About
December 18
The mission of December 18 is to promote and protect the rights of migrants worldwide, with dignity and respect as basic values. Our goal is to ensure that the human rights of all migrants are recognised and protected effectively, and that an environment is created for migrants to be full participants in any society.
We promote an approach to migration policies that is based on existing international and regional human rights instruments and mechanisms. We do this through the implementation of the following programs:
1) International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers: The programme promotes the ratification and effective implementation of the UN Migrant Workers Convention. We are part of several ratification campaign initiatives, including amongst others, the European Platform for Migrant Workers Rights for which we host the Secretariat, and the Steering Committee of the Global Campaign for the Ratification of the Migrant Workers Convention. We are also a founding member of the International NGO Platform on the Migrant Workers Convention.
2) International Migrant's Day (IMD): We promote 18th December as an opportunity to celebrate the contributions made by migrant workers and members of their families as well as highlight their plight. Specific areas on our December 18 website as well as the Radio 1812 site aim to give extra impetus to the activities of migrant groups around the world.
3) Information Sharing: Using several communication tools, December 18 is constantly connecting with a worldwide network of organizations and individuals. We maintain a multilingual website on migration issues creating an international platform for the aggregation and distribution of information produced primarily by civil society actors. Our electronic bulletin MIGRANT.NEWS is distributed in three languages among some 2000 migrant organizations, international agencies, intergovernmental organizations and individuals worldwide.
A number of private foundations, government agencies and international organisations have supported our work over recent years: Inter Pares, Oxfam-Novib, UNESCO, the Flemish Government, Nationale Loterij (Belgium), the Network of European Foundations for Innovative Cooperation (NEF), Atlantic Philanthropies and the King Baudouin Foundation.
To find out more, please go to: www.december18.net or contact info@december18.net.
Radio 1812
What is Radio 1812?
Radio 1812 is an initiative of December 18, the International Advocacy and Resource Centre on the Human Rights of Migrant Workers. It is a global event dedicated to International Migrants Day, producing and broadcasting programmes from radios worldwide.
On 18 December 2006, kicking off with broadcasts in Asia, programming on the issue moved across time zones to reach the west coast of the Americas; an amazing 54 radio stations in more than 25 countries participated in the event.
Radio 1812 also brought together interviews by high profile contributors such as Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as opinion pieces on international migration issues contributed by well know migrant rights activists.
To find out more about what happened last year, click here.
Why Radio 1812?
Since 2000, the international community has used 18th of December, International Migrants Day, to highlight the human rights of migrants. Making migrant voices heard is the common thread throughout International Migrants Day events and this is precisely what is at the heart of Radio 1812: linking communities worldwide around the pressing and ever present issue of migrant rights.
What will Radio 1812 do?
To provide extra impetus to the activities of International Migrants Day, Radio 1812 encourages broadcasters and migrant organisations to:
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Contribute and share with others their existing audio material on migration on the Radio 1812 website in the months leading up to 18th of December.
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Broadcast and share programming on the 18th of December 2007, therefore contributing to the only global migration broadcast event.
How can YOU get involved?
Radio 1812 cannot happen without you, so get involved and make sure you are part of the biggest radio event ever! The team behind Radio1812 invites you to take part in this global audio event with the aim to involve more countries, radios, migrant organisations and concerned citizens all around the world in the celebrations for International Migrants Day on 18 December 2007.
To take part in Radio 1812, either as a radio station, as a migrant group wishing to organise activities for International Migrants Day, or to take part as a volunteer, please contact the Radio 1812 team at: radio1812@december18.net and tune in on www.radio1812.net.
This site
Making migrants voices heard is the common thread throughout the activities that will take place during 18th December, International Migrants Day. And this is precisely what is at the heart of Radio 1812: a global radio event that celebrates International Migrants Day.
