Community radio broadcasters, journalists and trainers from across Asia-Pacific will be gathering in Bali, Indonesia, from 24 to 27 November 2005 for the first AMARC Asia Pacific Regional Conference, where they will examine the main challenges facing the community radio movement in the region.

Organised by the Asia-Pacific office of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the conference is expected to bring together more than 150 participants for four days of seminars, train-the-trainer workshops and AMARC Asia-Pacific's first general assembly.

It will enable participants to discuss campaign strategies, address issues of access to media, and strengthen networking and information exchange. The conference will also discuss various strategies to facilitate the participation of women in community radio.

AMARC says governments in the Asia-Pacific region need to realize that media pluralism and the recognition of community radio are key conditions for empowering local communities to develop poverty reduction strategies and health campaigns, and contribute to democracy building.

For more information, visit: http://asiapacific.amarc.org/page.php?action=shownews&id=478