OUR EXPERIENCE
Click on the logo for more information about the evolution of Sharing Our Future.
Meanwhile, let's look back at regional participatory communication initiatives which led incrementally to this developmental phase.
1. COMMUNITY EDUCATION NETWORK:
(a) Port au Port community television forums in 1993 and 1994.
(b) Communication for Survival Partner since 1995.
(c) Supports the Lourdes community television group.
(d) Sponsors Community In Schools Newfoundland.
2. COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS:
(a) Utilizes a participatory evaluation process using small format video.
(b) Implements programs of support for youth in schools throughout the region.
(c) CIS facilitators work from the schools to bring the resources of the community to the schools in support of local youth.
2. RYAKUGA COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS:
(a) Grassroots participatory communication facilitation with a decade of experience in facilitating initiatives (and workshops) in Newfoundland; Atlantic Canada; Central America; the Caribbean; Kentucky and Thailand.
(i) Facilitated the 1993 CEN community television forums.
(ii) Provided human and technical resources to Communication for Survival since 1995.
(iii) Supported the LRREDB 1996 public consultation; the Youth Power 9 Setting the Stage initial conference and the Youth, the Environment and the Economy conferences.
(iv) Co-ordinated the Communities In Schools participatory evaluation.
3. COMMUNICATION FOR SURVIVAL INITIATIVE:
(a) A partnership of community groups in Ramea, Burgeo, Lourdes, La Grand' Terre and Cap-St. Georges utilizing participatory communication tools to create dialogue on local issues within and between their communities. Funded from 1995 to 1997.
(b) The partners decided to continue the initiative post- funding. Initiated activities, such as community television in La Grand' Terre and Lourdes, remain onstream. Burgeo and Ramea have set up darkrooms available to the public while La Grand' Terre continues to hold community television forums with a paid co-ordinator. Both Ramea and Burgeo have set up community reporting programs for students. These programs are sponsored by the school and community owned cable systems.
4. LONG RANGE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD:
(a) A Communication for Survival partner.
(b) 1996 public consultation using community television forums.
(c) Sponsors Youth Power 9 as a representative of youth in planning local development.
(d) Supports the Youth, the Environment and the Economy participatory conferences.
5. ASSOCIATION REGIONALE DE LA COTE OUEST:
(a) Francophone groups have had experience in local television since the 1980s.
(b) A Communiquer Pour Survivre partner.
(c) Operates an FM radio station.
(d) Has hired a communications co-ordinator.
(e) Offers programming on a community channel with issue- based community forums.
6. BURGEO BROADCASTING SYSTEM:
(a) A community owned cable system which has featured local programming since 1987.
(b) Supports Communication for Survival community forums.
(c) Has paid a community television programmer since 1988.
(d) Utilizes local volunteers.
(e) Supports a high school journalism program.
7. RAMEA BROADCASTING CORPORATION:
(a) A community owned cable system with regular programming produced by volunteers.
(b) Supports a school training program for a youth community newscast (a CIS initiative).
(c) Supports Communication for Survival community forums.
8. CONSERVATION CORPS NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR:
(a) Initiated and supports a series of Youth, the Environment and the Economy conferences which utilize participatory community television and interactive web sites.
9. LOURDES COMMUNITY TELEVISION:
(a) A Communication for Survival partner initiated during the CFS process and a volunteer group which continues to operate the community channel.
10. DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (ROBINSONS/MCKAYS):
(a) Supported a Memorial University television transmitter project in 1984.
11. ISLE AUX MORT HIGH SCHOOL:
(a) CIS facilitators have been successful in a program of bringing senior citizens to the school to learn computer skills and use email to communicate with relatives nationally and internationally.
This process will be implemented incrementally in stages agreed to by local committees and communication facilitators.
1. The implementation is derived from lessons learned in earlier initiatives.
(a) People in local communities respond well to the community television public forum process.
(b) Youth are the best vehicle to carry out the technological implementation as well as the community reporting process.
(c) The CIS Newfoundland model of community faciliators working to bring the resources of the community toether in support of youth is a proven success.
(d) There is a history of local associations/groups working together for common goals.
(e) Newfoundland communities still retain an environment of intergenerational interaction and respect.
(f) The Newfoundland culture and "pride of place" is a logical base upon which to build a process of reflection, analysis and strategizing for the future.
(g) Newfoundlanders (as well as other Atlantic Canadians) who have moved to other parts of Canada still retain a strong sense of roots with their families and communities.
SHARING OUR FUTURE