July 10 2008 Sapporo Japan. The Japan group of the World Association if Community Radio Broadcasters, AMARC, annouced the end of a succesful ten-day coverage by the Radio Forum of the G8 summit in Tokayo and civil society alternative activities in Sapporo. The coverage was a first for AMARC Japan and was done in collaboration with AMARC global network in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe. You can view and download the audio files, scripts, and photos from the “G8 Radio Forum 2008″ website at http://www.g8-radioforum2008.org/

This very first attempt in Japan of establishing citizens media centres and alternative coverage of the G8 summit and its related events, seminars and workshops attracted great attention from Japanese society and strongly showed the presence and possibilities offered by Japanese and world independent, citizens, alternative, and community media. Japanese Mass media covered this radio forum in more than 20 shows and articles which are not always precise but helped Japanese people knock on the door of civil society and media.

This year the team of Radio Forum was made up by 10 Japanese and 13 community radio activists coming from all regions of the AMARC Community Radio Network. They were : (1) From Africa: Bedy Mbow (Jokko FM, Senegal); Moussa Pouye (Jokko FM, Senegal); Haby Diallo (Radio Belekan Kati, Mali); (2) From Latin America:Milza Denisse (Radio - Tierra Fecunda, Peru); Carlos Aparicio (Radiobembafm, Mexico); (3) From Europe: Sascha Klinger (Germany); Viviana Uriona (Radio Attac, Germany); Valentina Vella (Amisnet, Italy); Iscra Coronelli (Italy); Carlo Cascione (Radio Vallekas, Spain); (4) From North America Jun Stinson (United States); (5) From Asia: Imam Prakoso (Combine, Indonesia); Ahn Byong Cheon (Gwanak FM, Korea).

The participants contributed more than 30 Live Programmes (Over the air, Satellite); 70 Recorded Programmes; 21 Live Phone Reports and 81 Audio&Text Materials uploaded on the web. AMARC Japan will conduct a survey to all the participants this year to have feedback and reflection to help make radio forums more efficient in the future.

Through service to members, networking and project implementation, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters AMARC, brings together a network of more than 4,000 community radios, Federations and community media stakeholders in more than 115 countries. The main global impact of AMARC since its creation in 1983, has been to accompany and support the establishment of a world wide community radio sector that has democratized the media sector. AMARC advocates for the right to communicate at the international, national, local and neighbourhood levels and defends and promotes the interests of the community radio movement through solidarity, networking and Cooperation. For further information visit http://www.amarc.org

July 4 2008 Sapporo, Japan. AMARC Japan Working Group and CR journalists from all regions of AMARC, including Pulsar news Agency, have started the Radio Forum in Sapporo, Japan to cover alternative civil society activities as well as the official G8 summit, which is scheduled to be held from July 7-9, 2008 in Hokkaido.

The Radio Forum is based at the citizens media centre buildings in the city of Sapporo and surroundings of Lake Toya, where the 8 world “leaders” will meet and chat. The G8 members are Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, the United States of America, Canada (since 1976) and Russia (since 1998). Together, these countries represent about 65% of the world economy. The European Commission is also represented at all the meetings. The annual summits are the most visible elements of the G8 process.

The radio programmes will be broadcast through local community radio stations and live-streamed on the G8 Radio Forum website http://www.g8-radioforum2008.org. Furthermore, at the AMARC webpage, you may listen to podcast or download multilingual audio files in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Japanese to broadcast them to your communities.

Through service to members, networking and project implementation, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters AMARC, brings together a network of more than 4,000 community radios, Federations and community media stakeholders in more than 115 countries. The main global impact of AMARC since its creation in 1983, has been to accompany and support the establishment of a world wide community radio sector that has democratized the media sector. AMARC advocates for the right to communicate at the international, national, local and neighbourhood levels and defends and promotes the interests of the community radio movement through solidarity, networking and Cooperation. For further information visit http://www.amarc.org