Porto Alegre – January 27th and 28th, 2012

We, the participants of the III Free Media Forum, which took place in the context of the Thematic Social Forum in Porto Alegre between January 27th and 28th, 2012 are seeing the reaffirmation of the recognition that communication is a human and social right and a common good, whose defence should reach society as a whole and be the objective of the struggle of free media and the combined social movements.

Chico Whitaker, January 2012

The "future of the WSF"- less of its events and most of the process born from it - is a recurring theme in World Social Forums. From 2004 in all its editions there are at least a workshop to debate it. It seems to become more afflicting as time passes, organizers become tired, the number of participants in world events and meetings of its International Council decreases, the interest of large organizations and movements diminishes.

When are the winds of change going to cross over Saudi Arabia?

Cairo, 5 January 2012

ANHRI condemns the ongoing severe deterioration of freedoms in Saudi Arabia, as well as the arbitrary detentions of citizens and expatriates. Most recently, the Saudi Morality Police detained an expatriate in Riyadh in the New Year's Eve as he was walking on a street holding balloons on which it was written "happy new year 2012″. It is forbidden to celebrate this holiday in Saudi Arabia, and thus the Morality Police arrested him and handed him over to the competent authorities for investigation. The balloons have been seized.

The left-leaning Kol HaShalom (All for Peace--a wordplay in Hebrew that also means Voice for Peace) was on the air for the last seven years. Their studios are in Sheik Jarrah, East Jerusalem, and their shows and music are broadcast in Hebrew and Arabic.