Financial support is urgently needed for the satellite TV station that is broadcasting voices for the secular and democratic reconstruction of Iraq!
Financial difficulties are hitting Sana TV, an Iraqi satellite TV station, which is covering the people’s struggles to end the occupation and reconstruct a secular and democratic Iraq.
Sana TV is an independent station which was established in May 2007, as a result of an international fundraising campaign. It was initiated by the Iraq Freedom Congress (IFC), and the international anti-war community, led by the Japanese peace movement, responded to their appeal for support.
Ever since its inauguration, the station has been producing programming against both occupation and sectarian violence, based upon popular aspirations for peace and security under a slogan of ‘”No Sunni, No Shi’ite, Ours is a human identity!’
Sana TV has also been covering struggles against the draft oil law, which would privatize Iraqi oil resources. It has informed to the public the strikes and rallies staged by IFC-led Anti-Oil-Law Front and Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU). The coverage has contributed to rapidly lifting regional struggles against the oil privatization in Basra to the national level, and helped raise international awareness as well. Consequently, the draft oil law has not yet been passed in the Iraqi parliament (as of January, 2008). Sana TV is steadily gaining influence and helping to open a space for democracy and freedom in Iraqi society.
However, Sana TV has fallen into a financial predicament. The high satellite fees charged by giant communications enterprises are very difficult for an independent station like Sana to pay. 58 million yen is due to be paid by April 2008. IFC will do its best to raise funds in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East region. They will also be asking for progressive organizations to offer to buy air time for their own programming. But in addition, Sana TV is asking people in Japan and in other countries around the world for donations.
In order for Sana Satellite TV to keep on operating, your support is desperately needed.
We will appreciate even small donations, every little bit helps.
Please buy vacant air time, which remains to be filled. You can televise programs of your organizations in Iraq and in the Middle East.
Please introduce us to organizations that are interested to buy the vacant air time.
Please buy programs and news footage produced by Sana TV.
We will broadcast portions of Sana programs online via the Internet, as well as offering them on DVD. Please spread the word of Sana TV by introducing our Internet programs to as many people as you can.
Please send us footage of your local activities in solidarity with the IFC. We can upload them to Sana for broadcast in Iraq.
Any other form of cooperation is welcome. We are open to any suggestions you may have.
Account for donations:
Iraq Freedom Congress
Bank Name: NatWest.
Sort code: 60-22-27
Account number:69030855
Contact for more information:
Nadia Mahmood
Email: sanatv@ifcongress.com
Tel: 0044 789 00 65 933
Conveners of "International Campaign to Support Sana TV"
Iraq Peace TV Fund Raising Committee [2] (Japan)
Iraqi Civil Resistance Solidarity Committee [3] (Japan)
See our last posts on Iraq [4] and the civil resistance [5].
