What is Champon?

*What is Champon?
‘Champon’ is an online-media project which distributes information from Asia all over the world. It is being organized by the ‘Asian Media Activist Network’ which is coordinated by activists from throughout Asia. These independent media activists deal with common social problems in Asia from a global viewpoint and with matters particular to each Asian region. In doing so, we aim to establish an open, common site which is able to host various media formats. Through constructing and operating a common web-site, we will deepen the relationships and further mutual understanding throughout Asia and develop new, cooperative, creative activities.
We call on independent media activists throughout Asia to participate in ‘Champon’.

*History
Commencing in July 2007 and culminating in the Toyako G8 summit held in Hokkaido, Japan in July 2008 the ‘G8 Media Network’ reported on a wide variety of voices and perspectives related to the G8 summit through the medium of the internet. It worked with social movement organizations, groups and individuals working on global issues such as poverty, development, environmental problems, human rights, peace and alter-globalization.
During all these activities, media activists from East Asia, including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, discussed the need for ongoing, concrete and practical networking among Asian media activists in the post-G8 period.
In September and October of this year, Korean media activists invited Japanese media activists to visit a media center in South Korea and held a 10 day camp to think about the future of the Asian network. During the camp they plotted out a proposal for an international network which transcends differing linguistic and historical perspectives and aims to further multicultural understanding, increase awareness of global and local issues and develop media technology and education,
Through all these processes of exchanging and discussion, ‘Champon’ was created as a way to share information. It is an open platform for every media activists who is interested in Asia.

*Acitivities
1.‘Champon’ is a site for sharing multilingual audio, visual and textual information and facilitating communication between media activists.
2.‘Asian Media Activist Network’ has constructed an international mailing list aimed at promoting closer exchange and discussion among participants.
3.In order to facilitate face to face communication between media activists throughout Asia, ‘Asian Media Activist Network’ organizes regular camps and symposiums.

*All these activities are open to all media activists in Asia.
For further information on participating in the network refer here.

*Endorsed by
・ENDO Daisuke（ビデオジャーナリスト）
・FUJII Hikaru (Artist)
・HOSOYA Shuhei（Study of calture）
・KIMURA Shizuka
・MATSUURA Hirosato（ゆにばーさるあくせすな会）
・MATSUURA Toshinao
・NAKAMURA Yuki
・TSUCHIYA Yutaka（VIDEO ACT!)
・YAMAKAWA Munenori
・YASUDA Yukihiro