Contested territory
EDITORIAL
CONTENTS
3
Editorial
Contested territory Elvira Truglia
4
Tell me a story Interview with Maria Suarez Toro
DEPUTY PRESIDENT
How to liberate Africa Interview with Samir Amin
8 10
Kurdish satellite TV defies all odds Amir Hassanpour
Point of View
Telecommunications and strategy Bram Dov Abramson
12
Margarita Herrera
Asia
Sisters do it in the East Ma. Victoria Cabrera-Balleza
AMARC 7 SPECIAL REPORT
14 16 18 20 22 24 26
AMARC 7 In Context Panels & Workshops General Assembly Resolutions International Strategy
Spe cial Proje cts Member Activitie s Ta n z a n i a
Radio Kwizera: Sowing the seeds of hope Alice W. Munyua
28
Pacific Islands
Community Radio on its way in Roviana Ashley Wickham
30
Mediterranean
Media in the Arab region Fadi Al-Qadi
32
United States
Right to Communicate & the prison industrial complex Elizabeth Robinson
34
Steve Buckley Community Media Association 15 Patenoster Row Sheffield S1 2BX UNITED KINGDOM Tel: (44-114) 221-0592 Fax: (44-114)279-8976 E-mail: steve.buckley@ commedia.org.uk
TREASURER
El Salvador
Community radio vows to “Never Surrender!”
13
PRESIDENT Maria Victoria Polanco Centro Radiofonico Universidad del Alle Apartade aereo 290 Cali, COLUMBIA Tel: (57-2) 330-9695 Fax : (57-2)331-5486 E-mail: mavipo@mafalda. univalle.edu.co
In Focus
6
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
R a d i o Tr a i n i n g
The ABCs of ICTs Phillippe Bechamp
36 S o l i d a r i t y A l e r t s 38 N e w s 40 C a l e n d a r / B o o k w a t c h
Barbara Loisier RR 2, site 2 Boîte 4 Pokemouche, N.B. CANADA E0B 2J0 Tel: (1-506) 727-3616 Fax: (1-506) 727-3618 E-mail: [email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENTS Sucharita Eashwar P.O. Box 4610, 59 Miller Road Benson Town 560046 Bangalore, INDIA Tel: (91-80) 5546564 Fax: (91-80) 569261 E-mail: [email protected] NORTH AMERICA Elizabeth Robinson KCSB-FM, University Center
#3185A, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA Tel: (1-805) 8933921 Fax: (1-805) 8937832 E-mail: elizabeth.robinson@ as.ucsb.edu LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN Ernesto Lamas La Tribu, Lambare 873 1185 Buenos Aires ARGENTINA Tel./Fax: (54-11) 4865 75 54 E-mail: [email protected] EUROPE Ada Hulshoff Nova Zemblakade 1 3446 BR Woerden THE NETHERLANDS Tel/Fax: (31-348) 481708 Mobile: (31-6) 5362-5346 E-mail: [email protected] OCEANIA Yaminiasi Gaunavou Secretariat of the Pacific Community. SPC Private Mail Bag, Suva, FIJI Tel: (679) 370733 Fax: (679) 370021 E-mail: [email protected] AFRICA Lynne Wanyeki Econews Africa P.O. Box 76406 Nairobi, KENYA Tel: (254-2) 721076/99 Fax: (254-2) 725171 E-mail: [email protected] ASIA Lucio Tabing Tambuli Community Radio 5th Floor, ISSI Bldg.
