The Community Communication and Alternative Media section will be holding elections for one co-chair and one vice-chair positions, for the term 2023 – 2027.
The elections will be held online from 31 May until 16 June using the SurveyMonkey platform. Individual members and representatives of institutional members in good standing, who are also registered as members of the Community Communication and Alternative Media section are eligible to stand for a position and to vote.
The deadline to receive candidate statements was 17 May.
The current Head comprises two co-chairs, Amparo Cadavid and Vinod Pavarala, and two vice-chairs, Alejandro Barranquero and Andrew Ó Baoill. Vinod and Alejandro are ending their terms in 2023.
Read about the Community Communication and Alternative Media section
More information and timeline at https://iamcr.org/s-wg/elections2023
Candidates
For co-chair:
For vice-chair:
- Felipe Navarro Nicoletti (CONICET/National University of Río Negro, Argentina)
- Saroj Prasad Paudel (Nepal)
- Juan Ramos Martín (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia)
Statements
Vinod Pavarala (University of Hyderabad, India)
It is my privilege to nominate myself for re-election as Co-Chair of the Community Communication and Alternative Media Section (CCAM) of IAMCR. Four years ago in Madrid, I was elected as Co-Chair. During the 3 years of online conferences, the CCAM team kept the Section going with OCP, video panels, and pre-recorded sessions. But without in-person meetings, disappointingly, we haven’t been able to achieve to our full potential. As a result, my own role could only be as effective as possible under the circumstances. Therefore, my request for another four years to further the work.
Relevant expertise and experience:
I am a Senior Professor of Communication at University of Hyderabad (UoH), where I have also held the UNESCO Chair on Community Media since 2011.
I am the co-author and co-editor of books such as Other Voices: the struggle for community radio in India (Sage: 2007) and Community Radio in South Asia: Reclaiming the Airwaves (Routledge: 2020), and articles and book chapters on community media. I have addressed various international forums and national community media networks around the world. I am on the editorial boards of several international journals.
During the pandemic period, as the UNESCO Chair, I led our team in several initiatives to strengthen community media. I conceived and coordinated a series of 11 regional Global Dialogues on Community Media in the Post-Pandemic World with the participation of IAMCR members and practitioners. We held workshops for community radio practitioners in Bangladesh and Mongolia to leverage social media effectively. Our team published, through participatory consultations, a manual on Strengthening Gender Sensitive Practices and Programming in Community Radio. I have engaged with the Community Media Association of UK and worked with about 10 community radio stations in the UK to adapt the Chair-developed Community Radio Continuous Improvement Toolkit (CR-CIT), which is already available in India, Bangladesh, Germany, and countries in East Africa.
In these difficult times, the broad objective of our Section should be to sustain a community of scholars committed to researching the processes of community communication and their modes of resistance/negotiation.
Previous contributions to the Section:
I have been an active member of IAMCR and CCAM for 15 years. I helped organize the Hyderabad conference in 2014. I have regularly contributed to CCAM by reviewing abstracts, chairing sessions, and mentoring emerging scholars.
Commitment to promote diversity of participation:
I am proud of how CCAM reflects the IAMCR’s international and critical outlook as well as inclusivity. I would renew my previous suggestion to hold regional conferences to encourage regional dialogues and academic exchanges. With the growth of community media in Asia and Africa, I would like us to reach out to more scholars from these regions.
I will continue to leverage my extensive networks to support these goals.
I look forward to your continued support for a role in CCAM leadership.
Vinod Pavarala
Co-Chair, CCAM Section, IAMCR
vpavarala@gmail.com
Felipe Navarro Nicoletti (CONICET/National University of Río Negro, Argentina)
My name is Felipe Navarro Nicoletti, I am Argentine and I want to apply to represent the thematic group of community communication and alternative media. I have a PhD in Communication from the National University of La Plata (with a thesis score of 10 and publication recommendation), Bachelor of Social Communication Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires (with honors) and Professor of Social Communication at the Universidad del Salvador.
