<amarc-s> FINAL DRAFT OF MILAN DECLARATION

[Elvira Truglia <elv@alcor.concordia.ca>]

N.B. The French and Spanish versions of this message will follow at a later
date.			


Hi all:

To reverse an old adage, this week seemed to represent "the calm After the
storm".  But "virtual" silence does not mean lack of reflection. 

I’ve tried to incorporate your feedback into amendments to the draft MD.
Here it is below; amendments are indicated in capital letters. Thank you
all for following [amarc-3] and for taking the time to contribute. The next
step is to bring the Draft Declaration to AMARC 7 for further discussion
and elaboration.

The discussion lists will continue to work for another couple weeks, so you
can still send your comments and suggestions of this draft to [amarc-3].
The Final Declaration will be posted to the list after AMARC 7. 


		THE MILAN DECLARATION ON COMMUNICATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS

					FINAL DRAFT
				      AUGUST 21, 1998

We the participants of the 7th World Congress of the World Association of
Community Radio Broadcasters, held in Milan, Italy, August 23-29, 1998 and
with the contribution from AMARC 7 Virtual Forum participants, July
20-August 20, 1998,

Recalling Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
states that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to
seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, and
regardless of frontiers",

ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CANNOT BE USED TO
PROMOTE HATRED AND OPPRESSION BASED ON RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, RELIGION,
PHYSICAL ABILITY, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, CLASS, OR OTHER DIFFERENCES,

ACKNOWLEDGING THAT FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IS A PRE-CONDITION FOR THE RIGHT TO
COMMUNICATE,

Supporting the fundamental principles of the UNESCO-sponsored seminars on
promoting independent and pluralistic media which resulted in the
Declarations of Windhoek, Namibia (1991), Alma Ata, Kazakstan (1992),
Santiago, Chile (1994), Sana’a, Yemen (1996) which asserted the
establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and
free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in
a nation, and for economic development, 

Acknowledging in particular the Declaration of Windhoek, for its importance
as a milestone in the struggle for free, independent and pluralistic print
and broadcast media in all regions of the world. And specifically referring
to The Declaration of Santiago,

"Recalling the American Convention on Human Rights (Pacto de San José de
Costa Rica),

Recalling General Assembly Resolution 59(I) of 14 December 1946, stating
that freedom of information is a fundamental human right, and General
Assembly Resolution 45/76 A of 11 December 1990 on information in the
service of humanity,

Recalling the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination
against Women",

RECALLING THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION (1965),

RECALLING THE UN CONVENTION ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS,

Recalling Section IV of  the proposed Universal Declaration on Linguistic
Rights (UDLR) -- soon to reach the UN Plenary for adoption – on
"Communications media and new technologies", in particular Article 35 which
states, "All language communities have the right to decide the extent to
which their language is be present in all the communications media in their
territory...",

And Article 38 which states,
 "The languages and cultures of all language communities must receive
equitable and non-discriminatory treatment in the communications media
throughout the world",

We affirm that everyone has the right to participate in online environments
by extension of Article 27 of the UNESCO Bill of Human Rights which states,
"Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the
community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its
benefits",

"Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material
interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of
which he is the author",

Supporting the fundamental principles of the Peoples Communications Charter
which endorses that communication and information services should be guided
by respect for fundamental human rights, and in the spirit of the public
interest, defines and confirms the rights and responsibilities of those who
broadcast and those who use information,

Acknowledging the Venezuela Declaration on Communication as a Human Right
adopted at the "Seminario Democratizar el Espectro Radioeléctrico" in Pozo
de Rosas, Venezuela, November 11-15,1996,

Regarding the situation in many regions of the world, where there exist
highly developed print and electronic media of which some are known
worldwide, and small and community media with very limited means,

WE DECLARE THAT:

1. Communication is a universal human right which serves and underpins all
other human rights and which must be preserved and extended in the context
of rapidly changing information and communication technologies.

2. The market economy is not the only model for the shaping the
communications infrastructure. People must be seen as producers and
contributors of information and not  be defined solely as "consumers".

3. New digital broadcast systems are leading to re-planning existing
frequency allocation and new approaches to regulation which risk further
marginalization of communication services run by and for citizens,
communities and social organizations.

4. While convergence between telecom, computing and broadcasting is
increasing the number of potential users, the telecom development gap –
measured by disparities in telephone lines per capita – supports the
division of the world into "haves" and "have-nots". 

5. The continual expansion of transnational corporations characterized,
among other things, by media conglomerates and concentration of ownership
increasingly threatens plurality, including the existence of independent
and community broadcasters.

6.  As elaborated in the Santiago Declaration, "Respect for pluralism,
cultural, language and gender diversity should be a fundamental factor in
our democratic societies and should be reflected through all the media".

