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Cultural Survival Announces 2018 Community Media Grants Project Partners

Photo: Radio Valley FM, South Africa

Cultural Survival and Toronto-based WACC are pleased to announce the second round of grants of our Community Media Grants Project Partnership, an initiative strengthening international Indigenous community radio stations' broadcast infrastructure and systems. Ensuring that Indigenous communities have a viable and critical medium for dissemination of news, information, community events, historical documentation, education and entertainment, the project aims to enhance community efforts to establish and ensure sustainability, capacity and networks of Indigenous community-controlled media. Twenty-two grants were awarded in nine countries (Mexico, Guatemala, Nepal, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, South Africa, Panama), totaling $149,000 to the following partners:

Valley FM, Khoi San Nation, Worcester, South Africa
Valley FM will produce 12 radio episodes to develop Khoi San leadership and use Khoi San voices to speak about identity, plant and medicinal knowledge systems, language, human rights and international movements.
 
Radio Janasanchar, Karyabinayak, Bhaktapur District, Nepal 
Radio Janasanchar will conduct eight public meetings with communities impacted by a government road expansion project that failed to obtain their Free, Prior and Informed Consent. Radio Janasanchar will also produce 12 weekly radio episodes based on interviews conducted during the meetings.
 
Radio Triyuga, Gaighat, Udaypur District, Nepal 
Radio Triyuga will produce six political debate programs fortnightly by hosting newly elected local leaders in taking questions from the public on the rights to mother tongue education, access to information and justice services in Indigenous languages, and the inclusion of women and Indigenous Peoples in local and national legislation and policies. Twelve radio documentaries will also be produced for broadcast on these themes. 

Radio Meeta, Lahan in Siraha district, Nepal 
Run by Tharu youth, Radio Meeta will produce, broadcast, and distribute to four stations 20 radio programs in Nepali and Tharu languages on: the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; ILO Convention 169; self-determination; Free, Prior and Informed Consent; customary laws, land, territories and natural resources; cultural and development rights; militarization and human rights; and women's rights.
 
Radio Bue Xhidza,  Bue Xhidza Nation, Rincón de Zapoteca, Oaxaca, Mexico
The community of Yaviche created their own telephone service and their own Indigenous University. Radio Bue Xhidza will strengthen their institutional capacity by creating a strategic plan to protect natural resources using a human rights framework and secure electrical alternatives for the sustainability of the radio. The acquisition of repetitive towers and radio connectors will also allow the station to reach ten other communities in the region.
 
Estereo Lluvia,  Mixteco and Chatino Indigenous Nations, Afro Descendant communities,  Oaxaca, Mexico*
Estereo Lluvia equipment was seized twice by Mexican police until they obtained a radio frequency license in 2017. Estero Lluvia will construct a broadcast cabin and office for the station on Indigenous government collective property. 
 
Radio Lak Lumal, Tseltal and Chol Nations, Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico 
Radio Lak Lumal will offer capacity building workshops in community journalism to 15 new volunteers. Twelve radio programs on Indigenous rights will be produced in Tzeltal and Chol.
 
Radio Muk’ul Lum, Tseltal Nation, Oxchuc, Chiapas, Mexico
Radio Muk’ul Lum aims to reach a total of 112 communities with the purchase of updated equipment, will build more capacity among station volunteers through internet use training and six technical and investigative journalism training sessions.

Radio Tsinaka, Nahua and Totonaca Nations, Tzinacapan, Puebla, México
Radio Tsinaka will conduct workshops on institutional strengthening to create procedures and policies and new board and volunteer structures. Volunteers will also be trained to do mediation radio, creating bridges of communication between government representatives and communities, and how to be community journalists. Two radio cabins will be constructed and better antenna will be purchased to reach more communities.
 
Radio Yuuyum, Maya Nation, Mérida, Yucatán, México*
Radio Yuyuum will visit sixteen communities and organize community dialogues on Indigenous rights and other relevant local issues. The information recorded from these dialogues will be used to create 16 radio programs to continue creating awareness, discussion, and action. Eight of these programs will include the voices of leaders that are currently experiencing relocation of their territory or other challenges based on their ethnicity. 
 
Coordinadora Nacional Ancestral de Derechos Indígenas del Pueblo Maya Ch’orti’ (CONADIMCHH), Maya Ch’orti Nation, Copan Ruinas, Honduras 
The newly established Ch’orti’ radio will consult with their ancestral leadership council about the future goals of the station and organize trainings for Indigenous women in radio production, on Indigenous rights, and Ch’orti’ culture. The community will also file to obtain an official radio license and build an online platform.
 
