September 11th and the Aftermath

Sound Archives for Women´s PEACECASTS on FIRE


 
The Original Concept
    The Women´s PEACECASTS were born in the immediate aftermath of the world crisis that emerged after the 11th of September, 2001, designed on the basis of several existing ideas, as well as in response to new developments. From an initial core of participants (FIRE, WINGS and FGE), the Peacecast Projects was designed to expand outward and involve many and varied women in discussions across boundaries of nations, groups, philosophies, and also languages. The ultimate goal of the project is: Peace on Earth through realizing women's values.
     

     

    PEACECAST I
    September 11th & its Aftermath from New York 
    Sept. 14, 2001

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    PEACECAST II
    In the Aftermath of Terror: Women Activists Discuss Peace, Justice, & Conflict Resolution In a Globalized World
    September 24-26, 2001




     

     

    PEACECAST III
    Robin Morgan, Peggy Antrobus, and others
    September 24-27, 2001

     

     

    PEACECAST IV
    One Year of Intifadah, One Moment Before War: 
    Women from Palestine & Israel Offer Alternatives 
    October 5, 2001

     

     

    PEACECAST V
    With Women Living Under Muslim Laws 
    October 16-18, 2001

     

    PEACECAST VI
    Women's Caucus for Gender Justice of the 
    International Criminal Court
    October 19, 2001

     

    PEACECAST VII
    Women of IndyMedia, Women of Wealth for Peaceful Solutions, Report from Mauritius, Women for Afghan Women, and Others
    November 12-14, 2001

How the Women's PEACECASTS Were Organized
 
Women’s groups and organizations collaborated with the organizers of the Women’s PEACECASTS by bring women on-line to be interviewed, preparing with them the topics, and disseminating the information throughout their networks for others to listen to. 

Women participated in the discussions via a regular telephone call, by telephone conference call, or in person at a discussion site.  Discussions were picked up over the phone by a webcasting studio operated by FIRE (Feminist International Radio Endeavour) in Costa Rica.

FIRE relayed the webcast to its server, for live streaming over the internet.  Most computers today already have (almost) everything needed to listen:  a modem, a sound card, audio speakers or headphones, and the Real Audio Player.  Those who don't have the current Real Audio Player software can download it free from the internet. The link for this is on the FIRE website.

 
The convening organizations could collectively direct the webcast interviews through a chat connection during the programs at www.fire.or.cr (chatroom.htm).
 
Listeners forwarded comments or questions for the discussants either via e-mail or using the live Chat Room on the FIRE website. The Chat Room is very simple to join and requires no special software.

The PEACECAST audio files are also saved (both with a recording device at the FIRE studio and as a sound file on the server) for later re-use both on the internet and by radio stations. (Radio stations can also broadcast live directly from the webcasts, although live webcast technology still lacks the high degree of consistency and reliability of older technologies such as satellite transmissions.)

 
The recorded audio is archived on the internet for later listening, whenever people want to go to the site and listen. Copies are also sent to WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service and other producers (either on recorded media in the mail or as files over the internet). The audio was then edited and duplicated for further release to radio stations, in standard radio station formats. The programs are distributed to radio stations by the usual means: on cassettes or CDs, over satellites, and through audio distribution sites on the internet.
 
Other venues re-broadcast the programs via conventional radio, their web pages, magazines and electronic venues. Press, electronic mails and magazine journalists listened to the Women’s PEACECASTS and produced features for their media.

Up to 400 listeners at once can currently listen at the same time to FIRE's webcasts live. Official automatic SERVER statistics showed up to 1, 600 daily hits (entries to the page) of the FIRE web radio during each of days of the Women’s PEACECASTS so far, and it keeps growing.