We hope to make this experience pleasant and exciting for you all, so here is a quick overview of what you will find on this site and how you can take part:
Radio 1812’s home page functions as an “à la carte” menu for the rest of the site, highlighting the exciting things happening on the site, the most interesting audios, the thought-provoking issues discussed or presented on the site, how to remain informed through our RSS feed and mailing list, and much more…
Well you are there now! This will give you a bit more background on who is behind Radio 1812, why we thought this was an important project and the other initiatives that December 18 is regularly involved in.
This is where it’s at! Radio programmes broadcasted in the run up and during 18th December will be made available on this section from radio contributors around the world that have committed to broadcast at least one programme on migration during that day. Anyone can listen, browse and download any programme on Radio 1812, but only registered users will be able to upload radio content.
To become a registered user, simply click on Create a New Account in the User Login box on the left handside. A login and password will be sent to your email.
Adding comments on the site is currently allowed for registered users, however Radio 1812 editors reserve the right to change access to these functions at any time and to take down any content deemed offensive or promoting violence or giving way to spam.
In this section you’ll find:
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information and suggestions for you to take part in IMD activities and in Radio 1812 either as radio broadcasters, migrant groups or as an individual.
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Radio1812 logo, banners to download and jingles in various languages for you to download as well, broadcast or adapt to your needs.
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Scripts for this year’s jingles in five languages.
To find out more about international migration we strongly recommend that you visit the site http://www.december18.net/.
This section contains information relevant to any media interested in the Radio 1812 initiative, with an FAQ on the Radio 1812 initiative and December 18, contact details, listing of events that you might want to link to and contacts for interviews. Content produced by Radio 1812 is also available, such as interviews, media releases and any press coverage of the project.
This section provides basic information on the field of migration as well as thought-provoking and engaging peaces from professionals in the field (these opinion pieces will be published in the run up to the 18th of December celebrations). The thematic briefings are short documents presenting key issues that are critical to the field of migration. They also provide further links for contact organisations specializing on these issues and links to relevant websites that carry more in-depth information. This is for anyone new to the migration field or looking for inspiration, angles, ideas for programming on migration.
If you want to get a taste of Radio 1812, why don’t you just visit our 2006 edition? Left as it was last year, you will be able to access all the audio programmes uploaded before, during and after 18 December 2006, the opinion pieces and interviews from our guests, our 2006 report, a full list of all the radios that participated and much more.
…and to keep up to date with Radio1812
Our RSS feed will keep you up to date with any new content coming in to our site. No need to trawl through hundreds of sites on the web, we will do the hard work for you! You just need to register to our Radio 1812 RSS feeds.
We also strongly recommend that you register to one of our mailing lists where all logistic information on taking part in Radio 1812 will be posted. These lists are mostly active in the run up to December 18 and on the day.
We make sure that you receive the information you need at the time you need! Lists are available in: English, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch. For any further information about the site or Radio 1812, please send an email to: radio1812@december18.net.
Disclaimer
Radio 1812 is an online inter-active initiative launched by December 18, open to input from audiences worldwide. Therefore written and audio content contained on this website do not necessarily reflect the views of December 18 or its board, or the following supporting agencies: UNESCO, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Nationale Loterij (Belgium), Taiwan Foundation for Democracy. Editors have authority over the site and will remove any content deemed unsuitable.
All content on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported and anyone uploading audio content on this site agrees to participate under this copyright regime.
Please do not upload copyrighted material without proper authorization or license. You might be asked to provide proof of license should any legal challenge be made against December 18 on grounds of copyright infringement.
The team
Marie d'Auchamp - Geneva – Coordinator Francophone Regions
Marie is a Human Rights lawyer who has worked with several Human Rights NGOs in Geneva. Lately, she has specialised in advocacy for migrants rights at the international level and she started as December 18 Geneva Liaison Officer in March 2006. She joined Radio 1812 to network with migrant groups and radio professionals from the francophone parts of the world and make sure that Migrants voices are heard on 18 December!
