[IRP] Declaration of the Assembly on the Right to Communication, Dakar- Feb 11, 2011
parminder
parminder
Thu Mar 3 12:08:50 EET 2011
On Wednesday 02 March 2011 06:58 PM, Anriette Esterhuysen wrote:
> Hi all
>
> One of APC's members was instrumental in developing this.
>
> Have a look, and endorse if you want to.. and I am sure people with
> critical comments too.
Hi Anriette
We endorse the declaration. We think that taking the right to
communicate as a point of departure for developing a civil society
vision for Internet Governance, and then translating into real policy
and action priorities was perhaps a missed opportunity during and after
the WSIS. We still think that even now CS groups should take up this
task seriously, rather than just respond to the dominant discourse of
IG in a one-off, splintered manner. I propose that interested actors
join together into an informal group to try this. The world needs a
vision of IG that is other than a statist, corporatist or technocratic
one, and IG space today is ruled by various combinations of these
approaches. Civil society just responds and/ or aligns temporarily with
these different combinations. It will be very useful if we can ourselves
offer a coherent progressive vision, and then do advocacy and make
necessary alignments proceeding from this vision. In fact there are many
actors in non-civil society spaces that will be happy to have a coherent
alternative vision and help in propagating it.
Parminder
> Best
>
> Anriette
> ------------------------------
>
> The right to inform and be informed
>
> Wednesday 23 February 2011
>
> http://www.ciranda.net/fsm-dacar-2011/article/the-right-to-inform-and-be
>
> Declaration of the Assembly on the Right to Communication, Dakar -
> February 11, 2011
>
> We, actors in the field of alternative information as well as citizen
> activists who use communication as a tool for social transformation:
>
> Note that, in a global context:
>
> - information is held in a stranglehold by political, economic and
> industrial forces and is manipulated by the governments and States;
>
> - freedom of expression is being denied, thwarted or repressed;
>
> - there is little or no guarantee for an unfettered access to information
> for all citizens;
>
> - a violent repression is unleashed upon citizens and actors in the field
> of information;
>
> - information is being commodified and standardized;
>
> - there is an increasing distrust by public opinion regarding information
> conveyed by the mainstream media.
>
> We also note, particularly in Africa:
>
> - an almost total absence of laws favouring citizens? access to information;
>
> - freedom of expression and freedom of the press being undermined by
> repressive laws;
>
> - hindrances and restrictions, if not outright censorship, placed upon
> communities who wish to establish community media.
>
> At the same time, we see new perspectives opening up, in the face of this
> disturbing situation:
>
> - a greater awareness and ability by citizens to participate in the
> production and circulation of information in order to promote social
> justice;
>
> - the emergence of alternative media and the stepping unto the stage of
> citizens who contribute to social and political change, as evidenced by
> recent events in Tunisia and Egypt.
>
> We declare that the right to communicate is a fundamental right and a
> common good of humanity.
>
> We commit ourselves to:
>
> - defend, support and promote all initiatives that ensure and extend the
> right to communication and information as a fundamental human right;
>
> - building advocacy for a legislative and regulatory framework for public,
> alternative and community media, including ensuring among others a better
> right to airwave-access and broadcasting options;
>
> - recognize and protect the actors and activists involved in information
> and communication around the world;
>
> - create and strengthen synergies between all actors and activists working
> towards social transformation;
>
> - promote accessibility and popular ownership/mastery of media and
> information/communication technology by all citizens, without restriction
> of gender, class or origin;
>
> - promote mechanisms for ongoing communication between the various actors,
> participants and organizers of social forums, including the "extended"
> Social Forum as well as the various experiences of shared communication.
>
> - support the development and strengthening of community and alternative
> media;
>
> - combat censorship and guarantee freedom of expression on the Internet;
>
> - work towards the elaboration of a model that ensures the viability,
> sustainability and independence of the alternative media;
>
> - give a central place to issues of communication rights in the thematic
> spaces of social forums.
>
> Action Plan:
>
> - Center our information campaigns and awareness-raising activities on key
> issues that are on the international agenda (Rio+20, G8, G20, Palestine
> Forum, Durban, etc.).
>
> - Organize a World Forum of Free and Alternative Media in 2012, as part of
> the WSF process.
>
> As actors of communication, we clearly state our support for the Tunisian
> and Egyptian peoples, we call on their governments to lift censorship and
> to stop the repression against all citizens and actors in the field of
> information.
>
> We also call on all actors of social change and to unite our forces in the
> struggle for the right to information and communication, without which no
> change is possible.
>
> Participating organizations:
>
> * Abong (Brasilian association of NGOs) - Brasil
> * Action Jeunesse - Morrocco
> * African Klomeo renaissance - Nigeria
> * AK-Project France-S?n?gal
> * Alai - Ag?ncia Latinoamericana de Informaci?n - Ecuador
> * Alba TV Venezuela
> * Alternatives Canad?
> * Amarc World association of community radios
> * Aphad - Senegal
> * Arcoiris TV - Italy
> * Babels
> * Berlin Carr? - Germany
> * Caritas - France
> * CIC Bata - Spain
> * Caritas (France)
> * CIC Bata (Espagne)
> * Cdtm72 (France)
> * Cedidelp (France)v
> * Ciranda International - Shared Communication
> * International Commons strategies group - Germany
> * Citim (France)
> * Communautique - Canada
> * Editions Charles L?opold Mayer - France
> * e-Joussour - Morrocco
> * Federacion de sindicatos de periodistas - Spain
> * FocusPuller - Italy
> * Forum Alternatives Morrocco - FMAS
> * Fundacion Quepo - Spain
> * Giaba - Guin?e Bissau
> * Guin?e Culture - Guinea
> * HEKS - Senegal
> * Imersao Latina - Brazil
> * Intervozes - Brazil
> * IES News Service - Palestine
> * IPS (Inter Press Service)
> * KebethCache women resource center - Nigeria
> * Maison des citoyens du monde (France)
> * Maison des droits de l?homme (France)
> * Maison du Monde d?Evry (France)
> * May first / People link - USA
> * Mission for Youth - Uganda
> * NIGD - Network Institute for Global Democratization - Finland
> * Pambazuka (Afrique)
> * Queens Magazine - Nigeria
> * Revista Forum - Brasil
> * Ritimo - France
> * Rural Health women Day - Nigeria
> * Saharareporters.com - Nigeria
> * Social Watch - Italy
> * Solafrika
> * Soylocoporti - Brasil
> * Support Initiative For sustainable development - Nigeria
> * Survie - France
> * TIE - Brasil
> * TV Star - Senegal
> * UnisCit? - France
> * UPO - Spain
> * Vecam - France
> * WarriorsSelf-Help group - Kenya
> * WSFTV - WSF Forum TV
>
> Contacts: Info_fsmdakar at ritimo.org
>
> Translated from French by Gr?goire Seither / Babels
>
>
>
> =======================================
> APC Forum is a meeting place for the APC community - people and
> institutions who are or have been involved in collaboration with
> APC, and share the APC vision - a world in which all people have easy,
> equal and affordable access to the creative potential of information and
> communication technologies (ICTs) to improve their lives and create more
> democratic and egalitarian societies.
>
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>
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