Call to rebuild garifuna community radio Faluma Bimetu, Honduras

Radio Faluma Bimetu, OFRANEH, and COMPPA call for participation and
support in the reconstruction and re-launching of Radio Faluma Bimetu in
the Garífuna community Triunfo de la Cruz, in the Tela Bay, Honduras,
during the first week of February.

What happened:

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 6th, the Garífuna
community radio Faluma Bimetu (Sweet Coconut) based in Triunfo de la
Cruz was burnt down by unknown armed individuals who proceeded to loot
the station’s radio equipment. This is not the first time the radio has
been attacked and its equipment stolen.

In 2002, unknown persons stole the Faluma Bimetu transmitter and other
key radio equipment. The Garífuna people are in resistance to a slow
process of forced assimilation into the dominant culture by proponents
of the tourist industry and mass media; and subject to evictions by
corrupt corporate monopolies.

Transmission of Radio Faluma Bimetu began in 1997, promoted by the Land
Defense Committee of Triunfo de la Cruz (CODETT) in order to strengthen
Garífuna culture and defend ancestral lands.

Triunfo de la Cruz, like other Tela Bay-Garífuna communities, has become
a conflict zone since the invasion of venture capitalists, politicians,
and foreign investors attempting to seize community land for the
construction of mega–tourism projects. The Garífuna community radios
provide a social service to the community and do not generate private
profit. Transmitting from Triunfo de la Cruz, Faluma Bimetu is necessary
in the fight against Honduran elite, and its attempts to displace
Garífuna communities for more corporate development and tourism.

International Brigade

From the 1st through the 7th of February, there will be a national and
international brigade for the reconstruction and re-launching of Radio
Faluma Bimetu. During the week, the community, the organizations, the
Network of Indigenous and Garífuna radios in Honduras and Central
America and citizens of the world will gather to collectively
reconstruct and reinstall the house, production and transmission cabins.
We will reinstall electricity, paint the walls, remove and replace the
roof, rebuild the tables, put a fence around the radio, and reinstall
radio equipment (including mixers microphones, headphones, transmitters,
computers, CD players, and internet, etc.)

During the same week, OFRANEH will organize accompaniment (day visits
and overnight trips) with other radios of the Network of Garífuna
Community Radios: Radio Durugubuti Beibei in San Juan Tela and Radio
Sugua in Sambo Creek. Come with us and meet the people of OFRANEH, who
use community radios and popular communications to fight against the
censorship of Garífuna voices and culture.


Encuentro for the Right to Disseminate Our Voices:

On February 6th, exactly a month after Radio Faluma Bimetu was attacked,
there will be an Encuentro for the right to communication and for the
democratization of the media. It will take place in the same community
of Triunfo de la Cruz. Participants include representatives of the
Network of Indigenous and Garífuna Radios of Central America, AMARC
Honduras, Central America and Latin America, ALBATV (Venezuela), Rights
Action, COMPPA, OFRANEH and COPINH, among other regional, national and
international organizations.

Inauguration of Faluma Bimetu:

Saturday, February 6th, Faluma Bimetu will be re–inaugurated. The
inauguration will include cultural ceremonies, music, art, and
declarations against the politics of marginalization and erasure.

Solidarity and Support:

We need $7,500 dollars to rebuild Faluma Bimetu and get it back on the
air. Join our work party or support us with what you are able (5$
dollars and up). Raise your voice and help defend the communication
rights in this effort to rebuild Radio Faluma Bimetu.

Send your donations quickly and conveniently with PAYPAL or with a
CREDIT CARD, send your paypal donation to
encuentro at radioscomunitarias.info or make a donation via
http://www.comppa.org/wordpress

Or, send a donation directly to OFRANEH´s account in Honduras using this
information:
Account No. 3100023062, Banco Atlántida, SWIFT ATTDHNTE, La Ceiba,
Atlántida, Honduras C.A.

Finally, you can make a tax deductible donation by sending a check to
Rights Action.
Make the check out to "Rights Action" and mail it to:
• UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
• CANADA: 552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8

Please write "Ofraneh-Radio" in the memo line.

For more information on how to participate and support Faluma Bimetu,
contact us:
encuentro at radioscomunitarias.info
http://www.radioscomunitarias.info
http://www.comppa.org/wordpress


For more information please consult the following links:
VIDEO:
Antes y Después del Atentado Contra Faluma Bimetu
Before and After the Attack of Radio Faluma Bimetu

Collection of Denouncements, Audios, and Letters of Solidarity
http://honduras.mediosindependientes.org

OFRANEH:
Honduran Black Fraternal Organization, OFRANEH
Telephone (504) 4420618, (504) 4500058
email: ofraneh at yahoo.com
http://www.ofraneh.org

COMPPA:
Popular Communicators for Autonomy
comppa at comppa.org
http://www.comppa.org



A partial list of equipment stolen or damaged during the attack:
1 – 500 watt transmitter
1- 10 channel mixer
2- desktop computers
1- cellphone for the station
1- air conditioner
1- dvd and cd player
4- microphones (2 condensed mics and y 2 handheld mics)
2-digital voice recorders
2 – headphones
2- speakers
2 –portable microphones
1- building material ($500.00 corrugated metal roofing, paint, and lumber)
1- electrical wiring


As OFRANEH and COMPPA, our hearts and solidarity go out to the Haitian
people. To support the many rescue and relief efforts in Haiti, visit
the following pages and support their work:

http://rightsaction.org/Alerts/Haiti_Earthquake_011310a.html
https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquake&subsource=homepage

http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/1_12_10.html