AMARC Asia Pacific founded at Jakarta conference

Jakarta, November 28, 2005. Community broadcasters and media activists
from 19 Asia-Pacific countries gathered in Jakarta 24-27 November 2005
at the first Asia Pacific Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters,
have founded a Regional Section of the World Association of Community
Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and elected a Regional Board of AMARC
Asia-Pacific to lead the new body.

Ashish Sen, Director of Voices (India) and newly elected President of
AMARC Asia-Pacific, said, on behalf of the AMARC Asia-Pacific Board:

"Legislation for community broadcasting, sustainability of the sector
and the protection of journalists, are priority areas for the
region. Cooperation within the region will be greatly strengthened by
this new network so that we can all share and learn from each other’s
experience. We are especially grateful to the Indonesian community
radio movement for hosting this conference and founding assembly. The
growth and vibrancy of the community radio movement in Indonesia is an
inspiration to us throughout the region."

Steve Buckley, President of AMARC International, said:

"The International Board of AMARC welcomes the establishment of AMARC
Asia-Pacific as a major step forward in the development of community
broadcasting in the Asia-Pacific region and a boost for defenders of
the right to freedom of expression. This week’s conference and
founding assembly have demonstrated the dynamism of the emerging
community broadcasting movement in Asia and the Pacific."

Participants at the conference unanimously agreed the "Jakarta
Declaration" calling on governments to put in place a conducive
legislative environment and regulatory mechanisms to enable community
radio to flourish in all parts of the region.

The Jakarta Declaration confirmed the need to uphold human rights and
freedom of expression and to promote these rights by all available
means. It also called upon governments, multilateral and bilateral
institutions to recognise community radio as a powerful medium that
can play a key role in the achievement of millennium development
goals.

Participants at the conference noted the particular role of community
radio in supporting women’s rights and gender equality and launched a
radio campaign, on 25 November, to mark the beginning of 16 days of
activism against violence against women.

The Board of AMARC Asia-Pacific is drawn from throughout the region and consists of:

* Ashish Sen, Voices - India (President)

* Sonia Randhawa, Centre for Independent Journalism - Malaysia (Deputy President)

* Shane Elson, Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (Treasurer)

* Bianca Miglioretto, Isis International - Philippines (Women’s Network Representative)

* Raghu Mainali, Community Radio Association of Nepal (Vice President South Asia)

* Gwendolyne Longid, Sagada Community Radio - Philippines (Vice President South East Asia)

* Matsuura Tetsuo, Kyoto Community Broadcasting - Japan (Vice President East Asia)

* Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, FemLINK Pacific - Fiji Islands (Vice President Pacific)

-ends-

Notes:

The Jakarta Declaration is available at http://asiapacific.amarc.org

The first Asia Pacific conference of community radio broadcasters
included delegations from Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Burma,
Cambodia, East Timor, Fiji Islands, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan,
Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri
Lanka and Thailand. The conference was also attended by international
speakers and observers from Canada, Kenya, Peru, United Kingdom and
the USA.

The Local Organising Committee for the conference included Community
Radio Association of Indonesia, Leskkud, Combine Resources Initiative
and TIFA Foundation. The conference was also supported by UNESCO,
Canadian International Development Agency, Ford Foundation, EED, Novib
and SDC.

AMARC is an international non-governmental organization serving the
community radio movement in over 110 countries, and advocating for the
right to communicate at the international, national, local and
neighborhood levels. AMARC has an International Secretariat in
Montreal. It also has regional sections in Africa and Latin America
and offices in Johannesburg and Buenos Aires. The regional office for
Asia and the Pacific is located in Kathmandu.

For more information, please go to http://asiapacific.amarc.org or
write to amarc@amarc.org

Marcelo Solervicens
Sec. Gen. AMARC
705 rue Bourget, bureau 100
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Tel. (1-514) 982-0351