EAC-UNESCO Community Media Network Workshop gets underway in Arusha
A three-day East African Community (EAC)-United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) workshop is currently underway in Arusha, Tanzania.
The workshop which is taking place at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania has drawn 35 participants from community radio stations in the five EAC Partner States, namely: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Speaking during the official opening of the workshop, Ms Zulmira Rodrigues, the Head of Office and Representative of UNESCO in the United Republic of Tanzania, pledged that UNESCO would continue to support community media initiatives in the EAC region.
Ms Rodrigues said UNESCO-supported community radios continued to be the main source of information for rural, marginalised and indigenous communities on issues that widely range from economic and socio-cultural policy to addressing emergency situations.
“UNESCO through its support has further significantly contributed to ensuring quality broadcasting, ethical programming and inclusive content to include all groups – men, women, the youth, persons living with disabilities and persons living with albinism – to actively participate in key processes for democracy, peace and development”, said Ms Rodrigues.
The UNESCO Country Representative particularly singled out the work of community media in Tanzania which she said has never been more relevant.
“In a time when information affects almost every human decision and action, through the touch of a button or the swipe of a screen, the turning knob on a radio remains the most effective way to promote development in hard to reach areas seen by the community media network in Tanzania alone reaching an audience of over 16 million – over a third of the country’s entire population. A segment that would otherwise have been left out by conventional, mainstream media”, she said.
Ms Rodrigues advised community media stations that to ensure sustainability, they need to bear in staying in business meant more than just securing the funding to keep their stations and programmes running.
“It includes a holistic approach that will facilitate the effective utilisation of your resources – correspondents, partners, collaborators and management – to achieve a stable base of resources to ensure the community radios’ going concern. These elements must be supported by a clear vision and results orientation; strategic financing; adaptability to changing conditions; a broad base of community support; and, strong internal systems”, she said.
Speaking when he officially opened the workshop, the EAC Deputy Secretary-General in charge of Finance and Administration, Mr Liberat Mfumukeko, said the Community attaches great importance to the role of the media promoting awareness, debate and involvement of the broad range of stakeholders in the EAC integration.
“As the regional integration process intensifies, the EAC is challenged more and more today to achieve and demonstrate greater efficiency and effectiveness as well as more visibility for its activities, achievements and competitiveness in the region and beyond”, said Mr Mfumukeko.
He urged the media to embrace regional integration with passion, dedication and commitment for the benefit of the present and future generations of East Africa, adding that the Secretariat would continue to partner with the media in sensitising stakeholders on the integration process.
“We have directed the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department to come up with a strategy to involve community radio stations in the Partner States in our outreach and advocacy programmes in the next Financial Year. With this strategy in place, we shall work and engage with you more closely”, said the Deputy Secretary-General.
Facilitating the workshop are community media experts led by the UNESCO Chair on Community, Professor Vinod Pavarala.