| Shahid Comrade Candidate Statement shahid@justiceunity.org I am honored to run for the WBAI Board with the Justice & Unity Campaign (www.justiceunity.org). I was born when Pakistan was 12 years old, just after a CIA-backed coup, in an atmosphere of army rule and domination by big landlords who got land from the former British rulers and controlled the villages with the help of police and bribed bureaucrats. They were afraid of anyone who talked openly. I witnessed all this from childhood. That’s why my personal passion is freedom of speech. The motto of the Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum, of which I am General Secretary, is “Tell the truth.” People with ulterior motives are always against free speech because it will expose what they are really about. As a Muslim and an immigrant, I stand in defense of this country’s stated values – justice, equal rights, civil liberties. I have marched for immigrants’ rights, freedom for Lynne Stewart, union struggles, and against the massacre of Sikhs in Wisconsin. In my decades of following the people’s lead in activism, I have learned to respect peoples of all cultures, religions, and educational levels. I bring experience in working with people different from me that can help promote Pacifica’s mission to seek mutual understanding among peoples. In this commercial age, WBAI is the only place that will air unedited activist voices. We need more voices of the common people in this diverse region. My goal is to start a project to go out in the streets with mics, so people will say, “Did you see WBAI?” In America, the rulers use media to manipulate the society for their own gain and control. They are afraid of free media. They paint anyone who takes a stand for peace as unpatriotic. In the 21st century, we need to remember and remind others about the scars of war – regardless of which army achieves victory. Through open communication on the station, communities can make their individual cases and work together toward peace. I am passionate about the idea that free-speech radio can always change a society rapidly. Many WBAI listeners have shown their loyalty to Free Speech Radio by donating repeatedly. But in recent years, growing numbers have lost trust in the station. They see Pacifica managers who control WBAI from outside. They see WBAI managers who go too far in making decisions based on what raises money – cutting good programs instead of finding major ways to reduce expenses, like moving off Wall Street. If we keep openness as our main goal, we can raise more money. We need to form a team to do this – the people will be behind us! Please vote for the Justice & Unity team (endorsed by the International Action Center and Sister Betty Dopson, among others) in this rank order: 1. Father Luis Barrios _______________________________________________________________________________ Answers to Candidate Questionnaire 1. In what ways is your station moving in a positive direction, that you would want to continue or perhaps improve? WBAI was started with the idea that money shouldn’t buy access to the airwaves, that the people as a whole should have access. There are several good programs providing news from other parts of the world and the cultures of different nations. But the airtime for local community voices has been reduced. We can’t ignore our next-door neighbors – particularly immigrants and people seeking political asylum. We don’t need to go far to get their views – so why not restore the time for more locally based programs? 2. In what ways is your station moving in a negative direction, that you would want to stop or change? What changes would you work for? Those currently running WBAI seem to think that raising money is the main thing that should determine what to have on the air. But this station’s decisions should instead be based on open access to the people, on the idea of investing in them as human beings. Most producers aren’t doing their shows for the money. Management should respect those who want to continue following the mission. We can’t treat WBAI like a corporation that disrespects its workers and uses commercial products as premiums. 3. What key experience, connections, skills or traits would you bring to the Local Station Board to advance the station’s mission? I have been active in lots of progressive struggles for more than two decades – immigrants’ rights, workers’ struggles, Muslim people’s rights, pro-peace movements, and others. I am General Secretary of the Pakistan-USA Freedom Forum and a member of the May 1st Coalition for Workers and Immigrants Rights. Through all this work, I have direct links to people of many nationalities and cultures – to taxi drivers, day laborers, and unionists of all kinds. I can reach out and ask them to help the station, to provide ideas and feedback. I also know professors and entrepreneurs whom I can ask to provide expertise and money. I would like to be part of an outreach committee to do this work. As an immigrant and a Muslim, I can help people at WBAI better understand these communities. 4. What ideas do you have for helping the station and the Pacifica Foundation meet the financial challenges currently being faced? 1. WBAI must move out of the Wall Street studio and into a more affordable location. 2. We should form a Financial Outreach Committee – many members of progressive organizations could brainstorm about new fundraising methods, and we could ask them for loans and grants. There’s expertise and generosity out there – we only have to ask! 3. We need to creatively expand the WBAI family day by day. I would join a team of immigrants and interested others to “Take WBAI to the People” – go to communities unfamiliar with the station and record people’s voices, familiarize them with WBAI, and solicit their suggestions – then tomorrow, we can ask for their support. I also suggest “Bring Your Daughter/Son to WBAI Day,” to introduce kids to community radio and maybe interest them in volunteering later. We should recruit college students to help use all the new technologies – Facebook, Twitter, etc. – to build relationships. |
Recent Comments