5TH World Social Forum, Porto Alegre

THURSDAY 27th JANUARY, ROOM D601, (translation available)

8:30 FIRST SESSION: Communication Rights: Building social agendas for
national action. Dennis Smith (WACC), Moderator

What do communication rights mean to people on the ground, especially when
they are denied them? Activists from CRIS Campaigns report on Global
Advocacy for communication rights and are joined by proponents of those
rights in various national contexts.

Introduction

Dennis Smith, (WACC): Introduction to Communication Rights
Seán Ó Siochrú, (CRIS): Communication Rights from Theory to Practice

National experience and responses. (15 minutes each).
- Bangladesh: Ahmed Swapan Mahmud (Voices)
- Italy: Jason Nardi
- Brazil: João Brant, (Campaign on Media for the People)
- Tunisia: Sihem Bensadrine (National Council for Tunisian Freedom)

10:30 OPEN FORUM

Tea/Coffee break 11:00-11:30

11:30 SECOND SESSION: Media by and for the People
Moderator Elizabeth
Robinson (AMARC)

APPROPRIATION OF ICTs AND MEDIA: (ALER/OCLACC)
"Creating a different public opinion". Concrete experiences of
democratization of the media and appropriation of ICTs in community radio.
Speaker: Nestor Busso (ALER)

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES OF EDU-COMMUNICATION:
(International Union of Catholic Journalists).
Edu-communication as a tool for the appropriation and critical use of the
media and information and communication technologies in processes of
education and citizen participation) Speaker: Ismar de Oliveira Soares
(President, International Union of Catholic Journalists).

THE FIGHT FOR THE RADIO WAVES: (AMARC)
Direct threats to community radio stations and practitioners have been
launched from both governments and corporations around the world and these
are increasing. Struggles for community radio continue along with a search
for sustainability. Speakers: Francesco Diario (AMARC) and Fatou Binetou
Mbale (AMARC)

MEDIA AND ICTs: GENDER PERSPECTIVE
Ten years after the World Conference on Women in Beijing, the women's
movement looks at the impact of the conference at the level of the news,
public opinion and the Internet, taking into account the progress on
women's rights and their contribution in the democratisation process in
communication. Speaker: Mavic Cabrera Balleza, (ISIS/AMARC)

GMMP
The Global Media Monitoring Project is a grassroots media monitoring,
research and advocacy project which aims to promote the fair and balanced
representation of women and men in news media worldwide. Speaker: Dafne
Plou (APC)

13:00 OPEN FORUM

Lunch Break 14:00 -15:30

15:30 THIRD SESSION: THE WAY FORWARD (APC)

DEMOCRATISATION OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE
An overview and analysis of the most crucial aspects of Internet Global
Governance and their impact on both new and traditional media as tools to
support the democratic process. The progress, the implications and
challenges within the realm of the World Summit on the Information
Society.
Speakers: Carlos Afonso, APC and Véronique Kleck, Vecam.

BUILDING A SOCIAL AGENDA IN COMMUNICATION (ALAI)
With powerful interests at stake, democratizing communication will only be
feasible if a wide range of actors taken it on as part of their social
struggles. The challenge is to build a social agenda around this issue.
Speakers: Osvaldo León (ALAI), Karla Oporta (Social Movements Information
Pool).

COMMUNICATION RIGHTS: AN AGENDA FOR ACTION (AMARC):
Overview: Impact of the security state, trade agreements, copyright and
public domain, digital rights management. Moderator: Steve Buckley
Respondents on the panel MJ Kim, Sally Burch, Paulo Lima

17:30 OPEN FORUM: WHAT IS TO BE DONE? BECOMING ENGAGED IN THE STRUGGLE
FOR COMMUNICATION RIGHTS: AN AGENDA FOR ACTION