The aim of the project is to strengthen the professional capacity of the community-radio journalists and broadcast presenters involved in collecting, processing and disseminating radio information; it seeks to strengthen the institutional framework of community radio stations by providing a solid basis for their independence, and thereby contributing towards the promotion of freedom of expression, the pluralism of ideas, and the diversity and quality of information provided to local communities.
IPDC project priority: Community radio
While Mozambique as a whole has a fairly developed media sector, the Manda Wilderness area faces limitations to media coverage. Journalism as a profession does not exist in the area. There are no daily newspapers; no Mozambican Internet or mobile network coverage (only expensive Malawi services); and no media tools to share relevant information (e.g. on health, education and agriculture). As a result, the Manda Wilderness communities have no voice on issues of concern to them.
Training community individuals to cover issues and spread freedom of speech would therefore be a...
The Ethiopian media is a very recent phenomenon, mainly consisting of state-controlled radio and television. Addis Ababa City Administration Community Media (FM 96.3) is one of the few community radio stations in the country. It serves 1.5 million people across a 105 km radius, providing 18 hours of daily transmission in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia. However, its journalists lack professional skills.
The proposed project aims to address this gap by training volunteer journalists, reporters, editors and technicians at FM 96.3 to be able to produce high quality...
There is a severe lack of information in the Rwandan media concerning the environment and the effects of climate change on agricultural production. Community radios have the potential to play a decisive role in filling this gap but lack the technical capacity to do so. If this skills shortage were addressed, educational radio programmes on the environment and climate change could reach more than 4,000,000 people from 15 radio stations, including rural communities, decision-makers and local leaders, enabling them to fully participate in environmental protection and take appropriate measures...
Community reporting has never been a priority in Lesotho. The media is based in the capital city of Maseru and rural voices are rarely heard. Rural communities only make the news in negative stories or when a government official comes to officiate a development initiative. Given the increase in social and political problems in rural Lesotho, it is becoming more and more critical for rural communities to have an alternative media platform where they can have their voices heard and can discuss their own issues and possible solutions.
Lesotho’s only community radio station,...
Khorixas, with an estimated population of 68,735 people, is one of the lest developed parts of Namibia. This town and the neighbouring villages receive no daily newspapers and only intermittent radio coverage from one state-owned station. Khorixas therefore lacks a community platform to discuss development and social issues in a pluralistic, accessible and democratic way and is isolated from regional, national and international affairs.
There have been recurring and unmitigated resource-based conflicts over the years between the region’s diverse communities. In addition, the...
Radio Peace recognizes the developmental power of radio and realizes that sustainable development calls for cohesive communities that are grounded in their cultures and traditions. However, the limited success of decentralization in Ghana has left many communities in the central region without a clear process for integrated community action. Preoccupied with day-to-day subsistence, most listeners of Radio Peace are unable to fully appreciate the links between quality of life and good governance. This project aims to promote access to communication media and the right to communicate to this...
Valley FM is a community-based radio that broadcasts from Worcester, Western Cape, where radio is the most accessible and cost-effective communication medium for the mostly farm-dwelling residents. As of 2013, the station had 121,000 listeners across 28 towns in a region where community issues are marginalized in media coverage by the national broadcaster. Valley FM broadcasts in three languages - Afrikaans (80%), isiXhosa (15%) and English (5%) – and covers local concerns that may not feature in national news, such as domestic violence and teenage pregnancy. The station also has a strong...
Bangladesh’ campaign for the right to information (RTI) has ensued for many years, sustained by the efforts of journalists, development workers, human rights activists and members of civil society. It resulted in the passing of the RTI Ordinance in 2008, a major step towards enabling access to information and promoting freedom of expression and of the press, good governance, and transparency. However, no significant efforts have been made to either raise awareness about or effectively implement this Act, and access to information remains limited in Bangladesh.
A media...
In order for journalism to foster sustainable development, media professionals require the right skills and equipment to develop communication strategies that serve their communities. However, capacity-building opportunities are often lacking. This project will therefore train community radio workers to implement communication strategies that promote sustainable community development and local participation. The training will draw upon UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators concerning professional capacity-building. The Model Curricula for Journalism Education: A Compendium of New Syllabi...
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