FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Agnes Portalewska
agnes@cs.org
(617) 441-5400 x14
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (July 19, 2016) -- Cultural Survival is pleased to announce the launch of our international Indigenous Community Radio Grant Initiative. The initiative will provide opportunities for international Indigenous community radio stations to strengthen their broadcast infrastructure and systems while providing training opportunities to their community journalists through a participatory and dynamic grants program. Overall, the initiative will enhance community efforts to establish and ensure sustainability of Indigenous community-controlled media.
This initiative is being launched with support from the Novo Foundation Fund of the Tides Foundation.
“Indigenous Peoples’ right to freedom of expression and information is the overarching goal of this initiative. The program’s intent is to ensure target Indigenous communities have a viable and community controlled medium for dissemination of local and world news, information, community events, politics, and education. Community Radio provides access to information in extremely rural areas and for these communities serves as a tool for local organizing, cultural and language revitalization, educational opportunities, information on lands and natural resources issues, women’s rights, and Indigenous rights,” said Suzanne Benally, Executive Director of Cultural Survival.
During the first phase of this initiative, some grants will be awarded in partnership with the WACC. WACC General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Karin Achtelstetter, said: "WACC is delighted to partner with Cultural Survival in this way to advance communication rights in keeping with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."
Starting in the fall of 2016, Cultural Survival and WACC will select grantees from our network of international Indigenous radio stations. First year grantees will be selected from four major regions, Central America, East Africa, South America and Nepal. Projects will be selected and mentored through a program design process based on the needs of their communities, best practices in the field, community values and capacities. Grantees will be selected with the criteria of immediate need, promise for continued success, and the ability to participate fully in the initiative.
“Cultural Survival has been working with the Indigenous radio movement since 2005. Today, Indigenous-controlled media is needed more than ever, especially when mainstream media often over looks and marginalizes Indigenous languages and issues. Daily, Indigenous radio journalists risk their lives to communicate essential information about human rights to their communities to defend their ways of life, lands, and resources. As an advocacy organization for Indigenous rights, it is our duty to support these efforts in claiming freedom of expression and access to information. It is our hope that over the coming years, many communities will benefit from this initiative,” said Mark Camp, Cultural Survival Deputy Executive Director.
About Cultural Survival
Cultural Survival’s goal is to support Indigenous Peoples self-determination and the advocacy of their Indigenous rights – the right to their lands and territories, the right to practice their cultures and speak their languages, and the right to control and sustainably manage their natural resources – so that they may determine their futures. Over 43 years of experience as a registered 501(c)(3) working with Indigenous communities has established Cultural Survival as a pre-eminent nonprofit organization experienced in global advocacy for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and with the expertise, partnerships, networks and communications to reach a global audience.
Our work on the front lines of advocacy with international Indigenous communities is predicated on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and our programming works to inform Indigenous communities of their rights, issues and threats affecting their communities. Our programs come from an understanding that the principles of community ownership, self-determination, informed citizenry, access to information and the freedom to organize and shape the future in a way consistent with one’s tradition, language, culture and community are the foundations of vibrant and durable communities.
For more information, please visit www.cs.org or email at culturalsurvival@cs.org
About WACC
With its vision of communication rights for all, WACC’s goal is to improve access to public communication and relevant information for poor, marginalized, excluded and dispossessed people in order to enhance their participation in shaping local and national priorities and actions.
For more information, please visit http://waccglobal.org/ or email at info@waccglobal.org
About NoVo Foundation
The NoVo Foundation is dedicated to building a more just and balanced world. Founded in 2006 by Jennifer and Peter Buffett, NoVo has become one of the largest private foundations in the world to support initiatives focused explicitly on girls and women. It also works to advance social and emotional learning, support Indigenous communities in North America, and promote local living economies. Across all of its work, the NoVo Foundation supports the development of capacities in people—individually and collectively—to help create a world based on mutual respect, collaboration, and love.
For more information, please visit http://novofoundation.org/