E. Jacinto St. UP Campus Diliman. 1101 Quezón City PHILIPPINES Tel: (63-2) 9206940 Fax: (63-2) 9206939 E-mail: [email protected]
WOMEN’S NETWORK Bianca Miglioretto Breitenstenstrasse 55 8037 Zurich, SCHWEIZ Tel: (41-1) 2731931 Fax: (41-1) 2717227 E-mail: [email protected]
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES Jim Remedio 36 Agnes Street, Fortitude Balley, PO Box 109 Queensland, AUSTRALIA Tel: (61-7) 38467220 Fax: (61-7) 38467446 E-mail: [email protected]
EX-OFFICIO MEMBER Rafael Roncagliolo Instituto para América Latina - IPAL Avenida 2 de Mayo 1609 3er piso. of. B. San Isidro, Lima, PERU Tel./Fax: (51-1) 440-5307 E-mail: [email protected]
SECRETARY-GENERAL Sophie K. Ly 3575 Saint-Laurent Blvd. #611, Montréal, Québec CANADA H2X 2T7 Tel.: (1-514) 982-0351 Fax: (1-514) 849-7129 E-mail: [email protected]
AMARC OFFICES INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT 3575 ST-LAURENT BLVD, #611, MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC, CANADA, H2X 2T7,TEL.: (1-514) 982-0351, FAX: (1-514) 849-7129, Web: http://www.amarc.org/ SECRETARY GENERAL SOPHIE K. LY, E-MAIL: [email protected] ADMINISTRATOR RAYMONDE DE GRANDPRÉ, E-MAIL: [email protected] COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER ELVIRA TRUGLIA, ACTING OFFICER, E-MAIL: [email protected] PROJECT OFFICER LORENCITA PINTO, E-MAIL: [email protected] WOMEN’S NETWORK (WIN) ASTOU SECK, ACTING COORDINATOR, E-MAIL: [email protected] SECRETARY/MEMBERSHIP SERVICES MARIE-LINE BORICAUD, E-MAIL: [email protected] LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN CASILLA 17-08-8489 QUITO, ECUADOR, TEL./FAX: (593-2) 501-180 COORDINATOR JOSÉ IGNACIO LÓPEZ VIGIL, E-MAIL: [email protected] PÚLSAR NEWS AGENCY GIOVANNA TASSI, DIRECTOR, CASILLA 117-08-8489, QUITO, ECUADOR, E-MAIL: [email protected] EUROPE THE MEDIA CENTER, 15 PATERNOSTER ROW, SHEFFIELD S1 2BX, UNITED KINGDOM, TEL.: (44-742) 795-219, FAX:: (44-742) 798-976 COORDINATOR BRIAN CARTY E-MAIL: [email protected] WOMEN’S NETWORK (WIN) ANNA ALONSO, REGIONAL COORDINATOR E-MAIL: [email protected] PROJECT OFFICER PAULA HARDWICK, E-MAIL: [email protected] AFRICA COORDINATOR NATIONAL COMMUNITY RADIO FORUM, COSATU HOUSE, BRAAMFONTEIN, 2017, SOUTH AFRICA, TEL: (27-11) 403-7962, FAX: (27-11) 403-7414, E-MAIL: [email protected] TRAINING COORDINATOR MYRIAME EL YAMANI, E-MAIL: [email protected]
INTERADIO EDITOR ELVIRA TRUGLIA CONTRIBUTORS BRAM DOV ABRAMSON, FADI AL-QADI, SAMIR AMIN, SANGITA BASUDEV, PHILIPPE BECHAMP, STEVE BUCKLEY, MA. VICTORIA CABRERA-BALLEZA, AMIR HASSANPOUR, MARGARITA HERRERA, SOPHIE K. LY, GEOFFREY MACKEY, DONALD MCTERNAN, OLIVIER MOREL, MARION MSIKA, ALICE MUNYUA, LORENCITA PINTO, MARIA VICTORIA POLANCO, ELIZABETH ROBINSON, PIERO SCARAMUCCI, ANTHONY SLOAN, JACQUES SONCIN, MARIA SUAREZ TORO, SAID HERSI WARSAME, ASHLEY WICKHAM GRAPHIC DESIGNER MARIE CHICOINE, MARIGRAF TRANSLATION MARIE-CATHERINE CHIASSON, ELVIRA TRUGLIA ILLUSTRATIONS CLAUDE MEERKAMPER COPY EDITING MAX WALLACE THANKS TO THE ORGANIZATIONS ASSISTING IN THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF INTERADIO: CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. LEGAL DEPOSIT AT LA BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE DU QUEBEC. ISSN 1027-720X INTERADIO IS PUBLISHED TWICE A YEAR IN ENGLISH, FRENCH AND SPANISH BY THE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY RADIO BROADCASTERS (AMARC). OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS. THE REPRODUCTION OF ARTICLES IS PERMITTED AND ENCOURAGED AS LONG AS INTERADIO IS CITED AS THE SOURCE AND TWO COPIES ARE SENT TO AMARC. SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY $50/ YEAR FOR NON-MEMBERS. FREE FOR AMARC MEMBERS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING AN ARTICLE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE OF INTERADIO, CONTACT THE EDITOR AT interad@amarc. org OR AT THE INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT. ARTICLES SHOULD BE 750 WORDS IN LENGTH AND MAY BE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, FRENCH OR SPANISH. THE DEADLINE IS MARCH 29, 1999 BUT INQUIRE EARLY TO RESERVE SPACE. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. SEND YOUR COMMENTS OR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO: E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: (1-514) 982-0351 FAX: (1-514) 849-7129.
