Every year at the National Campus and Community Radio Conference we also hold the NCRA's Annual General Meeting -- it's a chance for many members to come together and discuss issues important to our sector and set the agenda for the year to come.

This year the membership upheld an AMARC motion supporting the BDS movement in solidarity with Palestine, changed Women in Radio day to Equity in Radio day, set in motion a national campaign supporting CKLN and reserving its frequency in Toronto and struck committees for social justice and anti-racism work.

Motions carried at 2011 plenary:

2011-F6 CKLN National Campaign
Moved: CKLN/CKUT: Carried

Background:
Whereas the awarding of 88.1 FM in Toronto to a commercial applicant would set a dangerous precedent for the campus community sector and may even encourage the targeting of other frequencies now held by community stations in other markets;

Whereas the NCRA/ANREC in our mandate is committed to stability and support for individual stations, the long term growth of the sector and public education about community media;

Whereas the NCRA/ANREC acts for community radio interests vis a vis government agencies;

Motion:
Be it resolved that the NCRA/ANREC board mobilize a national public policy campaign aimed at federal MPs and the general public as well as the CRTC to ensure that a new license for 88.1 FM Toronto will only be awarded to community or campus applicants; and that in any case of a community or campus-community station vacating a license or having a license revoked, that the license for that frequency be held open for another applicant from the same category, for a minimum period of two years.

Be it further resolved that the NCRA (including our member stations and allies) write letters and lobby to encourage the CRTC to delay a call for applications until no earlier than autumn 2011 in order to allow sufficient time for any campus/community applicant to engage student support before submitting an application;

Be it further resolved that the NCRA mobilize all our membership and allies for a national broadcast and public action aimed at Parliament in September to show the strength of our sector, demanding that 88.1 FM in Toronto be kept as a community frequency and commemorate twenty five years of the NCRA

2011-F5: Verification of CRTC Complaints
Moved: CKLN/CIVL: Carried

Background:
Whereas the CRTC only requires complaints against a station to include the complainant's email address and name;

Whereas this potentially allows an individual to make multiple complaints under fake names and instant email addresses allowing a vexatious person to exaggerate and amplify their complaints;

Motion:
Be it resolved that the NCRA lobby the CRTC to require all complaints be submitted with the complainant's verifiable snail mail address and phone number and reject complaints that are not submitted with this information.

2011-F4: Anti-Racism and Social Justice work
Moved: CHRY/CKUT: Carried

Background:
Whereas there is ongoing discussion about the lack of racial diversity at the NCRC, and whereas there has been ongoing lack of clarity around where social justice work fits into the mandate of the NCRA;

Motion:
Be it resolved that two committees each comprised of board and non-board members be struck in the next six weeks to discuss short and long term goals in the following areas respectively: one for active anti-racism within our organization and sector, and one for whether and where social justice work, solidarity work and activism fit into the mandate and work of the NCRA.

2011-F2: Ad hoc Code of Conduct Committee
Moved: CKUT/CJSW: Carried

Background:
Whereas there has been input, concerns, requests for disclosure and recommendations about the Code of Conduct and a discussion session scheduled for Friday morning to discuss the Code;

Whereas it would be constructive to involve the membership in drafting and revising the Code of Conduct and in communicating with the Commission and membership to increase democratic process;

Motion:
Be it resolved that the NCRA and member stations strike an ad-hoc committee of members to collectively pursue the revisions and final draft of the Code of Conduct.

Be it further resolved that the committee will work towards empowering the sector to self-regulate.

Be it further resolved that the committee include up to one representative from each station.

2011-F3: Anti-Oppression at Plenary
Moved: CKUT/CJSF: Carried

Background:
Whereas our stations are committed to reflect the voices of those unrepresented in and oppressed by the mainstream media;

Whereas plenary meetings are the spaces where we come together once a year as an organization to define goals and objectives for our sector;

Whereas NCRA plenaries have historically privileged the work of governance over equity;

Whereas equity education can make visible the affects of social conditions that produce inequality which are historically specific and changeable;

Motion:
Be it resolved that every plenary meeting begin with a minimum of 10 minutes anti-oppression session that sets the tone of respect, openness, and awareness to the power imbalances due to gender, disability, race/ethnicity, class and nation.

Be it further resolved that facilitation will be provided by a qualified delegate within our sector or through an external mediator according to the hosting station’s discretion.

2011-F1: Renaming of Women in Radio to Equity in Radio
Moved: CKUT/CJSF: Carried

Whereas Women in Radio (WIR) has become the ghetto where equity issues reside;

Whereas WIR continues to be an important dedicated space to address women's issues in our sector;

Whereas WIR must also be updated to include transgender and transphobic education as well as many other barriers to equity;

Whereas equity and oppression go beyond women and feminism and must include issues of diversity, disability, LGBT, participation of indigenous and other marginalized communities;

Motion:
Be it resolved that Women in Radio be renamed the Equity in Radio Day (EIR) in modification of resolution 91, 7.3;

Be it further resolved that conference organizers ensure EIR day is made accessible to everyone (one example could be hosting the EIR day on the weekend to accommodate working parents and other marginalized communities).

Be it further resolved conference organizers should consider scheduling a Women in Radio track.

2011-F7: Support of Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Israel
Motion submitted by the Equity Officer
(clarify mover/seconder): Carried

Whereas Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people comprises the following:

-Denial of its responsibility for the Nakba – in particular the waves of ethnic cleansing and dispossession that created the Palestinian refugee problem – and therefore refusal to accept the inalienable rights of the refugees and displaced stipulated in and protected by international law;

-Military occupation and colonization of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza since 1967, in violation of international law and UN resolutions;

-The entrenched system of racial discrimination and segregation against the Palestinian citizens of Israel, which resembles the defunct apartheid system in South Africa;

Whereas Israeli media institutions and the vast majority of Israeli journalists have either contributed directly to maintaining, defending or otherwise justifying the above forms of oppression, or have been complicit in them through their silence;

Whereas all forms of international intervention have until now failed to force Israel to comply with international law or to end its repression of the Palestinians, which has manifested itself in many forms, including siege, indiscriminate killing, wanton destruction and the racist colonial wall;

Whereas people of conscience in the international community of journalists and media producers have historically shouldered the moral responsibility to fight injustice, as exemplified in their struggle to abolish apartheid in South Africa through diverse forms of boycott;

Whereas the growing international boycott movement against Israel has expressed the need for a Palestinian frame of reference outlining guiding principles.

In the spirit of international solidarity, moral consistency, and resistance to injustice and oppression –

Be It Resolved That NCRA/ANREC supports the call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel;

Be It Further Resolved That NCRA/ANREC representatives comprehensively and consistently boycott all Israeli media institutions and products as a contribution to the struggle to end Israel's occupation, colonization and system of apartheid, by applying the following:

1. Refrain from participation in any form of cooperation, collaboration or joint projects with Israeli media institutions;

2. Advocate a comprehensive boycott of Israeli media institutions at the national and international levels, including suspension of all forms of funding and subsidies to these institutions;

3. Promote divestment and disinvestment from Israel by international media institutions;

4. Support Palestinian media institutions directly without requiring them to partner with Israeli counterparts as an explicit or implicit condition for such support;

5. Work toward the condemnation of Israeli policies by encouraging that resolutions be adopted by our respective radio stations, associations, and organizations.

Be It Further Resolved That, unless violating any of the above criteria, in the absence of official Israeli sponsorship, the individual product of an Israeli media worker per se is not boycottable.

Be it further Resolved that we do welcome the creation of community radios in Palestine/Israel.