Project: Think Different on Youth Urban Update this Sunday!

If you live in the Boston area, be sure to check out Project: Think Different's Program Manager, Melissa Krodman and artists from Empowerment: The Power to Break You Free this Sunday on WHDH-TV.

Melissa writes,

"This Sunday, Urban Update on local NBC affiliate WHDH Channel 7 will feature Project: Think Different's Special Youth Edition! Please watch June 18th at 11:30 am! (Right after Meet the Press) The episode will feature PTD's program manager as well as 4 young artists from our recent album release, Empowerment: The Power to Break You Free.

Kedaar Kumar from Heist, Iyeoka Okoawo, MC Lyrical, and Optimus from the Foundation Movement will discuss their own activism through music and how society can better support socially conscious artists who are utilizing their talent to affect positive social change.
Tune in on Channel 7 at 11:30 am, this Sunday!"

Facing the Media Crisis: Media Education for Reform, Justice and Democracy

Attend the Media Education Conference of the Year -
ACME's CONTINENTAL SUMMIT

October 6-8, 2006
Burlington, Vermont

Early Bird Registration Registration Ends July 14!

The Action Coalition for Media Education will gather media education experts, media reformers, public health advocates, interested citizens, and independent media producers at beautiful Burlington, Vermont’s Champlain College from October 6-8, 2006 (Columbus Day week-end) for our third continental media education Summit.

Founded in 2002 upon the principle that the above groups could work with and learn from each other to help solve today's media crisis, ACME National Summits already have attracted large groups to dynamic and exciting continental Summits in 2002 (Albuquerque, NM) and 2004 (San Francisco, CA).

ACME Board President Rob Williams writes, "In addition to GORGEOUS autumn foliage along the shores of the Lake Champlain, the Summit features FIFTY media-related workshops, and TWENTY plenary and keynote speakers, including 'Good Night and Good Luck' star David Strathairn, author Bill McKibben, journalist Amy Goodman, citizen activist Diane Wilson, U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Sanders, 'Killing Us Softly' speaker Jean Kilbourne, 'Net Neutrality' defender Jeff Chester, P.R. watchdog John Stauber, Prometheus Radio's Pete Tridesh, and a host of other exciting guests and events!"

ACME Summit 2006
Learn More and Register today!

Media Justice and Communication Rights Organizing Institute

The Center for International Media Action is asking media activists if they are "Interested in a Media Justice and Communication Rights Organizing Institute to build collective visions for change and develop political organizing and advocacy skills?"

If so, then take their "SURVEY to inform planning and let us know what you need!"

CIMA writes:

"For several years media activists have been discussing the need for ongoing opportunities for skill-building, collective learning, and long-range visioning and reflection. One strategy to meet these needs is a new Communication Rights and Media Justice Organizing Institute. The Organizing Institute is envisioned as an initiative to build political organizing and advocacy skills and strategies to transform media and communications systems to serve democracy, human rights and social justice.

Development of the Organizing Institute is being guided by a planning committee and coordinated by CIMA: Center for International Media Action and the Community Media & Technology Program at the College of Public and Community Service at the University of Massachusetts (Boston) The Organizing Institute will be shaped by and for media activists and advocates. With this in mind, we invite you to take an on-line survey designed for members of the planning committee and any activists, organizers, advocates working on media and communications issues who might be interested in the Organizing Institute. The purpose of the survey is to gather input on the kinds of resources and training offered through the Institute and to develop program components that are uniquely tailored to different groups working on these issues. Please send the survey to anyone you think might be interested.

The survey will take about 30-40 minutes to complete, and you can save it on any page and return to it as long as you are accessing the survey from the same computer. To exit and return to the survey at a later time, be sure to first save your responses by clicking "Next" at the bottom of the page, and then click Exit at the top right hand corner of the screen. To read more about the survey or take the survey, please click here.

PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR SURVEY BY JUNE 26 AT THE LATEST (so we can incorporate your input in the materials and preparation for the July 5th planning meeting).

If you have questions about the survey, or would like to learn more please send an email to cima@mediaactioncenter.org. You can also click here to learn more about the Organizing Institute.

Many thanks for your time!

The CIMA Team"