news about advocacy issues

Human Rights Guide for Internet Users

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 18:35:00 +0100

Human Rights Guide for Internet Users

Tarlach McGonagle

Institute for Information Law (IViR), University of Amsterdam

On 16 April 2014, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers (CM) adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2014)6 to member States as a Guide to human rights for Internet users (hereafter, “the Guide”). Among the starting premises of the Recommendation are: (i) human rights standards, as elaborated by the Council of Europe, must be upheld on the Internet, and (ii) in safeguarding human rights, states’ obligations include “the oversight of private bodies”. The Recommendation stresses that “human rights, which are universal and indivisible, and related standards, prevail over the general terms and conditions imposed on Internet users by any private sector actor”.

....Unusually, the Guide directly addresses “you, the Internet user”, in keeping with its intention to serve as a tool for you “to learn about your human rights online, their possible limitations, and available remedies for such limitations”. It sets out to synthesize and explain existing (Council of Europe) standards - not to create new ones.

The Guide addresses and is organised around the following themes: access and non-discrimination; freedom of expression and information; assembly, association and participation; privacy and data protection; education and literacy; children and young people, and effective remedies. The specific implications of each theme in an online context are teased out. There is recurrent attention given to the roles of public authorities and private actors in respecting human rights and providing redress for breaches of human rights.

Extract from: the IRIS Newsletter. http://merlin.obs.coe.int/newsletter.php?year=2014&issue=8

September 21st nternational Day of Peace - Human Security First!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 18:51:00 +0100

Sunday September 21^st the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPACC) will be celebrating the International Day of Peace all over the world: a day of non-violence and the cessation of hostilities, and a day of peace education, discussion and raising public awareness.

The UN General Assembly initiated the International Day of Peace in 1981, to have a day to celebrate peace coinciding with their annual opening session. GPPAC members in all countries will be hosting different events for the International Day of Peace, and each organisation will include a theme of Human Security.

There will be videos from people around the world explaining why they need Human Security and there will be opportunity for round table discussion and learning about the topic. At these events, GPACC will also be collecting photographs of people who support the Human Security approach. These photographs will be displayed at the publication launch in New York, as well as on its website.

If you are organising an event for the International Day of Peace, and would like some resources for a Human Security theme, you can get in touch through humansecurityfirst@gppac.net

Empowering Children in 21st Century

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:26:00 +0100

Kuala Lumpur Declaration

Empowering Children in 21st Century

WSMC 2014 Pledges to Reframe Children’s Media,
Take it to a New Paradigm

The 2014 Kuala Lumpur World Summit on Media for Children Declares

That, since children are the future of the human-kind, the media should provide them with content that conveys appropriate information, education, entertainment and social development messages.
That the media should help achieve a greater understanding of issues and developments in children’s media around the world by promoting innovation in the development of content.
That there is a clear need for providing guidance for the media on desirable ethical and cultural standards.
That the media should be invited to agree on a charter of guiding principles, as provided in the Annex 2 to this Declaration, to be employed in developing children’s media.
That the media should help children in choosing between moral and immoral, helping in inculcating good values among them on social, civic, environmental care and human issues, taking into account the guiding principles stated in Annex 2..
That broadcasters and media professionals work towards bringing the benefits of the “digital wave” to children’s media, in particular connecting the disconnected.
That the media professionals approach their Governments and relevant national regulators to help facilitate development of content and allocation of funding support in that regard.
Those children’s media organisations set up partnerships with regional bodies and other organizations and seek assistance in development of excellent content.
That to institute an on-going arrangement to fulfil the objectives of this Declaration, the following steps should be taken: • To establish an international movement to improve the content of Children programming in Radio, TV and New Media. • To engage in capacity building and maintaining open channels for dialogue. • To initiate permanent Regional Markets for radio and TV children’s programming in all the regions of the world.• To initiate a number of international and regional co-productions for children’s radio and TV content.
That the 2017 World Summit on Media for Children review and assess the progress on all issues cited in this Declaration and initiate further action, as appropriate.

