[eccr] Human rights and media conference

>We take immense pleasure in inviting you to
>'Opening spaces: Media and Human Rights' A Human Rights and Media
>Conference in Bangalore, India.
>
>Date: 4-8 May 2005
>Venue: Indian Social Institute, ISI, 24 Benson Road, Benson Town,
>Bangalore
>Overall Theme: The right to freedom of expression: The politics
>of dissent and breaking the culture of silence
>
>Please can you confirm as soon as possible if you can come?
>
>Do try make it!
>
>Registration:
>Please register as soon as possible since space constraints do
>not permit more than 150 persons in the venue at any one time.
>Preference would be given to those who stay for all the days.
>
>Registrations [includes tea, lunch and snacks]
>a. General @Rs 125 per day, or Rs 500 for the entire conference.
>b. Students, non-funded groups and more than 2 from an
>organisation
>@100 per day, Rs 400 for the entire conference.
>c. Sales: Rs 500 a day, Rs 2000 for the entire conference
>[includes 1 person].
>
>If you, or someone you know, would like to attend the conference
>and money is the only barrier, do let us know as early as
>possible [latest 24 April 2005] and we will make appropriate
>arrangements.
>
>If you would like to have accommodation at the venue [Rs 175 per
>day double room, Rs 300 per day single room] do let us know
>immediately.
>
>Registrations are done at
>1. Sangama, 13, Royal Park Apts, 34 Park Road, Tasker Town,
>Bangalore
>560052. Behind Hotel Harsha, Near Shibaji Nagar Bus Stand phones:
>2286-8680 and 2286-8121.
>2. Open Space, 125/1, Cross 15, Main 5, Block 2, R T Nagar,
>Bangalore
>560032 phone: 2353-4797
>3. Stree Jagruthi Samithi, 54/1, Old Gurupanpalya, Next to
>Munichinappa Kalyana Mandapa, Banarghatta road, Bangalore 560029.
>phone: 5760-9652 [10.30am to 1.30pm]
>4. Fedina, 154, Anjaneya Temple Street, Domlur Village, Bangalore
>[Contact Person: Mr. Pradeep] [Till 22 April 2005 only].
>phones: 2535-3190 and 2535-3563.
>5. SICHREM, Anjanappa Complex, 35 Hennur Road, Lingarajpuram,
>Bangalore 560084.
>phone: 2547-3922; 9886-333865
>6. iVolunteer, 99, Wheeler Road, Cooke Town, Bangalore 560005
>[Contact Anna].
>Ph 254 69242 Mobile 98451 50840
>
>
>We look forward to having you with us,
>
>
>Sincerely
>
>Anita and Edwin
>Bangalore
>18 April 2005
>
>--- concept note  ------------
>Opening spaces: Media and Human Rights
>4-8 May 2005
>Indian Social Institute, 24 Benson Road, Benson Town, Bangalore.
>
>Overall theme: The right to freedom of expression: The politics
>of dissent and breaking the culture of silence.
>
>Subthemes:
>The right to communicate.
>The right to be heard and listened to by the powerful/
>decision-makers.
>The right to fair access to broadcast media.
>
>The context
>Globally there is a strong and responsive civil society, a
>development and human rights movement that has special concern
>for women, children, Dalits and other less privileged. But this
>compassion has been within strict boundaries, with indifference
>and even hostility to those who venture beyond. Responding
>handsomely to clear, visible and sudden natural calamities, it
>has been rather indifferent to daily violations of human rights
>and the less visible, structural dimensions of the violation of
>human dignity. It is comfortable with charity, not with dissent.
>
>Through history, the role of human rights communicators has been
>to give voice to the voiceless, and to speak truth to power. The
>changing times make such plainspeaking difficult, subject to
>severe restrictions when possible. The rapid advance of
>communication technology has led to 'manufacturing consent' on an
>unprecedented scale. It enables the penetration of dominant
>ideologies into every public and private space, crafting
>individual and collective mindscapes. Market-led globalisation
>frames and disseminates a worldview that is presented as the
>'natural order' and the 'global consensus'--despite active
>opposition from a majority of the globe.
>
>This resistance has led to dissent being criminalised. The all
>pervasiveness of the market ideology has meant shrinking space
>for human well-being to be addressed, and that all those who
>promote a 'life centric' way of life and living to be carefully
>marginalised, pushed to irrelevance.
