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I s s u e 3 6   -  M o n t h , 2 0 0 2


Development of Community Radios with ICS
Progress Report And Work Plan Approved
Ensuring Community Participation
Training Component Launched


 

Development of Community Radios with ICS

While celebrating the diverse and pluralist Community Radio sector as it has emerged over the past 15 years and more, it is obvious that besides from nurturing this dynamism and creative variety, it is necessary to identify effective ways of coordinating and mutually reinforcing the activities of the many partners.
The UNDP funded and UNESCO Implemented Media Development Project does this in a number of different ways, including seminars with community radio partners in different areas, in its work in the national coordination group, and through holding training courses for all interested.
To further consolidate a part of this national coordination work, UNESCO on May 29 signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Communication Institute, the ICS. This Memorandum spells out the Media Project's basic project document's mention that the community radio component should be carried out in co-operation with the ICS and other partners.
While this co-operation has been on-going between UNESCO and ICS in a number of different areas and ways since the start of the project in 1998, the Memorandum turns the general contact into explicitly mentioned collaboration areas, such as: training of community radio staff and volunteers, organisation of topical background seminars for the radio's editorial groups and in the development of sustainable long-term systems in the area of capacitation/training and in the technical area.
Presently UNESCO and ICS co-operates in the planning of a series of training courses initially in the areas of in "Consolidating and Managing a Community Radio", "Developing relevant and effective Community Content" and "Preventive Maintenance". Initiating the series of topical seminars, we have planned three on "Election Coverage in Community Radio" in the North, Centre and the South of the country during July and August. The Austrian North South Institute, who have supported the start of "Rádio Comunitária de Buzi" in Sofala, is part of this initiative.
It is our hope that these - and many more - cooperation initiatives will in the end prove themselves in the longterm sustainability of the many community radios, hereby facilitating the much needed social development and local empowerment.

Progress Report And Work Plan Approved
The Tripartite Structure of the Media Project had approved the Progress Report of the activities carried out from July 2001 to June 2002 and the Implementation Plan covering the period from July 2002 to June 2003. The approval was made during the Tripartite meeting held on May 29, where the Chief Technical Adviser of the Media Project, Ms. Birgitte Jallov, presented the progress report and the work plan, mentioning that due to unforeseen factors, some activities need to be postponed slightly.
Among those factors are the delays verified during the process of importation of the community radio equipment, the disposability of funds for the implementation of the activities of Phase II and the shortage of staff, due to illness of one senior staff member since January this year. Concerning the staff, the CTA informed the Tripartite that the Project had recently hired a community radio adviser to work closely with the community radio partners in training and organizational aspects.
In the same line, she also informed that the internal auditing carried out by UNESCO headquarters recommended the Project to hire a new high level administrator. All these matters were approved by the Tripartite Structure, which is made up by the Mozambican government, the UNDP and the bilateral donors.
The next Tripartite meeting will take place in the first quarter of next year, which should be preceded by a midterm review of the implementation of Project’s activities.

Ensuring Community Participation
The Media Project, the Mozambican Scouts League and representatives of Chinonanquila Community in Boane district, Maputo province, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding n May 29, to ensure effective participation of the community in the station’s management, programme production and other important activities.
The signature of the Memorandum of Understanding is a culmination of important meetings organized by the Media Project with the parties involved, in order to strengthen the concept that community radio is a tool for development through participation and involvement of all communities within a given community.
To further implement this important document, the Media Project organized a workshop on June 7 with the three parties, which discussed the concept and the philosophy behind a creation of community radio and community participation. The workshop produced an action-oriented plan to be implemented by the community, the Scouts League and UNESCO prior to the installation of the equipment.

Training Component Launched
The Media Project has launched the training component foreseen in its Phase II activities targeting the journalists and editors in Mozambique.Three courses have already been advertised: Basic Journalism, Ethics, Democracy and Good Governance and Media Management.
The two last courses will be organized in two parts, as a new method of measuring the impact of the training activities within the media houses in the country.
The Part I is meant to provide the participants with sufficient tools to better fulfill their tasks, while the Part II will analyse the impact of the first part and further consolidate the level of implementation of the concepts and knowledge transmitted.


Media Development Project c/o UNESCO, P.O.Box 1397 Maputo, Mozambique
Tel. + 258.1. 498752/ 490840 Fax +258.1.498717
E-mail: unesco@mediamoz.co
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