Prof. Dr. Vinod Pavarala, Hon’ble UNESCO Chair on Community Media arrives on Sunday, 24 November on a nine day visit in Bangladesh for joining training workshop on Community Radio Continuous Improvement Toolkit in line with strengthening & promoting good governance of community radio operation in Bangladesh.
It can be mentioned that Community Radio: Continuous Improvement Toolkit has been developed by UNESCO Chair on Community Media of University of Hyderabad, India with the support from Commonwealth Educational Media Center for Asia/Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and later that has been applied in practice by the Community Radio stations of India. The exercise of the toolkit has already created visible impacts in establishing good governance within the operation and management of those stations.
BNNRC has planned to take the knowledge & learning of the lessons and apply those at Community Radio stations in Bangladesh. This will require a bit customization in relevance to Bangladeshi context in participation with community radio stakeholders. As part of this, BNNRC is organizing an advanced level training workshop on 25-27 November, 2013 on CR-CIT, training room, IDB Bhaban, Dhaka 1207 with the support from Commonwealth Educational Media Center for Asia/Commonwealth of Learning (COL), European Union & Free Press Unlimited
Prof. Vinod Pavarala is UNESCO Chair on Community Media at University of Hyderabad. For over a decade, he has been one of the leading campaigners for democratization of airwaves in South Asia and has played a significant role in drafting the national policy permitting community radio a space on the radio dial in the South Asia.
Recognizing the growing impact of Community Media as a powerful tool for community engagement and empowerment, UNESCO has set up the first ever Chair on Community Media at the Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad, India. Established for an initial period of four years in 2011, the Chair will serve as a knowledge and resource centre delving into the various facets of Community Media.
During his visit UNESCO Chair on Community Media is expected to meet Secretary & Minister of the Ministry of Information, Chief Information Commissioner of Information Commission, Vice Chancellor of University of Dhaka & Vice Chancellor BRAC University and media.
Presently, 14 Community Radio Stations are on-air in the country, aiming to ensure empowerment and right to information for the rural community. They are broadcasting altogether 120 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment and development motivation activities. Around 536 Youth Women & Youth are now working with those Stations throughout the country as rural broadcasters & cover more than 4.6 million listeners of 67 upazilla of 13 districts in rural Bangladesh.
The reality of today is that the bondage between the community people and local-level community radio stations are getting strengthened day-by-day. Community Radio has now become their part of life. Community Radio becomes the instrument for the livelihood battle of the rural people.
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication has been struggling for the last 13 years to open up the community media (including Community Radio, Community Television & community film) and giving focus on its vital role as voices of the voiceless people with support from Free Press Unlimited.