Contested territory Human rights and communication
ask whether it is possible or desirable to seek common ground. What should we do? In the latest issue of VOICES, Pradip Thomas from The discussion on human rights the World Association for Christian Commuhas become more and more nication (WACC) addresses these questions. legitimate ever since the Univer“People should have a stake in building the sal Declaration of Human Rights cultural environments in which they live,” he was adopted by the United Nations in 1948. writes, “But in order to plan for such environBut five decades later, human rights discourse ments, it is important that a process of dialogue has developed into a contradictory space. At be set in place — a dialogue across communione level, human rights have become a frameties, cultures and understandings. If we are not work to reconceptualize all social relations. prepared to work towards a global, universal That is, “a powerful means to articulate conculture of rights, I am afraid that it will be difcerns related to inequalities, discrimination, ficult to formulate even a minimally binding oppression and arbitrariness rooted in various set of principles with respect to the right to levels of social life,” according to Sarita Vellani communication.” of VOICES, an Indian non-governmental This leads to the question of the media. The organization. At the same time, the language media is an important social institution through of human rights has been appropriated by which human rights, in particular communicathose who have been the main source of rights tions rights, can be exercised or hindered. Two violations. Vellani confirms that human rights of the most relevant issues relate to access and have become a space of contested views and content, with their corresponding lobbying and perspectives. So today, talking about human programming considerations. rights in a meaningful way must “Communication and Human acknowledge their paradoxical nature. Rights” was the theme of the AMARC Human rights discourse is based BSOLUT E F R E E DO M OF S PE ECH A N D 7 conference. By inviting writers who on the idea that there are a series of were also conference participants, this principles that all people agree on. It E XPR E S S ION S HOU LD NOT B E A LLOW E D edition of InteRadio attempts to extend is around the concept of “universality” the discussion on these issues. that one of the most prominent Radio campaigns are one way to raise awarethe meaning of freedom is something to be human rights debates has emerged: universaliness about human rights violations. In her article worked out between people from all walks of ty versus cultural relativism. It is argued that on the right to communicate and the prison life from all societies,” he says. human rights norms are founded on arbitrary industrial complex, Elizabeth Robinson advoAnother issue in the human rights arena is and biased categories of human nature. They cates that community radio join the international the tension between individual and collective are revealed as socio-cultural constructions, movement to raise awareness about prisoners’ rights. Is there a hierarchy of rights; when two namely European ones, and do not represent rights. Maria Suarez Toro discusses radio as an rights compete with each other, which one the “conceptions of individuality” in various takes precedent? On what basis is this decided? important vehicle to document the history of non-European cultures. women’s rights in her article “Tell me a story.” Smoking is an example of the complex terrain The importance of context and the difficulAmir Hassanpour discusses how new techof rights discourse. My exposure to secondty of reaching an agreement on rights was nol ogies (ie. MED-TV by satellite) have been hand smoke clearly infringes on my right to demonstrated during the Virtual Forum held used to circumvent Turkey’s repressive meain the five weeks prior to the AMARC Seventh health and self-determination; a smoker might sures against the Kurdish community, includargue