Welcome to IAWRT’s 33rd Biennial Conference Blog!

From 17 to 21 November 2009, around 80 women from virtually all corners of the world are expected to come together in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to join in the International Association of Women in Radio and Telvision’s (IAWRT) 33rd Biennial Conference co-organized by the Women’s Media Centre of Cambodia (WMC).

This blog was set up by the WMC Secretariat to provide participants and other interested individuals with all the information related to the conference.

We at the Women’s Media Center are now working full speed on the preparations for the Biennial Conference. We hope that this site will fulfill its purpose up to your expectations and be a useful tool for follow-ups. Feedback and comments are of course welcome!

For more inquiries, kindly contact the Conference Coordinator through email, zarah_in_cambodge@yahoo.com.

Media women to study women in the media

Professional women broadcasters and documentary makers will gather in Cambodia shortly to examine the portrayal of women and their practical involvement in media.

The International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) will be holding its 33rd Biennial Conference in Phnom Penh from 17-21 November 2009. This year’s conference will be based on the two media strategic objectives of the Beijing Declaration and Plan for Action, which marks its 15th Anniversary in 2010.

IAWRT President Olya Booyar said the main conference program will comprise a variety of topics and activities around these central themes.

“We want maximum involvement by participants in these crucially important issues,” she said.

“To ground discussions and showcase the work of IAWRT members, we hope to use many of the IAWRT-sponsored five-minute radio and television documentaries – currently in preparation – as discussion triggers at appropriate points.

“There will also be screenings of the best entries in the 2009 IAWRT
Awards for Excellence in Documentary-Making, with the winners announced at the Gala Dinner on 19 November.”

An outline of the Program to-date is on the IAWRT website (see also downloadable forms above the panel) and more details will be added as they become available.

As well as providing opportunities to share expertise and network, IAWRT will also hold a Great Debate before dinner on the second day. Two teams of speakers will debate a major topic concerning women – and men – in the media, in an entertaining and engaging way.

The main conference co-hosted by the Women’s Media Centre of Cambodia (WMC) will run from 17-19 November, followed by two further days of discussions and events specifically for IAWRT members and their invited guests.

Visa, money-exchange, etc.

Dear colleagues, in a few week’s time, we will all be gathering for IAWRT’s 33rd Biennial Conference here in Phnom Penh. We know that most of you have begun preparing for your travel, and we would like to give you some more information which might be of help to you.

For the visa, if you get it on arrival, do not forget 2 photos and the visa fee (about US$20-25, one of the two currencies used in Cambodia). Flight attendants of any airlines flying in to Phnom Penh usually distribute visa application forms to passengers about 30minutes from landing at the Pochentong International Airport. This should give you ample time to fill out the form. Otherwise, forms are also available at the visa counter. The application process could be time consuming, so try to sit near the exit of the plane to Phnom Penh, to be among the first to line up at the counters. This without running and overtaking the other passengers, who might not be aware of the time immigration officials take to stamp the visa onto the passport. It is a little bit more expensive but better to get the visa in advance at an embassy. You should be given a 1 month visa maximum, not more, as embassies can only deliver this length of stay (but the visa they give is of one month over a period of three months).

Do not change your money into riels, US dollars is the most commonly
used currency. But if you must, there are a lot of money changers in town (and in the hotel) and you can also get US dollars from banks with a credit card. Upon arrival, just have small dollar bills to pay for your taxi ($9 one way). In addition, when you leave Phnom Penh, the airport tax ($25/person) is to be paid in US dollars.

I hope the information above helps. Please do not hesitate to ask for more information if you need. Just leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Deadline extended

Good news!
The Awards Coordinator announced recently that the deadline for the submission of documentary entries is extended to November 1, 2009. The extension was made possible due to the numerous requests from members and interested individuals received by the Awards Coordinator.

So dear friends, submission of entries is still open. Kindly send your documentaries to Gerd Inger Polden, NRK RC11, 0340 Oslo, Norway. Just a reminder, when you send your DVDs/CDs and entry forms please email a copy of the entry form to gerd.inger.polden@nrk.no to announce that your entry is on its way. Enclose also short CV and picture of director.

