CHAPTERCHAPTER 4 30

Radio Voices Without Frontiers Global Antidiscrimination Broadcast

Elvira Truglia

Figure 30.1 RVSF (Radio Voix Sans Frontières) Logo

358 Chapter 30
Radio Voices Without Frontiers Global Antidiscrimination Broadcast—— 359

o One Is Illegal!1 This is a manifesto and local realities often have global catalysts and an example of an expanding community- global resonance. Migration is one of these areas Nbased migrant rights movement that has of global concern. Imagine, not just one program taken off in Canada, especially in the aftermath about migrant rights or discrimination issues but of 9/11. Increasing border controls between dozens of programs on a similar theme being Canada and the United States to keep goods broadcast on the same day, not by circumstance flowing but people contained have been creating but by direct action, a concerted effort by broad- what some call the new “Fortress North casters around the world. That is Radio Voices America.”2 It is a familiar refrain, as the term Without Frontiers. Fortress Europe has been used to describe the Every March 21, through the use of traditional increasingly restrictive immigration policies and new communications technologies, journal- (e.g., the Schengen Agreement)3 designed to keep ists from every corner of the globe advocate people of European countries moving freely against racial discrimination during a (typically) within their borders but to keep out non- 24-hour broadcast. Running for more than a Europeans. Meanwhile, the reasons why people decade, Radio Voices Without Frontiers, also from Asia, Africa, and Latin America keep known by its French acronym RVSF—Radio Voix migrating remain compelling—armed violence, Sans Frontières—has become the flagship project ethnic and racial conflict, economic globaliza- of the World Association of Community Radio tion, and environmental degradation are just a Broadcasters (AMARC).4 Relying on an expand- few (Taran, 2000, “Causes of Migration,” ¶ 5). ing international network of community radio Migration-receiving countries now commonly practitioners, RVSF is one of the first community characterize undocumented workers as “illegal media production and distribution projects to be migrants,” rendering them outside the law, with organized on a global scale. no legal status, no legal identity, and no existence, The project is a testament to the socially and effectively denying them any human rights inclusive ethos of community radio and to how (Taran, 2000, “Ten General Trends,” ¶ 7). the local is traced through the global and back One of the spaces where all migrants do have again. Although the Voices Without Frontiers a voice and a status is on community radio. Network was started in Europe in 1996, the first Check your local listings, and chances are that broadcast took place in 1997 to commemorate you’ll find a broadcast and/or podcast produced the European Year Against Racism. It remained a by and about migrant communities—refugees, regional event until 2000, when North American temporary workers, migrants with no legal sta- broadcasters joined the campaign. By 2001, it tus, new and established immigrants, and so on. had become a global broadcast with the partici- In Canada, chances are you’ll find all of the pation of broadcasters from all continents. above, including programming by members of By 2004, programming in nine languages was the No One is Illegal migrant rights movement broadcast on some 200 community radio sta- mentioned earlier. The beauty of community tions worldwide. Focusing largely on the 2004 radio is that it breaks down the traditional divide campaign, this chapter will demonstrate how between broadcaster and listener. With commu- RVSF attempts to develop its potential in using nity radio, the listener can become the broad- ICTs (information and communication tech- caster and get engaged in the production of nologies) for development and building interna- media and in the process of communication. tional solidarity. It will also share the lessons Linked to movements for social change, the learned to date and observations about the strength of community radio is its ability to process of international network building. The reflect the concerns of local communities. Yet, lessons and reflections below are drawn from my 360—— PART VII I LOCAL MEDIA, GLOBAL STRUGGLES experience as the coordinator of the RVSF their participation, not only in the radio but in broadcast from 2000 to 2004 (in 2000 as the the social, cultural and political processes that North American broadcast coordinator; from affect the community,” states Girard (p. 3). 2001–2004 as the international broadcast coor- Almost 20 years later, this observation still holds dinator). This chapter does not dwell on theory true. Broadcasters are highly motivated when but, in many ways, reflects my experience as a they advocate for and are part of a social change practitioner and advocate of media for commu- process. Through its content and structure, the nity development since the early 1990s. RVSF 2004 RVSF broadcast is a testament to the passion has been an opportunity to test and put into and transformational struggle of community practice the ideals of community radio on a radio broadcasters (Figure 30.2). global scale. Programming on March 21, 2004 began with the first-ever broadcast from Asia: The marathon kicks off in Kathmandu, Nepal. Suman of An Inspiring Experiment AMARC–Asia Pacific has spent the past 24 hours in Community Media trying to upload audio to the RVSF server. Finally, at 3:00 A.M. GMT (Greenwich Mean Community media researcher and advocate, Time), all is ready to go, and he adjusts his audio Bruce Girard (1992) says that when community player to the 3-hour Internet broadcast in Nepali radio broadcasts succeed they are marked with and Arabic. This is the first major contribution to passion rarely seen in commercial or large-scale the global broadcast from the Asia-Pacific region, State media.“This passion arises out of a desire to produced in partnership with Radio Sagarmatha, empower listeners by encouraging and enabling Nepal’s first community radio station.

