FFD was again a lovely scene and event in Yogyakarta. It's been a year since our last visit to the festival and it was so fun to meet many old friends in the same place. Our friends from FFD gave us two days: Dec 6th to present our videos and Dec 9th to join a panel discussion about “Video Distribution”. The video screening went well and very interesting topics came up in the panel discussion.

In the panel discussion, we discussed several hot topics such as how to manage videos and we compared several method for archiving video collections. Many people wanted solutions that would make it easier to maintain, copy and distribute their collections.

There was also questions like 'How do we find a simple way to copy videos? How do we get permission for copying? What should we do if we're dealing with copyright? Also, there was time to talk about how to sell video documentary. Most of the speakers and participants agreed that selling a video documentary is still a hard thing to do these days. While there have been many excellent video documentaries circulating among friends, not many of them went to the “market”. It's as if people don't or won't buy a good video, but that may not be true. The real reason for the lack of sales is that, until now, all the tools and channel for distributing video are owned by big corporations or rich individuals.

Several people came with ideas about creating their own viewers in their communities by using new methods. For example using festivals and opening new spaces for youth to hang out could be options.

We were also eager to share thoughts on how cable TV and internet have changed our way of life and how these technologies are influencing videomakers. Keep in mind that the nature of these tools have forcing us to change the way we produce videos and in someway, the content inside.

At the end of the discussion, we came to agree that we also need to pay more attention to many old videos that are being host on our website. This is more about our responsibility to many of these video makers. There are several ways this can be done, for example, by helping to screen many of these videos, everywhere we go. And also to create more detailed information around each video, which is sort of a curatorial obligation to these old videos.

Check this:

https://www.engagemedia.org/Members/forumlenteng/videos/BILAL_OK.divx/view

https://www.engagemedia.org/Members/scottludlam/videos/climateofhope.mov/view

republished from GISWatch blog

New report on internet and democracy is dedicated to the Arab revolutions

Launching on December 10 --Human Rights Day-- the Global Information Society Watch 2011 report investigates how governments and internet and mobile phone companies are trying to restrict freedom online -- and how citizens are responding to this using the very same technologies.

Everyone is familiar with the stories of Egypt and Tunisia. GISWatch authors tell these and other lesser-known stories from over fifty countries including:

• PRISON CONDITIONS IN ARGENTINA Prisoners are using the internet protest living conditions and demand respect for their rights.

• TORTURE IN INDONESIA The torture of two West Papuan farmers was recorded on a mobile phone and leaked to the internet. The video spread to well-known human rights sites sparking public outrage and a formal investigation by the authorities.

• THE TSUNAMI IN JAPAN Citizens used social media to share actionable information during the devastating tsunami, and in the aftermath online discussions contradicted misleading reports coming from state authorities.

Other countries include China, Iran, Lebanon and Pakistan.

“Written by internationally-renowned experts, the report brings its readers easy-to-read and yet comprehensive articles, many with policy proposals, on the most important challenges protecting human rights on the internet is facing today,” says lawyer Matthias C. Kettemann, co-chair of the Internet Rights and Principles Coalition. “The report's country studies –which are in turn saddening, moving, uplifting-- shed light on how the internet can truly be a catalyst for change – and how it can be misused.”

In his preface to the report Frank La Rue, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression says “GISWatch 2011 offers timely commentary on the future of the internet as an open and shared platform that everyone has the right to access.”

GISWatch 2011 also includes expert reports from:

• Egyptian blogger Ramy Raoof on the the role of the internet in the wave of recent social resistance in North Africa

• Alex Comninos on revolutions and cyber crackdowns in the Middle East and North Africa

• Ron Deibert (Open Net Initiative) on cyberwarfare and counter-terrorism: implications for an open and free internet

• Joe McNamee (EDRI) on internet intermediaries - the border control guards who get to monitor and censor your content simply because they host your information

• Ben Wagner on Who profits from restricting speech?

Global Information Society Watch 2011

Internet rights and democratisation - Focus on freedom of expression and association online

Published by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Hivos

The report is available online for download from December 8. Watch this space for information about how you can buy a paperback copy.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Members of the media may obtain print copies of this and previous reports on request and interviews can be arranged with authors by writing to

Karen Higgs, APC communications manager

khiggs@apc.org

A video distribution workshop have been conducted from 2-5 Dec 2011, jointly by Engagemedia and ASTEKI, People's Association Television. About dozen of young people, mostly student in Pekanbaru came and participated. Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau, a province of Indonesia, located in the center of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. Indonesian official language was based on the Riau version of Malay language. Riau is currently one of the richest province in Indonesia.

Many students and young people now helping local news agency, Gurindam 12 (part of ASTEKI network), Bahana (student's monthly magazine), and SIAKvideo to cover news and stories about forest deforestation, illegal logging, poverty. This province is rich with natural resources, particularly petroleum, natural gas, rubber, palm oil and fiber plantations. However extensive logging lead to massive decline of forest cover from 78% in 1982 to only 33% in 2005. Engagemedia-ASTEKI workshop is aiming to share knowledge, tools, skills, to help these young people in this process.

Please check our flickr and ASTEKI page to get more details.