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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><STRONG>World Press Freedom Day: AMARC Calls for
Communication Rights for All!</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><BR><FONT
face=Verdana size=2>The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters AMARC,
highlights <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>that civil society
broadcasters are the new frontier of communications. These women and men
broadcasters play a fundamental role in situations of conflict and natural or
climate change related disasters; in protecting and giving information to
populations and in reconstruction processes. AMARC calls upon States and
governments, and press and <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>audiovisual regulatory authorities
to respect their engagements for press and audiovisual freedom of
expression.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><BR><FONT
face=Verdana size=2>Community Radios all over the world should be able to
develop and work <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>in safe economic
and legal environments. Their broadcast rights should <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>be further recognized and reinforced.
Community radios are the ones that <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>allow the excluded and marginalized –
particularly women and the poor – to express themselves publicly and these
should be further recognized by <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the
international community. Civil society mobilisations and <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>constitutional reforms in Arab States
create unique conditions to go <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>from
a situation where authoritarianism and corruption as well as large Telecom
interests to a fair and equitable allocation of frequencies in <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>favour of civil society media, including
community radios.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><BR><FONT
face=Verdana size=2>AMARC salutes the 20th anniversary of the Windhoek
Declaration that <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>stresses the
importance of press freedom in the reinforcement and <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>preservation of democracy as well as for
economic development and calls for an extension of independence and pluralism of
the press to radio and television. AMARC calls for the establishment and
reinforcement of <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>audio-visual
regulatory authorities that are independent from <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>governments, private consortiums and Big
Telecoms as well as their inclusion in the constitution. These are essential
conditions for <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>broadcast that
respects pluralism and freedom of expression.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face=Verdana size=2>Through service to members, networking and project
implementation, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters AMARC,
brings together <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>a network of more
than 4,000 community radios, Federations and community <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>media stakeholders in more than 115
countries. The main global impact of <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>AMARC since its creation in 1983 has been
to accompany and support the <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>establishment of a worldwide community
radio sector that has democratized the media sector. AMARC advocates for the
right to communicate at the international, national, local and neighbourhood
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>levels and defends and promotes the
interests of the community radio <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>movement through solidarity, networking
and Cooperation. For further <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>information, go to </FONT><A
href="http://www.amarc.org"><FONT face=Verdana
size=2>http://www.amarc.org</FONT></A></P>
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face=Verdana size=2>---------------------------------------</FONT></P></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Verdana size=2>Bazlu<BR>______________________<BR>AHM. Bazlur
Rahman-S21BR<BR>Chief Executive Officer<BR>Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and
Communication (BNNRC)<BR>[NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN
Economic and Social Council]<BR>& <BR>Head, Community Radio Academy
<BR> <BR>House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 <BR>Post Box: 5095,
Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh<BR> <BR>Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501<BR>Cell:
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ceo@bnnrc.net">ceo@bnnrc.net</A> <A
href="http://www.bnnrc.net">www.bnnrc.net</A></FONT></DIV>
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