<incom> UNESCO approves funding for Community Radio in India (Modified by Geert Lovink)

[CI Newdelhi]

Community Media & ICT News (March 2007, Issue 4)
March 30, 2007 New Delhi
 
UNESCO-IPDC approves funding for Community Radio in India
  
UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication  
(UNESCO-IPDC) has approved funds in the amount USD 60,000 in  
contribution to the establishment of the first ten Community Radio  
Stations in India.  The funds are expected to support community radio  
stations especially in tribal belts, in collaboration with  
organizations such as Alternative India Development (AID). Support will  
be extended in specific areas of technology choices, advice,  
maintenance and technical training at the community level with a view  
to the development of the community radio movement and industry in  
India
 
This is in follow up to the recent events that UNESCO has been  
spearheading, such as the technical exhibition and forum at the BES  
Expo 2007 as well as the National Consultation for practicing and  
potential community radio operators in India supported by the UNCT  
(United Nations Country Team) and organised by the Ministry of  
Information and Broadcasting.
 
UNESCO is further consulting with its UN partners with a view to  
consolidating a joint funding approach to accompany the Government’s  
plan to support the establishment of 4000 Community Radio stations by  
2008.
 
As part of its overall package of USD 242000 for its New Delhi office,  
IPDC has also approved a project proposal submitted by One World South  
Asia (OWSA) for USD 15000 for the reinforcement of a Community  
Multimedia Centre to serve the marginalized weaver communities of  
Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh.
 
A further USD 91000 was approved for communication projects in other  
South Asian countries namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal while USD  
76000 went to support regional projects submitted by Asian Media  
Information and Communication Centre (AMIC, Singapore), Asia-Pacific  
Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD, Kualalumpur) and the New  
Delhi based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ, South Asia)
 
IPDC is a major forum in the UN system designed to develop free and  
pluralistic media with a global approach to democratic development.  
Members of the Bureau met 27-29 March last to evaluate 110 media  
development project proposals from 80 countries submitted to them this  
year.
 
In providing support to projects, the IPDC Bureau is guided by the four  
priorities of the Programme: promotion of freedom of expression and  
media pluralism, development of community media, capacity building of  
media professionals and promotion of international partnerships.
 
 
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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://www.unesco.org/newdelhi
 
UNESCO Communication and Information Sector www.unesco.org/webworld
 
UNESCO Community Multimedia Centre Initiative  
www.unesco.org/webworld/cmc
 
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