Community radio and social change in Haiti

I found this interview with Sony Esteus, director of society for social mobilization and communication, talking about the importance of community radio as a tool for social change in Haiti really interesting. It's something activists in the US should learn from. Here's a portion of it:

"For us, community and popular radio isn't an end in itself. It's part of a global plan of social change, of transformation of the society. We're going to continue to do popular education to change the mentality and behavior of people, as well as to denounce what's being done against the people today. As we move forward, we want to help people understand how to organize themselves and also how to fight the projects now underway, which are going to reinforce their poverty."

We need more than just the failed Air America experiment. We need a grassroots, social justice oriented media that speaks to the issues and concerns of ordinary citizens as well how to combat. Instead we have the right wing media machine which peddles in fear mongering, intolerance and militarism draped in the language of populism and patriotism.

Climate Ground Zero and a recent 9 day sit-in in the Coal River Mountain

Climate Ground Zero which describes itself as "not another environmental organization" but rather "an ongoing campaign of non-violent civil disobedience in southern West Virginia to address mountaintop removal coal mining and its effects on our future" has pushed the fight for climate justice directly at the source of the problem. This a press release from their most recent direct action:

"PETTUS, WVa—After blocking Massey Energy’s operations on the Bee Tree Permit for nine days, Amber Nitchman, 19, and Eric Blevins, 28 descended from their respective trees. They had occupied the two oak trees—originally accompanied by a third tree sitter, David Aaron Smith, 23—to protest mountaintop removal and the blasting of Coal River Mountain. Upon descent, they were immediately arrested by West Virginia State Troopers. The sitters’ decision to leave the trees was made in light of the recent drop in temperature.

After a week of Massey security harassing the sitters with deafening sirens and air horns, a call-in pressure campaign was launched by Climate Ground Zero, Mountain Justice and other anti-mountaintop removal groups. The receipt of hundreds of calls from around the country led to an emergency meeting with Climate Ground Zero volunteers, the Raleigh County prosecutor and Governor Manchin. The meeting resulted in the moratorium and a call for an investigation of the abuse.

The tree sit represents Climate Ground Zero’s most sustained intervention in mountaintop removal mining operations since its campaign of nonviolent direct action began last February. Volunteers know that the fight is far from over and expect work to commence on the Bee Tree site immediately. However, they see this tree sit as a victory. “It halted blasting for nine days. I think they’ve wildly succeeded with their goals,” said Climate Ground Zero volunteer Mike Bowersox. In a final communication from her perch, Nitchman captured the group’s resolve. “Its not over until the blasting is stopped,” she said"

They are an inspirational organization that reminds me of the kind of work SNCC and the Freedom Riders of the civil rights movement engaged in in the South to defeat formal apartheid. They are building an organic movement in West Virginia to defeat the interests of the coal industry that has wreaked havoc on the region for decades and establish alternative energy sources and jobs for the people down there. This work is essential to putting pressure on our government to take the problems of coal and mountaintop removal seriously and put their weight behind pushing investment alternative, clean and sustainable energy that can help these communities in West Virginia. It is the fight of our generation!