I came across “Voices 21” when I typed in Media Reform Movement in the Google Search Engine. The subheading of this informational website reads: “A Global Movement for People's Voices in Media and Communication in the 21st Century”

I clicked on this option first because of my intrigue from our observations of the documentary we watched on Wednesday of last week entitled “The Panama Deceit.” I was extremely disturbed by learning about the actions of former President George Herbert Bush Senior. I am concerned for the safety and lack of factual knowledge being given to our country in regards to what out government is actually doing in other countries...as well as how much they're telling us about what they do.

The phrase: “A Global Movement for People's Voices in Media and Communication in the 21st Century” made me think of how the people in Panama were lied to and mislead the entire time their city was bombed and their homes were destroyed. Even when some citizens were held in the Hanger for a year or two and the people who made the documentary came to interview them, the U.S. Army or Marines (not sure which) but one of these two government agencies were trying to not allow the film-makers to interview the people who were victimized by this attack by the United States.

When I watched this I felt absolutely horrible. I felt ashamed. George H. Bush lied to us, lied to the faces of the American Public and had the nerve to think he could endorse his son, AND believe it was just to practice bombing on the Panamanian citizens? HELPLESS Panamanian citizens at that!?! They weren’t even armed! They were completely defenseless. And this boggles my mind. What was the point? Seriously! What need was there to do this? To save his house in Kennebunk? To assure the financial security of all Americans? All rich Americans? No, no, I don’t think so. No amount of sacrificing human life is worth that. Absolutely none. And my family voted for him. We had no idea…

The movement of “Voices 21” states: “The central focus of the movement would be to tackle problems and find solutions to one of the greatest challenges of our time: To ensure that the voices and concerns of ordinary people around the world are no longer excluded!” (Voices 21)

This I think is extremely important because as individuals in a society where we are entitled to free speech and many various other civil and undeniable human rights, we are tremendously ignorant to knowledge that should be second-hand to us. I agree that if the government tells us everything that would clearly ruin security, but it isn’t right of them to lie to us either, AND use our tax dollars for experimental bombings/ammunition/weaponry that can easily melt the human body like a microwave melts butter. That’s just frightening…and WRONG. Test yourselves if you want to, but don’t test the unknowing and defenseless who never even asked to be a part of your experiments!

The creed and ideals of “Voices 21” which probably stands for Voices of the 21st Century is set up much like a constitution. Though instead of rules, there are points made of why there is a need for change and what the points in the constitution plan to do or can assist humans in making change and reform. It seems like a very socialist/communist idea, but unlike the failures of the system of Communism in foreign countries such as China and the former U.S.S.R., these are just ideas for the reform of the system of communication. These ideals do not blatantly suggest that the government needs to be changed. It seems more of an interest that people try to encourage legislative change in the way media communication is presented and that there is less exclusion from important information. Also the movement suggests that there is need for education into how media works and what’s gone on in and what continues to go on in the world(s) of media.

According to “Voices 21,” “This proposal [for media reform] calls for civil society and NGOs to form an international alliance to address concerns and to work jointly on matters around media and communication. We believe a new social movement in this field is needed, and is ready to act internationally.

Uniting civil society organizations that today use media and communication networks in their work for social change is:

--An awareness of the growing importance of the mass media and communication networks for the aims they are trying to achieve;

--A concern about current trends in the field of information and communication toward concentration of ownership and control into fewer hands

--A concern that state censorship is giving way only to more subtle censorship, through subjection to commercial exigencies and maximizing shareholder gain

--An awareness of the lack of public influence on these trends, in both developed and developing countries, in democracies and under dictatorships.

The central focus of the movement would be to tackle problems and find solutions to one of the greatest challenges of our time: To ensure that the voices and concerns of ordinary people around the world are no longer excluded!” (Voices 21)

The idea of this type of social/media reform I believe is necessary to creating a better understanding of how media affects us. If we as American citizens allow more incidents like the “Panama Deceit” to occur then we are prone to more terrorist attacks and a lack of faith and trust from other countries in addition to these countries losing respect for Americans as liars, cheats, thieves and greedy capitalists with no interest except in providing riches for ourselves.

http://www.comunica.org/v21/statement.htm
If the link I presented in the word "option" is not working, please use the above link.