that my request for them to not smoke World Conference (AMARC 7) in August ing the denial of the right to communicate. in my presence is an infringement of their 1998 (see page 22). One of the discussion lists The challenges for the media are well illustratdeveloped a draft of the “Milan Declaration on right to self-determination. However, doesn’t ed by Fadi Al-Qadi in his article on media in the fact that the exercise of their right causes Communication and Human Rights,” which the Arab region. harm to me in a very concrete way (chemical was completed and tabled for adoption at the In addition, an AMARC 7 Special Report sensitivity) obligate them to respect my right Milan conference. outlines how some of the complex debates on to health? Aren’t limits to rights placed to On this discussion list, a vigorous debate human rights and communications were acknowledge that NO right is absolute? And emerged over the proposal to limit the right to addressed at the World Conference itself. One how does the situation change depending on freedom of expression in order to curb the of the concrete outcomes of the conference whether we are in a public or private space? promotion of hatred and oppression based on highlighted in this issue is “The Milan Or depending on the cultural setting? Who social difference. Some disagreed, indicating Declaration on Communication and Human should be held responsible: the government, that this kind of qualification has been used Rights.” It is but one example of the potential the tobacco industry, the public? What role against the interests of those groups whose of successful dialogue and cooperation. does the media play in communicating these rights are being violated. While people issues through advertising and programming? affirmed that cultural relativism is sometimes It all seems so complicated that one might used by governments to perpetuate oppression, ELVIRA TRUGLIA is the editor of InteRadio. strong arguments were made that freedom of expression is not an absolute right nor should it be considered above all other human rights. The most poignant comments were made by Moe Thar from Burma: “Coming from Burma where merely mentioning the words ‘human rights’ can send a person to three or more years in prison, I know how important it is to have such rights.” He continues by describing the human rights views of 70 Singaporean and Malaysian students he interviewed for his PhD research, “I found most of them acknowledging the lack of political freedom in their countries to varying degrees”. However, “What I also found interesting is that all of my respondents, without a single exception, said that as far as racial issues are concerned, absolute freedom of speech and expression should not be allowed,” says Thar. He argued that the right to freedom of expression should come with responsibilities. “How to set a standard and how to negotiate
by Elvira Truglia
“A
.”
I N T E R A D I O December 1998 3
CONTENTS
3
Editorial
Contested territory Elvira Truglia
4
Tell me a story Interview with Maria Suarez Toro
DEPUTY PRESIDENT
How to liberate Africa Interview with Samir Amin
8 10
Kurdish satellite TV defies all odds Amir Hassanpour
Point of View
Telecommunications and strategy Bram Dov Abramson
12
Margarita Herrera
Asia
Sisters do it in the East Ma. Victoria Cabrera-Balleza
AMARC 7 SPECIAL REPORT
14 16 18 20 22 24 26
AMARC 7 In Context Panels & Workshops General Assembly Resolutions International Strategy
Spe cial Proje cts Member Activitie s Ta n z a n i a
Radio Kwizera: Sowing the seeds of hope Alice W. Munyua
28
Pacific Islands
Community Radio on its way in Roviana Ashley Wickham
30
Mediterranean
Media in the Arab region Fadi Al-Qadi
32
United States
Right to Communicate & the prison industrial complex Elizabeth Robinson
34
Steve Buckley Community Media Association 15 Patenoster Row Sheffield S1 2BX UNITED KINGDOM Tel: (44-114) 221-0592 Fax: (44-114)279-8976 E-mail: steve.buckley@ commedia.org.uk
TREASURER
El Salvador
Community radio vows to “Never Surrender!”