Latin March 21, 2004 America 24:00

21:00 3:00

North America Asia

18:00 6:00

Africa

15:00 9:00 Europe 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time

Figure 30.2 The 2004 RVSF Broadcast Time Clock Chapter 30
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In the meantime, at close to 6:00 A.M. GMT, occupation of Iraq and the closing music fades Gilles Eric of the Simbani news agency is gearing into Latin beats. up for a live broadcast from Johannesburg, South The final 3 hours of the marathon have now Africa. Journalists from throughout Africa have begun. This time the baton is in Latin America. been assembled in the newly created studios and Uruguay’s Internet radio station, Radio Mundo are about to go on the air, one language team at a Real, has spent the past few days putting together time. While a phone call confirms all is going well the 3-hour feed of programs collected by Chile’s in the local studios, the constant buffering of the Radio Tierra in Santiago. Contributions come Web stream creates an inaudible Web cast for the from Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, first time in the 4-year collaboration with RVSF. and Mexico. Luckily, the French, Portuguese and English pro- With programming in nine languages, the grams go off without a hitch on the satellite 21-hour broadcast is realized with some 70 com- broadcaster, Channel Africa. munity radio stations or production groups and Four hours later, the European team is 90 contributors and team members from 29 dif- ready to take the baton. Francesco of AMISnet ferent countries (Table 30.1). These are the (Agenzia Multimediale d’Informazione Sociale) people of Radio Voices Without Frontiers. in Rome sends a staccato e-mail message—only 10 minutes before going on air. Following tradi- tion, the social information agency has gathered Producing and Distributing a multicultural crew in the studio. Hosts will take Through a Global Network turns announcing in Italian, French, Spanish, and English. Last-minute news that some pro- Coordinating the RVSF broadcast from 2000 to gramming from Africa has fallen through creates 2004 gave me the opportunity to witness the a hurried shuffle and gives Europe an extra hour potential created by ICTs as tools for develop- in the global broadcast schedule. The 1-hour ment and network building. It was a time when Lusophone feed from Radio Universidade Marao the potential for building international solidar- in Portugal is matched by a 1-hour feed from ity through Internet networking was growing 15 community-access stations in the United momentum. In 1994, the Zapatista Revolution, Kingdom and a contribution from the Palestine facilitated by Internet communication, was seen News Network. In total, Europe broadcasts glob- as a turning point in global mobilization. And ally for 6 hours. then, in 1999, the civil society protests in Seattle In a home office, the international coordina- against the World Trade Organization (also tor is zigzagging time zones to communicate coordinated greatly through the Internet) between continents and across hemispheres. inspired even more energy and excitement. Next, the baton is in North American hands. This Today, with the so-called personal media revo- year, three different broadcast hubs participate. lution putting a blog, podcast, and vodcast There is French programming from the Reseau within reach of almost anyone with an Internet Francophone des Amériques in Ottawa. Spanish connection, the potential of Internet network- programming is broadcast live from Radio ing as a great democratic force is expanding Centre-Ville in Montreal. And a blend of English more boundaries. RVSF was and still is an programs from community radio stations in experiment in testing this potential. The most Canada and the United States are broadcast live important characteristics of the broadcast are from KCSB-FM in Santa Barbara. As the 5 hours presented below along with some insights on of programming come to a close, Elizabeth, the challenges of putting it together as well as KCSB Staff Advisor, denounces the U.S.-led lessons learned. Specifically, we consider a 362—— PART VII I LOCAL MEDIA, GLOBAL STRUGGLES

