Media: Embracing Hopes of the People!
International Forum
Globalizing Social Transformation
and Role of Alternative Media
Overview
w Title: Globalizing Social Transformation and Role of Alternative Media
w Date: 31st March (Friday) to 1st April (Saturday) 2006
w Organized by: People’s Media Chamsaesang (www.newscham.net)
w Sponsored by: Internet Media Network
w Venue: National Human Rights Commission auditorium, Seoul, Korea
Background
w Global Expansion of Anti-globalization Movements and Acceleration of Social Transformation
The Zapatistas uprising against the NAFTA in 1994 gave new impetus to a global movement against neoliberal globalization. The 1999 battle against the WTO in Seattle gave further justification to this movement through the collective resistance of the people against the WTO regime.
This ‘anti-globalization’ movement, with the development of the World Social Forum process, the global anti-war movement and international control of finance capital, is now growing into a movement for an alternative world with increasingly clearer view against capitalism and imperialism, and aiming for social transformation. Movements for alternatives are growing on local, national and regional levels, as can be seen in the spread of left governments in Latin America, which is showing new forms of social transformation on a national level.
On the other hand, in Korea, the movement against neoliberal globalization has grown, however, at the same time, the Noh Moo Hyun government is furthering neoliberal policies. The government’s policies are oriented towards further marketization and liberalization – as manifested by the recent announcement to start negotiating for a free trade agreement with US, which is expected to be challenged by movements.
w Growth of Alternative Media as Dynamics of Movements for Alternatives and Social Transformation
The role of autonomous independent alternative grassroots media, as against mainstream media, was very important in the growth of the anti-globalization movement. In Seattle, an IMC was set up to tell the entire world what was happening, and many alternative media developed in many countries and continents to convey the live voices of the people.
As neoliberal globalization expands beyond economic issues to politico-military issues such as wars in Kosovo and Iraq, many alternative media also developed in the third world according to religion, language or culture, independently from western media.
w Development of New Media and Expansion of Alternative Media
The development of internet and new media has led to development of variety of alternative media. Spaces for alternative media are opening up not only in the area of ‘old media’ such as newspapers and broadcasting, but also in the field of ‘new media’ based on the internet.
The formation of the WSF process, the global resistance against war and poverty, and the call for alternatives show that an alternative globalization is possible, necessary and imminent. Accordingly, alternative media must also strengthen international solidarity as part of the larger movement towards an alternative globalization – or globalizing of social transformation. It is too this end that this international forum seeks to share experiences of various forms of alternative media from different parts of the world, as well as trigger an in-depth analysis into tasks of media in order to promote ‘globalizing of social transformation’.
International Invitees
w Michael Albert, Znet, US (www.zmag.org)
w IMC (Indy Media Center) (www.indymedia.org)
w Telesur, Venezuela (www.telesurtv.net)
w Carlos Martinez, Rebelion (www.rebelion.org)
w Oiwan, Inmedia, Hong Kong (www.inmediahk.net)
Programme
[31st March, 2006]
14:00-15:30 Registration and Opening Ceremony
w Moderator: Hong Seok Man (General Secretary, Chamsaesang)
w Introduction to participants and greetings
w Welcoming Speech: Kim Se Gyun (Chair of Board of Directors, Chamsaesang)
15:30-18:30 Opening Discussion: Neoliberal globalization VS Globalization of social transformation
This session will look into current situation of international struggles against neoliberal globalization, the need for not just alternative globalization, but globalization of social transformation. It will also review the distortion of culture and media under free trade regime, and the role of media activism against capital domination.
w Facilitator: Lee Gang Taek (KBS Producer / National Association of Producers)
w Presentations:
The present situation and tasks of anti/alter-globalization movement: Michael Albert (Editor of Znet, US)
Changes in culture and media under free trade regimes and our response: Jeon Gyu
Chan (Professor of Korean National University of Arts, Korea)
w Panelists: Carlos Martinez (Editor of Rebelion, Spain) / Indymedia Center / Won Young Soo (Power of Working Class, Korea)
18:30- Welcome Dinner
[1st April, 2006]
In-depth Discussion: Globalizing Social Transformation and Alternative Media
These workshops will focus on the role and tasks of alternative media as part of global movement against neoliberal globalization and imperialism and for social transformation. The first part will focus on tasks of alternative media during specific struggles against neoliberal globalization, the second on alternative broadcasting against imperialism and capital, and third session on tasks of alternative media in the context of development in internet and so-called ‘new media’. The workshops will look into development and objectives according to the difference forms of media and prospects for cross-cutting solidarity among them.