13
PRESIDENT Maria Victoria Polanco Centro Radiofonico Universidad del Alle Apartade aereo 290 Cali, COLUMBIA Tel: (57-2) 330-9695 Fax : (57-2)331-5486 E-mail: mavipo@mafalda. univalle.edu.co
In Focus
6
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
R a d i o Tr a i n i n g
The ABCs of ICTs Phillippe Bechamp
36 S o l i d a r i t y A l e r t s 38 N e w s 40 C a l e n d a r / B o o k w a t c h
Barbara Loisier RR 2, site 2 Boîte 4 Pokemouche, N.B. CANADA E0B 2J0 Tel: (1-506) 727-3616 Fax: (1-506) 727-3618 E-mail: [email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENTS Sucharita Eashwar P.O. Box 4610, 59 Miller Road Benson Town 560046 Bangalore, INDIA Tel: (91-80) 5546564 Fax: (91-80) 569261 E-mail: [email protected] NORTH AMERICA Elizabeth Robinson KCSB-FM, University Center
#3185A, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA Tel: (1-805) 8933921 Fax: (1-805) 8937832 E-mail: elizabeth.robinson@ as.ucsb.edu LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN Ernesto Lamas La Tribu, Lambare 873 1185 Buenos Aires ARGENTINA Tel./Fax: (54-11) 4865 75 54 E-mail: [email protected] EUROPE Ada Hulshoff Nova Zemblakade 1 3446 BR Woerden THE NETHERLANDS Tel/Fax: (31-348) 481708 Mobile: (31-6) 5362-5346 E-mail: [email protected] OCEANIA Yaminiasi Gaunavou Secretariat of the Pacific Community. SPC Private Mail Bag, Suva, FIJI Tel: (679) 370733 Fax: (679) 370021 E-mail: [email protected] AFRICA Lynne Wanyeki Econews Africa P.O. Box 76406 Nairobi, KENYA Tel: (254-2) 721076/99 Fax: (254-2) 725171 E-mail: [email protected] ASIA Lucio Tabing Tambuli Community Radio 5th Floor, ISSI Bldg.
E. Jacinto St. UP Campus Diliman. 1101 Quezón City PHILIPPINES Tel: (63-2) 9206940 Fax: (63-2) 9206939 E-mail: [email protected]
WOMEN’S NETWORK Bianca Miglioretto Breitenstenstrasse 55 8037 Zurich, SCHWEIZ Tel: (41-1) 2731931 Fax: (41-1) 2717227 E-mail: [email protected]
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES Jim Remedio 36 Agnes Street, Fortitude Balley, PO Box 109 Queensland, AUSTRALIA Tel: (61-7) 38467220 Fax: (61-7) 38467446 E-mail: [email protected]
EX-OFFICIO MEMBER Rafael Roncagliolo Instituto para América Latina - IPAL Avenida 2 de Mayo 1609 3er piso. of. B. San Isidro, Lima, PERU Tel./Fax: (51-1) 440-5307 E-mail: [email protected]
SECRETARY-GENERAL Sophie K. Ly 3575 Saint-Laurent Blvd. #611, Montréal, Québec CANADA H2X 2T7 Tel.: (1-514) 982-0351 Fax: (1-514) 849-7129 E-mail: [email protected]
AMARC OFFICES INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT 3575 ST-LAURENT BLVD, #611, MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC, CANADA, H2X 2T7,TEL.: (1-514) 982-0351, FAX: (1-514) 849-7129, Web: http://www.amarc.org/ SECRETARY GENERAL SOPHIE K. LY, E-MAIL: [email protected] ADMINISTRATOR RAYMONDE DE GRANDPRÉ, E-MAIL: [email protected] COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER ELVIRA TRUGLIA, ACTING OFFICER, E-MAIL: [email protected] PROJECT OFFICER LORENCITA PINTO, E-MAIL: [email