Alternative Media-Tech Convergence - Latin America

It is anticipated that the convergence will involve several complimentary parts, all of which focus on building connections between those involved in the field of alternative media. To start, during the first 3 days of the convergence, people already involved in alternative media and tech initiatives will work to consolidate current knowledge. Specifically, these experts will share experiences, construct a long-term vision, and articulate strategies. Sessions might focus on exchanging successful practicies and technologies, skills-sharing in the area of pirate radio (e.g., how to build transmitters), wireless strategies, and digital security and insecurity, among topics. Organisers expect that participants in this section will come directly from national and international groups from MesoAmerica and Latin America, many of whom already have the organisational capacity to sustain media initiatives.

The second part will involve an intensive, 4-day series of training and networking workshops (led by participants in the first session) that is designed to impart concrete skills to members of popular movements from civil society organisations seeking to learn about, strengthen, or develop their communication strategies. Examples of proposed sessions include basic and advanced workshops on video editing, digital witnessing, conducting interviews, writing press releases, and publishing on The Independent Media Center (or Indymedia). In addition to sharing skills, these workshops are designed to help create contacts between participants in an effort to bridge the gap between the information society and popular and grassroots movements from Mexico and Latin America by discussing ways to publish, disseminate, and archive information and productions.

The convergence will also include directed discussion and action related to the WTO ministerial. First, organisers suggest that preparations for an Alternative Media space will be simultaneous with the workshops and skills-sharing activities. This space, they say, will be designed as a democratic means of offering coverage of the events during and after the WTO ministerial. Organisers anticipate that newly trained communicators can go directly from their training sessions to covering the events, actions, and forums (and then conducting live broadcasts). At the end of each day of mobilisation, they will have the opportunity to re-convene, compare notes, and resolve challenges that arise. Second, organisers propose discussions about Global Media Control in an effort to spread awareness among participants about what the WTO means for media control and communication rights (like the relevance and importance of the ministerial agreements that will be proposed in Cancún to eliminate the current Cultural Exception that keeps the audiovisual sector out of the hands of the WTO). Also proposed is action on the part of alternative radio media for a call to independent and community radios from all parts to flood the meetings with transmissions and coverage of the events, using the internet to stream coverage of the global days of action and daily events in Cancún to each respective participating country, community, and organisation.

The media convergence also hopes to make equipment available for dissemination so that newly trained groups will be able continue their media work upon returning to their home communities. Organisers say that grassroots media technology providers have committed to bringing multiple sets of equipment to Cancún so that participating groups will be able to train with and possibly leave the ministerial with the tools they need to start work.

Communication Rights, Alternative Media, Technology.

Organisers claim that, there is a need to share information about the grassroots movement to create alternative media across the wide spectrum of contexts where this work is being done. Many of these projects describe their primary mission as the construction of media outlets that give a public voice to the realities and struggles of their communities, while at the same time strengthening the flow of information between other popular movements and their own. However, organisers say, "the obstructionist role played by corporate media in controlling access to the airwaves has provided little opportunity for these voices to be heard, let alone allow them to forge any dialogue with each other in ways that could lead to regional and international collaboration."

Cancún was selected as a place of convergence because many financially challenged groups from around the world will already be there (for the WTO ministerial). Organisers hope to facilitate the involvement and participation of members from campesino and indigenous grassroots organisations throughout México, Mesoamerica, and South America through travel grants.