Death threat against Global Media Monitoring Project Mauritania coordinator: A call to action

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 21:18:00 +0100

International Ambassadors of the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) are greatly concerned about the safety of the Mauritanian GMMP national coordinator Ms. Aminetou Mint El Moctar.

According to information from the International Federation for Human Rights, the leader of a radical Muslim group “Ahbab Errassoul” (“Friends of the Prophet”) Mr. Yadhih Ould Dahi issued a fatwa on June 6, 2014 calling for her death. Ms. Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, and Ms. Jennifer Lee together with WACC General Secretary Dr. Karin Achtelstetter call upon the GMMP network to express their solidarity in support of Aminetou Mint El Moctar.

Ms. Aminetou Mint El Moctar is a decorated human rights activist. She chairs the Association of female heads of household (l’Association des femmes chefs de famille), a non-governmental organisation that promotes human rights and defends the rights of women and children in Mauritania.

She is the country coordinator of the Global Media Monitoring Project in Mauritania. In 2009, Aminetou Mint Moctar spearheaded highly visible public campaigns to denounce trafficking of young Mauritanian girls to Gulf States and the exploitation of Mauritanian and West African women living in domestic servitude. Because of the work of Ms. Mint Moctar and others like her, the Government of Mauritania now recognizes the existence of these practices.

The threat called for the killing and gouging out the eyes of Moctar after she spoke to the mass media about the general situation of human rights in the country and the particular case of Mohamed Ould M’kheitir. M’kheitir has been in detention since December 2013 after being accused of apostasy. Moctar called for a fair trial for M’kheitir while making it very clear that she does not condone insults against the Prophet. Dr. Kanyoro commenting on the situation underlines the hazards women human rights defenders encounter in the course of their work: “Women human rights defenders face additional risks because of the very nature of the problems they work to address, which require questioning and transforming social norms and taboos”.

Read the rest of the statement here

UNESCO conference urges UN to include free expression in post-2015 development goals

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Tue, 20 May 2014 12:07:00 +0100

The Declaration adopted at the end of the UNESCO Conference for World Press Freedom Day on 5-6 May 2014 calls for freedom of expression, press freedom, independent media and access to information to be fully integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) next year.

It makes a link between the free expression issues and good governance, which is a foundation for development.

The Declaration specifically urges the United Nation’s Open Working Group (OWG), the body that is drafting the SDGs, to include free expression as part of a good governance goal, as recommended by the UN High Level Panel of Eminent Persons.

The conference document further encourages UNESCO Member States to support these proposals at OWG meetings. It calls for the OWG to recognize the importance of universal access to information and communication technologies and for governments to make available “comprehensive, reliable, accurate and accessible information related to the development agenda” as part of the SDGs.

More than 300 participants from almost 90 countries took part in the deliberations, including several Permanent Delegations to UNESCO.

A total of 75 speakers addressed the theme “Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the Post-2015 Development Agenda”.

Source: GMFD News

Paraguay: Organizaciones sociales denuncian violación del derecho a la comunicación

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Thu, 15 May 2014 10:05:00 +0100

Asunción, Paraguay, 15 de mayo 2014 (SIGNIS ALC).- Varias organizaciones sociales y comunitarias que forman parte de la Iniciativa "Democratización de la Información para el ejercicio de los derechos humanos" DEMOINFO - Paraguay, expresaron su preocupación por la violación del derecho a la Comunicación. Según expresaron, esta situación se agravó con la decisión de la CONATEL de suspender, según la resolución 627/2014, temporalmente el otorgamiento y solicitudes de permisos a las Radios Comunitarias.

