Radio for Social Change in Africa
Welcome to the first issue of The Soul Beat in 2008! We look forward to sharing more communication for development related knowledge and experiences and to engaging in increased discussion and dialogue to support your work.
This issue of The Soul Beat looks at the role of radio in promoting social change in Africa. It contains summaries of project experiences, strategic thinking documents, evaluations and resource materials that look at the role of radio in promoting health, peace building and governance, human rights and education.
If you would like your organisation's communication work or research and resource documents to be featured on the Soul Beat Africa website and in the Soul Beat newsletters please contact the Editor - Anja Venth aventh@comminit.com
===
Subscribe to The Soul Beat - or email Seipati Fountain sfountain@comminit.com
Please note: Access to the complete range of CI knowledge resources is open to all users, whether registered or not. We do, however, encourage registration. In the future, there will be features that are only available to those who register; for example, in order to tailor the information to you and your needs, registration will be required. To register, please click here.
===
1. Hannu Daya Radio Programme - Nigeria
Hannu Daya (a Hausa proverb meaning "One Hand Cannot Mount a Thatched Roof") is a radio programme created in 2002 with the support of Department for International Development (DFID)'s State and Local Government Programme (SLGP) to address the weaknesses in broadcast journalism and the broader governance culture in Nigeria's Jigawa State. The programme aims to promote better communication between people and government through radio programmes that act as a forum for the exchange of ideas, opinions and information about government and representation at local and state levels.
Contact enquiry@dfid.gov.uk OR pressoffice@dfid.gov.uk
This is a private radio station owned and run by the youth of Korogocho informal settlement in Nairobi. The station is a product of the Miss Koch Initiative, a project started in 2001 to respond to rising cases of sexual abuse in the slum. The radio station aims to increase security in the settlement, create awareness of women abuse as well as provide entertainment.
Contact raphojuma@hotmail.com OR misskoch2001@yahoo.com
3. Radio Instruction to Strengthen Education (RISE) project - Tanzania This project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to teach children literacy, numeracy, life skills related to health, hygiene, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS prevention through interaction radio instruction (IRI). Interactive lessons are broadcast over the national radio station network and trained onsite education mentors lead children through lessons using printed guides. Wind-up and solar powered radios allow students and teachers to participate in the daily radio education programmes.
Contact Simard ssimard@edc.org OR Gaelle Simon gsimon@edc.org
4. Radio Ndeke Luka - Central African Republic (CAR) This is a radio station focusing on development and peace in the Central African Republic (CAR). The radio station aims to provide humanitarian information to local populations, as well as strengthen the local media environment through capacity building and training. The radio also serves as a 'bush telephone' for the local population of Bangui and its surroundings, and as a radio school to train Central African journalists.
Contact info@hirondelle.org
5. Zambia Community Media Forum (ZaCoMeF) - Zambia
This is an umbrella body representing the interests of the Zambian community media sector. Membership of ZaCoMeF is drawn from all 9 provinces of Zambia. It was formed by the Panos Institute Southern Africa, in conjunction with other stakeholders, to address certain problems affecting local community media and to strengthen this sector. It also serves as a broker and clearinghouse for community media initiatives.
Contact Zacomef@panos.org.zm
6. Voices of Change: Strategic Radio Support for Achieving the Millennium Development Goals
by Dr. Andrew Skuse, School of Social Science, University of Adelaide
This paper provides a summary of the scope of radio's involvement - and its potential and actual impact - in fulfilling the broader goals and targets of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. While acknowledging that a rich variety of communication for development initiatives have used diverse tools - such as face-to-face or interpersonal communication, community-level communication (e.g., theatre or role-playing), and telecommunications via land line or mobile channels - to support achievement of the MDGs, this paper focuses explicitly on radio, which "constitutes a communications mainstay for millions of poor people in the South".
7. Community Radio for Development Email Discussion Report
This report summarises an email discussion hosted by id21 in early 2006 focused on community radio. The discussion was meant to be an opportunity for community media practitioners and activists from around the world to share their experiences and views on the role of community radio in development processes. It highlights the trends noted and key recommendations put forward by participants for developing community radio.
8. Analysis: Looking at Community Radio in Africa
by Mike Hickcox
The author of this paper traveled to South Africa, Uganda and Kenya to visit some of the community radio stations to share information and raise awareness. This article details Hickcox's findings, tracing trends in this medium while also offering strategies for its continued effective use.
===
Looking for more information on Community Radio?
Visit the Community Radio Theme Site
This theme site provides a specific focus on information related to Community Radio on the Soul Beat Africa site.
You can also subscribe to the Soul Beat Africa Extra: Community Radio - this e-newsletter complements The Soul Beat newsletter through a specific focus on Community Radio. It is published every second month and updates you on the most recent community radio related programme activities, awards, trainings, evaluations, research results and resources placed on the Soul Beat Africa website.
Subscribe to the SBA Extra: Community Radio by subscribing to The Soul Beat and indicating an interest in community radio within the notes.
