Media, Culture and Communication Rights Network

See Full Thursday Programme

The European Forum of Communication Rights (EFCR) takes place the day before the start of the European Social Forum, and tackles one of the most important questions: how to bring together those working at different levels on communication rights - from grass roots activists working on practical projects and street level campaigns, to those engaged in lobbying and advocacy, to researchers and academics. Starting the day a series of keynote speakers, presentations and open-floor discussions will establish what is at stake in the information revolution: who owns what, who has the power, and what it means for us all.

"As the movement around Communications Rights gathers momentum, a multitude of campaigns are confronting the same issues from a variety of directions."

Focusing on the global issues of Security and the Surveillance State, Migration and Borders, and the Corporatisation of our Communication spaces and knowledge, the event aims to find common ground that links these varied strands together to produce vibrant, relevant and powerful campaigns.

Keynote Speakers Include:

• Dr Cees J. Hamelink has published over 250 articles, papers and numerous books on Communication Rights, and initiated the People's Communication Charter movement.
• Sean O'Siochru CRIS Campaign Ireland (Communication Rights in the Information Society) and Coordinator, World Forum on Communication Rights, Geneva December 2003.
• Dr. Claudia Padovani Dept. of Historical and Political Studies, University of Padova and CRIS Campaign, Italy.
• Roberto Verzola Currently the secretary-general of the Philippine Greens, Roberto Verzola was one of the founders of the progressive information and communications technology (ICT) movement.
• Ruth Ojiambo Ochieng Director of Isis-WICCE, (Women's International Cross Cultural Exchange) Uganda. Ruth Ochieng is also a member of the International Coordinating Committee of Women Human Rights Defender (WHRD) and WSIS Africa Gender Caucus.

Participating panel speakers and organisations include:

• Supinya Klangnarong, Secretary General of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform in Thailand
• Simon Davies, Privacy International
• Gus Hosein, Privacy International
• Mark Littlewood, No2id Campaign
• Hagen Kopp, IOM campaign
• Steve Buckley, AMARC
• Karen Banks, APC
• Arun Kundnani, Institute of Race Relations
• Ben Hayes, Statewatch

And speakers from Defy-ID, Indymedia Estrecho (madiaq collective), with more to be confirmed.