The 1st Bloggers World Meeting has come to a close this Saturday (29). It has gathered for two days 468 digital activists, journalists, scholars and students from 23 countries and 17 brazilian States. The date for the next meeting has already been set for november 2012, also in Foz do Iguaçu.

At the closing panel, the “Foz do Iguaçu Letter” was approved. The document deals with the role of the blogosphere in building democracy – the main theme of the meeting. The Letter defends the struggle for freedom of expression; it is against censure or political persecution from public powers and corporations; it is for the creation of new regulatory frameworks for the media, for universal access to broadband internet and it is also against coercion and censure on the internet.

“Taking in consideration that this first meeting was organized in just two months, there is no doubt that we succeeded", said Altamiro Borges from Barão do Itacaré Alternative Media Studies' Institute. Communications will only go forward when the social movement takes charge of it, it won't be a half dozen bloggers and twitteres that will make the revolution. There were present in the meeting activists and trade unions' representatives from several social movements, such as MST and Via Campesina.

In Joaquim Palhares' opinion (from the Brazilian Communications' Enterprises and Entrepreneurs Association, Altercom), the democratization of the media in Brazil goes through the articulation of the alternative media, which was made possible by the bloggers' meeting and is also Altercon's work. “We must have as one of our objectives the democratization of the State's budget for advertizing which is the target of the main media's organizations, like ANJ (National Association of Newspapers)”, affirmed Joaquim Palhares, who is also the director of Carta Maior.

Foz do Igauçu Letter

The 1st Bloggers World Meeting, which took place in Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) from 27-29 October, confirmed the growing strength of the new media, with its websites, blogs and social networks. It counted with the presence of 468 digital activists, journalists, scholars and students from 23 countries and 17 brazilian states. The event provided a rich exchange of experiences and made it clear that the new media can be an essential instrument for strengthening and perfecting democracy.

As the main points of agreement of the meeting – which sought unity but preserving and valuing diversity – those attending set as priorities:

- the struggle for freedom of expression, which is not to be confused with the freedom publicized by the main media monopolies - these only curb the informative plurality. The human right for communications is today an strategic issue;

- the struggle against any kind of censure or political persecution from public powers and companies from the sector. They condemn the process of making censure a matter for the justice system and are solidary to those affected by it. At present, Wikileaks is an exemplary case of the persecution imposed by the government of the USA and by financial and entrepreneurial corporations.

- the struggle for new regulatory frameworks for communications that give incentive to public and communitarian means of communication; to further diversity and alternative media; to curb monopolies, cross-ownership and the inappropriate use of public concessions; to guarantee the access to a democratic and plural means of communication by society. With these objectives, the national States must have a leading role by setting their public policies to further them.

- The struggle for universal broadband access. The internet is strategic for economic development, to face social problems and for the democratization of information. The state must ensure this right is made universal. The internet cannot be at the mercy of private monopolies.

- The struggle against any attempt of coercion or censure on the intertnet. They are in favor of the neutrality of the net and for incentives for the creation of telecentres and other forms of digital inclusion. For the independent development of information technologies and to give incentives for the creation of free software. Against any form or restriction to access the internet, such as the taxes imposed today by the USA in its financial blockade of Cuba.

With the intention of delving deeper in these issues, and to intensify the exchange of experiences and to strengthen the new social media, the participants have also approved the organization of the 2nd Bloggers World Meeting, due to take place in november 2012, in Foz do Iguaçu. An international commission has been set up to reinforce this movement, to maintain its diversity, and to organize the next meeting.