Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication(BNNRC) is going to celebrate the International Day for Universal Access (IDUA) 2020 at 18 Community Radio station level in rural Bangladesh on 28 September 2020. In the meanwhile, all Community Radio Broadcasting is preparing them for celebrating the International Day for Universal Access (IDUA).
The theme is to highlight the importance in times of crisis, constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information save lives, build trust and help develop sustainable policies. They strengthen access to health, education and justice, and can contribute towards reduced inequalities. Slogan is Access to Information – Saving lives, Building Trust, Bringing Hope! In the era of post COVID-19 according to International Day for Universal Access (IDUA) concept note of UNESCO.
In this occasion, community radio station will arrange a talk show, magazine program etc. The representative from media, practitioners, civil society members, academia, administration, and the representative from the different level of the society will have participated in the International Day for Universal Access (IDUA) 2020.
Additional IDUAI themes for national commemorations: Public information and its role in addressing disinformation, especially in times of crisis. The right to information and prerequisites to protect personal information. Open data, data usage and the right to information. The role of access to information in reducing inequalities (the right to information as a precondition for persons with disabilities to overcome exclusion in times of crisis). The role of Media and Information Literacy in combatting the COVID-19 “infodemic”.
The community radio stations are now broadcasting 165 hours of daily programs majorities of which are aimed at addressing SDGs goals by motivating people, connecting and bridging the gaps by setting agendas like reducing poverty and inequalities, need for education and good health and clean water & sanitation. Around 1000 community broadcasters are now working with 17 stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters.
Community Radio has created scope for the poor and marginalized community to raise their own voices; it becomes the voice for the voiceless. These neo-media outlets opened scope to establish their rights of Information and communication in the social, political, cultural and environmental arena. As a result of such advocacy programs scope widened for poverty reduction and sustainable development because of the rights to raise the voice of the community and accessibility to knowledge and information. Scopes also opened for the exchange of dialogue between local elected representatives, government bodies and NGO professionals for the sake of establishing good governance. Direct linkage established between the community and the main sectors. Scopes were created for social debate, inclusion, and preservation of cultural diversity by ensuring the inclusion of the marginalized community.
Community radio is now able to play the more active role particularly in addressing SDG policies and development agendas of the government. Most of CR programs correspond to the government’s development agenda in line with international national commitment such as 7th Five Years Plan, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan etc.