Table 30.1 2004 RVSF Broadcast Schedule

Broadcast KCSB- Radio AMARC Hub FM CINQ-FM Tierra AMISnet Simbani Asia-Pacific

Santa START Location Barbara Montreal Santiago TIME Rome Johannesburg Kathmandu

Time Zone GMT − 8 GMT − 5 GMT − 4 GMT* GMT + 1 GMT + 2 GMT +5:45

Asia 19:00– 22:00– 13:00– 3:00– 4:00– 5:00– 8:45– 22:00 1:00 2:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 11:45

Africa 22:00– 1:00– 2:00– 6:00– 7:00– 8:00– 11:45– 3:00 6:00 5:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 16:45

Europe 3:00– 6:00– 7:00– 11:00– 12:00– 13:00– 16:45– 8:00 11:00 12:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 21:45

North 8:00– 11:00– 12:00– 16:00– 17:00– 18:00– 21:45– America 13:00 16:00 17:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 3:45

Latin 13:00– 16:00– 17:00– 21:00– 22:00– 23:00– 3:45– America 18:00 19:00 20:00 24:00 1:00 2:00 6:45

Note: The Global Broadcast marathon started at 3:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and ended at 24:00 GMT (see middle column). It moved from Asia, to Africa, to Europe, to North America, and finally to Latin America. The shaded boxes indicate the GMT and corresponding regional time of the live broadcast.

broadcast that mixes new and old technologies, the Internet to a potential audience of millions promotes collaborative work practices, fosters (Figure 30.3). Here’s how it is done. international solidarity on discrimination issues In 2004, RVSF was not only Web cast on through participatory programming, and attempts www.rvsf.amarc.org but was also distributed by to build a global network through activism. satellite and picked up by community radio sta- tions around the world. With some 70 participat- ing stations, it is estimated that 200 stations A Mix of New reaching millions of listeners worldwide carried and Old Technologies RVSF programming on March 21. Sometimes RVSF programming is available on RVSF is a global broadcast that spreads informa- regional or global satellite and is picked up by tion in a new way, in particular, through a mix of broadcasters “on demand” (this is the case with technologies—satellite, Internet, and broadcast Italy’s Global Radio and Latin America’s Asociación radio. With their multimedia digital platform, Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofonica). It is ICTs offer a means of producing and distributing also available on established program slots of content on a local and global level—locally, on regional satellite networks; for example, “Native radio stations that carry RVSF programming to America Calling” aired on American Indian Radio an audience of thousands and, globally, through on Satellite (AIROS) service. Chapter 30
Radio Voices Without Frontiers Global Antidiscrimination Broadcast—— 363

Figure 30.3 Screenshot of RVSF 2004 Web Site

Source: Contributor & AMARC created/permission granted by AMARC.

