América Latina

Democratizing communication for people’s integration

ALAI

22/10/2013

Opinión

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In order to examine the principal challenges to the movement for democratization of communication with respect to the advancement of regional integration, as well as to strengthen the convergent communication spaces and dynamics created, and to draw up a common agenda, Quito, Ecuador will host a Latin American Meeting on the theme of "Democratizing communication for people’s integration" (November 4-6).

One of the signs of the times in the Continent today is the revival of the historic alternative of Latin American integration that finds expression in the establishment of ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America), UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) and CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States). In this context, in an endeavor to prevent, and in perspective, to nullify these integrationist dynamics, the Northern Power is seeking to redesign its strategy so as to recover and to amplify its control of the continent.

To that end, it has undertaken operations aimed at destabilizing governments regarded as "enemies" (as with the coup d'états in Honduras and Paraguay), has established an increasing number of military bases, has channeled "aid" funding for opposition to these governments and a very long "etcetera". All this, under the increasingly fine-tuned parameters of the so-called "fourth generation" wars, which are fundamentally aimed at winning over the 'hearts and minds" of the peoples involved. In addition, against the background of the global crisis, we have the introduction of factors of uncertainty that can either harm or favour the present trends.

In this context, the traditional weight of the media in political life occupies an ever larger dimension due to the fact that the media have come to occupy the space left by the collapse of traditional political parties, and with the finely-tuned orchestration of a virtual international "media consensus." It so happens that through this monumental barrage of voices, they have unleashed a permanent media campaign, marked by stigmatization and defamatory rhetoric that attempts to put in doubt the substance, the timeliness and the viability of integration movements, with direct or indirect attacks on their principal protagonists.

In the face of this situation, the issue of integration needs to be duly incorporated into the formulation of the social communications agenda that is in continual elaboration. Rather than reacting to particular points raised, it is a question of opening vistas in order to look at the global geopolitical scenario, so as to underpin responses of in-formation/communication, keeping in mind the fact of cultural neocolonialism resulting from imperial policies to "divide and conquer", implemented over more than 500 years, that have led to indifference, even animosity, hatred or xenophobia among neighbours.

Given all this, it is particularly relevant that the goal of democratizing communications is achieving significant advances in a number of countries in the region, in addition to the fact that in the rest it has at least become a significant factor in public debate.

In view of these considerations, as a new initiative to bring together actors committed to addressing these issues, the Agencia Latinoamericana de Información (ALAI) and the Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica (ALER) are organizing this meeting with the participation of representatives of alternative, popular and public media, people’s organizations and coordinating bodies from the region, as well as several public entities and authorities involved in the integration process.

https://www.alainet.org/en/active/68423?language=es