===
9. Mid-Term Evaluation of Search for Common Ground (Centre Lokolé) "Supporting Congo's Transition Towards Sustainable Peace" Programme in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
This report documents a mid-term review to assess Search for Common Ground (SFCG)'s "Supporting Congo's Transition towards Sustainable Peace" radio programme, funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). The purpose of the evaluation was to provide an objective assessment of the programme's progress against its aims, and its impact to date. According to this document one of the key achievement of Centre Lokolé's radio output is that it produces informative, relevant and stimulating material which is disseminated to mass audiences in parts of the country where few other sources of information or discussion reach.
10. Evaluation of UNESCO's Community Multimedia Centres Final Report
This evaluation examines the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s Community Multimedia Centre (CMC) initiative, which was conceptualised as a potential solution to mitigate the digital divide in marginalised communities around the world. The project aims to promote sustainable local development through community-based facilities that combine traditional media like radio, television, and print with new information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as computers, the internet, and mobile devices.
This evaluation explores the strategy of using radio to impact audience knowledge and attitudes relating to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Focusing on Andrew Lees Trust's Projet Radio (ALT/PR) in Southern Madagascar, the report shows that this initiative's use of radio is achieving some notable success in changing and enhancing knowledge and attitudes on topics including HIV/AIDS, family planning, mother and child health, environmental issues, social and administrative issues, and gender inequality.
12. Radio for Peacebuilding: Africa Project Evaluation
The goals of the Radio for Peacebuilding, Africa project are to develop, spread and encourage the use of radio broadcasting techniques and content that have a constructive impact on the conflicts that exist at many different levels in African societies. This end-term evaluation aims to assess whether the project outcomes have been successful in contributing to the goals and purpose of the Radio for Peacebuilding, Africa project. According to the document, the vast majority of broadcasters interviewed and surveyed made a compelling case for the ongoing need to support radio stations to contribute to peace building efforts in their communities.
===
To view other issues of The Soul Beat newsletter that contain information on radio, see:
The Soul Beat #61: Media for Development - April 2006
The Soul Beat #38: Health Radio - April 2005
Click here to view archived editions of The Soul Beat Newsletter.
===
13. Financial Sustainability Model for Community Radio Stations in Southern Africa
by The Southern Africa Institute for Media Entrepreneurship Development (SAIMED)
This document presents a financial sustainability model that has been developed by SAIMED with the aim of assisting community radio stations in Southern Africa to become financially sustainable from inception. This model was developed based on research conducted in six community radio stations in Namibia in 2002.
14. Creating Participatory Radio Drama with Children
by Deborah Walter and Daniel Walter
Originally published as a chapter in a Portuguese language manual produced for the National Children's Radio Seminar in Mozambique, this English-language guide for facilitators aims to help create radio dramas with children. Designed for young facilitators and producers, the guide focuses on encouraging active participation of children in creating radio about children's issues. It provides information on how to write radio dramas, how to record and create sound effects and offers tips and technical information for producing high quality dramas in various resource settings.
by Adele Mostert and Tammy Baldwin
This is a tool for broadcasters who create radio for children, with children. It offers procedures based on the experiences gained by ABC Ulwazi during the Bernard van Leer Foundation funded “Speak Free” project. The Speak Free project was designed to create a broadcasting environment that allowed children to express themselves through community radio, share their experiences, tell the community what they are thinking and to learn from each other.
by Venus Jennings (Ed.)
This publication contains a collection of scripts and selected radio episodes that have been produced and distributed by ABC Ulwazi in Southern Africa. The programmes were produced with the participation of community members and with a conscious effort to ensure easy adaptation of the original English versions to local languages. They attempt to demonstrate formats that combine information and education approaches to engage public audiences in critical development issues such as poverty eradication, gender equality, and the prevention of HIV/AIDS.
17. Developing Radio Partners: Guidebook on Sustainability
by Bill Siemering and Jean Fairbairn
According to this publication, financial sustainability presents the greatest challenge to the success of independent radio stations operating in developing countries and is inextricably linked to a news outlet’s ability to preserve its editorial freedom. Through a grant from the Open Society Institute Network Media Program, Developing Radio Partners researched and produced this guide on local radio management and sustainability. Through presenting studies of six local independent radio stations, the authors propose a different understanding of sustainability.
18. A Sense of Belonging: Community Radio & Civil Society
by John van Zyl
This book examines the role that community radio plays in building an effective civil society. It explores the value of community radio and highlights the importance of the community radio sector for the consolidation of local government, the growth of democracy, and the rebuilding of civil society.
by Franz Krüger
This book covers topics such as how to hold a microphone, writing for the ear, compiling bulletins, handling difficult interviews and digital editing. It includes a particular focus on the needs of community radio journalists, who have to report on a shoestring.
===
The Soul Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.
If you have not received the most recent edition of The Soul Beat and you are definitely subscribed, it may be that your mailbox is protected by spam filters. Please add soulbeat@comminit.com to your email address book, spam software whitelist, or mail system whitelist.
Please send material for The Soul Beat to the Editor - Anja Venth aventh@comminit.com
Click here to subscribe.
- Log in to post comments