Programming carried on the Web stream is same thing on the same day. (Usually) we go to what makes RVSF a global continuous broadcast. our little stations and we do what we do but In 2004, it was hosted by AMARC’s home base in getting people to commit their programming Montreal; in other years, different Internet Service for one day to a common theme is new to us. Providers (ISPs) or networks (e.g., the Community Media Association in the United Kingdom) have Precisely because it’s new, the “build it and they hosted regional portions of the Web cast. will come” approach does not work for a new- Despite offering different options for picking technologies broadcast. “On-demand” satellite up RVSF programming, distribution remains the distribution and Web casting are forms of narrow- biggest weakness of the broadcast. Commenting casting, not broadcasting, as they outreach specific on the RVSF campaign in 2001, AMARC Board rather than general audiences. These specific audi- member and KCSB Staff Advisor Elizabeth ences might indeed tune in but only if they know Robinson (2001) said, you exist, so just making programming available via satellite does not mean a broadcaster will carry It’s a process that we don’t know very well in the it. Audiences, in this case community radio sta- U.S.—a focus day where everybody does the tions, need to be actively solicited. 364—— PART VII I LOCAL MEDIA, GLOBAL STRUGGLES

Another important aspect of the broadcast is and to keep the spotlight on targeted social the RVSF Web site. The Web site is the window to issues. At the end of the 2004 broadcast, there the global campaign; it is the only element that were 31 individual archives and 11 complete presents the broadcast as a global initiative. As a broadcast hours published on the Web site nongovernmental organization (NGO) based (Figure 30.4). If you check the site now, you’ll initiative, with the mandate to broker informa- only find archives as of 2005. The crash of tion, this is arguably one of the most important AMARC’s server and a nasty virus invasion aspects of the international effort. resulted in the loss of much information—an The Web site platform has gone through many anecdote mentioned as a cautionary tale about incarnations—it was first published in HTML relying too heavily on computer networks (J.-P. (Hypertext Markup Language), then it moved to Théberge, AMARC-International, personal com- an organizational content management system, munication, November 29, 2006). and at the time of writing, it is still on a wiki plat- This survey of the technological mix used in form. Each move has been made to make the site the broadcast illustrates how ICTs are helping more accessible and more sustainable. people communicate (although imperfectly) When using HTML, there is usually just one from the many to the many. Yet, ICTs can also webmaster responsible for managing Web site reconstruct the same power imbalances that are content. In contrast, using the open-source plat- being redressed. Thanks to different technical form wiki5 makes it easier to access and change and human resource capacities between regions content. In the case of the RVSF Web site, there is and within regions, the RVSF broadcast some- still a webmaster responsible for the overall times reflects North-South power imbalances but structure of the site; however, by using a set of also those that are North-North and South- simple commands, various individuals can be South. For example, Radio Mundo Real in responsible for managing content. Uruguay is a fully functioning Internet radio sta- For RVSF, this means that content can be tion, while Radio Tierra in Chile barely has a reli- added and revised in a more timely manner and able dial-up connection. CJSF in Vancouver may by different sets of people. be in the global North, but that didn’t help when Another ICT used to facilitate working trying to figure out how to enter a URL in an together is File Transfer Protocol, or FTP. It is a audio player. It’s also worth noting that FTP may relatively simple new technology that is used to be a simple technology, but if you don’t have connect two computers over the Internet so that access to a high-speed connection it is very the user of one computer can transfer files and impractical. In Kathmandu, the Asia-Pacific perform file commands on the other computer. coordinator set up a plan just in case the local During a typical RVSF campaign, an FTP site is Internet connection was unsuccessful; he would made available to all regions for posting tempo- ship an audio CD by airmail to New Delhi for rary and permanent audio files to be shared and upload from there. Also, while digital radio pro- exchanged. duction is now more common, it is still not uni- The audio archives6 are another important versal, nor is Internet broadcasting. Therefore, part of the mix. Although the global broadcast is RVSF still accepts audiocassettes and accommo- a 1-day campaign, radio stations (and civil soci- dates analog production and broadcasting. ety) are encouraged to listen to or download Together, this is undeniable proof that tech- audio archives and broadcast RVSF programs on nology is not an end in itself. But it also shows their local radio stations throughout the year. In how technology is always adapted on a local general, archives are an important way to pre- level—each of these radio stations found ways to serve the historical memory of community radio produce and distribute their programs, whether Chapter 30
Radio Voices Without Frontiers Global Antidiscrimination Broadcast—— 365