Radio Comunitaria San Juan Bautista, Kaqchikel Nation, Guatemala 
Radio Comunitaria San Juan Bautista will organize a forum about collective Indigenous rights in Guatemala’s legislation and international conventions and declarations. Radio programs on rights will be created and disseminated. The station will also purchase a transmitter to reach more listeners in San Juan Comalapa.
 
Radio Comunitaria Xyaab' Tzuul Taq'a, Q’eqchi’ Nation,  El Estor, Guatemala 
Radio Xyaab’ Tzuul Taq’a will create a strategic five year plan within a Maya philosophy and gender equity framework, continue capacity building trainings in radio production and editing skills, and the purchase a transmitter with more ports for internet.
 
Radio Nan Pix, San Idelfonso Ixtahuacán, Maya Mam Nation, Guatemala 
Radio Nan Pix will strengthen the knowledge and capacity of 40 Indigenous youth journalists in Indigenous women’s rights. Youth will create programming on human rights and collective rights of Indigenous women through ten workshops. Radio Nan Pix will also purchase  new equipment for the optimization of the radio’s capacity.
 
Radio Victoria, Maya Nation, Mazatenango, Guatemala
Radio Victoria, hosted by Comité de Desarrollo Campesino (CODECA), will create a strategic plan and organize volunteer trainings and new Indigenous language’ programming on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, decolonization, and the building of a multicultural nation. 
 
Radio Nasa,  Nasa Nation, We'jxia Ka'senxi-Corinto, Cauca, Colombia
Radio Nasa will organize ten training workshops on Indigenous communication for 20 community journalists, including Nasa, Afro-descendants and farmers and will create five radio programs about land rights and Indigenous organization, ten spots on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, interculturalism, and ancestral knowledge systems in Nasa Yuwe, three videos and ten articles about Nasa cultural practices and ancestral knowledge.
 
Tayrona Stereo, Kankuana Nation, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Tayrona Stereo will purchase new equipment and train youth, children, leaders, and Indigenous authorities in radio and audio-visual production, and radio equipment maintenance. They will create four radio programs about Indigenous women’s rights and natural resource protection and will survey their existing equipment and map the current reach of the station.
 
Radio Waishanÿa, Kamëntša Biyá  Nation, Putumayo, Colombia*
Radio Waishanÿa will train a team of volunteers, create a station board of directors, train radio producers to also be community investigative journalists, and build technical capacity of station staff to maintain and operate radio equipment.
 
Shipibo Radio, Shipibo, Konibo, Xetebo Nations, Ucayali, Perú*
Shipibo, Konibo, and Xetebo Council (COSHIKOX) have been working to obtain a radio frequency license for their territory. Shipibo Radio will continue the legal processes to acquire a radio license and will train community members in radio production and journalism. Shipibo Radio will also build a radio cabin and buy basic equipment for the new station.
 
Radio Kimsakocha, Kichwa Nation, Kimsakocha-Azuay, Ecuador*
Radio Kimsakocha will conduct eight training workshops for volunteers and launch permanent programming on Indigenous identity and rights for Kichwa people. The radio will also open spaces for the voices of different sectors to promote diversity within their programs.
 
Radio Ampara Su, Awá Nation, Ibarra, Ecuador*
Radio Ampara Su will organize training sessions for radio staff and board and build a team of youth broadcasters from the communities of Esmeraldas, Carchi, and Imbabura. 
 
Central American Indigenous Community Radio Network Gathering, Guatemala*
Cultural Survival will support the participation of 16 Indigenous community radio representatives, where at least half of the participants will be women, at the Second Gathering of the Central American Indigenous Community Radio Network in Guatemala in August 2018. This gathering has the goals to continue with their strategic planning and to select a new council.


First Indigenous Women Gathering for Community Communication Centres, Panama*
Fourteen Indigenous women leaders from seven Guna, Embera, Wounnan, Bugle, Ngobe, Naso and Bri Bri Community Communication Centres  attended the first gathering of women journalists in Panama in June. Topics covered included the state of youth within the justice system, the inclusion of women in communication, and good practices in accessing radio frequency concessions for Indigenous Peoples.
 
* Projects funded only through Cultural Survival
 

Radio Janasanchar in Karyabinayak, Bhaktapur, Nepal