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The following article is from the June issue of Videazimut's
publication CLIPS.  The theme of the issue is "Organizing for
Democratic Media."  CLIPS is published three times a year in
separate English, French and Spanish editions.  Subscriptions are
$US 10 a year in northern countries and $US 5 in southern
countries.  If you would like a sample copy, please contact
Videazimut with your surface mail address.

The People's Communication Charter

is an initiative of the Third World Network (Penang, Malaysia) and
the Centre for Communication & Human Rights (Amsterdam, the
Netherlands). Basic to the initiative is the observation that
across the world people face pervasive forms of censorship,
distorted and misleading information, stereotyped images of gender
and race, restricted access to knowledge, and insufficient
channels to communicate their ideas and opinions. The reality of
our communication environment reduces the capacity of ordinary men
and women to control the decisions that others take about their
lives. This 'disempowerment' violates the human entitlement to
dignity, equality and liberty.

To defend human integrity against this, communication should
contribute to the 'empowerment' of people. This implies the need
to improve the quality of our communication environment. This is a
tall order. Communication is an arena largely controlled by very
powerful interests. The media moguls and their political friends
will not voluntarily put their stakes at risk. The information
industries, the telecommunication operators and their large
clients, the intellectual property industries and the supporting
governments are not likely to act against the disempowering impact
of communication.

Moreover, in most societies people are at present not seriously
concerned about the quality of their communication environment. So
far the arena of communication politics has been ignored by
people's movements! People are more worried about the killing of
whales than about the disappearance of minority languages.
However, since our communication environment is as essential to
our common future as the natural ecology, it is time for people's
movements to focus on the production and distribution of
information and culture.

If people do not want to be surrounded by electronic surveillance,
political propaganda, or the incessant appeal to their
consumerism, they cannot be complacent about the existing
communication structures. If people refuse to be silenced and do
not want to live with a massive choreography of televised
violence, they cannot trust states and markets to accommodate
their communication needs. They will have to take responsibility
themselves.

An obvious problem is that information consumers are not normally
organised in representative associations. They are a diverse
community, geographically dispersed and ideologically fragmented.
It will be no easy matter to design effective mechanisms to
articulate and defend the needs of such a heterogeneous community.


A first step in this process could be the worldwide adoption by
individuals and movements of The People's Communication Charter.
This Charter provides the common framework for all those who share
the belief that people should be active and critical participants
in their social reality and capable of governing themselves. The
People's Communication Charter can be a first step in the
development of a permanent movement concerned with the quality of
our communication environment. In the Summer of 1995, the latest
version of the Charter will be distributed to all those who are
interested. All these individuals and groups will be asked to
indicate their support for the provisions of the Charter. After
this 'ratification' process all the signatories will be consulted
about the possibilities for implementation of the Charter. One of
the ideas that has already been launched is to organise an
International Tribunal that would receive complaints by
signatories and invite the parties involved to submit evidence and
defense upon which the Tribunal could come to a judgment. The
establishment of such a Tribunal could contribute to the awareness
that the quality of communication matters.

The Charter is not an end in itself. It provides the basis for a
permanent critical reflection on those worldwide trends that
determine the quality of our lives in the third millennium.

Prof. Dr. Cees J. Hamelink is Director of the Centre for
Communication & Human Rights.

111 Baden Powellweg, 1069 LD Amsterdam, the Netherlands Tel.: (31
20) 610 3991, Fax: (31 20) 610 4821, Email: hamelink@antenna.nl

The People's Communication Charter Article 3 People have the right
to receive opinions, information and ideas. This implies that
people have the right to be informed about matters of public
interest. This includes the right to receive information which is
independent of commercial and political interests, and the right
to receive a range of information and cultural products designed
for a wide variety of tastes and interests.

The People's Communication Charter Article 9 People have the right
to protect their cultural identity. This includes the respect for
people's free pursuit of their cultural development and the right
to express existing cultural variety through the media as well as
to receive a variety of cultural expressions. People have the
right to the protection of their local cultural space and
provisions for the protection of cultural heritage should be
established.

The People's Communication Charter Article 6 People have the right
to distribute information. This includes fair and equitable access
to media distribution channels and to adequate resources and
facilities.

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