Figure 30.4 Screenshot of 2004 RVSF Archives

Source: Contributor & AMARC created/permission granted by AMARC. by mailing recorded audiocassettes, uploading To be successful, Basnet says, “global cam- digital audio, downloading the Web stream, or paigns must also have smaller—community to broadcasting live on their analog stations. In community—exchanges within them.” This is other words, they were able to participate in the true especially for the Asia-Pacific region because broadcast by using a mix of traditional and new of language constraints.“Most community radios technologies. in the region exist in areas where English is not The regional coordinator for AMARC Asia- understood. Most of Asia-Pacific’s contributions Pacific, Suman Basnet, says that a global cam- were in local languages/dialects. Therefore pro- paign cannot be over reliant on the Internet: grams produced by one community radio could “Internet is not a reality in most of the commu- not be used by another,” says Basnet (personal nities in the Asia-Pacific” (personal communica- communication, December 10, 2006). tion, December 10, 2006). Clearly, stations This reality is built into the design of the without an Internet connection cannot stream broadcast. Stations can still be part of the global content or download audio files. campaign by producing local programming and 366—— PART VII I LOCAL MEDIA, GLOBAL STRUGGLES by exchanging programming with other local or participation of community radio broadcasters, regional stations, even by snail mail. independent producers, and affinity groups— Yet, as Basnet points out, this means that more sometimes voices are from the marginalized com- lead time is needed for planning and for promotion munities themselves and sometimes they are from of the broadcast within the region. In other words, activists who represent them. Because of social enough effort needs to be placed on preparing, not inequalities, the communities being targeted may just on gathering the right technological mix. have the least amount of time to contribute to a campaign or project. The challenge is then to be cre- ative and flexible in coming up with ways to involve New Ways of Working people while at the same time accepting their limits.

