Community-Radio-For

1 Booklet Published in 2020 Concept & Documentation by: Young India Konark, Puri Dist Odisha-752111 06758-236471 / 9040904904 www.youngindia.net.in Published by: ActionAid Association, Odisha Programme Implementation, Research and Training Hub 331/A, Saheed Nagar, Bhubaneswar-751007 www.actionaidindia.org actionaidindia All the rights are reserved. The document may be freely reviewed, quoted, reproduced or translated, in part or in full, provided the source & CR is acknowledged. Editorial Team: N.A.Shah Ansari, Chairperson, Namaskar Community Media Network Priya Ranjan Sahu, Senoir Journalist BN Durga, State Programme Manager-ECM, ActionAid Association Suvendu Kumar Ray, M&E Manager, ActionAid Association Design: Studio Edit, www.studioedit.in Disclamer: This booklet comprises success stories of Community Radio Stations in summary form. While the Publisher and Editors have taken maximum care in compiling the success stories, they make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy or the completeness of any information. Neither Editors nor Publisher can accept the responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this publication. The information summarized in this publication is solely based on the information provided by the representatives of stations concerned. The opinions and claims of third parties set out in this booklet are not necessarily opinions of Young India or Action Aid. 2 Foreword Of late, community radio has emerged in felicitating people from community media as abeneficial medium in reaching out to and other forms of media through the Odisha communities with information relevant to the Media Awards. This award provides much- local context. Community radio has played deserved recognition for the rich contributions a role of crucial importance in emergency made for social transformation. The stories in response, including early warning and in this publication inform us about the significant sharing information about the needs of relief contributions of community radio leaders and recovery. across the country and in different arenas “Undaunted by gusting wind, the RJ who aired including building livelihoods, advancing cyclone Fani updates”, was the headline of Indian justice, empowering women and strengthening Express on 15 May 2019. The story referred to education. Rojalin Pradhan of Radio Namaskar, Konark. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created Rojalin continued broadcasting status reports great havoc across the world and in our country on Cyclone Fani, despite winds preventing as well. Amidst the crisis, community radio colleagues from relieving her, and stopping has come forward to help the communities her from going home. ActionAid Association in providing information on how to protect had the privilege to felicitate Rojalin on World themselves from the spread of the virus, access Humanitarian Day. the services and entitlements. This publication Community radio channels have also played also encapsulates the best practices of the a stellar role in building disaster resilient community radios, including the support communities through leadership development extended to communities during the COVID-19 of young women and men. Community radio has crisis. thus created space for young men and women I extend my heartfelt appreciation for the from the community, so from being a mere hard work of Shri N A Shah Ansari, President, listener, they have emerged as changemakers Community Radio Association of India and in the community. colleagues of ActionAid Association Odisha In the aftermath of Cyclone Phailin and Cyclone Regional Office in bringing out this publication. Fani, ActionAid Association’s campaign The collective learning and experiences with Community Radio Namaskar informing contained in this publication would help communities of their entitlements resulted develop appropriate policy and programmes in significant benefit to the most vulnerable to strengthen the community radio movement amongst cyclone-affected households. in the country. Excluded communities were able to access I look forward to the views and suggestions of their entitlements. the readers. We celebrate our alliance and solidarity with Sandeep Chachra Community Radio Namaskar and Young India Executive Director ActionAid Association, India 1 Message 2 Message Message 3 Preface Community Radio is one of the most engaging and effective communication mediums to reach out to people with information and amplify their voices to the administration and duty bearers. The programmes in community is broadcasted in local language and incorporated folk songs and tales so it has great entertainment value for the local communities. This book is the compendium of the best practices by the community radios across India and the specific intervention made by the community radios amid the COVID 19 time. Over the period community radio has emerged as one of the very effective medium of communications to people and the value of which cannot be overlooked. In emergencies like cyclone, flood including the COVID 19 pandemic this medium can also be used to disseminate vital information to people and help them stay safe. The present publication is the second of its series that captures very innovative methods of using community radios towards amplifying the voice of people. The collaborative and collective efforts of the community radio workers, civil society actors, community leaders, academics, researchers, universities and educational institutions and local administration would really help people and organisation like us to become change makers in different spheres of the social life. We thank all the community radios who contributed to this process of bringing out publication in terms of sharing their experiences and learning. We sincerely thank our partner Young India and Community Radio Namaskar for helping us in compilation of the best practices and bringing out this publication. Debabrat Patra Associate Director ActionAid Association Bhubaneswar Regional Office, Odisha Mob.: 9437493410 4 About the Publication Community Radio for Change Community stations serve the most has limited opportunity to have their fullest marginalized who lack access to information participation in the governance process at on different schemes and programmes meant grass root level due to lack of transparent for them. Keeping in view of the need of the & accountable system. Also, Ignorance, target community the broadcast content of the inadequate access to credible information and community radio is developed in the locally lack of opportunity prevent them from putting popular and acceptable format that is often their voice. overlooked by commercial or mass-media. Community Radio as a medium gives voice to Thus, the content of community radio is more the voiceless, that serves as the mouthpiece sharply focused, customized, localized. Also, of the marginalized keeping people’s voice in the community radio stations are operated, the center of its communication process. With owned, and managed by the communities. community radio, citizens have the means to Therefore, it has emerged as an alternative make their views known on certain decisions that community media in terms of addressing the concern them. Thus, in this process the notions gaps. of transparency and good governance reach The community radio movement in the country new dimensions and democracy is reinforced. started with official announcement of the policy Community radio catalyzes the development by Government in the year 2003though there efforts for the rural and the underprivileged was limitation that only educational institutes segments of urban communities, given with license can run community radio. But it its exceptional ability to share timely and marked the beginning of giving a voice to relevant information on development issues, the community. The first campus radio came opportunities, experiences, life skills and public up in February 2004 but when the broader interests. Given the audience’s low literacy rate objective of providing community a voice and radio’s ability to involve women and to treat did not materialize, Government of India us them not only as objects or merely as a target hered in a new policy on 16th November 2006 audience, but as participating agents and as a which allowed NGOs & non-profits to operate valuable resource, community radio becomes Community Radio Station. Sangham Radio, one of the most promising tools for community managed by Deccan Development Society, in development. Pastapur village of Medak district in Andhra Further, the mainstream media do not reach Pradesh made history on 15 October2008 by such pockets as it is not commercially viable, being the first non-profit Community Radio community in turn continue to facilitate in raising Station. its voice of dissent. Thus,community radios Rural communities living in remote locations provide the apt and much needed platform 5 in their area of operations. With a mandate justice to the vulnerable communities. They to produce majority of their programmes touched lives of every vulnerable community, locally,they have been able to give voice to be it women, children, Dalits, transgenders, the voiceless by broadcasting programmes rag pickers etc. One of the objectives of the in the local language or dialect and most consultation was to further the mission of importantly prioritizing the local issues. This social justice & empowerment through this engagement

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