I currently have a postdoctoral scholarship at the National Council of Science and Technology (CONICET) in Argentina and a lecturer at the National University of Río Negro, Argentina. Likewise, in the last eight years I have participated in teams and research projects that refer to local territorial work and especially referred to digital communication and others about community, popular and alternative communication with a rights approach. Since digital communication I have worked alongside PhD. Víctor Manuel Marí Sáez of the University of Cadiz, Spain. With whom I have carried out work and research projects related to transmedia and popular communication. The most specific research of popular, community and alternative communication with a rights approach, continues to be under the tutelage and accompaniment of PhD. María Soledad Segura from the University of Córdoba, Argentina. With her and her research team we formed the team "Civil Society, rights and policies of communication and culture" and recently we have formed, at the national level, the "Network of researchers in Communication and Culture with a Rights Approach" from where we continue to do hard and sustained work.
My doctoral thesis has been about the socio-political and communicational dimension of community, popular and alternative radio stations in local spaces, the identity and citizen configuration of these stations. In turn, I have written articles nationally and internationally as public policies for community audiovisual media (https://ojs.austral.edu.ar/index.php/australcomunicacion/article/view/7…). Community radios, citizenship and identity, Alternative and popular communication in an interdisciplinary key and/or theoretical readings on popular, community and alternative communication; among other works (https://n.academia.edu/FelipeNavarroNicoletti). In turn, I have been able to participate in spaces, congresses, workshops and symposiums related to Popular, Community and Alternative Communication in recent years, being able to be aware of the reflections, tensions and new ways of exercising and practicing community communication. I have also evaluated doctoral theses and articles from journals specialized in the aforementioned topics, which also contribute to deepen the knowledge of the field at national and international level.
I consider that my work so far has been specialized in Community Communication, popular and alternative, as well as in its conceptual and practical derivations, having a necessary knowledge to coordinate, direct and/or orient a space like the one proposed here. I also have great facility for teamwork, exchange and dialogue; which would facilitate research and coordination of the space itself.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Dr. Felipe Navarro Nicoletti
CONICET/IIDyPCa/UNRN
f.navarronicoletti@conicet.gov.ar
Mi nombre es Felipe Navarro Nicoletti, soy Argentino y deseo postularme para representar al grupo temático de comunicación comunitaria y medios alternativos. Soy Doctor en Comunicación por la Universidad Nacional de La Plata (con tesis puntuada con 10 y recomendación de publicación), Licenciado en Ciencias de la Comunicación Social por la Universidad de Buenos Aires (con honores) y Profesor en Comunicación Social por la Universidad del Salvador.
Actualmente soy becario postdoctoral del Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONICET) en Argentina y soy docente adscripto en la Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Argentina. Del mismo modo, en los últimos ocho años he participado de equipos y proyectos de investigación que refieren al trabajo territorial local y sobre todo referidos a la comunicación digital y otros acerca de la comunicación comunitaria, popular y alternativa con un enfoque de derechos. Desde la comunicación digital he trabajado a la par con el Dr. Víctor Manuel Marí Sáez de la Universidad de Cádiz, España. Con quien he realizado trabajos y proyectos de investigación referidos a la comunicación transmedia y popular. La investigación más específica de comunicación popular, comunitaria y alternativa con enfoque de derechos, continúa siendo bajo la tutela y acompañamiento de la Dra. María Soledad Segura de la Universidad de Córdoba, Argentina. Con ella y su equipo de investigación conformamos el equipo “Sociedad Civil, derechos y políticas de comunicación y cultura” y recientemente hemos conformado, a nivel nacional, la “Red de investigadores e investigadoras en Comunicación y Cultura con Enfoque de Derechos” desde donde continuamos realizando un trabajo arduo y sostenido.