Details about the documentary competition can be found here.

Rules of entry for Documentary Making Competition

ELIGIBILITY
Only women producers/directors/writers are eligible. The documentary must be created by women and the theme must be about women. The competition is open to Television and Radio stations as well as to independent producers/directors and program-makers.

AWARD CATEGORIES
• RADIO – 15– 60 min. in length

• TELEVISION – 20 – 90 min. in length
All entries must have aired on a television channel, or be screened at a competitive festival between November 2007 and October 1. 2009. All TV documentaries must be presented with English subtitles, English voice over, or accompanied by a written English translation.
Radio documentaries must be submitted in English or with a manuscript translated into English. Programs submitted without meeting these requirements will not be considered eligible for the competition.

• TV entries must be submitted on DVD

• Radio entries must be submitted on CD.

Entry forms, DVD/CD accompanied by confirmation of transmission date and channel, or date of screening and name of festival/venue where the material was screened, must be submitted no later than Friday, 16 October 2009 to Gerd Inger Polden, NRK RC11, 0340 Oslo, Norway.

When you send your DVDs/CDs and entry forms please email a copy of the entry form to gerd.inger.polden@nrk.no to announce that your entry is on its way. Enclose also short CV and picture of director.

The cost of transcripts, translations, subtitles or voice-overs will be borne by the producer/director or station submitting the entry. Postage costs and insurance will be the responsibility of the sender/participant.

JUDGES
• All entries will be viewed by a jury of professional radio and TV producers, directors, film-makers or decision makers in the world of broadcasting.

ALL QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO:
Gerd Inger Polden (See the addresses above).

Food

Khmer cuisine is another name for the food widely consumed in Cambodia. The food of Cambodia includes tropical fruits, rice, noodles, drinks, dessert and various soups.

The staple food for Cambodians is rice. Almost every meal includes a bowl of rice, although noodles are also popular. A wide range of curries, soups and stir fried are served with rice. Many rice varieties are available in Cambodia, including aromatic rice and glutinous or sticky rice. The latter is more commonly in desserts with fruits like durian.

Khmer Cuisine shares much in common with the food of neighbouring Thailand, although it is generally not as spicy; and Vietnam, with whom it shares many common dishes and a colonial history, both being part of the French colonial empire in Southeast Asia. It has also drawn upon influences from the cuisines of China and France, both of whom are powerful players in Cambodian history. Curry dishes, known as kari shows a trace of cultural influence from India. The many variations of rice noodles show the influences from Chinese cuisine. Rice noodle soup, known simply as Kuyteav , is a popular dish brought to Cambodia by Chinese settlers from generations past. Also, Banh Chiao is the Khmer version of the Vietnamese Bánh xèo. A legacy of the French is the baguette, which the Cambodians often eat with pâté, tinned sardines or eggs. One of these with a cup of strong coffee, sweetened with condensed milk, makes an excellent breakfast that will set up for day.

Typically, Cambodians eat their meals with at least three or four separate dishes. A meal will usually includes a soup, or samlor, served alongside the main courses. Each individual dish will be either sweet, sour, salty or bitter. Chilli is usually left up to the individual to add themselves. In this way Cambodians ensure that they get a bit of every flavour to satisfy their palates.

Several cooking courses are now run in popular tourist areas, giving visitors the chance to share the culinary secret of the Khmers.

For more information on Khmer food, visit this article at Wikipedia.

Foreign Embassies and Consulates in Cambodia

Below is a list of foreign embassies and consulates in Phnom Penh. You can check to see if your country has an embassy or consulate in Cambodia.

Australia
Villa11, R V Senei Vannavaut Oum (St. 254),
Daun Penh District,
Phnom Penh , Cambodia
Tel.: (855-23) 213-470, 213-413
Fax: (855-23) 213-465, 213-467

Belgium
7th Floor, Bldg. F, Office 781
Phnom Penh Center
Corner Sihanouk and Sothearos Blvds.
Phnom Penh
Tel/Fax: (855-23) 214-024

Bulgaria
No. 227/9 Norodom Blvd.
Tel.: (855-23) 723-182, (015) 915-825
Fax: (855-23) 426941

Brunei
#237, St. 51 (Pasteur St.)
Boengkengkang, Khan Chamkarmon
Phnom Penh

Canada
Please see Australian Embassy.
Consular services for Canadians in Cambodia are available through the Embassy of Australia, by virtue of the Canada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement.

