Can you define solidarity and how that informs the internal workings of Radios Populares?
LF I think of solidarity as referring to a relationship we have with communities we’re working with or collaborating with because we’re not from those communities. You can compare or contrast this with other models like humanitarian aid, charity, or development work—those are other types of relationships. One of the keys is what we perceive our role to be and what they perceive their role to be. It’s based on a fundamental recognition that they’re the ones struggling for their goals. They set their goals and make the decisions about how they want to reach them, and we don’t try to impose any kind of decisions on them. A concrete example of this is with the stations. We go through a process of dialoguing with the group and making sure that relationship is clear. Once we set up the station, it’s in their hands, and we don’t try to exert any control over their programming decisions. For example, we try to set up the station in a way that if something breaks, they don’t have to come to us.