protected] WOMEN’S NETWORK (WIN) ASTOU SECK, ACTING COORDINATOR, E-MAIL: [email protected] SECRETARY/MEMBERSHIP SERVICES MARIE-LINE BORICAUD, E-MAIL: [email protected] LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN CASILLA 17-08-8489 QUITO, ECUADOR, TEL./FAX: (593-2) 501-180 COORDINATOR JOSÉ IGNACIO LÓPEZ VIGIL, E-MAIL: [email protected] PÚLSAR NEWS AGENCY GIOVANNA TASSI, DIRECTOR, CASILLA 117-08-8489, QUITO, ECUADOR, E-MAIL: [email protected] EUROPE THE MEDIA CENTER, 15 PATERNOSTER ROW, SHEFFIELD S1 2BX, UNITED KINGDOM, TEL.: (44-742) 795-219, FAX:: (44-742) 798-976 COORDINATOR BRIAN CARTY E-MAIL: [email protected] WOMEN’S NETWORK (WIN) ANNA ALONSO, REGIONAL COORDINATOR E-MAIL: [email protected] PROJECT OFFICER PAULA HARDWICK, E-MAIL: [email protected] AFRICA COORDINATOR NATIONAL COMMUNITY RADIO FORUM, COSATU HOUSE, BRAAMFONTEIN, 2017, SOUTH AFRICA, TEL: (27-11) 403-7962, FAX: (27-11) 403-7414, E-MAIL: [email protected] TRAINING COORDINATOR MYRIAME EL YAMANI, E-MAIL: [email protected]
INTERADIO EDITOR ELVIRA TRUGLIA CONTRIBUTORS BRAM DOV ABRAMSON, FADI AL-QADI, SAMIR AMIN, SANGITA BASUDEV, PHILIPPE BECHAMP, STEVE BUCKLEY, MA. VICTORIA CABRERA-BALLEZA, AMIR HASSANPOUR, MARGARITA HERRERA, SOPHIE K. LY, GEOFFREY MACKEY, DONALD MCTERNAN, OLIVIER MOREL, MARION MSIKA, ALICE MUNYUA, LORENCITA PINTO, MARIA VICTORIA POLANCO, ELIZABETH ROBINSON, PIERO SCARAMUCCI, ANTHONY SLOAN, JACQUES SONCIN, MARIA SUAREZ TORO, SAID HERSI WARSAME, ASHLEY WICKHAM GRAPHIC DESIGNER MARIE CHICOINE, MARIGRAF TRANSLATION MARIE-CATHERINE CHIASSON, ELVIRA TRUGLIA ILLUSTRATIONS CLAUDE MEERKAMPER COPY EDITING MAX WALLACE THANKS TO THE ORGANIZATIONS ASSISTING IN THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF INTERADIO: CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY. LEGAL DEPOSIT AT LA BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE DU QUEBEC. ISSN 1027-720X INTERADIO IS PUBLISHED TWICE A YEAR IN ENGLISH, FRENCH AND SPANISH BY THE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY RADIO BROADCASTERS (AMARC). OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS. THE REPRODUCTION OF ARTICLES IS PERMITTED AND ENCOURAGED AS LONG AS INTERADIO IS CITED AS THE SOURCE AND TWO COPIES ARE SENT TO AMARC. SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY $50/ YEAR FOR NON-MEMBERS. FREE FOR AMARC MEMBERS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUBMITTING AN ARTICLE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE OF INTERADIO, CONTACT THE EDITOR AT interad@amarc. org OR AT THE INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT. ARTICLES SHOULD BE 750 WORDS IN LENGTH AND MAY BE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH, FRENCH OR SPANISH. THE DEADLINE IS MARCH 29, 1999 BUT INQUIRE EARLY TO RESERVE SPACE. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. SEND YOUR COMMENTS OR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO: E-MAIL: [email protected] TEL: (1-514) 982-0351 FAX: (1-514) 849-7129.
