AMARC Africa's Pan-African Community Radio Conference Calls for Community
Radio Fund

Friday April 22nd, 2005

For Immediate Release

More than 100 community radio representatives from 27 African countries
resolved to create an African community radio fund at the just-ended 3rd
Pan African Conference on Community Radio held in Nairobi, Kenya

The Community Radio Fund will support the sector through equipment
provision and training.

Conference deliberations which began on Monday April 18th focused on the
role of local content in bringing about sustainable development in
communities and on emerging issues in the sector such as financing and
skills development.

Delegates agreed to strengthen the AMARC Africa network through continuing
to sensitize and empower women from grassroots level about their
participation in CR so that they can hold decision-making and leadership
positions in their communities.

The Pan-African Conference is a gathering convened by the World Association
of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) Africa region every four years.
Community Radio stakeholders meet to strategize and formulate a plan of
action to address emerging issues in the sector as well as to elect into
office a new board of directors for a four year term.

The new board of directors are:
Grace Githaiga of Kenya who is the new President for AMARC Africa as well
as Vice-President for East and Southern Africa.
Fily Keita of Mali is the Vice president for West and Central Africa.
Oumar Seck Ndiaye of Senegal is the Training and Capacity Building Officer.
Kizito Mushizi of DRC is the New Technology Officer.
Sister Teresa Ana Vieira of Mozambique is the Women's Representative for
East and Southern Africa.
Doris Dery of Ghana is the Women's Representative of West and Central Africa.
Mabalane Mfundisi of South Africa is the Organisational Development Officer.

Participants shared experiences on how to build stronger stations and
networks adding that a favourable CR environment is characterised by:
Recognition of CR by law
Clear social definition of what community radio is
Availability of frequencies set aside for CR
No licensing costs for CR
Possibility to access finance
Greater community participation in programming
Greater understanding of the information needs of the community.

Community Radio stations that have successfully incorporated local content
into their programming through community participation were given a
platform to share their experiences.

The Kenyan Assistant Minister for Education the honourable Kilemi Mwiria,
who opened the conference, spoke of the need to develop the community radio
sector in Kenya. Although the fight for the liberalisation of the airwaves
began in the 1980s, only one community radio (Radio Mangelete) has been
licensed so far in this country.

Closing the conference, Kenya's assistant minister for Home Affairs, the
honourable Kibwana said that the African governments needed to prepare
themselves to democratise the institution of information.

" In the Africa of tomorrow, the [main] actors will be the so-called
'ordinary' people. Therefore governments have no choice but to allow people
and their communities to freely recreate themselves and their communities
[by generating their own information and communication].

Kenya's assistant minister for development committed a portion of the US$30
000.00 of the Constituency Development Fund to set up a community radio in
his constituency. He called on other Kenyan Members of Parliament to do the
same.

Community radio has in the past 10 years established an innovative role for
itself in the development processes in Africa. Local languages in radio has
allowed stations to take advantage of the particular role that community
radio can play in localising global issues.

After the Conference, AMARC Africa took time out to recognise people and
stations who had contributed to the development of the community radio
sector in Africa. Prizes were awarded to:

Lumko Mtimde of South Africa and Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki of Kenya for their
contribution to the development of community radio in Africa.

Radio Rurale de Kayes in Mali and Khwezi Community Radio in South Africa
for being exemplary community radio stations.

ABC Ulwazi for the 'Excellence in Programming' competition for their
production on sexual abuse.

Aissatou Mbene of Radio Oxy-Jeunes in Senegal and Fatoumattah Drameh of
Radio 1, The Gambia for being the most diligent correspondents for the
Simbani Africa News Agency.

For More Information

Please contact Shingai Nyoka the Regional Communications Programme Officer
at AMARC Africa on [email protected] [2] for a comprehensive overview
of the conference. Documents will be available online.