Entre las organizaciones sociales que forman parte de DEMOINFO- Paraguay, y que denuncian el irrespeto al derecho a la comunicación se encuentran: la Central de Cooperativas de Vivienda por Ayuda Mutua del Paraguay (CCVAMP), la Coordinadora de Empresas Asociativas Rurales Departamentales, CEARD, la Mesa de Desarrollo de Organizaciones Sociales de Cordillera y la Asociación de Radios Comunitarias y Medios Alternativos del Paraguay, así como las organizaciones que conforman la Coordinadora de Organizaciones Campesinas e Indígenas del Paraguay COCIP, entidad que a su vez está integrada por la Organización Nacional Campesina ONAC, la Coordinadora Nacional de Mujeres Trabajadoras Rurales e Indígenas (CONAMURI), la Central Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas, Indígenas y Populares (CNOCIP), la Mesa Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas (MCNOC) y la Mesa Indígena.

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WACC-SIGNIS Human Rights Award 2013 Goes to "Caminhos da paz" (Paths of Peace)

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Thu, 15 May 2014 09:47:00 +0100

Sol de Carvalho presenting Caminhos da paz in Belgium

The 4th WACC-SIGNIS Human Rights Award 2013 has gone to the documentary Caminhos da paz (Paths of Peace) directed by Sol de Carvalho (Mozambique, 2013). A feature-length documentary, the film highlights the successful role of the churches in the peace process in Mozambique.

Caminhos da Paz covers a section of Mozambican history beginning with the colonial war up to the civil war that followed.

After Mozambique achieved independence from Portugal in 1975, the new Marxist-Leninist State run by FRELIMO (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique) had to resist against Rhodesia and South Africa which set up a movement for rebellion, RENAMO (Resistencia Nacional de Moçambique). It developed into a bloody conflict which was bringing the country to ruin. The government wanted to negotiate peace, but didn’t know who directed RENAMO or where they could be found.

Everything changed with the intervention of the Sant’Egidio Community. From the beginning of the 1980s, this community had given humanitarian aid to Mozambique and knew both sides. FRELIMO began to soften its anti-religious stance and sought better relations with the Protestant and Catholic Churches. Also the Sant’Egidio Community was aware that the only real help would come from reconciliation between the warring parties. It was they who succeeded in contacting RENAMO to conduct the first negotiations.

Caminhos da Paz recounts the concerted efforts on the part of the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches to bring about the peace accords signed in Rome on 4 October 1992. It is one of the rare examples in recent decades of a conflict resolved by negotiation in Africa.

According to Guido Convents of SIGNIS, "Sol de Carvalho has made his documentary like a suspense thriller, with interviews with all the protagonists and extracts from audiovisual archives. Sometimes one wishes it would last longer! A real achievement and a story full of emotion showing that hope exists."

The Mozambican Sol de Carvalho was born in 1953 and worked as a journalist, editor and photographer. From 1985 on, he started to work in cinema. Since then he has made many films, for the most part documentaries and TV films and the feature film O Jardim do Outro Homem (Another Man’s Garden). Sol de Carvalho’s work is socially committed and often deals with taboo subjects like HIV/Aids or domestic violence. Being a strong advocate for participatory processes, he is often on the road in Mozambique showing his films in villages and talking with people.

The criteria for the international WACC-SIGNIS Human Rights Award are a documentary film (rather than a feature film) from the year in question that seeks to throw light on a question of human rights reflecting the values and priorities of WACC and SIGNIS. Promarte Production Company in Maputo.

Call for Video Entries PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Thu, 15 May 2014 09:31:00 +0100

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) invite young people to submit original and creative videos focusing on Migration, Diversity and Social inclusion
by 27 June 2014 for consideration in the 2014 PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival.

Young people up to 25 years old are invited to submit short videos of five minutes maximum in length.

PLURAL+ supports young people’s expression of their opinions by providing them with a variety of media platforms and distribution networks, including broadcasts, video festivals, conferences and events around the world. PLURAL+ not only provides young people with an effective platform to express themselves on key migration and diversity issues, but also reinforces the firm belief of IOM and UNAOC that youth are powerful and creative agents of social change.

A prestigious international jury will select three winners in each age category (9-12, 13-17, 18-25). International Jury winners will be invited to New York, all travel expenses paid, to present their work at the PLURAL + 2014 Awards Ceremony at the Paley Center for Media in December 2014.

