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I am 24 yrs old, and a student. I have a degree in cultural anthropology
and am working on a degree in political science and international
relations. I am currently taking correspondence classes with NYU.
I am currently serving on the board.
I serve on almost all the committees.
I am very active and am constantly volunteering my time at the station,
and at events.
I work most helping Donna and Jessica with paper work, filing, and
mailing premiums.
I have helped to organize many events, like the Amy Goodman event.
I have done several open journals, usually about Palestine, but
have done others as well.
I recently went to New York for the RNC and got a lot of audio and
photos.
I am very active in the community with several organizations.
Some of which are:
Al Awda www.al-awda.org
ADC www.adc.org
ACC www.acc-houston.com
Code pink www.codepink4peace.org
Palestinian American Congress www.pac-national.org
International Solidarity Movement www.palsolidarity.org
SUSTAIN www.sustaincampaign.org
Muslim Student Association www.msa-national.org
.
All other info about me can be found in the Questionnaire.
Thank you and remember a vote for Aminah is a vote for C-H-A-N-G-E…and
that can be a very good thing… if done responsibly.
Candidate Questionnaire
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WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE ON THE LOCAL STATION
BOARD?
I see KPFT and Pacifica as a means for survival. It is my
way to constructively focus a lot of hurt and anger I have at
what is going on in the world. Specially when a lot of it
directly affects me and my family, as we are Palestinians. I
want to be a part of the board because I feel it is important
for young people, women, Arabs, and Muslims to be in leadership
roles in the media. I have a lot of ideas and the energy
to implement them.
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HOW DO YOU SEE THE LSB AND WORKING WITH
KPFT, PACIFCA AND THE COMMUNITY?
The by laws say that it should be 'collaborative', and I would
really like to see that happen. I do not feel it is that way
at this time, and I would like to try and make it better. I
would like to see KPFT have a very clear and well known presence
in the community. I would like for us to be present at all
major and minor community events. I would like to see us
really develop some of our shows that cater to under represented
communities and go into those communities and get them involved.
They have a program in KPFA, that is an apprenticeship program.
They go into those underrepresented communities and bring in
young people and train them over 18 months in the news department,
running the board, audio editing, and various other aspects
of running the station. As they go through the program they
teach others on the beginning levels, and work in the station.
At the end they are fully trained and professionals in working
in radio broadcasting. Many of them go on to get other jobs
outside of Pacifica, but it is that training that Pacifica gave
them that got them there. I would love to see that implemented
at KPFT.
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HOW COULD THE STATION BETTER SERVE ITS
LISTENERS?
The station needs to be more involved in the community. We
need to have a better programming schedule. We need to change
things up a bit. In order to maintain the attention of the public,
a media broadcasting entity must be able to change and grow
along with the community. I think KPFT has done a poor job in
that area. We need to be more welcoming to volunteers and
new members. I would like to see us have a new member party
once every quarter and celebrate the newness of life and energy
that new members bring. Indeed every time I meet a new member,
it sparks a new energy in me!
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DESCRIBE SOME THINGS YOU WOULD DO TO INCREASE
THE INFLUENCE OF THE STATION IN UNDER REPRESENTED COMMUNITIES?
For one, I think the audience is a direct affect of programming.
If our audience and listenership is not diverse enough, it is
because our programming is not diverse enough. I would like
to see a world news program on everyday both in the morning
and the evening. When people here news they can not hear
anywhere else, news from back home, from their native lands
it brings them in, and it serves to educated and inform everyone,
thus fulfilling our mission in multiple ways. I would like to
see more live broadcasts in neighborhoods, block parties, speakers,
and so on. I would like to see more music shows focused on those
underrepresented communities. Music caters to the soul, expresses
the heart and mind, and joins all people of all nations together
in rhythm. And that is a beautiful thing.
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WHAT SORT OF FUNDING, OTHER THAN LISTENERS,
DO YOU FEEL KPFT SHOULD SOLICIT?
I think that to maintain the origin and purpose Pacifica
was created, we must depend mostly on our listeners, if we give
them what our mission says, they will supply us the money we
need to stay on the air. I think grants are a great way
to get money. They are hard to get, but well worth it, and there
are many kinds out there. I am totally against getting money
from corporations. I think that if Global Exchange wanted to
give us a sum of money that would be fine, and indeed they do
give money. They have a mission and history that is 100% like
the Pacifica Mission. I have never missed a board meeting
and have missed very few committee meetings. I am involved
in the following committees
- Committee of Inclusion
- Outreach
- Development
- Governance
- Program counsel creation
- Elections (resigned but still helping)
- Ad hoc news and world affairs
- Anti Racism & Diversity
Statement
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