Mi tesis doctoral ha sido acerca de la dimensión sociopolítica y comunicacional de las radios comunitarias, populares y alternativas en espacios locales, la configuración identitaria y ciudadana de los mismos en base a las emisoras. A su vez, he escrito artículos a nivel nacional e internacional como políticas públicas para medios audiovisuales comunitarios, Radios comunitarias, ciudadanía e identidad, Comunicación alternativa y popular en clave interdisciplinar y/o lecturas teóricas sobre la comunicación popular, comunitaria y alternativa; entre otros trabajos (https://unrn.academia.edu/FelipeNavarroNicoletti). A su vez, he logrado participar de espacios, congresos, talleres y simposios referidos a la Comunicación Popular, Comunitaria y Alternativa en los últimos años, pudiendo estar al tanto de las reflexiones, tensiones y nuevos modos de ejercer y practicar la comunicación comunitaria. También he evaluado tesis doctorales y artículos de revistas especializadas en las temáticas mencionadas, que también aportan a profundizar el conocimiento del campo a nivel nacional e internacional.
Considero que mi trabajo hasta el momento ha sido especializado en Comunicación Comunitaria, popular y alternativa, así como en sus derivaciones conceptuales y prácticas, teniendo un conocimiento necesario para coordinar, dirigir y/u orientar un espacio como el que aquí se propone. Así mismo poseo gran facilidad para el trabajo en equipo, el intercambio y diálogo; lo que facilitaría la investigación y coordinación del propio espacio.
Desde ya, muchas gracias por su consideración.
Dr. Felipe Navarro Nicoletti
CONICET/IIDyPCa/UNRN
f.navarronicoletti@conicet.gov.ar
Saroj Prasad Paudel (Nepal)
I am writing to formally apply for the Vice Chair position in the Community Communication and
Alternative Media section. As a dedicated member of this section, i am eager to contribute my skills and experience to further the goals and vision of this group.
As a community radio activist i can deeply involved in media activism and organizing. Through my work in various community organizations, i have gained valuable skills in leadership, collaboration and management. In particular , my experience in working with alternative media outlets that prioritize margianalized voices has prepared me to take on this role.
I am excited about the oppurtunity to contribute my skills and experience to the Community
Communication and Alternative Media Section as Vice Chair. I am confident that, together, we can make a meaningful impact in promoting democratic communciation and advancing the voices of marginalized communities in the media.
Saroj Prasad Paudel
Treasurer, Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal (ACORAB)
Station Manager, Krishi Radio, Nepal (First and only Agricultural Radio Station Of Nepal)
spojhel@gmail.com
Juan Ramos Martín (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia)
I am writing this letter to formalize my candidacy for Vice-Chair of the Community Communication and Alternative Media Section.
During my personal and professional career, I have been able to join the work of the section since the congress held in Istanbul in 2011 and in subsequent congresses, formalizing myself as a member of the association and the section from 2018. Based on this previous relationship, I would love to be able to accompany from a more formal and involved position with the progress and development of the section, starting from the possibility offered by the Vice Chair position.
For more than 15 years, either from Academia or from international observation, I have been accompanying and supporting the work of organizations and community media in such diverse realities as Bolivia, Spain, Colombia, Brazil or Ecuador, among others. In my role as an academic-activist, having been a professor at universities in all these countries has allowed me to approach the diverse realities present in community and alternative communication, always trying to strengthen and build, from a perspective of collaborative research and horizontal work, the necessary spaces of relationship between both realities (activism and
Academia).
In my work with communities, I have had the privilege of participating in a wide range of processes, from the
search for and securing of resources, to the construction of forms of social sustainability of projects and,
more decisively, the strengthening of political organization structures, the construction of networks and the
drafting and advocacy of public policy proposals. From the academic world, I have also been able to
participate in many of the initiatives that have emerged in search of a relationship with social organizations
and activism, being a member of networks such as Tierra Común or ULEPICC (being part of the Executive
Board), as well as being part of the founding team of networks such as Community Media Forum Europe
(CMFE) or the Research Network on Alternative and Participatory Community Communication (RICCAP).
It would be a real honor and a pleasure for me to be part of the coordination team of the section,
understanding the enormous responsibility and advocacy capacity that IAMCR has been generating for so
many years. It is our responsibility to continue strengthening a model of academia that promotes
collaborative work with the communities and societies in which it is based, and I would love to be able to
contribute with my dedication and effort to achieve a more democratic research and greater impact for the
communities that make us up.
Juan Ramos Martín
Director
Communication, Languages and Information PhD. Program
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
juanramosm@javeriana.edu.co