Peace Radio Refuses to Leave Site

[Say_What]

I've been hearing about this on Democracy Now.

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In a surreal and escalating war between two international institutions dedicated to peace, human rights and non-violent conflict resolution, Radio For Peace International this week appealed to the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV) to intervene in the shortwave station's fight for survival against the United-Nations-created University for Peace (UPEACE).

The legal motion, filed Tuesday and signed by the station's board of directors and former President Rodrigo Carazo, asks the Costa Rican court to order the university to repeal the UPEACE-issued eviction notice and allow the station to continue its worldwide broadcasting on issues of peace and social justice from the university's campus in Ciudad Colón, 25 km west of San José.

The radio station went off the air Wednesday at 11 p.m. - for the first time in 16 years - when the university cut the power to the transmitting building.

In July 2002, the university terminated the operating agreement and gave Radio for Peace 90 days to vacate the land. The university claims Radio for Peace is operating without a legal contract, broadcasting on a pirate shortwave band, has not paid outstanding debts to the university and is not consistent with the moder-nization efforts of UPEACE.

http://www.ticotimes.net/topstory.htm