>
>Purpose
>There is a need for a collective search and reflection on how to
>move beyond these barriers, see where and how we have failed. We
>need to go  beyond charity. We aim to look at the challenges, and
>innovative uses of different media tools in promoting human
>rights and secure justice for all at all times.
>
>The Conference is a celebration of solidarity and a collective
>search for relevance, defining the role of human rights
>communicators in the changing context. We will discuss
>challenges, share information, build links and solidarity. It is
>to discuss and protect the space for the freedom of thought and
>expression. The challenges of negotiating the market, while
>keeping true to our values--the choices and compromises!
>
>New technologies and new forms of resistance give hope. Mobile
>phones can be used to resist occupation or have 'instant'
>protests.
>
>The event
>A collective process, that was as inclusive and broadbased as
>possible with wide ownership conceived and planned a get together
>to face the emerging situation head-on. It is owned by human
>rights and development communicators, who believe
>in the democratisation of media--its ownership, readership,
>production, distribution and content. It is rooted in the social
>justice and peace movements. Those involved will, ideally, be
>organisers and participants--and therefore 'owners'--of the
>process and event.
>
>In five days, 4-8 May 2005, the Conference will discuss the
>challenges in the entire media spectrum: from the traditional
>oral and folk forms to the electronic--internet and mobile
>phones--and everything in between: from print to TV. The sessions
>will be from the perspective of human rights communications in
>the forenoon: News media, features media, electronic and
>traditional media. In the afternoon it will be from the
>perspective of different social sections: Age [children to senior
>citizens], gender [masculinity, sexuality minorities, women] and
>Caste, Class and Labour. It will cover how they are portrayed
>in the media, the messages that are not given space, and what
>their real issues are. The final day will be performances of
>human rights communication artists.
>
>Participants
>Participants will be practitioners--writers, photographers,
>artists, motion picture, bloggers, students, youth...--and those
>interested, with all staying for all the five days. The exception
>would be some of the 'trigger' speakers.
>
>The total expected is ideally 100 participants, but could be upto
>200.
>
>The format
>The discussions will be in a 'fish bowl' format with 25 people
>sitting in the 'inner circle'. Of them, 20 would be 'discussants'
>who would  frame the issues, and lead the discussions. Five
>chairs would be for the others would want to talk. The 20 would
>preferably have [non-cumulatively], 50% women, 2 children and 5
>youth/students.
>
>The timings would be the same right through, but for day 1, which
>would be pushed by half an hour due to the inaugural. The design
>is to ensure that there are no parallel sessions so that all can
>attend all sessions. At the same time, more informal discussions
>would be possible in the evenings.
>
>Morning sessions [0900 TO 1230]
>[The main themes discussed would be current challenges and
>opportunities, and reaching out]
>Day 1: News Media/'Mainstream'
>Day 2: Features Media/'Alternate'
>Day 3: Electronic: Internet, HAM, mobile phones
>Day 4: Oral and Folk
>Day 5: Celebration
>
>Afternoon Sessions [1330 To 1700]
>[The main themes would be experiences, media in movements and
>movements in the media]
>Day 1    Age: Children/youth and media [Including a media code on
>children]
>Day 2    Gender issues: patriarchy, masculinity, sexual
>minorities, women's movements and the media
>Day 3    Class, caste and the media
>Day 4    Challenges and strategies: Convergence and cross-cutting
>issues: bridging the communication barrier
>Day 5    Celebration through the day
>
>Evening sessions [1730-19:30]
>Performances
>These performances would be those that will be discussed in the
>sessions the next day.
>
>Right through
>Exhibitions of books, still photographs and art.
>Film screenings
>Meet the author/director etc.
>
>-------oO(end of document)Oo--------

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Carpentier Nico (Phd)
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Katholieke Universiteit Brussel - Catholic University of Brussels
Vrijheidslaan 17 - B-1081 Brussel - Belgium
T: ++ 32 (0)2-412.42.78
F: ++ 32 (0)2/412.42.00
Office: 4/0/18
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Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Free University of Brussels
Centre for Media Sociology (CeMeSO)
Pleinlaan 2 - B-1050 Brussels - Belgium
T: ++ 32 (0)2-629.18.30
F: ++ 32 (0)2-629.28.61
Office: 5B.401a
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European Consortium for Communication Research
Web: http://www.eccr.info
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E-mail: (Nico.Carpentier /at/ kubrussel.ac.be)
Web: http://homepages.vub.ac.be/~ncarpent/
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