Although many of us are fixated on radio crises in the United States, from stations getting shut down to favored radio hosts being fired, to college radio stations getting sold off; it’s rare that we talk about the important role that radio can play in keeping citizens informed and engaged.
As I wrote in my story about the work being done in Central Africa by Interactive Radio for Justice and as Jake Chapnick called for in his piece about community radio in Afghanistan, radio is a powerful tool in warn-torn regions. Groups often rally to build community radio stations in these areas and also work to bring in portable radios to areas in which people don’t have ready access to news and information.
Sudan has seen the development of community radio stations in recent years and now International Relief & Development is working to bring hand-crank and solar-powered radios to villages on the border of Northern and Southern Sudan. The hope is that radios will give people access to news and information about not only the peace process, but also about issues related to human rights. Supporters of this initiative to bring radios to Sudan are encouraged to sign an online petition on Care2’s website.
To learn more about some of the community radio stations that have been built in Sudan, take a look at this piece on Internews.
