Community Media/MARAA/Plan
MARAA - Bangalore, India
"We are part of all that we meet"
We started in February 2008, a group of 3 people with only a vision of what we wanted to do, and what we definitely did not want to do. With no investments, no office space, no clear future plan, it was a scary road ahead. However, we did have on project from UNESCO for setting up some of the first community radio stations in India. We knew that this project would keep us going at least for the first year. It did, and we took the plunge without thinking about it too much.
We're glad to say that today (12th June 09), a year has passed us by, and now we've doubled our staff, have more projects, and an incredible diversity even within these six people. Of course, it has been a challenge working in a horizontal organizational structure, but the merits far outweigh the risks.
Today we truly are at the crossroads, having consolidated our experience in community radio, but also gaining considerable experience and ideas in the field of gender, theatre, film making and also art practice and usage of public spaces. With a diverse portfolio like this, a collective decision will be taken by all of us, as to ascertain where we really will head to from here. Of course, we have shown a little bit of organizational intelligence, by hiring a third party who is consulting with us and guiding us on strategies for the future, and also fine tuning our organization so as to make this collective really work for us, rather than becoming a burden.
| Themes/Activities | Public Space/Art practice | Gender/Sexuality | Environment/Climate Change | Community Media |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workshops | Dowry & Violence; Sex Education Module |
| ||
| Campaigns | Release Dr. Binayak Sen | Fearless Karnataka- Violence against women | Hasiru Usiru - environment campaign |
|
| Research | Sex Education module | Local Community Media Center
| ||
| Mobilization/Dialogue | Theatre Jam- artistes' collective meeting | Fear and Gender in Public Spaces | Hasiru Usiru - Environment Campaign | Local Community Media Center |
Look at our home page for more information about our vision, core values etc.
