About Radio Nizkor |
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The First Human Rights Radio on the Internet...
I. What is Radio Nizkor? Radio Nizkor is a Nizkor Team Project that was officially launched on March 1, 2004. It is a continuation of our popular information dissemination work on Human Rights. Since 1994 we have been using all digitalization technologies available to defend human rights, and now Radio Nizkor uses voice and the possibilities that sound digitalization offers. By using this method of transmitting information, we want to enable people to hear human rights-related audio documents from anywhere in the world and at any time of the day. The information can be heard directly through the computer, without having to download the files. Radio Nizkor uses new technology which makes it possible to record, process, edit, produce and ultimately upload sound to the server. The server that Radio Nizkor uses has a 2,400 megabytes per second connection speed with a "full Gigabit Ethernet" system. It uses an Apache operating system and guarantees technical access (electronic feed, backup, etc.) 365 days a year. Radio Nizkor can also digitalize telephone communications with one of the most modern optimization, recovery, and voice recording systems in existence. This allows for remote interviews anywhere in the world with excellent sound quality. Thanks to this system we are interviewing human rights defenders and organizations working in the field on human rights and civil liberties cases. Examples of this type of interview are available, among others, at any the following Radio Nizkor's web pages:
This project has been developed by the Nizkor Team during the past two years. The systems' analysis, design and technical implementation was comprehensively elaborated by the Nizkor Team personnel. The definite implementation began at the end of August 2003. Placing the information on the server and enabling its visibility in website format took place at the beginning of February 2004. During this month, adjustments and the technical tests necessary to ensure its optimal functioning also took place. Its launch was publicly announced on March 1, 2004. Radio Nizkor is a project dedicated exclusively to Human Rights, Civil Liberties and Peace related information.
II. Aims and Objectives Radio Nizkor is a project dedicated to the dissemination of audio documents on human rights, civil liberties and peace via the use of new communication technologies and, specifically, the latest innovations in sound digitalization. Along with this generic objective related to the dissemination of human rights information, Radio Nizkor intends: a) To be a tool at the service of human rights defenders, via our philosophy to "give a voice to those without a voice" (to those to whom it has been denied). Human rights defenders will find Radio Nizkor to be an efficient resource for the production of information that is globally distributed and that complements the documentary information already available on the Nizkor Team website at: http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/ b) To be a tool at the service of non-commercial or community radio stations that, with their work, contribute to the protection and promotion of human rights. c) To be a tool at the service of those who, from the academic and human rights fields (among others), hold training workshops on certain subjects or issues that affect the enjoyment of human and civil rights. In this respect, we have activated a tool with great pedagogical potential, which allows us to synchronize the audio and related documents contained in HTML web pages, as explained further below. Example: Update on the establishment of a Tribunal to prosecute former Khmer Rouge leaders.
III. How has the information at Radio Nizkor been organized? 1) Information according to country and subject. In this area, which refers to the column on the left-hand side of the homepage, audio files are available that contain: a) Urgent information organized according to country and subject. The files tend to be no longer than five minutes. They would be the equivalent of urgent alerts that are distributed via e-mail; or that are found in html format on the Equipo Nizkor website; or on that of other human and civil rights organizations. It is the appropriate type of information to disseminate on community or alternative radios. b) Information of a contextual nature on situations that violate or could result in the violation of human rights, are also organized according to countries and subjects. This area is located on the left-hand column of the homepage. 2) Most recent Radio programs In this area, which takes up the center part of the homepage, we provide the latest reports, interviews and information of qualitative importance to human rights, civil rights and peace. These files last at least five minutes, and at most, approximately half an hour. Furthermore we try to ensure that they are related to pertinent up-to-date subjects. 3) "In Depth - A fondo" This section, which occupies the right side of the homepage, provides access to conferences and subject-based interviews that supply the highest-quality information possible on specific issues. Many of these are authentic audio monographs. This area also includes subject-specific interviews with specialists in the field of human rights on very concrete issues. This improves the understanding of events or subjects that are difficult to grasp. In any case, this area is designed to be used in seminars, formative courses or workshops. All it requires is a click on the relevant file to enable a specific audience (activists, students, etc.) to listen to a conference on that particular subject. Example: US policy after 9/11: The situation of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay and the
Inter-American Human Rights Commission Response. (By Richard Wilson, Professor of
Law and Director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, American University
Washington, D.C)
The system of audio and html synchronization that we have begun to use and that we explain below constitutes an effective pedagogical tool at the service of human rights education and training. Example: Several human rights and victims organizations present the document "The Question of Impunity in Spain and Crimes under Franco.
4) "Analysis and editorial" Area We have prepared an Analysis and Editorial section where we try to, periodically, ensure an adequate summary of the events that have occurred in these fields and that, according to our collaborators and editorial team, should be collected to ensure a greater understanding of current events and issues. In all these cases, the Nizkor Team and Derechos Human Rights' websites include the audio information in the corresponding location on the web pages related to each country or specialized pages, such as, for example, the DESC (Economic, social and cultural rights) or the State of Exception. The audio file on the launching of Radio Nizkor, in Spanish, can be found at: http://www.radionizkor.org/editorial/lanzamiento.ram You may always check out our latest audio documents in English by going to our English Audio Archives.