PLURAL+ partner organizations (including SIGNIS) will also award other prizes and professional opportunities, such as winning participants presenting their work at film and video festivals, conferences and events around the world.

The PLURAL+ 2014 deadline for video submission is 27 June, 2014. Further information, including guidelines, regulations, awards, and the entry form can be downloaded here and is also available on the PLURAL+ website pluralplus.unaoc.org

The case for ( and against) Peace Journalism

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 09:39:00 GMT

Open any newspaper, watch any TV channel, and stories of War and Conflict tumble from page and screen…

But can we trust what we read and see? Even when journalists work hard to separate facts from propaganda, how often do they report ‘selected’ or ‘chosen’ facts? Can they be accused of ‘selling’ War, albeit unwittingly?

Some argue that what is needed is a different form of journalism: in this case, Peace Journalism. Among advocates are Professor Jake Lynch, Director of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia; freelance journalist Myriam Francois-Cerrah, who describes herself as ‘a feminist and a Muslim’; and journalist and broadcaster Peter Hitchens.

Edward Canfor-Dumas invites all three to make their case – which also includes a plea to the public to be less in thrall to a celebrity culture – and then puts to them that all forms of journalism put profit and ratings before truth and ethics, and that Peace Journalism can only ever be naive, simplistic, and for the credulous…

Listen to the Things Unseen podcast

Radio Labour series on Migrant Workers

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 17:43:00 GMT

To commemorate International Migrants Day RadioLabour - the international labour movement's radio service - has produced a series on migrant workers.

The series is available on their website at: www.radiolabour.net

AMARC Asia-Pacific Regional Conference Calls for Greater Recognition and Rights for Community Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 15:25:00 GMT

December 9, 2013, Seoul. The 3rd AMARC Asia Pacific Regional Conference and Assembly of Community Radio Broadcasters has concluded with a call for promoting the diversity of voices and identities.

The conference has called upon governments of the Asia Pacific region to respect and protect people's right to information and communication and to introduce specific legislative provisions safeguarding the community radios.

While expressing condolences and solidarity to the victims and survivors of the recent natural disaster in the Philippines, the 3rd AMARC Asia Pacific conference has resolved to support relief activities through existing as well new emergency community radios. The conference has called for a greater role of community broadcasters for disaster risk reduction and risk management.

While releasing the AMARC Asia Pacific Seoul Declaration, the conference has highlighted a need for greater recognition of the important role of community radio in the area of peace building and reconciliation, climate change adaptation, promoting local food security.

The declaration has resolved to continue to oppose violence against journalists and media practitioners and to resist legislative measures that would dilute the right to free and open reporting on matters of community interest or concern.

The Seoul declaration has resolved to ensure the inclusion of the voices of all migrant, internally displaced peoples and refugee communities in our community radios and support them in the establishment, ownership and management of their own community radios.

The conference, held from 2-5 December 2013 in Seoul, South Korea has condemned the continuous, systemic and institutionalized discrimination based on sexual orientation, identities and ethnicity and has resolved to fight against discrimination.

Migrants and the Media - Visibility for the Vulnerable

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 13:04:00 GMT

STATEMENT

of the SIGNIS East Asia Conference 2013

Migrants and the Media - Visibility for the Vulnerable

Sogang University, Seoul, Korea – June 7- 9

We, the East Asian Catholic media professionals from 5 countries in this Conference, discussed the plight of vulnerable communities, most especially the migrant workers in the Asian context.

Delegates coming from the chopsticks countries of East Asia namely; Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau and Taiwan plus observers explored and studied the theme Migrants and the Media – Visibility for the Vulnerable, with valuable inputs from various collaborators local and abroad.

The Conference firmly endorsed that the existence of vulnerable communities specially the migrant workers is a reality which is on the rise around the region, and needs to be addressed urgently. In the globalized world like nowadays, diversity of a society can be a source of creativity and imaginary power. Different cultures of migrant people have the potential of working as energy of a society. Multi-culture is the strength. It is also imperative that as host countries or receiving countries where migrant workers come and work due to labour shortage that we welcome them as brothers and sisters.

