Alternative Media  Forum Group

FACILITATING SPACES OF SHARED CONVERAGE BETWEEN ALTERNATIVE MEDIA



ALTERNATIVE MEDIA

For the GDA, Ciranda worked on contacting and stimulating the independent media. There was a good response in Latin America, somewhat less in the other continents. A report on the results of this activity is available – most of the collected articles are online both in Ciranda and on the wsf2008 site.

Recommendations:

1- Set up the media center space in Belem to allow maximum cooperation of alternative media (tv forum, radio forum, exchange of the copyleft materials….)
2- Before wsf 2009, stimulate production and interlinking of media coverage at international level
3- During wsf 2009, stimulate connections with media around the world in a similar way as GDA
4- After wsf 2009, stimulate activities of reporting by media in an organised way

 

 WSF 2009 - Ciranda report

 

Since the first WSF in 2001, the network Ciranda International of Independent

Information has made efforts to follow, cover and contribute to the shared activities of the alternative media in the WSF’s thematic universe. In 2008 and 2009, we have participated in a new phase of the activities of the WSF IC Communication Commission, with the commitment to promote and fortify the shared communication activities of the alternative media and social movement communicators.

Resources

In order to carry out the above work, Ciranda found the following material support:

1) 9,000 Euros from the IC Communication Commission, remunerating the job of one professional during six months, including expenses relating to flight tickets and transport during the periods of activity in Belém, Internet and telephone charges, and exchange fees.

2) Accomodation in Belém for two people from Ciranda in an apartment rented for the Paulo Freire Institute, which also housed two people from the TV Forum and two members of the Shared Communication seminar working group.

3) The non-remunerated work of 18 Ciranda professionals and several volunteers during the WSF.

4) Use of equipment belonging to CEPEPO for the activities of a Shared Communication Laboratory, which was in operation before, during and after the 2009 edition of the WSF. This laboratory was created by a partnership formed by Ciranda and CEPEPO, with participation from the TV and Radio Forums and regional social movements.

Ciranda’s Mission 2008-2009

1) Promote the transference of knowledge, both practical and of the history of the experiences of shared communication, to new participants and protagonists in the WSF process

2) Approach alternative media and social communicators within the WSF universe and facilitate their linkage to one of the Shared Communication projects, particularly the Radio and TV Forums and Ciranda.

3) Promote debates on the perspective of communication towards the construction of Another Possible World and contribute to the development of WSF communication proposals

4) Contribute to the exchange of information about ideas in construction, debate or dispute wihin each of the WSF’s objectives, through shared journalistic activity between alternative media, contributors, journalists and social communicators

Belém Strategy

Stimulating the presence of the regional and international alternative media in Belém during WSF 2009 was the main challenge for the WSF Communication Group, due to access difficulties, travel and accommodation costs, and logistical difficulties relating to the transmission of information in real time. Ciranda made this challenge a priority, by making the following decisions in 2008.

1) To have a presence in Belém from 2008 – to strengthen the city as a centre for articulation of alternative media en route to WSF 2009, rather than just an event for press coverage during the Forum. This work involved the organization of and participation in various meetings of local and regional groups following the July 2008 meeting of the WSF IC in Belém, as well as workshops for mutual learning and capacity-building, to construct a local communication process for the WSF. This process resulted in the creation of local management nuclei for the international Shared Communication projects that form part of the WSF process (see project pages on openfsm.net).

2) Contribute to the formation of links between all the Shared Communication projects - acting within these in order to guarantee that their participants had knowledge and possibilities to contribute to each other’s work and jointly define the demands, technologies and collective management of the Alternative Media Centre. This strategy was important in order to support the construction of permanent links between the local and international nuclei of the projects, especially through the creation of a permanent WSF Shared Communication Laboratory in the pan-Amazonian region.

3) Contribute to the promotion of the World Free Media Forum in Belém, which took place prior to the WSF, including the 1st International Seminar about WSF Shared Communication. This effort made possible the physical presence of media and communication groups in Belém and provoked a qualified debate that contributed with its contents to the WSF process (see annex in openfsm.net). Ciranda takes part in the Free Media Forum Executive Working Group.

