AMARC Middle East and North Africa Conference:
« Community Media and the Arab Spring »
Tunis, March 9 - 10, 2012

The MENA Conference Agenda

The two-day conference will be highly interactive and explore themes that allow for exchange and systematization of experiences, capacity building and strategic planning. It will involve plenary sessions and workshops that allow for exchanges among practitioners, civil society activists, academia and regulatory authorities.

Parallel Activity: March 8

Cultural and solidarity activity, Women & Tunisian Revolution

First Day: March 9

Session 1. Arab Spring experiences on the role of communication rights in assuring a democratic, equitable and sustainable development.

Based on Tunisian, Moroccan, Egyptian, Libyan and Jordanian experiences, this session will seek exchanges on the diversity of experiences and the commonality of challenges in the transition to democracy in the region. From fundamental issues such as the economic crisis, poverty, exclusion, this session will contribute to define key strategies as well as the role played by community and social media elsewhere. Specificities of Mediterranean solidarity will be raised.

Session 2: Gender Equality & Women Rights

There is strong recognition on the role of community media in gender equality and on women empowerment through access to the media. The session will encourage reflection on community radio experiences in gender sensitive programming and strategies for inclusion on women in community radio.

Parallel Workshops for knowledge sharing and skills development

Workshop A : Voice: Social Media & Community Media, Radio production skills.

Workshop seeking knowledge sharing, development of practical skills and strategic planning definition on the use of digital platforms, social media and development of community media production and management.

Workshop B: Access to voice for a Democratic MENA region

On the basis of the community media accumulated experience the workshop seeks to facilitate knowledge sharing, develop practical skills and strategic planning definitions in advocacy and policy reform including coalition building and citizen participation.

Evening : Cultural activities

Second Day: March 10

Workshop C : Social Media & Community Media Radio production skills

Parallel workshop to enable knowledge sharing on the use of digital platforms and social media, strategic planning and practical skills development in community media production and management.

Workshop D: Community Media Social Impact and sustainability

Parallel workshop to enable knowledge sharing on community media, production groups, social media in reaching democratic and development objectives.

Session 3: Human rights, public policy and communication rights

Exchange among regulatory authorities, and freedom of expression and communication rights activists on international human rights standards and country level constitutional, legal and regulatory frameworks, to support communication rights, community media and media freedom, independence and pluralism.

Session 4: Tunisia Declaration

Debate on a policy declaration and on advocacy strategies, for reinforcing the capacities and to strengthen community broadcasting social impact.

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