The number of foreign brides (or mail order brides) is also on the rise specially in Korea, Taiwan and Japan where intercultural children of the second generation are vulnerable due to differences in ethnicity and language of the mother who is a foreigner.

We strongly believe that just treatment and humane labour laws should be enforced in relation to migrant workers as each individual is born with dignity. The same is also true to foreign brides who have lived and adapted local culture through the years to be treated with utmost respect as locals regardless of race or belief.

We are aware that the issues concerning the vulnerable groups specially the migrant workers and their struggles should be objectively portrayed by media professionals and social communicators.

As Catholic communicators living in the receiving countries where migrant workers come to work; where foreign brides come and marry locals, we accept that our role should be:

1. To increase visibility and awareness through our media work the presence of vulnerable groups such as migrant workers, foreign brides and refugees.

2. To provide a just and fair media representation on the vulnerable groups, avoid imposing any stereotype or distortion.

3. To help these vulnerable groups adapt better to the local culture and society as a whole most especially the second generation children of inter-cultural marriages.

This means we will engage all media components such as the broadcast, print and new media to provide visibility for the vulnerable through our local works in our respective countries and communities.

END

Dated: June 9, 2013

News and Radio Journalism in the Digital Age

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 12:39:00 GMT

News and Radio Journalism in the Digital Age

International Conference Call For Papers

Strasbourg (France), 20 and 21 March 2014

Deadline for papers extended to November 30, 2013

The French speaking Radio studies Network, Groupe de Recherches et d'Études sur la Radio (GRER), is organising its seventh international conference. It will take place at the University of Strasbourg on the 20th and 21st March 2014.

The conference will focus its woks on two main themes:

- Theme 1. Professional practice and radio news: issues and evolutions

- Theme 2. Content and its uses: the extension of radio contexts

As with previous events run by GRER, a range of academic perspectives is

expected, including: communication studies, journalism studies, history,

geography, economy, psychology, sociology, political science, philosophy,

law, ethnology, language studies and more. Papers from practitioners are

also welcome.

Find Methods of Submission of the proposals on the GRER blog Radio Graphy:

http://radiography.hypotheses.org/461

The call is also available in PDF format at the following addresses:

ENGLISH – INGLES – ANGLAIS :

http://radiography.hypotheses.org/files/2013/10/Call-For-Paper-Grer-Strasbou rg2014.pdf

FRANÇAIS – FRENCH – FRANCES :

http://radiography.hypotheses.org/files/2013/10/Appel-colloque-GRER-Strasbou rg2014.pdf

CASTELLANO – SPANISH – ESPAGNOL :

http://radiography.hypotheses.org/files/2013/10/Convocatoria-Ponencias-GRER-Estrasburgo2014.pdf

World Refugee Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:24:00 +0100

GENEVA, June 20 (UNHCR) – As forced displacement reaches dramatic proportions globally, the UN refugee agency is encouraging and inviting family and friends around the world today to mark a sombre World Refugee Day

"There are now more than 45 million refugees and internally displaced people – the highest level in nearly 20 years," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a special message for the day. "Figures give only a glimpse of this enormous human tragedy. Every day, conflict tears apart the lives of thousands of families. They may be forced to leave loved ones behind or become separated in the chaos of war."

Family is the theme of the day this year and this has been very much in the minds of UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres and UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie, who are both in Jordan to draw attention to the suffering of more refugees.

The International Catholic Migration Commission has produced the following infographic

European Initiative for Media Pluralism

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:12:00 +0100

The European Initiative for Media Pluralism promotes the idea that European institutions should safeguard the right to independent and pluralistic information as sanctioned by the European Charter on Human Rights.