7. Communications media have a responsibility to help sustain the diversity
of  the world’s cultures and languages, which should be supported through
legislative, administrative, and financial measures.

8. Community media can play an important role in strengthening cultural
rights, and in particular, the rights of linguistic and cultural
minorities, indigenous peoples, migrants and refugees by providing access
to the means of communication.

9. Access to the means of communication must be supported by education and
training to assist a critical understanding of the media and to enable
people to develop their media and communication skills.

WE CALL FOR:

1. international recognition of the community broadcasting sector as an
essential form of public service broadcasting and a vital contributor to
media pluralism and freedom of expression and information; 

2. support by governments, corporations and international institutions for
development of the right to communicate as a fundamental principle to
underpin the regulation of the convergent sectors of telecommunications,
media and information technology, including;

	- TELECOM REGULATION IN FAVOR OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTH-SOUTH
COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE,

	-NATIONAL STIPULATIONS THAT RECEIPT OF DOMESTIC FUNDS AND SUPPORT FOR
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BE CONTINGENT ON A PERCENTAGE OF THE FUNDING AND
PROJECT BEING DEDICATED TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS CAPACITY, 

	- MEASURES TO ENSURE GOVERNMENTS RESPECT THE RIGHT TO FREE AND UNHINDERED
COMMUNICATIONS; FOR EXAMPLE, TO PREVENT THE CREATION OF ARTIFICIAL DATA
TARIFFS OR "TOLLS" ON ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION, OR OTHER IMPEDIMENTS TO
TRANSNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS; THIS MUST ALSO BE MADE A CONDITION OF
RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID FOR TELECOM

3. establishment of standards, norms and measures at national, regional and
world levels, to enable and assist the current and future development of
independent community broadcasting services including: 

-rules to prevent the take-over and accumulation of community broadcasting
services by commercial companies 

- measures to assist adaptation to media convergence and new technology
including support for new forms of content  

- preservation of existing analogue frequencies used by community
broadcasters until such time as a digital replacement is available  

- assessment and monitoring of the impact of technological convergence and
regulatory change on the community media sector 

- support for the development of digital systems which are appropriate to
the current and future needs of community broadcasting services 

-measures to ensure that in the goal to establish "universal access" to
communications technologies, consideration be given to specific cultural
and social contexts and that there be consultation with cultural
communities to assess the adoption of only what is deemed to be
"appropriate" technology by those communities

4. the World Trade Organisation, and regional trading blocks, in the
context of the liberalisation of telecommunications markets to adopt
complementary regulations to prevent excessive concentration of media
ownership 

5. the ITU to ensure that frequency planning, technical standards for
telecommunications and radio, and development priorities take account of
the needs of non-governmental organisations

6. the establishment by UNESCO within the framework of the International
Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) of a Community Media
Fund to support projects for the creation of new community media,
adaptation of existing community media to new technology, research into the
impact on community media of technological convergence, and pilot projects
in new forms of community media distribution and community media content.

7. WHEN SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, THAT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE WORLD BANK AND THE IMF DEDICATE A CERTAIN
PERCENTAGE OF LOANS AND BONDS TO MAINTAINING THE CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND
CIVIC STRUCTURES OF COMMUNICATIONS

8. the community media sector to:

-establish an observatory to track transnational corporations and launch
international activist efforts to raise consciousness about the increasing
control these entities have on our communications future

- lobby for national and international measures to ensure new information
and communication technologies provide affordable access to citizens and
communities to establish new community media services

- develop community media programme exchanges and to build solidarity and
support for other community struggles in the world 

-[Recalling the Santiago Declaration] "(P)romote and support the training
of journalists, broadcasters and other media professionals, especially
those working in rural and marginal urban areas. 

-educate:
-CSO constitutiences by organizing colloquiums -- in partnership with other
institutions and the regulators themselves -- on the policy issues of
regulation
-regulators on the importance of a sustainable and pluralist broadcasting
environment
-communities on the benefits of community media and production

9.  the establishment by the community media sector of local, national,
regional and worldwide coalitions to work together through official and
alternative communications forums in order to promote communication rights
and to implement the measures called for in this Declaration.



Elvira Truglia
Editor, InteRadio
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters
Association Mondiale des Radiodiffuseurs Communautaires
Asociacion Mundial de Radios Comunitarias

International Secretariat
3575 Saint-Laurent Blvd. #611
Montréal, Québec  H2X  2T7   CANADA
Tel : +1 (514) 982 03 51	Fax : +1 (514) 849 71 29
Email: interad@amarc.org
WWW : http://www.amarc.org



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