| Carlos Canales Candidate Statement carlos@justiceunity.org I am running for the WBAI Local Station Board with the Justice and Unity Campaign (www.justiceunity.org). Like many of you, as an organizer in the struggle for social justice, I am a member of the army of dreamers who have hope and faith that a more humane, egalitarian, and just world is possible, if we devote ourselves to transforming those dreams into reality. In 1986 I was forced to leave El Salvador (where I was a teacher and rural organizer) and moved to Long Island. From 1999 until recently, I worked with the Workplace Project, helping day laborers in Nassau and Suffolk organize to get the wages owed them. I was FMLN-NYS Coordinator and a national committee member of the National Day Laborers Organizing Network. I am now a steering committee member of the May 1st Coalition for Workers and Immigrant Rights. I have experience in grassroots campaigns and strategic planning, and knowledge of immigrant populations, now under fierce attack. I believe that in the utopian dream for social justice, the role of WBAI is to be the voice of the voiceless – an instrument serving the struggle of the working class – for a just society. WBAI needs to fully become a natural ally of workers in their battles for basic human rights. Radio is one of the most powerful instruments for imparting information for people in struggle. WBAI should become the “Radio Venceremos” that, from someplace in the mountains of concrete and from inside the belly of the beast, encourages the dispossessed on their road to victory. To fulfill this role, WBAI should include more programs that promote building movements to meet the needs of the communities under attack. In particular, the station needs to involve more young people, both on and off the air. But instead of moving to broaden the station’s reach, the management supported by the current board majority has pursued a slash-and-burn policy. I cannot accept the cancellation and reduction of public-affairs programs by and for communities of color all done arbitrarily, without following consultation procedures long in place. Programming in Spanish is of special value on WBAI. The removal of Informativo Pacifica and the shift of La Voz Latina to Saturday at 6AM were particularly grievous blows to the Spanish-speaking community – and to the effectiveness of WBAI’s programming. We need to dedicate ourselves to building a new WBAI, dedicated to being the instrument of the voiceless and the working class. Without this, WBAI will not exist for workers, and our struggle will be much harder. This is a shared vision of the Justice and Unity slate, and I ask you to vote for us in this order: 1. Father Luis Barrios Our slate has been endorsed by Larry Hamm, Dr. Suzanne Ross, and the International Action Center. ________________________________________________________________________________ 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? To the extent that WBAI still extends its microphones to oppressed people who cannot find other media outlets to get the word about their situations out, it is fulfilling its mission and holding firm in the face of the oppression with which so many of our listeners live. I would like to build on this by more outreach to our communities and more responsiveness to their needs. On-site broadcasts at important events and in the midst of important struggles should especially be encouraged. WBAI needs to fully become the natural ally of workers in their battles for basic human rights and take an active role in helping to build movements to fulfill the needs of the dispossessed. We must in particular protect our signal in the middle of the dial from all those who would sell or swap it to benefit other parties in Pacifica! 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? Recent changes in the direction of eliminating or marginalizing locally produced shows must not be allowed to stand. In particular, the removal of “Informativo Pacifica” and the shunting off to 6am of “La Voz Latina” were a terrible blow to the Spanish-speaking communities of the New York City area – communities that are very large and rapidly growing. WBAI needs to increase Spanish-language programming dramatically. WBAI also needs to design a strategy to reach more young people in general; young people are key in rising movements for justice, and WBAI has a role to play in helping to pass the torch to a new generation. We should be involving more young people both on and off the air. And finally, WBAI must regain its soul as the voice of the voiceless. 3. What key experience, connections, skills or traits would you bring to the Local Station Board to advance the station’s mission? I have a very long history in social-justice organizing, starting as a rural organizer in my native land, El Salvador. From 1999 until recently, I worked with the Workplace Project, helping day laborers in Nassau and Suffolk organize to get the wages owed them. I am the former NYS Coordinator of the FMLN (Salvadoran national liberation front), a former national committee member of the National Day Laborers Organizing Network, and a current steering committee member of the May 1st Coalition for Workers and Immigrant Rights, among other affiliations. I have experience in grassroots campaigns and strategic planning, and deep knowledge of immigrant populations, who are now under fierce attack but who also have much to offer: not only talents and resources, but also organizing models. 4. What ideas do you have for helping the station and the Pacifica Foundation meet the financial challenges currently being faced? WBAI has a powerful signal in the middle of the FM dial. This is a resource that, particularly of late with changes to programming that have driven many of our listeners away, is not used to the extent that it could be to build listenership and membership. Dedicating ourselves to the fulfillment of our mission could actually be the most powerful tool available to us for improving the station’s financial situation. Once WBAI truly becomes the voice of the voiceless, reaching into communities that need a platform and organizing strategies in their struggles, we will begin to rebuild a fiercely loyal and dedicated constituency. Of course, we must explore such fundraising activities as fairs, community events, excursions, and parties – the more far-flung in our listening area, the better – as well as high-end donor cultivation and serious pursuit of grant money that does not compromise the station’s integrity. |
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