The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, AMARC Asia-Pacific, in collaboration with the SAARC Information Centre, SIC, is organizing a seminar on the ‘Status and Role of Community Radio in the SAARC Region’ from 20-22 August 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The Dhaka Seminar is being in co-ordination with Ministry of Information, Government of Bangladesh and in partnership with Commonwealth Educational Media Centre For Asia (CEMCA) and Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC).
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, SAARC is represented by eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The seminar will be participated by government representatives and community radio associations, broadcasters & advocates from all of the eight countries.
The AMARC AP-SIC consultation is a unique platform to interface the community radio sector with policy makers and government officials of the SAARC member states. It allows stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities vis-a-vis community radio development in South Asia. The Dhaka seminar is the second community radio consultation being organized jointly by AMARC and SIC as part of a memorandum of understanding signed between the two institutions to collaborate for the development of community broadcasting in South Asia. The first seminar was held in September 2013 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
In addition to high ranking government officials, community radio broadcasters and advocates, the Dhaka consultation will also be participated by academicians, civil society representatives and donor representatives. Discussions will be held on topics ranging from policy reform to tackling climate change through community radio, from promoting social justice through community radio to building regional networks and promotion of safety of community media workers. While taking stock of the South Asian experiences with community radio, the seminar will put forth recommendations for further development of community broadcasting in South Asia.
For further information, please contact Suman basnet, Regional Coordinator, AMARC Asia-Pacific, suman_basnet@asiapacific.amarc.org.
By bnnrc
AHM Bazlur Rahman-S21BR is Chief Executive Officer and founder Secretary of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). He has more than 20 years experience in leveraging community media and right to communication to create successful policy advocacy in Bangladesh in line with community media development. His areas of expertise straddle community media policy advocacy, training, project management especially in the area of community media.
He founded Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). BNNRC Devoted Entirely to Promote Community Media for Development (CM4D). BNNRC Leads Supports and Advocates for the Initiators to actively provide independent community broadcasting in Bangladesh since 2000. BNNRC represent the community electronic media sector to Government, Industry, Regulatory Bodies, Media, Academia and Development Partners from 2000. The BNNRC provides leadership and support for rural initiators to facilitate independent electronic community broadcasting services and to build and strengthen rural communities.
He actively works to improve recognition of the community electronic media sector [Community Radio | Community TV | Community Film] & its work in and involvement with the communities it seeks to serve. BNNRC's outreach extends to local, national and international forums for communicating Knowledge for Development (KM4D). In this backdrop, communication is recognized as an essential human need and, therefore, as a basic human right. Our working strategies are:
1. Communicating on the Public Sphere: The role of communication and media in exercising democratic political participation in society
2. Communicating Knowledge: The terms and means by which knowledge generated by society is communicated, or blocked, for use by different groups.
3. Civil Rights in Communication: The exercise of civil rights relating to the processes of communication in society &
4. Cultural Rights in Communication: The communication of diverse cultures, cultural forms and identities at the individual and social levels.
BNNRC now strives for the following core interventions to contribute in achieving 6th five Years Plan, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through:
Right to Information- RTI for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized
ICT for Development- ICT4D for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas &
Community Radio/Community TV/ Community Film for amplifying voices for the voiceless and Amateur Radio for Disaster Risk Reduction
He graduated from University of Dhaka and Post graduated from Asian University of Bangladesh in the field of Social Science (MSS) in Government & Politics and Participated in certificate course on Development Management by Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) New Delhi, India
He currently founder member of Bangladesh Working Group on UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) headed by Bangladesh Government, Community Radio Monitoring Committee of Ministry of Information, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, founder member of Bangladesh UN Internet Governance Forum( UN IGF) Headed by Minister, Ministry of Information, Multi-stakeholder Steering Group Members of Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (AP-RIGF) & Distinguish Fellow, Center for e-Parliament Research. Contact: ceo@bnnrc.net www.bnnrc.net
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