People’s Republic of China
156 Mao Tse Tung Blvd.
Phnom Penh
Tel.: (855-23) 720-920
Fax: (855-23) 720-922

Cuba
No. 96/98 Street 214,
Sangkart Veal Vong Rhain
7 Makara, Phnom Penh
Tel.: (855-23) 213-965, (012) 853781
Fax: (855-23) 217-428

Denmark
House #8, Street 352
Boeung Keng Kong 1
Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
Tel.: (855-23) 987-629
Fax: (855-23) 993-065

France
1, Preah Monivong Blvd.
Tel: (855-23) 430 026
Fax: (855-23) 430 041

Germany
No 76-78, Street 214 (Rue Yougoslavie),
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: (855-23) 216-193/ 381
Fax: (855-23) 427-746

Hungary
No. 463 Preah Monivong Boulevard
Tel: (855-23) 722-781
Fax: (855-23) 426-216

India
No.777 Preah Monivong Blvd,
Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 210 912/ 913
Fax: (855-23) 213 640, 210914

Indonesia
No 90, Preah Norodom Blvd.,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Japan
No.194, Preah Norodom Blvd.,
Sangkat Tonle Bassac,
Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 217-161 to 4
Fax: (855-23) 216-162

Democratic Republic of Korea
No. 64 Street 214,
Boeung Raing, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 211-901 to 2
Fax: (855-23) 211-903

Laos
No.15-17, Mao Tse Tung Blvd.,
Khan Chamcar Mon, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 982-632
Fax: (855-23) 720-907

Malaysia
Nº5, Street 242, Chaktomouk,
Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 216-176/ 177
Fax: (855-23) 216-004

Myanmar
181 Preah Norodom Blvd.
Boeung Keng Kang I,
Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 213-663 to 4
Fax: (855-23) 213-665

Norway
Please see the Danish Embassy.
Norwegian consular cases are presently handled by the Danish Embassy in Phnom Penh in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok.

Pakistan
House No.45, Street No.310
Boeung Keng Kang-1, Phnom Penh
Tel.: (855-23) 996-890 to 91
Fax: Fax: (855-23) 992-113

Philippines
Nº. 33, Street 294, Tonle Bassac,
Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 215-145, 982-985
Fax: (855-23) 215-143

Poland
767 Monivong Blvd.
Phnom Penh
Tel.: (855-23) 217-782 to 3
Fax: (855-23) 217-781

Russia
No 213, Samdech Sothearos Blvd.,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: (855 23) 210-931
Fax: (855 23) 216-776

Singapore
No 92 Preah Norodom Boulevard
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: (855-23) 360-855 to 6
Fax: (855-23)-210-862/ 360-850

Sweden (sharing same address as Danish Embassy)
Street 352, Boeung Keng Kang 1, House No. 8, 2nd floor
Phnom Penh
Tel.: (855-23) 212-259
Fax: (855-23) 212-867

Switzerland
House 53 D , Street 242
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel.: (855-23) 219-045
Fax: (855-23) 213-375

Thailand
No.196 Preah Norodom Boulevard,
Sangkat Tonle Bassac,
Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 726-306 to 10 (Auto Line)
Fax: (855-23) 726-303

United Kingdom
No.27-29, Street 75
Srah Chak, Duan Penh
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: (855-23) 427-124 / 428-153
Fax: (855-23) 427-125

United States of America
#1, Street 96, Sangkat Wat Phnom
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel.: (855-23) 728-000 / (855-23) 216-438
Fax: (855-23) 728-600

Vietnam
No. 436 Monivong Blvd.,
Phnom Penh
Tel: (855-23) 362-741
Fax: (855-23) 427-385, 362-314

Visas and Entry

Make sure your passport has at least 6-months validity. A one-month tourist visa is available on arrival at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap international airports, and border crossings with Thailand and Vietnam. The visa fee is US$20 for Tourist, US$25 for Business and free for Diplomats and Officials. Tourist visa can be extended for one month, but only one time while Business visas can be renewed indefinitely. For information on visa renewal, consult a travel agency or the Department of Foreigners via email: visa_info@online.com.kh.