How does it all come together? General opera- tions are managed using electronic lists, news New Technologies groups, online workspaces (e.g., FTP), Web sites Meet Social Activism (Wiki platform), and instant messaging services. RVSF producer María Suárez Toro (Kidd, 2002) But what do you actually hear in the broadcast? of Feminist Internet Radio Endeavor (FIRE) in The RVSF campaign encourages the analysis of a Costa Rica says, “Too many people think that the global issue (racial discrimination) on local levels, technology is the communication” (p. 18). Her and through the sharing of experiences it fosters production strategy focuses on access and finding local, regional, and global solidarity on these issues. creative ways of using technology (Suarez, 2000). In fact, the linking of global issues on a local In other words, it is the networking opportunity level is what community radio does best. Since the provided by the technology that creates commu- inception of the international campaign, pro- nication not the technology itself (p. 20). gramming on March 21 has illustrated how the For RVSF,this means going beyond hierarchical same global economic and political forces are relationships and applying new ways of working. shaping regressive policies in the North and the As an example, the international coordinator, South. Neocolonialism, xenophobia, the creation regional teams, and partners, located in five conti- of Continental Fortresses, and the communica- nents, work together on coordination, mobiliza- tion divide are regular features of RVSF. Each year, tion, programming, distribution, and promotion. a broadcast theme is chosen, which is linked to a There are common campaign objectives, timelines, current event. In 2002, the theme was the post- and responsibilities, but these are adapted to each 9/11 environment; in 2003, it was the impending region’s priorities, work cultures, and capacities. Iraq War; in 2004, the theme was communication A big challenge for RVSF is overcoming lan- rights in the context of the World Summit on the guage barriers. Group interaction online is diffi- Information Society. In general, programming cult because there is no common language. usually reflects three major themes: (1) migration; Language divides are often just seen as commu- (2) systemic racism and antiracism work; and nication barriers, while the power relations (3) identity, difference, and self-determination. implicated in the use of one language over Here are some highlights of the 2004 broad- another are ignored. One of the ways this is cast—one of the most diverse and dynamic ever: addressed is by sending out collective messages in three working languages (English, French, and Asia-Pacific: For the first time, there was a special Spanish). On an operational level, this becomes a 3-hour broadcast from Asia with contributions time-consuming and challenging task to sustain. from community radio stations and producers Managing “activist fatigue” is another concern. in Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines. The whole broadcast relies on the volunteer Stories covered included the following: Chapter 30
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• Caste-based discrimination in Nepal and stations in 12 countries. There were also con- education as a key to overcoming it tributions from 15 access radio stations (a new tier of local radio in the United Kingdom • The case of the dalits, who are not allowed with programs for social and educational ben- to worship in Hindu temples because of efit, legalized in July 2004). Stories covered their social status as “low caste” included the following: • The history, present situation, and future prospects of the Kumals, a so-called low- • Racial discrimination in Romania caste group from Nepal’s Palpa region • The living conditions of the Roma people • A discriminatory law that makes it difficult in the Czech and Slovak Republic for women to acquire citizenship in Nepal • Youth on racial discrimination in Europe • Discrimination against indigenous people • The Bossi-Fini law and its effects on in Nepal and ways to fight it migrants living in Italy • The role of mass media in challenging • The behaviour of the Israeli army and the discrimination discrimination between Muslim and Africa: Working with a team of journalists Christian Palestinians throughout the African continent, RVSF • The “administrative genocide” in Slovenia broadcast live from the (no-longer opera- when a number of nonethnic Slovenes tional) Simbani News Agency of AMARC were erased from the public registries after Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa. There Slovenia declared independence from were stories on the following: Yugoslavia in 1991 • South Africa: farmers rights, xenophobia, • Multiculturalism and freedom of speech human rights, the role of ICTs, youth in the issues in the Netherlands South African education system of the • An inquiry on the situation of 400 African postapartheid era, and HIV/AIDS and asylum seekers who live in an occupied antiretroviral drugs building in Rome • Gambia: forced marriages, women, and • Media and migration issues employment North America: For the first time ever, there was • Ghana: Marginalization of people who a 1-hour national feed in French by the Ottawa- practice traditional religions, digital divides based Reseau Francophone des Amériques and a • Tanzania: community radio and AIDS 1-hour feed in Spanish by Radio Centre-Ville in awareness campaigns Montreal. The English broadcast came from KCSB-FM in Santa Barbara, California. • Community radio in Ethiopia Featured stories included the following: • Media and reconciliation on the Ivory Coast • The impact of U.S. immigration policies • Media and conflict resolution on U.S.-Mexico border residents • NGOs and the right to communicate • Actions against the deportation of refugees Europe: Hosted by AMISnet in Rome, one of in Canada the unique features of the broadcast was the • Anti-immigration laws around the world Link Lusofono, a collaboration between Portuguese speakers from community radio • Racism in sports media 368—— PART VII I LOCAL MEDIA, GLOBAL STRUGGLES