w Facilitator: Lee Jong Ho (Internet Media Network / President of Ulsan Labour News)
09:30-11:00 Part I: Struggles against neoliberal globalization and independent media
w History of mobilizations against neoliberal globalization and tasks of independent media (IMC)
w Struggles against neoliberal globalization in Korea and tasks of alternative media (Media Cultural Action, Korea)
w Panelists: Korean Women Peasants Association, Buan TV (Korea), Oiwan (Editor of Inmedia, Hong Kong)
11:10-12:30 Part II: People’s Media and Alternative Broadcasting
w Satellite media against imperialism in Latin America: Significance and tasks – Telesur (Venezuela)
w Necessity and tasks for radical intervention into broadcasting area – Mediact (Korea)
w Panelists: Community Radio Study Group “Ssial” / IMC
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00 Part III: Internet and alternative media
w Internet progressive media crossing borders and continents of Spanish-speaking world (Carlos Martinez, Rebelion)
w Importance of forming network of progressive media in Asia (Oiwan, Inmedia, Hong Kong)
w Era of ‘new media’ and role of internet-based progressive media (Yoo Young Joo, Editor of Chamsaesang, Korea)
w Panelists: Michael Albert (Znet) / Jinbo Network (Korea)
15:00-15:30 Break time
15:30-18:00 Overall Discussion: Alternative media and international solidarity
This final session, which aims to culminate the previous discussions, will look into possibilities of international solidarity, across borders and languages, among alternative media.
w Facilitator: Joo Kyung Bok, (Chair of Chamsaesang Editing Committee, Co-President of National Association of Professors for Democratic Society)
w Presentations: Chamsaesang, Znet, Inmedia, IMC, Rebelion, Telesur, and facilitators of each session (Lee Gang Taek, Lee Jong Ho)
Introduction to People’s Media Chamsaesang
A new Korean People’s Media, ‘Chamsaesang’ (which means ‘true world’), took off on 1st May 2005, as an alternative media for the Korean left movement.
Neoliberal attack of capital is sweeping across the entire world. The Korean ruling class is pushing forth various neoliberal policies. As a result, livelihood of workers and people is under threat while social impoverishment is becoming increasingly worse. However, it is also true that the resistance and struggles of the people are also continuing.
Chamsaesang is a new media aiming to manifest the true lives and struggles of the people and to contribute to building an alternative society. The media department of Jinbonet (Korea's independent ICT network) became independent and transformed into the new people's media together with labour, social and media movements.
There is a need for a new people’s media at the moment in Korea, for various reasons:
w Impact of internet news service is growing, while progressive media is becoming politically diverse;
w Social contradiction is growing due to onset of neoliberal globalization, leading to a growing need for creation of alternative discourse;
w There is a need for a media that can play the role as planner, coordinator and formulator of solidarity for the people’s movement;
w Intervention into mainstream, institutionalized media is important as well as formulation of strategy for an alternative media movement;
w An infrastructure of media activists who can contribute to movements needs to be established.
Thus, Chamsaesang aims to become a media that:
w is independent from capital;
w can develop and disseminate alternative discourse;
w can play the role of day to day media as well as political media for people’s struggles;
w expands the public sphere against institutionalized, mainstream media;
w expands the networking of people dedicated to social change.
Furthermore, Chamsaesang is a media of workers, peasants, the poor, women, disabled persons, migrant workers, youths and social minorities. It will be financed by membership fees and social, public support, and will maintain financial independence. It will stay guard against neoliberalist and ultranationalist ideologies, and instead will strive to become a left media that is based on the lives, struggles, culture and alternative discourse of people as social agents.
Kim Se-kyun, (President / Professor of Political Science, Seoul National University)
Chamsaesang
Website: http://www.newscham.net
5F Jung-bong-won BLDG, 1-13 Chungpa-dong 1-Ga
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, 140-868, Korea
Tel: +82-2-701-7688
E-mail: chamss@jinbo.net
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