<incom> 'Aspirations sans barriers'-Community Media & ICT News (June 2006, Issue 1) (Modified by Geert Lovink)

[CI New Delhi]

Community Media & ICT News (June 2006, Issue 1)
June 14, 2006, Bangladesh
 
‘Aspirations sans barriers’
 
Twenty-four year old Jafrruddin, with undying enthusiasm declares: “I  
want to become a famous singer and be well known throughout Bangladesh.  
I want to learn play the harmonium and sing formally by going to  
classes.”
Untouched by the trauma of disability, (he lost one leg because of  
polio) Jafruddin awaits anxiously the establishment of Bangladesh’s  
first cable community radio station in Sitakund District of Barakundu  
Union to realize his dream of hosting his own music show.

Youth Power in Social Action (YPSA), a major grassroots NGO working in  
Bangladesh with support from UNESCO’s International Program for  
Development Communication (IPDC) grant is operationalzing a youth  
community multimedia centre (YCMC). Given the lack of legislative  
framework for community radio in Bangladesh, the centre will use  
different mediums like cable, loudspeakers and video to cater to the  
information needs of the local community.

Jafrruddin first heard of the youth community multimedia centre in  
Sitakund in September 2005 when a local staff invited him to a training  
workshop. He says, “Some people in my village treat me unfairly. I try  
to be mentally strong but I feel that they should treat people with  
disabilities with more respect.”
In a recently held community radio training workshop at the centre, he  
learnt how to record and edit programmes using Free and Open source  
software, Audacity. The training also involved learning about the  
rationale for community radio, importance of community participation  
and ownership. When asked how he will contribute to his radio station,  
he says, “I want to speak about how people with disabilities should be  
treated with respect. I also want to have a weekly program where I will  
sing local songs. These songs are not available on the market and  
people will really like to listen to them. This way, I also will get  
recognition and people will also be entertained.”

The YCMC studio will generate locally relevant content in the local  
language (Bangla) on a daily basis for one and half hours. The studio  
has been connected to the cable operator’s office covering about one  
thousand households in Sitakund. For those without television sets, the  
CMC plans to set up loudspeakers directly from the studio. Some of the  
issues which have come up for content generation are: environmental  
concern, human rights in the ship breaking industry in Sitakund,  
women’s rights, education for all sections of society, unemployment,  
communal harmony, local culture and identity, disabilities etc.
 
The Youth CMC in Sitakund is under the ICT4D (ICTs for Development)  
Unit of YPSA which is a major grassroots NGO working in Bangladesh  
(Contact debobroto_c at gmail.com for further details).
Story contributed by Ramnath Bhat. Ram works as a Trainer/Researcher  
and can be reached at ramnathbhat.13 at gmail.com
 
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UNESCO's International Initiative for Community Multimedia Centres  
(CMCs) promotes community empowerment and addresses the digital divide  
by combining community broadcasting with the Internet and related  
technologies.
IPDC- International Programme for the Development of Communication is a  
major forum in the UN system designed to develop free and pluralistic  
media with a global approach to democratic development.
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Contact: Jocelyne Josiah ACI/NDL j.josiah at unesco.org, Seema Nair, CMC  
Asia Coordinator, s.nair at unesco.org
Links:
UNESCO New Delhi http://unesconewdelhi.nic.in
UNESCO Communication and Information Sector www.unesco.org/webworld
UNESCO Community Multimedia Centre Initiative  
www.unesco.org/webworld/cmc