AMARC Africa Community Radio Capacity Building Conference and the "Johannesburg Declaration"

The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) Africa held its first Capacity Building Conference of Community Radios in Human Development: "Improving Content, Strengthening Networks and Empowering Women" from July 19-22, 2010 at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Johannesburg with the support of UNESCO, International Programme for Development Communication (IPDC) Namibia. The Conference brought together over 40 participants from more than 23 countries to explore and identify effective ways to increase the social impact of community radio in promoting development and good governance. The conference aimed to serve as AMARC Africa's launching pad to greatly increase its activities and its effectiveness to combat voicelessness, exclusion, and poverty in Africa.

The specific objectives of the conference were to:

• Provide training for trainers and facilitate knowledge sharing to increase the quality and relevance of community radio content as well the social impact of community radio through improving technical quality and knowledge in development content (including health, water and sanitation);
• Initiate coordination between African Community Radio Networks on common objectives as well as with civil society groups, in order to facilitate development, good governance, conflict resolution, and democracy building;
• Increase the social involvement and empowerment of women through community radio in Africa by reinforcing and further developing AMARC’s Women’s International Network (WIN) and the participation of women in the various country networks.

At the conclusion of the conference, those present drafted a declaration summarising the concerns, goals, and conclusions of the conference.