What happened to the American dream?

According to CBC news, U.S. authorities now have the power to seize and detain travellers’ electronic devices, including laptops and cellphones, and make copies of their contents at an off-site location, under newly disclosed customs policies.

The policy gives border agents at any point of entry into the United States the authority to also take documents, books, pamphlets and hard drives. The items can be seized from anyone crossing the border and may then be copied and shared with other government agencies, according to Department of Homeland Security documents dated July 16.

For a country many of us hold up as the paragon of freedom and respect, this is alarming.  Is this what fear and paranoia does to a nation?  What happened to the American dream?  Has it become the American nightmare?

 Click here for the full story

 

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: comment Comments Off August 2008

Using media to win hearts and minds

You’ve got to hand it to the Taliban, they certainly know how to work the media to further their heinous objectives. A report from the International Crisis group tells how the organisation is using a full range of media, from web-sites to mobile ‘phones, to tap into strains of Afghan nationalism and exploit policy failures by the Kabul government and its international backers. Using a website in the name of the former regime – the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan – they dispense leadership statements and inflated tales of battlefield exploits.

But for the largely rural and illiterate population, great efforts are being put into preaching and giving battle reports via DVDs, audio cassettes, shabnamah (night letters – pamphlets or leaflets usually containing threats) and traditional nationalist songs and poems. The Taliban also increasingly uses mobile phones to spread its message. And their strategy seems to be working. Even though few actively support the Taliban, the result is weakening public support for nation-building.

Little wonder one of the key recommendations is DON’T block the flow of information, but rather disclose more, in an open and timely manner, and in that way build morale. I sure hope they catch on, there’s a lot at stake.

Click here to read the full PDF report.

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: comment Comments Off July 2008

Disaster radio field trial a success

“Not only do I see the potential of radio in disaster mitigation, I can see it has huge potential for community development in India,” says Saji Varghese, a World Vision manager in the emergency response unit, who was a participant of the FIRST Response workshop and trial. Radio Ungal , 98.4FM, the Tamil FM station finally went off air at 3.30pm on Monday afternoon, 30th June, but the shortwave programmes in Hindi, Bangla and English continued until Friday 4th July. 

Enduring very hot humid weather and working with little sleep, the team successfully got the disaster response radio on air, distributed leaflets and radios in the community, interviewed listeners over the phone and in person. They broadcast throughout the 3-day trial period over FM and short wave. The trial has been a great success. The team have accomplished all of the objectives.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW FROM THE TRIAL

 

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Uncategorized Comments Off July 2008

Field trial is on air

The FIRST Response field trial participants endured a 14-hour bumpy bus ride, equipment glitches and power cuts to arrive in Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu) at 5am on Saturday morning, a few hours later than scheduled.  They quickly set up their equipment (including attaching the antennae to a drain pipe on the roof).  The FM station was live on air by 6:30am and they received their first telephone call from a listener about 7:15am, quite surprisingly.

Soon after the station had stabilised, participants went into the field to collect interviews from local people for both the FM and shortwave English, Hindi and Bangla services.  While the FM station is live in Tamil, focussing on disaster preparedness, while working under simulated emergency conditions, the Shortwave teams are focussing on the current flooding in North East India.

VIEW VIDEOS by clicking the links below

FIRST Response set up day one

Going on air for the first time

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Uncategorized Comments Off June 2008

Head of Asia Pacific welcomes FIRST Response trial

The head of the Asia-Pacific branch of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), Ashish Sen, says the FIRST Response training taking place in Bangalore this week is “the first step in the journey towards introducing mobile broadcasting in India for disaster management”.   He was speaking to participants on the first day of the workshop which will culminate in a field trial in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu.  Ashish, who is also head of the Community Radio lobby group, VOICES, believes that community radio will be a powerful force for the development of communities in India and that they are on the threshold of the first station being granted a broadcast licence in the next few months.   View video clip: ASHISH SEN ENDORSES FIRST RESPONSE INDIA TRIAL

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Events Comments Off June 2008

Responding to disaster - by radio

Tonight participants begin gathering for the FIRST Response (FEB Immediate Radio Support Team) workshop in the city of Bangalore which will be followed by a live field trial in the tsunami-ravaged city of Nagapattinam.  This is the second workshop and trial of its kind, the first (pictured) taking place in Legaspi city in the Southern Philippines which is prone to volcanic erruptions and the frightening phenomenon known as ‘lahar’.  