The situation of media freedom and pluralism in the European Union is worsening. Some countries, notably Hungary, suffer significant interference of political power aiming to control and direct the media. Some, notably the UK, suffer from problems of excessive concentration leading to undue influence of certain economic groups, notably Murdoch’s media empire, over political processes. Others, as the case particularly in Italy, Bulgaria, and to some extent Romania, experience a dangerous overlap of economical, media, and political interests in the hands of the same persons.

But without free, independent, and pluralistic media citizens are deprived of the possibility to keep power accountable. Corruption and maladimistration prosper, personal business and political interest replace the common good of all, minorities face increasing marginalisation. The deterioration of media pluralism and media freedom in Europe is above all a threat to democracy.

A Europe-wide civil society initiative to push for a stronger role for European institutions in safeguarding and protecting the independence and pluralism of the media is long overdue.

The European Initiative for Media Pluralism, bringing together nearly one hundred organisations, media, and professional bodies from throughout the continent, comes to fill this gap.

The Initiative has just launched a European Citizens Initiative, a new tool of transnational participatory democracy allowing at least one million citizens in at least 7 EU member states to present directly to the European Commission a legislative proposal.

We demand of the European Commission to draft a Directive for the protection of media pluralism. In particular, we demand: a) effective legislation to avoid concentration of ownership in the media and advertisement sectors; b) guaranteed independence of supervisory bodies from political power; c) definition of conflict of interests to avoid media moguls occupying high political office; d) clearer European monitoring systems to check up regularly the health and independence of the media in member states.

For this we need to reach the crucial figure of one million signatures, a number which will allow the Initiative and all citizens participating in the campaign to open a legislative process at EU level.

Signing up is easy and can be done online.

Join us, and stand up for your rights!

European Community Radio Conference, May 16-19

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Wed, 8 May 2013 15:20:00 +0100

AMARC Europe Conference: TRANSRADIO

Community radios of 18 European countries in Montpellier (France)

Over 100 people (50 radios from 18 countries) and many European and non- European radio personalities.

From May 16 to 19, 2013, community radio stations from all over Europe will meet to share their experiences, pursue their development and assure their values.

The main theme of the meeting is "Transradio". At the heart of the debates, the transversal and inclusive role of community radios, their transnational development all over the continent and the southern shore of the Mediterranean basin, their ability to evolve in line with the social and technological current changes, their capacity to break the stereotypes in order to create new radio formats and meet the social demand.

The Conference is organized by AMARC Europe (World Association of Community Radio Broadcaster- Europe, 220 members) and the FRANC-LR (35 radio broadcasters in Languedoc-Roussillon) at the Hôtel de Région Languedoc-Roussillon (Montpellier-France).

More information:

http://www.franclr.fr/

http://www2.amarc.org/?q=fr/node/1305

Call for Interest in Global Forum for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:17:00 GMT

UNESCO and its partners call on all organisations working in the field of media and information Literacy (MIL) to express interest in the Global Forum for Partnership on MIL (GFPMIL).

If your organisation is an NGO, CBO, association, network, training/academic institution, media organisation, regulatory body (such as broadcasting commission), library or other information provider, public or private entity, research institution and is involved in MIL related activities (information literacy, media literacy, digital literacy, news literacy, film literacy etc.), whether online of off line, then this call is relevant to you.

UNESCO is approaching 40 years of experience in Media and Information Literacy. It will launch the Global Forum for Partnership on MIL (GFPMIL) on 26-28 June 2013, in Nigeria, during the Pan-African MIL and Intercultural Dialogue Conference. As a joint initiative of UNESCO and other key stakeholders, the GFPMIL will be a focused, purposeful and permanent mechanism that seeks to globally reposition MIL around the core objectives of:

Articulating key strategic partnerships to drive MIL development and impact globally;

Enabling the MIL community to speak as one voice on certain critical matters, particularly as it relates to policies; and

further deepening the strategy for MIL to be treated as a composite concept by providing a common platform for MIL related networks and associations globally.

Click to complete very brief survey. It will take ten minutes and should be completed by 15 April 2013. Please feel to share this call among your networks.

