• Communication commission discussion

RE: Communication plan (action needed!!!)

from dan baron on Nov 13, 2009 12:55 PM
Hi everyone

 

Greetings from Johannesburg where I am engaged in an intimate working meeting of about 90 people from across Africa to help build a Pan-African cultural action for transformation network, working through applied arts. This network will be launched tomorrow and should be an excellent resource for the WSF 2011.

 

I was able to chat with Pierre in Paris and Jason from Sao Paulo before flying, to focus a contribution by November 13th. This should give everyone time to look at this proposal about 'other languages' to develop participatory dialogic methods and structures of internal and external communication.

 

I attach the contribution below with four concrete actions, based on these discussions and the momentum that led to and flowed from the Assembly for Culture and Education for Transformation, during the WSF 2009. I think the budget of 5000 Euros will be tight but possible, and essential for such a profound area!

 

I think we might review the name of this section to something like: 'Cultivating participatory methods of communication', but I leave that for discussion. 

 

3.3 - Other “languages” of communication 

Dimensions of the cultural programme in past WSFs and the conception of the WSF in Mumbai have demonstrated the potential of cultural expression and artistic languages as a means to stimulate creative and innovative strategic planning, political understanding, motivated participation and respect for cultural diversity. These ‘other languages’ have also been used within the planning and execution of elements of the political programme within the WSF process (seminars, workshops and assemblies) as effective methodologies to ensure ‘dialogic’ dynamic participation, the exchange of knowledges, consensual decision-making and bridging between social movements and organised sectors/NGOs within civil society to strengthen their events and integrate their campaigns in a global quest for social transformation. 

Above all, cultural expression and artistic languages are effective means for communicating to those who are sceptical about or resistant to the aims and claims of the WSF, or outside its social and political networks. These dimensions celebrate the humanity and visions of the WSF protagonists, present proposals in an inviting, engaging and dialogical form rather a didactic and ideological form, and affirm the multiple intelligences, humanities and capacities of those receiving our communication. 
Used with confidence, these ‘other languages’ can ensure the WSF itself becomes much more participatory, dialogic and humanizing. 

3.3.1 - Hold a 2-day participatory-demonstration workshop during the 2010 celebration of 10 years of the WSF in Porto Allegre to facilitate the integration of ‘other languages’ into national and regional social forums;

3.3.2 - Develop an explanatory demonstration DVD in the languages of the WSF which can be circulated to social movements, NGOs and institutions/organisations involved or interested in the WSF process to facilitate the integration of ‘other languages’ into national and regional social forums;

3.3.3 - Produce a CD or DVD which contains a relevant ‘vision’ song from each of the cultures within the WSF ‘community’ (International Council?) for global distribution, with a view to also generating solidarity income;  

3.3.4 - Edit material for and build appropriate mechanisms to ensure the continuous presence of these cultural and artistic dimensions in the WSF website and all its communication materials.      

I am not sure if the phrase 'cultural expression' should be replaced by 'cultural processes' as we are not talking about events but processes, and if 'artistic languages' should be explained as (ie: theatre, music, dance, sculpture, photography, video), for clarification. Please would you comment?


Thanks. In warm solidarity!
Dan


 




Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:37:44 +0200
Subject: [Communication commission discussion] Communication plan (action needed!!!)
From: giu.caruso@...
To: communication-commission-discussion@...

Dear all, 

as outcome of todays chat (summary of decisions taken will arrive shortly via Jason) it was decided to send the following part of the text which is left for finalisation. 

we call for comments, suggestions, ideas that you wish to integrate in the text. 

DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS 16TH NOVEMBER

Please for your convenience find the whole text here 

http://openfsm.net/projects/communication-commission/communication-plan-2010-11-draft

OR 

you can find below appended the sections that still need further work and for which comments are requested:

Ciao
giuseppe




2. FACILITATING SHARED COVERAGE AND MEMORY OF EVENTS 


Information of events to promote participation and multimedia coverage for contamination and memory 
The interaction with the Organizing Committee of each event is essential to guarantee internal and external communication during event: 
- within all Social Forum actors and new potential participants at the wsf process 
- with general public to sensibilize and involve toward wsf universe 
- towards alternative/independent and mainstream media for local, regional and international visibility 


It is important to assure that the infrastructure for communication be prioritized and guaranteed in/for the next World Social Forum events, following the guidelines defined in the IC document issued in Berlin (2007). Moreover, particular attention should be given toinclude Free, Libre, and Open Source Software spaces of organizing and support for the global movement we call "the Internet", as well as Free Culture movements (anti-Intellectual Property, creative commons) and (inter)Net Neutrality, mobile networks/infrastructure. 


Objectives : 


2.1 - Shared collective Communication spaces 


2.1.1 - Independent/alternative Media  
Stimulate the formation of mixed (local and international) teams of shared communication, that promote coverage of the event in exchange and collaboration policy. Interact with the Organizing Committee of events to stimulate the formation of nuclei of shared communication and their integration with the existing projects that promote exchange and collaboration in covering the WSF (before and during each event); promote the copyleft coverage by indipendent/alternative media (through Ciranda and the involvement of other networks). 

2.1.2 - Forum de Radio 
A campaign in 6 languages to promote the Forums and their coverage to radios in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Facilitation of coordinated programming, spots, in different languages. Special involvement of community radios worldwide. 

2.1.3 - Tv and video exchange system 
Facilitate the building of a online video community to promote the coverage of the different social forum events around the world – through the hub website wsftv.net; possibility to open for each forum a specific channel in the website related to and linked with the other forum websites. 
[ Developing the Video Memory archive of wsftv (existing and working since the Global Day of Action 2008), in terms of mapping, cataloging and uploading all available past video material and consolidating an updating the video database. ] 




2.2 - Press and international mainstream media facilitation 


In synergy with the Wsf S.Paulo office and all press groups formed for the local events, the Commission aims to: 


2.2.1 - Increase the visibility of the WSF in public opinion worldwide with a coherent identity by facilitating press pooling coordination among the events, with the local organising committees and IC member's networks, and the sharing of materials (press kits, press releases, information of other media activities, etc.). 


2.2.2 - Facilitate the coverage of the WSF2010 and 2011 by mainstream media (public and commercial), by developing a “virtual media center” in the main WSF portal, containing updated news and background materials 6/8 languages, rss newsfeed agency and a complete map of all the 2010 events  

2.2.3 - Activate consistent journalists' and media relations at the international level, and promote the network of journalists linked to the Forum, seeking editorial contributions from well-known activits/journalists (in collaboration with IPS). 


2.3.4 - Bridge distributed events with a permanent "TerraViva" online window on the World Social Forum, providing ongoing reporting in many languages from as many of the events as possible. 

2.3.5 - Facilitate distribution of the 2010 events tv coverage by satellite and through Eurovision Worldfeed 

2.3.5 – Stimulate international press clippings collection for public record, organised by topic, language, media outlet. 



2.3 - Memory and documentation 

In 10 years, the Forums worldwide have produced a wealth of documentation in many languages and formats. 
www.forumsocialmudial.org.br is the first and organized depository of the forum process memory, but it lacks a systematic organisations. Other many source of multimedia memory are potentially available, but not yet linked and organized for a common consultation. 


2.3.1. - Making WSF memory visible online 
Stimulate memory teams in the 2010 events and promote the autonomous production by participants and digital collection of memory at each event (text, photo, audio, video) providing spaces for documenting activities and outcomes, and make those contents visible online.  Allow wsf memory material to be reached by all participants through an aggregator that can bridge digitalized existing memory material spread in different web sites. 


  2.3.2 – Forum documentation on other websites 

  Stimulate the updating of general reference websites (such as wikipedia) and on social networks in different languages. 








3. BUILDING TEAMS AND TOOLS TO SUPPORT GLOBAL COMMUNICATION 

[Brief intro – would make reference to common identity elements (though diverse expressions), dialogical communication, role of ICT, decentralizing, strategizing. 

 		 	   		  

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