Contested territory Human rights and communication
ask whether it is possible or desirable to seek common ground. What should we do? In the latest issue of VOICES, Pradip Thomas from The discussion on human rights the World Association for Christian Commuhas become more and more nication (WACC) addresses these questions. legitimate ever since the Univer“People should have a stake in building the sal Declaration of Human Rights cultural environments in which they live,” he was adopted by the United Nations in 1948. writes, “But in order to plan for such environBut five decades later, human rights discourse ments, it is important that a process of dialogue has developed into a contradictory space. At be set in place — a dialogue across communione level, human rights have become a frameties, cultures and understandings. If we are not work to reconceptualize all social relations. prepared to work towards a global, universal That is, “a powerful means to articulate conculture of rights, I am afraid that it will be difcerns related to inequalities, discrimination, ficult to formulate even a minimally binding oppression and arbitrariness rooted in various set of principles with respect to the right to levels of social life,” according to Sarita Vellani communication.” of VOICES, an Indian non-governmental This leads to the question of the media. The organization. At the same time, the language media is an important social institution through of human rights has been appropriated by which human rights, in particular communicathose who have been the main source of rights tions rights, can be exercised or hindered. Two violations. Vellani confirms that human rights of the most relevant issues relate to access and have become a space of contested views and content, with their corresponding lobbying and perspectives. So today, talking about human programming considerations. rights in a meaningful way must “Communication and Human acknowledge their paradoxical nature. Rights” was the theme of the AMARC Human rights discourse is based BSOLUT E F R E E DO M OF S PE ECH A N D 7 conference. By inviting writers who on the idea that there are a series of were also conference participants, this principles that all people agree on. It E XPR E S S ION S HOU LD NOT B E A LLOW E D edition of InteRadio attempts to extend is around the concept of “universality” the discussion on these issues. that one of the most prominent Radio campaigns are one way to raise awarethe meaning of freedom is something to be human rights debates has emerged: universaliness about human rights violations. In her article worked out between people from all walks of ty versus cultural relativism. It is argued that on the right to communicate and the prison life from all societies,” he says. human rights norms are founded on arbitrary industrial complex, Elizabeth Robinson advoAnother issue in the human rights arena is and biased categories of human nature. They cates that community radio join the international the tension between individual and collective are revealed as socio-cultural constructions, movement to raise awareness about prisoners’ rights. Is there a hierarchy of rights; when two namely European ones, and do not represent rights. Maria Suarez Toro discusses radio as an rights compete with each other, which one the “conceptions of individuality” in various takes precedent? On what basis is this decided? important vehicle to document the history of non-European cultures. women’s rights in her article “Tell me a story.” Smoking is an example of the complex terrain The importance of context and the difficulAmir Hassanpour discusses how new techof rights discourse. My exposure to secondty of reaching an agreement on rights was nol ogies (ie. MED-TV by satellite) have been hand smoke clearly infringes on my right to demonstrated during the Virtual Forum held used to circumvent Turkey’s repressive meain the five weeks prior to the AMARC Seventh health and self-determination; a smoker might sures against the Kurdish community, includargue that my request for them to not smoke World Conference (AMARC 7) in August ing the denial of the right to communicate. in my presence is an infringement of their 1998 (see page 22). One of the discussion lists The challenges for the media are well illustratdeveloped a draft of the “Milan Declaration on right to self-determination. However, doesn’t ed by Fadi Al-Qadi in his article on media in the fact that the exercise of their right causes Communication and Human Rights,” which the Arab region. harm to me in a very concrete way (chemical was completed and tabled for adoption at the In addition, an AMARC 7 Special Report sensitivity) obligate them to respect my right Milan conference. outlines how some of the complex debates on to health? Aren’t limits to rights placed to On this discussion list, a vigorous debate human rights and communications were acknowledge that NO right is absolute? And emerged over the proposal to limit the right to addressed at the World Conference itself. One how does the situation change depending on freedom of expression in order to curb the of the concrete outcomes of the conference whether we are in a public or private space? promotion of hatred and oppression based on highlighted in this issue is “The Milan Or depending on the cultural setting? Who social difference. Some disagreed, indicating Declaration on Communication and Human should be held responsible: the government, that this kind of qualification has been used Rights.” It is but one example of the potential the tobacco industry, the public? What role against the interests of those groups whose of successful dialogue and cooperation. does the media play in communicating these rights are being violated. While people issues through advertising and programming? affirmed that cultural relativism is sometimes It all seems so complicated that one might used by governments to perpetuate oppression, ELVIRA TRUGLIA is the editor of InteRadio. strong arguments were made that freedom of expression is not an absolute right nor should it be considered above all other human rights. The most poignant comments were made by Moe Thar from Burma: “Coming from Burma where merely mentioning the words ‘human rights’ can send a person to three or more years in prison, I know how important it is to have such rights.” He continues by describing the human rights views of 70 Singaporean and Malaysian students he interviewed for his PhD research, “I found most of them acknowledging the lack of political freedom in their countries to varying degrees”. However, “What I also found interesting is that all of my respondents, without a single exception, said that as far as racial issues are concerned, absolute freedom of speech and expression should not be allowed,” says Thar. He argued that the right to freedom of expression should come with responsibilities. “How to set a standard and how to negotiate
by Elvira Truglia
“A
.”
I N T E R A D I O December 1998 3