High Level Seminar on Media Coverage of Migration held in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 15:37:00 GMT

On January 25th over 35 editors in chief, journalists, media and migration experts from 27 countries convened in Paris for a high level seminar organized by the UNAOC Media and Migration Programs, in partnership with the Global Editor’s Network and with the support of the Gulbelkian Foundation to discuss challenges, best practices and opportunities in the media coverage of migration.

“For institutions like the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations that see the role of media in shaping public opinions and behaviors as crucial, it is timely to create a platform to further dialogue with media professionals on the issue of migration” says UNAOC High Representative President Jorge Sampaio. “Identifying challenges and best practices in the coverage of migration will help provide opportunities to counter misrepresentation and misinformation of migrants that feed mistrust and leads to a social malaise within societies”.

Among the editors and journalists are included representatives from the BBC (UK), El Mundo (Spain), Corriere della sera (Italy), NZZ (Switzerland), derStandard.de (Austria), Komsomolskaya Pravda (Russia), Maariv (Israel) and Al Ahram (Egypt) among others.

Experts from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Ethical Journalism Network, the Panos Institute, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the Office of the High Commissioner for High Rights among others will also intervene to conduct informative sessions around migration.

A toolkit on media coverage of migration best practices will also be produced by a group of journalism students from the University of Missouri School of Jouranlism to be released in the spring.

The UNAOC will present the recommendations of the seminar on the occasion of its annual Forum, in February 2013 in Vienna.

For more information :

Anne Grobet, Migration Program Manager anneg@unops.org

Stephanie Durand, Strategic Media Partnerships Manager stephanied@unops.org

"Why Poverty?" Film Series Raises Questions on Poverty

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:16:00 GMT

"Why Poverty?" is a project that uses film to get people talking about poverty. The series includes eight documentaries from award-winning film makers and 30 shorts from new and emerging talents, now available online at www.whypoverty.net.

The films were shown around the world in November 2012 on more than 70 national broadcasters. The documentaries are now all free to view online. They will be available on DVD and in languages other than English soon, as well as educational resources to help people use them as teaching tools.

More information on the SIGNIS website

Plural+ Youth Video Festival 2013 - call for entries

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:59:00 GMT

New York, NY (January 23, 2013)-- The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations ( UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration ( IOM) again invite the world’s youth to submit original and creative videos focusing on PLURAL+ themes: migration, diversity and social inclusion.

Recognizing youth as powerful agents of social change in a world often characterized by intolerance, and cultural and religious divisions, PLURAL+ invites youth to address key challenges related to migrant integration, inclusiveness, identity, diversity, human rights and social cohesiveness, both at local and global levels. Young people up to 25 years old are invited to submit short videos of five minutes maximum in length.

PLURAL+ supports young people’s expression of their opinions by providing them with a variety of media platforms and distribution networks, including broadcasts, video festivals, conferences and events around the world. PLURAL+ also reinforces the firm belief of IOM and UNAOC that youth are powerful and creative agents of social change.

A prestigious international jury will select three winners in each age categories (9-12, 13-17, and 18-25). All the winners will be invited to New York, all travel expenses paid, to present their work at the PLURAL + 2013 Awards Ceremony at the Paley Center for Media in December 2013.

SIGNIS will choose 1 video and award it with a diploma, a medal, and inclusion in the programme of the Spiritual Cinema Week – Barcelona (October/November 2012)

PLURAL+ 2013 deadline for video submission is 30 June, 2013.

Early submissions are encouraged. Further information, including guidelines, regulations, awards, and the entry form

can be found at the PLURAL+ website at: www.unaoc.org/pluralplus

Pluralism and Freedom of the Media in Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:59:00 GMT

Media pluralism is currently the focus of unprecedented attention in the European Union (EU). An EU High-Level Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism reported on January 21st to Vice President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes, with recommendations for strengthening “pluralism and freedom of the media in Europe.”