• Poverty, women, and discrimination As described above, the concept of participa- tory communication is well represented in the • Reparations for victims of discrimination programming content of the broadcast. in the United States According to Bruce Girard (1992), “the role of • Community media at the World Summit the radio [community radio] is to respond to the on the Information Society priorities set by the community, to facilitate their discussion, to reinforce them, and to challenge • Struggles of resistance and self-determina- them” (p. 3). In the case of RVSF, this role was tion in Haiti, India, and the United States; bestowed on the broadcast coordinators. As long for example, one story covered a rapero’s as contributions were on theme and respected efforts to build Latino cultural conscious- the principles of the broadcast, all contributions ness in the United States through music. were accepted and included in the broadcast • Relations between Anglophones and according to priorities set by each region. minority Francophones in Canada Nevertheless, RVSF is not just a series of Latin America: From the broadcast centers of regional broadcasts but is presented as a global Radio Mundo Real in Uruguay, in collabora- broadcast on a common theme. In this respect, tion with Radio Tierra in Chile, the broadcast there could be more interactivity, including live featured contributions from community discussion/commentary between regions during radio stations and producers in Chile, Mexico, the broadcast. There could also be more joint Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, and Ecuador. programming; for example, the lineup could Stories covered were as follows: include a cross-continental panel on migration policy. Of course, this is only possible permitting • Promoting citizenship, civics, and demo- there are adequate technical and financial cratic culture in Latin America resources—a common challenge for community radio initiatives. Earlier, the call for more local- • Migration struggles on the U.S.-Mexico border to-local exchanges was reported; there is also a • Media and discrimination against women need for more region-to-region exchanges; in in Mexico both cases, the imperative is to raise the bar and • The Andean communities and their strug- increase the chances of making a social impact. gle for water in Cochabamba, Bolivia • The role of women in the Mapuche com- Building a Network munity in Chile on a Day of Hope • Violence against women • Refugee struggles in Ecuador RVSF remains a day of hope as it fosters the incor- poration of people into a worldwide antidiscrimi- • The Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation nation community radio network. The Commission and its report on discrimina- International Day for the Elimination of Racial tion against indigenous peoples, peasants, Discrimination commemorates the anniversary of and women the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, when antiapartheid • Racial discrimination against rural peoples demonstrators were killed in a South African who migrate to urban centers in Peru town. Almost 50 years later, and in a postpartheid South Africa, Sharpeville remains an international • Racism in Argentina symbol of resistance and hope and has become the • A public forum for art, politics, and human common reference point across the RVSF antidis- rights in Argentina crimination network. Chapter 30
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Photo 30.1 RVSF International Broadcast in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2001

Source: Waag Society.

Elizabeth Robinson (2001) has helped coor- such as the World Social Forum in Brazil, the UN dinate the RVSF broadcast in North America World Summit on Sustainable Development in since 2000. Commenting on the importance of South Africa, and the UN World Conference the campaign, she refers to the beginning of the Against Racism also in South Africa. The broad- 20th century: casts have always taken place in parallel with advocacy work at official and counterforums. [At the time, it was said that] the problem of This kind of advocacy is considered a priority for the 20th century was going to be race and AMARC and many other international NGOs. racism. Well, we are now in the 21st century Media studies professor and longtime com- and it remains a problem. So, I think one of munity media activist Dorothy Kidd (2002) the things that we wanted to do in North regards attending counterforums of UN confer- America when we joined the campaign was to ences and other global meetings as one of the remind people that it was still a problem. But also to educate people about the problem and most important networking areas for interna- all of the various sorts of resistance to these tional NGOs (INGOs)—these meetings become human problems that are expanse in the opportunities to influence official organizations. world today. Kidd notes that the most successful NGO strat- egy has been discursive, in which “knowledge To address racism issues, many events have does appear to be power” (p. 7). These forums are been organized under the RVSF banner: confer- opportunities for NGOs to broker alternative ences and training workshops on content pro- information and put a human face on complex duction and mobilization. RVSF teams have also social problems by featuring individual testi- come together for remote broadcasts at events monies and stories (p. 7). 370—— PART VII I LOCAL MEDIA, GLOBAL STRUGGLES

