In February, I traveled to West Africa with Indymedia to meet with media activists from Africa and around the world. To quote the IMC website, Indymedia (or “Independent Media Center”) is “a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media’s distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity.” Indymedia activists from around the world were in Dakar, Senegal for a “convergence” or gathering, intended to strengthen solidarity between African movements and other groups from around the world, build media production and distribution skills within these groups, and to provide in-depth coverage of the World Social Forum, which was taking place in Dakar at the same time.
IMC-Africa Convergence at the opening day demonstrations of the World Social Forum. Feb 6, 2011.
Over 50 people participated in this Indymedia Africa Convergence (which was the 4th Convergence to take place on the continent – 2004-Dakar, 2006-Nairobi, 2007-Bamako), and participants came from 11 different countries in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Mali, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea), 1 person from Germany and several others from the US.
My experience at the convergence definitely intensified my excitement about radio – and highlighted the importance of recognizing the local relevance of a particular information medium, and adapting to this reality. This past year, I have become really interested in both the technical and production sides of radio. As some of you might know (or listen!!) I began hosting a radio show with my friend Juell, as part of Radiohive Collective in New York. I worked with Clara from Democracy Now! and Newsic (on Radiohive) at the WGXC Prometheus Barnraising to build a 10Watt transmitter which we will soon be pirate broadcasting with. And I have filed several stories with Free Speech Radio News, which broadcasts on over 100 stations across the US. Working with DeeDee Halleck on the Waves of Change project has broadened my understanding of community media globally, and what functions on a local level (In fact, Waves of Change and Deep Dish collaborated with Indymedia to fundraise a good chunk of the budget that allowed more to participate in the convergence – including me!).
But to be able to get to know some of the people that I worked with at the Indymedia Convergence in Dakar, and learn about their local realities, brought my understanding of the importance of radio to another level. I met community radio organizers from Nairobi, Kenya (KOCH FM) and Soweto, South Africa (in particular Molefi Ndlovu from the Center for Civil Society, RASA FM) who work with youth from the slums to expose and discuss issues faced by their communities that are not covered by mainstream media. Molly Stentz from WORT community radio (Madison, WI – !!!) helped organize live radio streaming so that these radio activists from Indymedia chapters in South Africa, Kenya, and others, could connect and discuss their experiences with like-minded Indymedia folk in Madison.
Radio Live Stream with WORT in Madison Wisconsin.
Others that participated in this radio broadcast, and who I spoke with extensively throughout the convergence, included Jean-Baptiste from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who works to end violence against women and youth, in a country where sexual violence is chronic; Charles, a music producer from Zimbabwe who works with hip-hop artists to produce CDs with political messages (Soundz of the South), which are distributed to taxi and bus drivers since government censorship prevents any other form of distribution (stay tuned for Radiohive show next week 3/22, featuring his music and an interview I did with him!). I also had ongoing conversations with Jules, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide about French complicity in the genocide, as well as other ways that France continues to impose its neo-colonial policies throughout francophone Africa.
Alongside Mali Indymedia, and with the guidance of Norm Stockwell (also from WORT community radio in Madison, WI), we also had a workshop in which we built a radio antenna ourselves from materials bought in Dakar (I was one of the people that spearheaded this mission – definitely a challenge to find “SO239 connector” and “step-down transformers” and “coaxial cables” in a french-speaking country, when I know only roughly how to explain those parts and what they do in English).
I also got to meet Stella Chuku, from the Niger Delta in Nigera, who organizes radio shows with women from rural communities that are affected by oil extraction. Stella was also in charge of the cooking crew, which made food for 50 people every day!!! A big topic of conversation was the “peppe” (“pepper”) – Nigerian food was too spicy for many of the delegates, particularly those from Mali…
Stella Chuku and Russell Shoatz from Philly cooking. (photo by Amy Dalton)
Kebetkache Niger Delta Women’s Organization leads a march from the Convergence Center to the World Social Forum. Emem Okun (founder and Executive Director), is on the right.
Dorothy Ejuwa from Ugborodo Women’s Forum in Nigeria, who participated in the take over of the Chevron Oil Tank Farm in 2002.
Windy Grace Mamman and Dorothy Ejuwa opening their first email accounts…! (you can hear Grace in this radio piece!)