Raymond De Feyter – Belgium – Communication Designer
Raymond is a cartoonist and a painter. He is interested in contemporary art, theatre, Belgian and international politics. He is involved in local 'green' politics. He looks after the lay-out of December 18’s material: posters, annual reports, flyers etc. Raymond has coordinated the upgrade 2007’s Radio 1812 site.
Eny Giambastiani - Italy - Web Content Editor and Coordinator for Italy
Eny is interested in immigration politics, which was a main element of her university studies. She has been collaborating with December 18 since 2002. She is now responsible for the Italian edition of December18's portal and the web content development of Radio 1812. She joined the Radio 1812 team to contribute to this new adventure of migration, media and promotion of migrants rights.
Myriam Horngren - London - Coordinator Radio 1812
Myriam is an Advocacy and Communications Consultant who has led various campaigns around Communication Rights and Human Rights. She joined the December 18 team at the end of summer 2006 to coordinate the Radio 1812 project. She hopes that this great initiative will allow for the voices of migrants to be heard on International Migrants Day.
René Plaetevoet - Brussels - Director
René is the co-founder and current director of December 18. He worked for many years in the international human rights as well as communication fields. He conceptualised the Radio 1812 project with the aim to provide an extra stimulus to the worldwide celebration of International Migrants Day.
Cristina Fuertes - Intern - Coordinator Spanish speaking Regions
Cristina graduated in journalism and completed a Masters in Cooperation, Development and International Relationships at the Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve. She worked for Panoramica Latinoamericana, a magazine for immigrants living in Brussels.
Marion Gautier - Intern - Assistant Coordinator Francophone Regions
Marion just graduated in Contemporary History with a strong focus on Political Sciences. Her thesis deals with the support for foreign students at the Free University of Brussels.
Tine Vanhee - Intern - Assistant Coordinator Dutch speaking Regions
Tine obtained a Masters in African studies and one in International Relations. She also studies international research journalism.
Pablo Sanchez - Brussels - Volunteer
Pablo is from Barcelona where he studied International Relations. He now lives in Brussels and joined the December 18 team in March 2007. Previously he did internships with Social Alert International and PICUM. For the Radio 1812 project Pablo helps with the (media) outreach to the hispanophone world and does translation work.
Acknowledgment
December 18 wants to thank the following organisations and institutions for their financial support: UNESCO (France), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (France), Nationale Loterij (Belgium), and the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (Taiwan).
The Radio 1812 initiative would not have been possible without the countless - often voluntary - hours spent by the members of the December 18 team, and the expressions of support from the migrant groups and other organisations as well as the radio broadcasters.
December 18 also wishes to thank the team of voluntary translators: Paula Canavesi (Argentina), Hilda De Lange (Belgium), Aude Guimont (Switzerland), Isabel Miranda (Panama), Paolo Proli (France), Pablo Sanchez (Belgium), Martina Silvestri (France), and Cathérine Thomas (France).
Special thanks for their valuable technical assistance to Jo Wouters and Joeri Poesen from Quadrupal (Belgium), to Bill Best from CMA (United Kingdom) and to Hans Coppens (Belgium).
Thank you to Dave O'Neill and the anonymous voices for the Radio1812 jingles in French, English, Dutch and Spanish. Thanks also to Isabella Mancini from Nova Radio-Arci, Florence, for the jingle in Italian. The track "Rollin' in the Hoopty" was graciously borrowed from Craig Jacks and more tracks are available on: http://cjacksmusic.blogspot.com. Craig can be contacted on fillabilla@cox.net for further information.
The Radio 1812/2006 compilation clip was put together by Jan De Loore from Urgent.fm (Belgium).
Special thanks to John D. Perivolaris author of set photos “Migrados 2003-2005” appearing on website (Creative Commons, some rights reserved).
For other photos, credit goes to: jksphotos (Creative Commons Deed 2.0) and Radio 2 by Lampeduza (Creative Commons, some rights reserved).