Friday 29 January 2010

[creative-radio] Community broadcasters mobilise in support of Haiti

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Suman Basnet <suman_basnet@asiapacific.amarc.org>
Date: 2010/1/29
Subject: [Asiapacific-general] Community broadcasters mobilise in support of
Haiti
To: AMARC_AP_General_List <asiapacific-general@lists.amarc.org>

*Community broadcasters mobilise in support of Haiti*

Community radio broadcasters are mobilising worldwide in response to the
earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January. In an unprecedented global
response in solidarity with the Haitian people, community radio broadcasters
have organised appeals for emergency and humanitarian relief and have
offered equipment and technical expertise to support Haiti's community radio
stations.

An AMARC volunteer team arrived in Port-au-Prince on Sunday carrying
equipment for SAKS (Society for the Animation of Social Communication), a
community media production and support centre in Port-au-Prince, whose
offices were destroyed when the earthquake struck. Sony Esteus, Director of
SAKS and AMARC Vice President, will accompany the international team as they
travel to Leogane, Grand Goave, Jacmel and other locations that are among
the worst hit areas outside of the Haitian capital.

Radio Saka, the local community radio of Grand Goave, was reported back on
the air, but at reduced power, and helping to mobilise local relief efforts.
AMARC estimates around 12 community radios are in areas directly affected by
the earthquake. The AMARC-SAKS mission will assess the impact of the
earthquake on the community radio sector, provide basic repairs and support
to community media workers, and assist community radio to contribute to the
humanitarian relief operation.

In the capital, most neighbourhoods have been heavily impacted. Many hundred
thousand people have been left homeless and there are thousands of temporary
camps. Everything happens in the streets. "The streets are the 'salon' of
the people" says an old Haitian proverb. This has become a reality, even for
those whose homes have not been damaged or destroyed, with people preferring
to sleep in the open rather than risk staying in a building that might
collapse with the next aftershock. Even the radio stations are broadcasting
on the streets, with journalists afraid to work in their studios

Major international media support organisations are on the ground working to
help restore Haiti's damaged communications infratructure:

AMARC, International Media Support, Internews, Reporters Without Borders,
are among the organisations collaborating in Haiti to avoid duplication and
to assure an effective response to the disaster and the challenges of
providing immediate relief.

AMARC has called on community radio broadcasters worldwide to support the
Haiti relief effort, not only by broadcasting humanitarian appeals, but also
be providing equipment, technical support and other resources to enable
community radio in Haiti to play a central role in assuring access to
information and enabling the populations affected to communicate their needs
and concerns.

-END-

For news updates, further information and offers of equipment, technical and
other support to assist community radio in Haiti, please visit:
http://www.amarc.org/haiti

Through service to members, networking and project implementation, the World
Association of Community Radio Broadcasters AMARC, brings together a network
of more than 4,000 community radios, Federations and community media
stakeholders in more than 115 countries. The main global impact of AMARC
since its creation in 1983 has been to accompany and support the
establishment of a worldwide community radio sector that has democratized
the media sector. AMARC advocates for the right to communicate at the
international, national, local and neighbourhood levels and defends and
promotes the interests of the community radio movement through solidarity,
networking and Cooperation.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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