Meanwhile, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs—known as LIBE—is preparing a report on media standard-setting in the EU, which calls for the Commission and the member states to “respect, guarantee, protect and promote the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information.”

Drawing on the extensive findings of the Mapping Digital Media research into digitization and new media, the Open Society Media Program submitted reports to the High-Level Group and LIBE.

Transparency of Media Ownership in Europe: A report for the High-Level Group on Media Freedom and Pluralism (in conjunction with www.access-info.org)

Mapping Digital Media in the European Union: A report for the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source: Open Society Foundations

World Radio Day 2013 - web platform open

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:15:00 GMT

Wednesday February 13, 2013 is the day announced by the UNESCO to celebrate Radio. This World Radio Day International Committee web platform organizes sound items exchanges in order to promote this media (1 minute maximum).

Messages will be broadcast on radio stations worldwide on Wednesday February 13, 2013

You are invited to produce and to send to this website your posts, whatever your link may be with the radio world (public radio, private radio, community radio, independent producer, listener, fan,...)

Internet freedom and the ITU - different perspectives

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Fri, 4 Jan 2013 12:22:00 GMT

An interesting alternative perspective from Milton Mueller on the recent ITU negotiations about the Internet, WCIT12 at which the question of internet freedom became a central issue:

WCIT Closing Ceremony. (photo:itupictures)

His conclusion:
"Let’s keep our eye on the ball. Internet freedom requires the construction of effective new, open transnational governance institutions and globally applicable legal principles that regulate and limit the power of states and private sector actors to abuse users. It requires liberalized communication industries and free trade in information services; multinational, multistakeholder pressure against censorship and surveillance. Those are tall orders. Obsessing over the ITU isn’t going to get us there."

Other perspectives and voices here and here

Radio1812 marks International Migrants day

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:45:00 GMT

Radio 1812 is an initiative launched by December 18 in 2006. It is a global event that brings together migrant groups and radios from around the world to produce, broadcast and share programmes celebrating the achievements and highlighting the concerns of migrants worldwide.

Making migrants voices heard is the common thread throughout the activities that will take place during the week of 18th December, International Migrants' Day. And this is precisely what is at the heart of Radio 1812: a global radio event that celebrates International Migrants' Day.

Radio 1812’s website home page functions as an “à la carte” menu for the rest of the site, highlighting the exciting things happening on the site, the most interesting audios, the thought-provoking issues discussed or presented on the site, how to remain informed through our RSS feed and mailing list, and much more… The home page also brings you a world map featuring the radio stations taking part in the event

International Migrants Day, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McDonnell) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:36:00 GMT

"We all share a responsibility to protect the human rights of all people on the move.” International Organization for Migration on International Migrants Day, December 18th 2012

The evacuation of more than 200,000 migrant workers from Libya in 2011 focused world attention on the plight of tens of thousands of migrant workers, mainly from low-income, developing countries, who found themselves swept up by the political upheaval, without money, jobs, documentation or any means of getting home to their families.

Their marginal status in Libya and obvious vulnerability touched a chord with international donors who stepped in to help agencies including IOM and UNHCR to mount a massive repatriation operation. They included the World Bank, which funded a USD 10 million IOM airlift of 35,000 migrants to Bangladesh.

The crisis highlighted the fact that conflicts and man-made or natural disasters can impact already vulnerable migrants resulting in humanitarian crises. The international community, and in particular migrant sending and receiving countries, must recognize the implications of crises for migrants and their families left behind and act to mitigate both the short and long term consequences, says IOM as it marks International Migrants Day.

“Finding humane and effective solutions to the complex and multi-faceted challenges of crisis-related migration flows requires strong partnerships between international organizations, States and a variety of non-state actors, including NGOs, the media, the private sector, religious groups and transnational diaspora communities,” says IOM Director General Swing. “We all share a responsibility to protect the human rights of all people on the move.” More...

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International Migrants Day, 2012

"We all share a responsibility to protect the human rights of all people on the move.” International Organization for Migration on International Migrants Day, December 18th 2012

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Take it to a New Paradigm