The farmers in the northeastern zone of Nigeria perceived ICTs as useful tools in providing information on new agricultural techniques, weather conditions, disease outbreaks, public health, business, and ways to send short messages to people. This implies that the benefits of ICTs in the said areas are relevant to the respondents’ livelihood, social, and health affairs.
Despite its important role, community radios are confronted time and again with the issue of sustaining their operation. With no regular source of revenue, many have remained poorly equipped and understaffed. This challenge, among other ones, has led to the formulation of a new and timely policy in Bangladesh, thereby terminating the old one. As a result, the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy 2017 is now in effect
Krishi Radio, the first government-run community radio in Amtali, Barguna, will soon be housed in its new building, complete with new set of equipment and facilities. This was disclosed by the Agriculture Information Service, the unit in the Department of Agricultural Extension, that directly manages the radio station. By early 2019, a three-storey building will be constructed to replace the old one. It will house the radio station, production rooms,
“As a mass medium at the local level, community radios can provide the link between community and science.” This was emphasized by Ajaya Dixit, Executive Director of the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET) in Nepal during his discussion on climate change and disaster resilience among community radio broadcasters, community media practitioners, and representatives of farmer organizations from South Asia. Dixit advised the community radio stations that when they try
The e-learning Course on Communication for Rural Development aims to guide users in designing and implementing communication strategies for agricultural and rural development initiatives, combining participatory methods with communication processes, media and tools, ranging from community media to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), best suited for a specific context. The e-learning course is based on the Communication for Rural Development Sourcebook published in 2014 by FAO and the College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los
In support of the World Day against Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November 2016, AMARC launches a worldwide campaign for the safety of journalists that will highlight the work of journalists and producers of community radio. The campaign aims to strengthen the efforts to reduce the level of impunity for crimes against freedom of expression, since based from a study conducted by UNESCO, 96% of crimes against freedom
The Final Report of the Forum on Communication for Development and Community Media for Family Farming (FCCM) is now available under the title: Rural Communication Services for Family Farming: Contributions, Evidence and Perspectives. Organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the Forum was convened from 23-24 October 2014 in the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.
The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) will conduct a three-day workshop on interactive community radio to enhance food security and family farming in Asia-Pacific. It will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 19-21, 2016. FAO reported in 2015 that 490 million people are still suffering chronic hunger in Asia and the Pacific region, which is also home to
FAO is pleased to announce the launch of its e-learning course on Communication for Rural Development! By promoting training in ComDev, FAO hopes to continue building capacity in the use of participatory approaches to address the knowledge and information needs of rural stakeholders and to facilitate their active involvement in development initiatives. Communication for Development (ComDev) has proven to be a key element in improving the effectiveness and sustainability of development
February 13th is World Radio Day (WRD), a celebration of community radio as a medium of primary importance. This Day aims to promote gender equality on the air, access to information, development of independent media, safety of journalists and freedom of expression. For the fifth edition, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and all the partners in the public, commercial and community media,