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Events Comments Off June 2008

TRAINING FOR DISASTER - ON RADIO

Tonight participants begin gathering for the FIRST Response (FEB Immediate Radio Support Team) workshop in the city of Bangalore which will be followed by a live field trial in the tsunami-ravaged city of Nagapattinam.  This is the second workshop and trial of its kind, the first (pictured) taking place in Legaspi city in the Southern Philippines which is prone to volcanic erruptions and the frightening phenomenon known as ‘lahar’.  

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Events Comments Off June 2008

History is made as Dadeldhura gets first radio station

History was made in the western Nepali town of Dadeldhura yesterday (Saturday 14th June 2008) when Aafno Radio, or “My Radio” 104.8 FM, went on air at 7pm local time for two hours.  This is the town’s first community radio station.  Congratulations to the team for pulling this off so quickly after the workshop in May.  The picture shows a panoramic view from the transmitting site (click on image to enlarge).  Dadeldhura is the first community radio station which is part of the CoRIN network (Community Radio Initiatve for Nepal) linked to the work of HDCS (Human Development and Community Services).

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Events 3 Comments » June 2008

Countdown to emergency radio trial in India

Feba’s involvement after the 2004 Asian tsunami and the 2005 Pakistan earthquake convinced me that if a radio station could be set up soon after a disaster, it could save countless lives.  With the breakdown of telecommunications infrastructure and the general confusion that follows a disaster, radio becomes a central focus to providing critical information and even coordination of resources.  It also provides a voice of hope, encouragement and comfort for those in desperate need.

To that end on 23rd June 2008, we begin a 5-day workshop in Bangalore, involving participants from local government, NGO’s, Community Organisations and broadcasters which will combine knowledge about radio and the unique environment experienced from disaster relief work.  Participants will then put their new-found knowledge into practice by running a real emergency radio station for 3-days.  Non-stop!  Just like the real thing. Simulating real conditions.  The trial will take place in Nagapattinam, in Tamil Nadu, which was devastated by the 2004 tsunami and which will form the backdrop for the trial.  The Nambikkai orphanage, founded by a remarkable man, Mr. Parameswaran, is kindly hosting the trial.  His amazing story of courage and hope after the tsunami can be read here: TURNING BACK THE TIDE OF GRIEF.

By the end of the trial we hope to have established a fully equiped and capable team which will be ready to respond to the next disaster in the South Asian region.   I’ll be providing daily coverage of the trial on the FEBA UK web site.  More soon…

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Events Comments Off June 2008

Donkey business

Don’t get me wrong I like donkeys.  They’re very gentle creatures who contribute so much to the economies in the parts of the world in which I work.  There are great stories about donkey heroes and one even has achieved legendary status having carried the world’s greatest historical figure in the last hours before his death in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.  Sadly in many countries they are often abused and overloaded as the following picture shows. 

 

So believe me I DO like donkeys.  But when I visited the donkey sanctuary in Devon last week whilst on holiday with my family, I confess to feeling rather annoyed.  This charity, which does great work at providing “care, protection and/or permanent security anywhere in the world for donkeys and mules”, received £13 million last year from donations - more than the Samaritans, Age Concern and Mencap combined.  At a time when most charities are struggling financially it seems to me bizarre, obscene in fact, that we give more to animal charities than children’s charities or helping the elderly.  Is this what the Charities Aid Foundation means when it talks about “the eccentric nature of British philanthropy”? Could we have possibly got our priorities wrong.

Posted by jonhargreaves Posted in: Jon's Journeys Comments Off June 2008

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