Online visa application is now available. For more details on online visa application, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/.

Source..

Click here for more visa information.

Cambodian Climate

Cambodia has a tropical climate under monsoons, resulting in 4 seasons:

(1) cool and dry from November to February,

(2) hot and dry from March to May,

(3) hot and wet from June to August and

(4) cool and wet from September to October.

It is particularly hot during March to May and the average day temperature is around 32 to 33 degree Celsius while during the cool season, the temperature can be below 20 degree Celsius. During the wet season, the rain regularly comes in the evening from 3pm to 6pm allowing clear sky in the morning and afternoon which makes it easy to plan around. While it is more comfortable in the cool season, the temples and sceneries are more beautiful and breathtaking during the wet season. The rain tends to dampen spirits in the beach town of Sihanoukville. Afternoon rains can make touring a bit more difficult but the rains also bring out unique beauty and color in the temples as their surrounding pools fill and the jungle and rice paddies become green.

Earthquakes and volcanoes are non-existent in Cambodia. Siem Reap in particular, is not prone to natural disasters; however continuous heavy rains may cause a flash flood, especially in the southern area of the province, close to the Tonle Sap lake.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia… at a glance

Co-organised by the Women’s Media Centre of Cambodia, the 33rd IAWRT Biennial Conference will be held in Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Welcome to Phnom Penh!

A mixture of Asian exotica, the famous Cambodian hospitality awaits the visitors to the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia. Situated at the confluence of three great rivers the ‘four arms’ of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac forming the “four arms” right in front of the Royal Palace Phnom Penh is the commercial, political and cultural hubs of the Kingdom and is home to over one million of the country’s estimated 11.4 million people. It is also the gateway to an exotic land… the world heritage site, the largest religious complex in the world, the temples of Angkor in the west, the beaches of the southern coast and the ethnic minorities of the northeastern provinces.

Click here to know more about Phnom Penh.

Cambodia Fast Facts:

Official Name: Kingdom of Cambodia

Motto: National-Religion-King

Capital: Phnom Penh

Population: 14 millions (2008 est.)

Land Area: 181 035 km2

Ethnic Groups: Khmer (~95%), ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese, Cham, several hill tribes

Language: Khmer, secondarily English and French

Religion: Theravada Buddhism (~97%), Islam, Christianity, Animism, Caodism

International Airports: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap

Currency: Riel (US$1 = 4100R). US dollar is very commonly used.

Voltage: 220Volts/50Hz

Time: GMT+7 hours

Business Hours: 7:30am-11:30am / 2:00pm-5:00pm. Closed on Saturday afternoon and Sunday

Click here to know more about Cambodia

The search is on for the 2009 IAWRT Excellence in Documentary-Making

The competition is now open for the 2009 IAWRT International Awards for Excellence. The IAWRT International Awards celebrate outstanding documentaries made by women, and are all open to all female producers, directors and journalists working in radio and television anywhere in the world.

Documentaries must be about women who are making a difference, on their own lives or on the lives of other women. Entries must be between 20 and 90 minutes long for Film and 15 – 60 minutes for Radio and have been broadcast during November 2007 – October 2009.

Entries will be assessed by an IAWRT international panel and the winners will be announced at the Annual Gala Dinner at this year’s IAWRT 33rd Biennial Conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from 17 to 21 November 2009.

The Award for the most outstanding documentary in each medium is US $750. For further information, entry forms and full details of the Entry Rules and Regulations are posted on the IAWRT website . Inquiries should be directed to gerd.inger.polden@nrk.no. Please come visit us again for more updates on the documentary-making competition as well as the IAWRT Biennial Conference in Cambodia.