Bolivia]

Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 01:31:17 +0000
From: Steve Buckley <sbuckley at gn.apc.org>
Subject: [CRIS Info] News - Founding of AMARC Asia-Pacific


-francais ci-dessous-espanol abajo-

NEWS RELEASE
AMARC Asia Pacific founded at Jakarta conference

Jakarta, November 28, 2005. Community broadcasters and media activists from
19 Asia-Pacific countries gathered in Jakarta 24-27 November 2005 at the
first Asia Pacific Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters, have founded
a Regional Section of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters
(AMARC) and elected a Regional Board of AMARC Asia-Pacific to lead the new
body.

Ashish Sen, Director of Voices (India) and newly elected President of AMARC
Asia-Pacific, said, on behalf of the AMARC Asia-Pacific Board:

?Legislation for community broadcasting, sustainability of the sector and
the protection of journalists, are priority areas for the region.
Cooperation within the region will be greatly strengthened by this new
network so that we can all share and learn from each other?s experience. We
are especially grateful to the Indonesian community radio movement for
hosting this conference and founding assembly. The growth and vibrancy of
the community radio movement in Indonesia is an inspiration to us
throughout the region.?

Steve Buckley, President of AMARC International, said:

?The International Board of AMARC welcomes the establishment of AMARC
Asia-Pacific as a major step forward in the development of community
broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific region and a boost for defenders of the
right to freedom of expression. This week?s conference and founding
assembly have demonstrated the dynamism of the emerging community
broadcasting movement in Asia and the Pacific.?

Participants at the conference unanimously agreed the ?Jakarta Declaration?
calling on governments to put in place a conducive legislative environment
and regulatory mechanisms to enable community radio to flourish in all
parts of the region.

The Jakarta Declaration confirmed the need to uphold human rights and
freedom of expression and to promote these rights by all available means.
It also called upon governments, multilateral and bilateral institutions to
recognise community radio as a powerful medium that can play a key role in
the achievement of millennium development goals.

Participants at the conference noted the particular role of community radio
in supporting women?s rights and gender equality and launched a radio
campaign, on 25 November, to mark the beginning of 16 days of activism
against violence against women.

The Board of AMARC Asia-Pacific is drawn from throughout the region and
consists of:

Ashish Sen, Voices - India (President)
Sonia Randhawa, Centre for Independent Journalism - Malaysia (Deputy President)
Shane Elson, Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (Treasurer)
Bianca Miglioretto, Isis International - Philippines (Women?s Network
Representative)
Raghu Mainali, Community Radio Association of Nepal (Vice President South Asia)
Gwendolyne Longid, Sagada Community Radio - Philippines (Vice President
South East Asia)
Matsuura Tetsuo, Kyoto Community Broadcasting - Japan (Vice President East
Asia)
Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, FemLINK Pacific - Fiji Islands (Vice President Pacific)

-ends-

Notes:

The Jakarta Declaration is available at  http://asiapacific.amarc.org

The first Asia Pacific conference of community radio broadcasters included
delegations from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, East
Timor, Fiji Islands, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia,
Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The
conference was also attended by international speakers and observers from
Canada, Kenya, Peru, United Kingdom and the USA.

The Local Organising Committee for the conference included Community Radio
Association of Indonesia, Leskkud, Combine Resources Initiative and TIFA
Foundation. The conference was also supported by UNESCO, Canadian
International Development Agency, Ford Foundation, EED, Novib and SDC.

AMARC is an international non-governmental organization serving the
community radio movement in over 110 countries, and advocating for the
right to communicate at the international, national, local and neighborhood
levels. AMARC has an International Secretariat in Montreal. It also has
regional sections in Africa and Latin America and offices in Johannesburg
and Buenos Aires. The regional office for Asia and the Pacific is located
in Kathmandu.

For more information, please go to http://asiapacific.amarc.org or write to
amarc at amarc.org

Marcelo Solervicens
Sec. Gen. AMARC
705 rue Bourget, bureau 100
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tel. (1-514) 982-0351

__________________________________
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA
La seccional AMARC Asia Pacifico nace en la Conferencia de Jakarta

Jakarta, 28 de noviembre de 2005. Radialistas comunitarios y activistas de
la comunicaci?n de 19 paises se dieron cita en Jakarta del 24 al 27 de
Noviembre de 2005. La primera Conferencia de radialistas comunitarios del
Asia Pacifico fundo la  secci?n regional de la Asociaci?n Mundial de Radios
Comunitarias (AMARC) y eligio el Consejo Regional de AMARCAsia Pac?fico,
que dirigir? la nueva entidad.

El reci?n elegido presidente de AMARC Asia Pac?fico, el Director de Voices
(India), Ashish Sen, se?alo en nombre del Consejo regional:

?Las prioridades en la regi?n son de obtener una legislaci?n que permita la
radiodifusi?n comunitaria, lograr el desarrollo sostenido del sector, y
proteger los periodistas. Esta nueva red reforzar? la comunicaci?n al
interior de las regi?n permitiendonos intercambiar experiencias. Estamos
muy agradecidos con el movimiento de las radios comunitarias de Indonesia
por habernos acogido para esta conferencia y asamblea de fundaci?n. El
crecimiento y la vitalidad del movimiento de las radios comunitarias en
Indonesia es una fuente de inspiraci?n para todos los paises de la regi?n.

El presidente de AMARC Internacional, Steve Buckley, se?al?.

?El Consejo Internacional de AMARC saluda el establecimiento de AMARC Asia
Pac?fico, como un paso importante en el desarrollo del movimiento de las
radios comunitarias en la regi?n y un espalda

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