The International Secretariat of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) is organising an international Symposium entitled « 25th Anniversary of AMARC: Development and empowerment through Community Radio ». The Symposium will be held November 7, 2008, at the McGill Faculty Club and Conference Centre, 3450 McTavish Street in Montreal, Canada.

The International Symposium will reflect on AMARC’s 25 years learning, and explore contemporary challenges to the Community Radio global movement. This event will bring together Community Radio practitioners, non-governmental organisations, development agencies and multilateral institutions’ representatives. We will count on the participation, among others, of Amy Goodman from Democracy Now as keynote speaker and Frank la Rue, Special UN Rapporteur on Freedom of expression.

The participants will reflect on the link between the communication processes facilitated by community radio and their contribution to achieve sustainable development, democratisation and social inclusion. The participants will also adopt the Declaration of Montreal. The Symposium procedures will also be published. For further information visit http://www.amarc.org/montreal

Through service to members, networking and project implementation, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) joins together more than 4,000 Community radios, federations and Community radios partners and stakeholders in more than 115 countries. The principal impact of AMARC since its foundation in 1983 was to accompany and support the establishment of a world sector of Community Radios.