Other activities developed during the WSF

1) Management of attendance in the Alternative Media Centre, including training workshops for volunteers.

2) Workshop in the Alternative Media Centre with representatives of the Shared Communication projects and Jamal Juma of the Stop the Wall, to discuss continued joint actions with representatives of the Palestinian people.

4) Workshop in the Alternative Media Centre with representatives of the Shared Communication projects and Sergio Amadeu from the Brasilian Rede Livre (Free Network), focusing on the rights to access to free technologies and defense of Internet freedoms.

5) Participation in activities to support the call for the 1st

National Communication Conference in Brazil (finally announced by President Lula during the WSF and already scheduled for 3^rd December 2009)

Activities after the WSF

1) Ciranda evaluation meeting on April 4^th, which also resulted in the call for the foundation of an International Association of Shared Communication, intended to promote the shared communication between alternative media and social movements, organizations and networks, as well as overseeing the principles and activities of Ciranda.

2) Post-WSF workshops to consolidate the permanent activities of the new Shared Communication Laboratory in Belém, as well as the permanent process of building a relationship between the Pan-Amazonian Social Forum’s new communication groups and the WSF IC Communication Commission.

3) Final workshops in Sao Paulo and Belém to edit and upload content with WSF coverage, such as pictures, videos and articles, received post-WSF. We observe that three months after the WSF 2009 edition, Ciranda continues receiving such content.

Brazilian info: (english soon)

Aconteceu nos dias 14 e 15 de maio, no Brasil, o Fórum de Mídia Livre, iniciativa de vários veículos alternativos e entidades que lutam pela democratização da comunicação. Foram cerca de 300 participantes, e entre eles estiveram várias entidades que participam do processo do FSM.

Entre as propostas centrais estão: campanha pela democratização das verbas publicitárias públicas, criação de um espaço de compartilhamento de conteúdo entre os vários veículos (portal/agregador), apoio à realização da conferência nacional de comunicação, defesa de criação dos pontos de mídia, que funcionem como
apoio para o processo de produção e distribuição de conteúdo, além de realização de ato público em Brasília. Tirou-se também a proposta de se construir um Fórum de Mídia Livre Latino-Americano ou Global dias antes do FSM, em Belém.

Foi criado um Grupo de Trabalho Executivo para dar encaminhamento às propostas, composto pelos seguintes membros: Joaquim Palhares (Carta Maior, SP), Altamiro Borges (Portal Vermelho, SP), Ivana Bentes (UFRJ, RJ), Antonio Biondi (Intervozes, SP), Renato Rovai (revista Fórum, SP), Paulo Salvador (Revista do Brasil, SP), Marcos Dantas (PUC-RJ, RJ), Gustavo Barreto (Consciencia.net, RJ), Dario Pignotti (jornalista argentino, Le Monde Diplomatique), Rita Freire (Ciranda, SP), Angélica Basthi (Justiça Global,RJ), representantes da Enecos, Amarc-Brasil, Abraço, Instituto Paulo Freire, mais uma indicação de cada estado com
organização do FML. (Com informações da Rede Paulista pela Democratização da Comunicação, relato de reunião de 21 de Junho)

 

Sugerencia : isso e crear un pre forum  - ja existe uma inciativa  de preforum  : a da fsm sciencia e democracia  -   o conteudo e differente mais  a problematica formal do pre forum e bastante semelhante  - pode ajudar a fazer perguntas estimulante ( contacto : Pierre)   

repartiçao de tarefas -entre procesos e evento

e o enfoque desse grupo processo de midia alternativa desarrollar ese tipo de iniciativas pre form que implica uma expansion

pode ter que ver com GT press e GT journalist network tambem - ( para encontrar esses grupos, veja geografia de grupos )

mentras tanto, ha um groupo Ciranda fsm2009 Ciranda que faz o trabalho relacionado com a cobertura do evento fsm2009 desde belem

( o caracter expandido vai introduzir elementos que esse grupo proceso tem que tomar a conta)