| APrIGF 2023 Session Proposal Submission Form | |||||||||||||
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| Part 1 - Lead Organizer | |||||||||||||
| Contact Person | |||||||||||||
| Ms. Ritu Srivastava | |||||||||||||
| Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) * | |||||||||||||
| Jadeite Solutions Pvt. Ltd and Radio Bulbul | |||||||||||||
| Designation | |||||||||||||
| Director | |||||||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||
| Female | |||||||||||||
| Economy of Residence | |||||||||||||
| India | |||||||||||||
| Primary Stakeholder Group | |||||||||||||
| Technical Community | |||||||||||||
| List Your Organizing Partners (if any) | |||||||||||||
| Mohd Niyaz, Director, Radio Bulbul, CR Station mohdniyaz@gmail.com N A Shah Ansari, Director, Young India, CR Station ansari.youngindia@gmail.com |
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| Part 2 - Session Proposal | |||||||||||||
| Session Title | |||||||||||||
| Connecting Communities: Community Radio for Connectivity, Inclusion, Digital Rights, and Freedom of Expression | |||||||||||||
| Session Format | |||||||||||||
| Birds of a Feather (BoF) | |||||||||||||
| Where do you plan to organize your session? | |||||||||||||
| Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants) | |||||||||||||
| Specific Issues for Discussion | |||||||||||||
| In the last mile where there is no internet connectivity and feeble mobile signal penetration, Community Radios serve as the medium of communication. These radio stations also act as the voice of rural and marginalised communities. However with the advent of digitisation and reliance on the internet for every activity, the need to enable connectivity in the last mile is very important. Community networks come to the rescue and are based on the needs of the people, adding value and relevance to the community. However, setting up rural connectivity infrastructure is expensive and resource intensive. If community radio stations transition into community networks, they can have significant implications for digital rights. While community radio stations have long served as platforms for local voices and perspectives, community networks expand on this concept by creating decentralised and locally controlled digital infrastructures. The proposed session aims to establish the relationship between community radios as a medium to exercise freedom of expression and digital rights. The session will display from community radio stations to community networks and represents an exciting opportunity to promote digital rights and empower local communities. Proposed session aims to empower participants with the knowledge and skills to leverage CR station as a tool for promoting connectivity, fostering inclusion, protecting digital rights and upholding freedom of expression. The session will look into four parameters of exercising digital rights and freedom of expression – 1) access to information, 2) privacy and security, 3) Freedom of expression and 4) Digital literacy. Lastly, the session will establish these networks are built and managed in a way that is transparent, inclusive, and respectful of the rights of all users. | |||||||||||||
| Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF | |||||||||||||
| The proposed session is aligned with APrIGF’s Access and Inclusion track as it explores how CR station can serve as a powerful tool to bridge divides, safeguarding digital rights and promoting inclusivity and freedom of expression. There are around 5,000 community radio stations globally, over 70% of them are in the Asia Pacific region. Around 500 CR stations in South Asian countries are located in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The CRs in these regions act as a third communication medium to cater to the people who are living in rural regions and specifically excluded from the mainstream media, providing the platform to share their voices and opinions. These CR stations are traditional as well as emerging technologies when it is combined with community networks and explores the concept of connectivity and provide the last mile access to information services in unconnected regions. The proposed session will share successful case studies and best CR practices that have effectively contributed to access to connectivity and bringing inclusion and promoting digital rights. This session is designed for policymakers, civil society organizations, community radio practitioners, broadcasters, journalists, activists, educators, and individuals interested in the issues of connectivity, inclusion, digital rights, and freedom of expression in the Asia-Pacific region within the context of AprIGF. The outcome is to equip participants with knowledge, skills and strategies to leverage CR as a powerful tool for addressing the challenges of connectivity, promoting inclusion and upholding freedom of expression. | |||||||||||||
| Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right) | |||||||||||||
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| Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) | |||||||||||||
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| Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session. | |||||||||||||
| It is essential to have a diverse range of speakers who can contribute expertise and insights on various aspects related to community radio, connectivity, inclusion, digital rights, and freedom of expression. Omar and Mohd Niyaz have deployed the case study of CR Bolo which shows how CR station - Radio Bulbul has been providing low-cost connectivity within the surrounding. Suggested speakers represent community networks, community radio stations, policy and advocacy groups and technology and connectivity experts and have a deep understanding of the workshop themes, can provide diverse perspectives, and are experienced in their respective fields. Their expertise and insights will enrich the discussions, promote knowledge exchange, and contribute to the overall objectives of the session. | |||||||||||||
| If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for. | |||||||||||||
| Require an online facilitator for online Q&A Require rapporteur for session notes Collar mikes and wireless mikes for Q&A |
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| Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2023. | |||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||
| Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2023? | |||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||
| Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||
| Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||
| Consent | |||||||||||||
 I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2023. |
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