Yet, Kidd (2002) cautions that sometimes these of migration, discrimination, and racism will advocacy efforts result in INGOs losing touch remain contemporary for some time to come. with their activist roots and compromising their This makes RVSF an important expression of goals to a United Nations and government focus international solidarity. (p. 14). In this respect, AMARC is present at most The continuing growth of community radio of these international gatherings with both advo- around the world positions it as a part of a social cacy and broadcaster contingents, so it becomes movement—one where the global forces shaping more difficult to lose focus and easier to keep both local contexts are being heard, debated, con- the lobbying efforts and activist roots in play. tested, and repositioned: When it comes to RVSF, whether on March 21 or at global forums, more work needs to be done to Community radio is a great equalizer. As partner with community and antidiscrimination proponents of community radio, if we do not organizations as well as other affinity groups to campaign against racial discrimination then it ensure that the broadcast network is truly con- will be like doctors stopping to provide a cure. nected to a broad network of social activists. It is our primary job to raise our voices against all kinds of discrimination. (S. Basnet, personal RVSF is an opportunity to create a dialogue communication, December 10, 2006) between the institution of community radio and the social movement of community radio. It is a For more than a decade, the Radio Voices symbolic and therefore discursive initiative, but Without Frontiers broadcast campaign has been it is also a vehicle for networking among com- raising voices and expanding global and local munity radio and social activists who continue mediascapes through a mix of new and tradi- the lived social struggle for rights and dignity. tional technologies. It’s an experiment still worth Elizabeth Robinson (2001) says about the pursuing, regardless of the challenges. RVSF broadcast, At the end of the day each March 21, partici- pants are sustained with their sense of euphoria. The possibility of not only linking with other A community radio broadcast marathon around stations in our own region but of linking with people all over the world is irresistible in some the world has been realized, collectively. Imagine ways and I think it points to all the best of what could happen if this year’s listeners, social what we are; ...it reminds us of our potential. activists, and displaced people became next year’s broadcasters? Another kind of communication is Rosario Puga (2004) of Radio Tierra in Chile possible: That is the message and the struggle. shares this perspective: “As a global initiative, Voces Sin Fronteras represents the great potential of radio exchange initiatives” (p. 3). Notes The long-term objective of the RVSF initiative 1. See http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot has been to develop a sustainable program of .com/ and http://solidarityacrossborders.org/en/node work, incorporating broadcast and training com- as an example of the migrants’ rights issues addressed ponents throughout the year in every region of by this community-based activist network. the world. In a nutshell, RVSF is an opportunity 2. Fortress Europe is the term given (usually pejora- to test and put into practice the many ideals held tively) to the concept of the European Union’s efforts to by the progressive communications community. keep non-EU goods, businesses, and nationals out of the Union’s 25 member states (Wikipedia at http://en .wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_Europe, accessed December Conclusion 2006). The term Fortress North America is sometimes used to make a parallel between EU border policies and While economic globalization continues to push the increasingly harmonized border controls between and control the migration of peoples, the themes the U.S. and Canada since September 11, 2001. Chapter 30
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3. The 1985 Schengen Agreement is an agreement Kidd, D. (2002, July). Which would you rather: Seattle or among European states that sets out a common policy Porto Alegre? Paper presented at Our Media II on the temporary entry of persons and the integration Conference, Barcelona, Spain. Retrieved December of external border controls. It is touted as a way to 1, 2006, from www.ourmedianet.org/papers/ simplify the circulation of people between member om2002/Kidd.om2002.pdf states. In practice, it creates a class of non-European Puga, R. (2004). Evaluación América latina y el Caribe– “undesireables.” Voces Sin Fronteras 2004. Santiago, Chile: AMARC-Latin America and the Carribbean. 4. See www.amarc.org. Robinson, E. (2001). Audio interview by María Suarez 5. See www.wiki.org for more information about Toro of Feminist Internet Radio Endeavor (FIRE) Wiki. for the Radio Voices Without Frontiers broadcast campaign. Retrieved December 4, 2006, from 6. To see the audio archives, go to www.rvsf.amarc www.fire.or.cr/voicesfrontier.htm .org. Click on “audio archives” in the main menu and Suarez, M. (2000). FIRE: Popular communication in many then scroll to see the list of archives by year, as of 2005 forms. InteRadio (Journal of AMARC—World (information from previous years is no longer on line). Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Taran, P. (2000). Human rights of migrants: References Challenges of the new decade [Electronic ver- sion]. International Migration Quarterly Review Girard, B. (1992). Introduction. In B. Girard (Ed.), A (Special issue 2), 38(6). Retrieved November 29, passion for radio (pp. 1–11). Montreal, Quebec, 2006, from www.migrantwatch.org/Resources/ Canada: Black Rose Books. challeges_new_decade.html