[WSIS CS-Plenary] Appeal for supporting/contributing to establishing NEW MEDIA TV FOR HUMANITY

[Fouad Riaz Bajwa]

Appeal to support the establishment of a Non-Profit Internet TV Broadcast
Network enabling and promoting Social Justice and Sustainable Development
deployed on Free and Open Source Software Technologies and Platforms through
the Internet
Appeal by Fouad Riaz Bajwa, FOSS Advocate & ICT4D Activist.

Everyday thousands of development community groups and organizations face
the hardship of raising their voices globally. Millions of disaster struck
people can't voice their issues because they don't have the infrastructure
to produce broadcast quality cameras and television networks to support
them. Its time we changed this situation, its time we gave the people a new
voice globally through the internet, to voice their issues, lobby for their
support, a new media television for Social Justice and Sustainable
Development. Whether the content comes in from web cams, low cost cameras,
flash presentations or simple letters and pictures, this project is going to
cater to everyone in everyway, and above all, this project is for everyone,
for humanity, by humanity, the first ever New Media TV Development Channel
Humanity Television!

Hi my name is Fouad Riaz Bajwa and you might have heard about my
organization called FOSSFP: Free and Open Source Software Foundation of
Pakistan http://www.fossfp.org. I am undertaking the effort to establish a
global internet based television broadcast network especially for the
development world including for NGOs and Social Enterprises so that content
can be shared globally and benefit human mankind. The network will not only
benefit others to voice their concerns, appeals, show what is happening in
their communities and what they need, it will also help to learn from best
practices and aid in better global delivery of development efforts to all
corners. The channel will have material in almost every language understood
in the world and will provide content viewable on the internet, RSS video
feeds, Podcast/Video Podcast, radio feeds etc. It will also distribute this
content to telecenters in rural parts and will find new means of media
content delivery on emerging technologies.

I have the Free and Open Source Software and skills to set it up, what I
lack is a strong team of contributors and the professional metal, financial,
internet and hardware support factors because I live in Pakistan and am a
non-profit FOSS Advocate and ICT4D Activist. I may think of big ideas but
sometimes don't have the huge amounts of money to weave them into reality.
What I have thought of is, reducing the costs substantially through FOSS and
that this TV network and all its content will be available as Free & Open
Source, Open Content and where required as Creative Commons. Secondly, it
will be open to everyone, free of cost and anyone interested in supporting
FREE & OPEN HUMANITARIAN DEVELOPMENT MEDIA. 

The bandwidth cost will not be a big issue as the network will be based on
BitTorrent File Sharing Technology. The network will be made sustainable
through online advertising, training programmes, international best
production awards and in kind donations to support production of movies for
non-profits who cannot afford capturing videos of their projects.  

It may sound totally crazy and stupid, but I want to do it and I welcome
everyone to come in help me do it, even if no one helps or supports me, I
have the courage to step out and help the world and change the world for
human benefit and I know, there are a lot like me out there to join hands
together to do it.

Hardware Infrastructure:
The web servers and online infrastructure will be based on the BitTorrent
technology as it is a fast, powerful, and spy ware-free way to download
large files online. Instead of downloading files from a central server,
viewers download from other people who are also downloading the file. The
more popular the file, the faster it is for everyone. Torrent plug-ins for
the browser and download programs are available free all over the internet.
I want the TV to capitalize on this technology.

A lot of people are not going to like me for stepping up to do this, it
always happens, we development people face the harshness of society towards
our initiatives that benefit humanity at large, a lot of people are going to
think I am going to do it for personal benefit, once again, Free and Open
Source isn't for my personal benefit only, its for human benefit
universally. 

I am available to your queries, I know its going to be hard, I know its
going to take time, I know its going to be a great task to gather the
content for the TV broadcast, but I am sure of one thing, if God is with us,
and we will be able to benefit God's creations, humanity from all corners of
the globe will join in with us! The FOSS tools are available publicly, we
just have to tune them, need the server to load em on, need to gather the
network of non-profits to provide the content, need the people to help in on
editing, developing, programming and distributing, event management,
promotional activities to support sustainability etc.....

I have created a group on Yahoo for people who are willing to support or
volunteer with me to establish this channel at:
Group name: 		tv4humanity
Group home page: 	http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tv4humanity
Group Email Addresses
Post message: 		tv4humanity at yahoogroups.com 
Subscribe: 	     	tv4humanity-subscribe at yahoogroups.com 
Unsubscribe: 		tv4humanity-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com 
List owner: 		tv4humanity-owner at yahoogroups.com 

"Television for Humanity [TV-4-Humanity] is a global humanitarian
development initiative to establish a freely accessible new media based IPTV
infrastructure based Channels deployed on Free & Open Source Software. We
are sending out an appeal globally to support the establishment of this
IPTV. Everyday thousands of development community groups and organizations
face the hardship of raising their voices globally. The channel will never
charge for humanitarian development television material. 

Millions of disaster struck people can't voice their issues because they
don't have broadcast quality cameras and television networks to support
them. Its time we teamed up and changed this situation permanently, its time
we gave the people a new voice globally through the internet, to voice their
issues, lobby for their support, a new media television for Social Justice
and Sustainable Development. Whether the content comes in from web cams, low
cost cameras, flash presentations or simple letters and pictures, the
TV-4-Humanity project is going to cater to everyone in everyway, and above
all, this project is for everyone, for humanity, by humanity, the first ever
New Media TV Human Development Channel! Come join in to support and
contribute to the revolution."

You can easily join, introduce yourself and tell us what you can contribute
on the group, I've kept the group on moderation to avoid spammers!

Fouad Riaz Bajwa
FOSS Advocate & ICT4D Activist
General Secretary FOSSFP
FOSSFP: Free and Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan
Email: bajwa at fossf.org
Cell: +92 333 4661290
Tel: +92 42 5030039
Website: http://www.fossfp.org