All in all, 15 women came from the Niger delta to participate in the IMC Convergence and World Social Forum. I spent a lot of time with them, teaching basic computer literacy, and helping them to open their first email accounts. This is a radio piece I developed based on my interviews with Stella, Grace, and Emem, which aired on Free Speech Radio News across the country for International Women’s Day Centennial (March 8th).
Nigerian women lead the struggle against environmental and social problems caused by oil companies The West-African nation of Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers, and while the industry has created billions of dollars in revenue it also has led to corruption, repression and devastated the health and environment of many communities. But in the Niger Delta, women are fighting back. FSRN’S Nicole Hummel files this report.
After the convergence, I got to travel with Sphinx and the Mali Indymedi group back to Bamako (capital of Mali) on a 48-hour bus journey across the Sahel to help with setting up a community radio station, which will be managed collectively by several different organizations (including: L’Association Malienne des Expulsés (Association of Malian Deportees), Coalition des Alternatives Africaines Dette et Developpement (Coalition of African Alternatives, Debt and Development), le Mouvement des Sans Voix (Movement of the Voiceless), and others..). The bus journey of over 1,300 km took two full days – we had to spend the night at the Senegal/Mali border because they don’t let people cross past 10pm, and customs forced us to get off the bus and search our bags at each city once we crossed the border. Everyone explained that this is due to AQMI (Al Qaeda branch that is in Northern Mali), which operates a large drug trade throughout the region, but a big part of it also seems to be corruption within the customs enforcement officers.
Mali delegation + Sphinx and Nicole traveling back to Bamako
Baobab Tree!
bags being searched… again.
Once in Bamako, I co-facilitated a workshop with Sphinx called “Demystifying Radio” about the technical explanation of how radio works, and helped interpret from English to French – the workshop was also explained in Bambara, a local language in Mali. I also helped to demonstrate the equipment set-up, and visited some potential sites for the radio with the local groups heading up the project. This week they are beginning pirate broadcasts in Bamako, feeling a sense of urgency to mobilize their constituencies through the radio.
Sphinx and Nicole facilitate “Demystifying Radio” workshop. Mamadou Coulibaly.
When Sphinx and I came back to Senegal before returning home to the US, we met with a bunch of people interested in forming a chapter of Indymedia in Senegal. Among the people involved, is a group of conscious hip-hop artists, Keur Gui, which is mobilizing many Senegalese people demanding the end of corruption in the government, under the head of Abdoulaye Wade. You can hear some of their music in West Africa Simmering . They are planning a huge demonstration on March 19, and see themselves as part of the same popular movements mobilizing for change across the Middle East and North Africa!
Keur Gui street art in Dakar.
Sphinx and I spent a lot of time together as a result of all of this work and travel – and he is a really amazing person! He was a core organizer of the convergence and a long-time Indymedia activist in exile from Cameroon, where he participated in the anti-government students movements of the 1990s. Here is an interview I did with him on Best of Both Worlds:
West Africa Simmering – Best of Both Worlds (Radiohive) From the Indymedia Africa Convergence, to a recent crackdown on hip-hop activists in Senegal, to women fighting back in the Niger Delta, to a new community radio in Mali… Tonight Best of Both Worlds explores the uprising that is simmering West Africa. Tune in for stories from women’s movements in the Niger Delta, music and updates from the musicians/activists of Keur Gui, and an interview with Indymedia’s Sphinx. Featuring music from the Lijadu Sisters (Nigeria) and Keur Gui (Kaolack, Senegal).
Soooo…!!! I’m still processing a lot of this experience, but it has already impacted my work. First of all, I feel a renewed sense of drive in the organizing and reporting work that I do. I also gained a lot of clarity into my identity as a white person from a wealthy country, and the role I can play in fostering solidarity as opposed to doing charity work. This focus on solidarity v. charity is based on an intentional critique of the NGO model that is rampant in Africa, which tends to be imposed in a top-down and controlled by the north. The solidarity model comes from a focus on supporting and collaborating with community-based groups and social movements that are community-driven.
LOVE + SOLIDARITY,
Nicole
Some other links:
http://imc-africa.mayfirst.org – the website built for the convergence that continues to be updated by all participants, includes audio, video, photos, and written reflections…
http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2011/03/72485.php – Nick from IMC Houston interviews me about the Indymedia Convergence in Dakar, especially looking at the radio in Africa, programming/logistics of the convergence, and workshops we had.