IV. The use of a new technical system for document dissemination, synchronizing text documents in a single audio file. As mentioned, Radio Nizkor's official launching took place on March 1, 2004. Since mid-April 2004, we have begun to utilize a documentary dissemination system that appears synchronized with the audio documents. This is the first time in the field of human rights that this powerful system of documentary dissemination is being used. The system consists of the use of a program developed by RealCom. It can be viewed using the utility program Real One Player, which can be downloaded for free from the Radio Nizkor homepage. Our audience, while listening to a documentary audio file can simultaneously view documents related to the information that they are listening to. These web pages with written documentation are loaded in Real One Player's own internet browser. Furthermore, our audience can access other pages the same way they do when using their usual internet browser. This system is a very valuable tool for educational courses or meetings where a concrete issue is being analyzed. The following files provide examples of the potential uses of this new technology: 1) Document Files in audio that load in a single file with documentary information: a) Example 1: Audio document on Agusto Pinochet's Riggs Bank's accounts: "Riggs Bank account managers took actions consistent with helping Mr. Pinochet to evade legal proceedings." This can be found at:
Choose the "Real Media" audio file format. While running the file in Real Media format, the page loads with the US Senate full Report: "Money Laundering and Foreign Corruption: Enforcement and Effectiveness of the Patriot Act. Case Study Involving Riggs Bank", edited by Team Nizkor. b) Example 2: DESCGUA Report on the right to housing in Guatemala. http://www.radionizkor.org/guatemala/vivienda.ram While running that report in Real Media format, the page loads with the Nizkor Team's Reports on the human rights situation in Guatemala. It is necessary to clarify that all of the audio documents are linked to the corresponding Nizkor Team or Derechos Human Rights pages that are relevant. 2) Document Files in audio that sychronistically load various pages: a) Example 3: In this case, when editing the files, we synchronize various documents that contextualize the audio file and clarify the concepts or issues that appear in the audio report/interview and that, because of the synchronization, appear at the precise moment. This type of file is illustrated by the document in which Radio Nizkor interviews Benjamin Ferencz, Former Nuremberg Prosecutor, Adjunct Professor of International Law at Pace University and founder of the Pace Peace Center. Benjamin Ferencz tells us about the concept of crime of aggression, its developments and other issues affecting International Human Rights Law today. It is available on Radio Nizkor Peace web page: http://www.radionizkor.org/peace/ b) Example 4: The audio document entitled "Update on the establishment of a Tribunal to prosecute former Khmer Rouge leaders" that is found at the following Radio Nizkor's web page: http://www.radionizkor.org/onu/
V. How do you listen to Radio Nizkor? You need a computer with a sound card and internet access, as well as the program Real One Player, which is available for free online. We have prepared a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document that helps our listeners solve some of the problems that can arise when listening to audio files. It is entitled "How to listen to Radio Nizkor's Audio Documents" and is available, in Spanish, at our FAQ page.
VI. General legal reserve and use restriction clause. From our homepage, human rights groups, non-commercial and commercial stations can access information regarding the use of Radio Nizkor files. We have included a General Legal Reserve and Use Restriction Clause that has been drafted in the following terms: "The intellectual property (Copyright) of all the files produced by Radio Nizkor, as well as the texts, formats and images that are on the website are legal property of the Nizkor Team and cannot be copied, reproduced, edited, photocopied or duplicated, be it manually, photographically, digital and/or electronically, or in printed editions or by any other method. The violation of this clause is punishable by law, and hence, the Nizkor Team will take legal measures against the parties responsible for said violation. Its sound reproduction for the dissemination of information by legitimate human rights, civil liberties and peace organizations and/or activists, within the regular framework of their activities is permitted, but the legal credits (title, author, subject, etc.) should be respected and the source of the material should be provided, along with a warning against its illegal use. The reproduction of these files by non-profit stations, also known as community radios or akin to these, is permitted but never with commercial or advertising purposes, always respecting the thematic integrity of the file in question. They may never be used against the ethical norms of human rights. In order to protect, disseminate and facilitate training in human rights, civil liberties and peace, these documents are of a public nature. Any other uses that have not been provided for in the aforementioned legal reserve clauses, should be specifically and reliably authorized by the Nizkor Team."
VII. On Radio Nizkor's opening music. The German composer Barbara Heller is the author of the theme "Lalai" that Radio Nizkor uses as its opening music, the same way short-wave radio stations do in their international transmissions. Lalai -lullaby for awakening? was composed by Barbara Heller in January 1989. It is dedicated to all women who are being held in prisons for political reason, to all those who have already been executed and to all those whose lives are still in danger. The composition is based on an old Persian song which is played first on the cello in 3/ 4 time in its original form. Its original character is, howewer, broken up and aliennnated by the harmonic piano accompaniment. Radio Nizkor's interview with Barbara Heller, in Spanish and German, is available on-line at: http://www.radionizkor.org/editorial/lalai.html If you choose the "Real Media" audio file format, while running the file, a page will appear with the composer's biographical information. Equipo Nizkor
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