"The aim of this training manual is to introduce the basic concepts of journalism and its evolution in a way that the readers understand and acknowledge the responsibility of the task of informing the citizens. This manual aims to be a tool to strengthen community media as a way to the empowerment o
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f societies. The text is an introduction to concepts such as information, communication, propaganda, public opinion and the agenda setting process. We believe that it is necessary to understand how media work and to be familiar with the media structure in order to participate in it and influence it to change it, so that citizens feel closer to media." (Introduction, page 7)
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"What follows is a fascinating account of 50 experiments in empowering people— living in poor communities across the world—to seize control of their own life stories and begin to change their circumstances of poverty, discrimination and exclusion. Alfonso Gumucio spent nearly one year researchin
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g and interviewing sources for “Making Waves,” and has been actively involved in every phase of production. “Alfonso’s voice” is evident throughout this work, and it is a tribute to what makes him the ultimate communicator: he has the soul of the good poet and filmmaker that he is, combined with an unwavering sense of justice and fairness. Following the first introductory chapter—which explains the field of participatory communication for social change and how it is evolving—you will read 50 illustrations of the power of community decision-making and action. Many of the stories are about community radio. We hope you don’t find this tedious; but our research and conversations certainly suggest that community-based radio is one of the best ways to reach excluded or marginalised communities in targeted, useful ways." (Foreword by Denise Gray-Felder, page 1-2)
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"Ce qui suit, c’est un fascinant catalogue de cinquante expériences qui permirent à des résidents de communautés pauvres de par le monde de prendre le contrôle de leur histoire, et de commencer à changer les circonstances de leur pauvreté, de leur discrimination, de leur exclusion. Alfonso
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Gumucio a passé presque un an à rechercher et interroger des sources pour ce travail, et s’est impliqué dans chacune des phases de la conception. La « voix d’Alfonso » résonne dans toute cette oeuvre qui est un hommage à ce qui fait de lui le communicateur par excellence : il a l’âme du poète et du réalisateur de talent qu’il est, combinée à un sens inébranlable de la justice et de l’équité. Après le chapitre introductif sur le rôle que joue la communication participative dans le changement social et son évolution, vous pourrez lire cinquante exemples qui illustrent le pouvoir que donnent l’action et la prise de décision communautaires. La plupart d’entre eux relatent de radios communautaires. Nous espérons que vous ne trouverez pas cela fastidieux, mais nos recherches et conversations nous ont conduits à conclure que la radio communautaire représente l’un des meilleurs moyens d’atteindre les communautés exclues ou marginalisées, et ce de manière ciblée et utile." (Préface de Denise Gray-Felder, page 1-2)
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"In December 1991, upon the initiative of the London-based World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) in collaboration with Isis International in Manila and the International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC) based in New York, the concept of the Women Empowering Communication global conferenc
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e was crystallized. Now, over two years later, and after several planning meetings and preparatory work, the global conference. Women Empowering Communication in Thailand is a reality. Isis International, in addition to its principal role as a co-organizer, wanted to make a tangible contribution to the conference. Thus we bring to you this issue of Women in Action, a collection of articles on women's experiences in community media from the regions of Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific. The conference participants constitute representatives of women's networks, alternative media, grassroots groups, the academe and other disciplines. It seems only fitting that we share with them how individual women and women's groups have creatively expressed themselves in various media forms in the community setting. In fact, we have featured some of the participating groups in the conference such as Video SEWA, Sistren Theatre Collective, and Cine Mujer. These women have set inspiring examples of how we can utilize varying media expressions not only to attain, self-empowerment but also to improve the portrayal of women in media. They have shown us the similarities in the lives and struggles of women all over the globe, despite cultural and geographical boundaries. What is even more encouraging is that these women's voices come from the community. They have successfully explored in very creative ways the use of low cost media such as song, dance, street theater, drawings, posters, puppetry and flipcharts. There are many other women's groups who have done some very good work in community media such ; as FIRE (Feminist International Radio Endeavour), a feminist radio program in Costa Rica and the East Sepik Documentation Project in the Pacific. We also acknowledge the value of traditional forms of expression such as arpilleras and tapestries, woven stories on cloth by women in Chile, Peru and the Philippines and the khanga, a piece of cloth used as a communication tool by women in Africa.. What we have presented here is but a microviewing of women's experiences in community -media. In bringing this to the Women Empowering Communication conference, we join in the gathering of women i communicators who will enrich us with the breadth and depth of their experiences in media." (Editorial)
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