I have re-formatted the outcomes of the "FAO: First International Workshop on Farm Radio Broadcasting ''Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) Servicing Farm Radio: New Contents, New Partnerships", held at FAO Headquearters in Rome, Italy, from February 19 to February 22, 2001, in a MS Word 97 document that is available for those interested from: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NileRiver/files/Conferences/farmradio.doc> [***Moderator's Note: You will find the plain text version below.***] Sincerely, ===== Nabil M. El-Khodari "If the people will lead, the leaders will follow." David Suzuki Join the Nile Basin Society: http://www.nilebasin.com/ Join the Nile River mailing list (moderated): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NileRiver ----------------- Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 18:13:35 +0100 From: "Michiels, Sabine (SDRE)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: FAO First International Workshop on Farm Radio Broadcasters To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Dear MediaReality participants, We thought of sharing the outcomes of the First International Workshop on Farm Radio Broadcasting ''Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) Servicing Farm Radio: New Contents, New Partnerships", that we organised here at FAO Headquearters in Rome, Italy, from February 19 to February 22, 2001. This may stimulate some additional discussion. Regards, MediaReality Moderator [EMAIL PROTECTED] First International Workshop on Farm Radio Broadcasting Background: Given the strategic role and development of rural radio on one hand (opportunity) and the digital divide on the other hand (threat), the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Ford Foundation, organised the First International Workshop on Farm Radio Broadcasting ''Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) Servicing Farm Radio: New Contents, New Partnerships". Why is rural radio strategic? · Rural and farm radio addresses rural communities and farmers. · Its mission is similar in developing countries and in the West: Inform, educate and entertain. · In much of the world, radio is still the medium of choice, the most accessible and the most adapted, meeting the needs and expectations of farmers and rural populations. · In the United Sates, farmers listen to radio when they rise in the morning, to get the latest weather, market information or to learn about farm legislation. · In rural areas of developing countires, where over two billion people live, radio remains the most popular, accessible and cost-effective means of communication, due to cultural, technological and institutional reasons. · Rural radio covers a wide range of strategic outcomes: it informs on vital topics, educates, gives a voice to the actors of rural development who will express themselves in their own language, builds social awareness and mobilizes, accelerates change...and entertains. · Rural radio has changed considerably within the last decades: from vertical to interactive communication, from centralized to local, from state monopoly to associative radios. · In summary, rural radio has become a means of communication of the community rather than for the community. Rural radio covers a wide range of strategic missions: · Inform and communicate on vital topics - agriculture techniques, production tools, natural resources, rural development - to secure food supply for rapidly expanding populations. · Educate for the transfer or exchange of knowledge and techniques. rural radio acts as a substitute for formal education and plays an extension role. · Provide rural communities with the information needed to adapt to technical, economic and social changes, as development implies change. · Build social awareness and mobilization. · Allow rural communities to express their views, to dialogue and debate among themselves and with partners, and to share experiences, using their own language. · Give a voice to the actors of rural development, especially women. · Make farmers participate in decision making. · Finally, entertain. entertainment, mainly music, guarantee that people keep the radio tuned in, all over the world. Workshop objectives 1. Create a forum for rural radio broadcasters from developing countries and farm radio broadcasters from the United States. 2. Share experience on approaches and lessons to disseminate knowledge and to support rural development. 3. Explore possibilities for partnerships and South-South and North-South collaboration. Expected outcomes · Connect rural radios from developing countries with Western farm radios through the Internet · Provide rural radio broadcasters with permanent on-line access to all FAO vital information, including food security, early warning systems, post harvest, marekt data, agro-metereological and world agricultural information · Define action plan for North-South and South-South collaboration: Who will do what? With whom? Where? When? · Identify country projects with potential to be externally funded. Topics · Farm and rural radio: some beginnings and models · Radio broadcasting to farmers: to educate, inform and entertain · New information & communication technologies challenges and rural radio · Farm broadcasting in the United States · The role of rural radio in agricultural and rural development and translating agricultural research information into messages for farm audiences · Training needs for trainers in the field of rural radio in Africa · Improving access to rural radio by "hard to reach" women audiences · Research in the rural media setting · A Kente approach to community radio training: weaving training into the community empowerment process · The need to educate, inform and encourage farmers in South Africa · Les techniques et méthodes de suivi-évaluation des émissions radios en zone Mali-Sud Participants African rural radio broadcasting unions or networks: · National Forum for Community Radios (South Africa), · Union des Radios et Télévisions Libres (Mali), · Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, · Federation of African Media Women (Zimbabwe), · Sidama Educational Radio (Ethiopia), · Women Farmers Advanced Network (Nigeria), · Radio Uganda, · Réseau des Radios Rurales de Madagascar. American farm radio professionals from broadcasting: · Ag Radio Network (Utica, NY), · Learfield Communications (Jefferson City, MO), · Southeast AgNet (Kenansville, FL), · US Department of Agriculture (Washington, DC) International institutions supporting rural radio development: · Inter-African Centre for Rural Broadcasting Studies - CIERRO (Burkina Faso), · World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters - AMARC (Canada), · Technical Center for Agriculture and Rural Development - CTA (Netherlands), · Agence Intergouvernementale de la Francophonie - AIF (France), · UNESCO (France), · Sytème Francophone d'Information Agricole - JADE (Burkina Faso/France), · Panos Institute Western Africa - IPAO (Senegal), · International Development Research Center (Senegal), · International Fund for Agricultural Development - IFAD (Italy), · BBC (United Kingdom), · IPS (Mexico), · Ford Foundation (Nigeria). Workshop Final Communiqué The institutions supporting farm radio, included : § United States Agency for International Development (USAID), USA § United States Department for Agriculture (USDA), USA § World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), Canada § African Center of Metereological Applications for Development (ACMAD), Niger § United Nations UNESCO § the Ford Foundation, Office for West Africa, Nigeria § the Federation of African Women in Communications § the Nigerian Media and Society Institute § the PANOS Institute for West Africa (IPAO), Senegal § the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Netherlands § Union of Free Broadcasters URTEL (Bamako, Mali) § the Intergovernmental Agency of French-Speaking Countries § Inter-African Center for Rural Broadcasting Studies of Ouagadougou (CIERRO/URTNA), Burkina Faso § the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network § International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), Netherlands § BBC Radio Four, UK § the SADC Centre for Communication for Development (SADC CCD), Zimbabwe § African Journalists for Development Network (JADE) § the Ghana Community Radio Broadcasting Service § the Madagascar Farm Radio Network § the African Association for Radio Series § Sidama Educational Radio (Ethiopia) § Southeast AgNet Radio Network (Kenansville, FL, USA) § Learfield Communications (Jefferson City, MO) presented their organisations, and described their views with regard to the theme of the Workshop. The Workshop enabled the participants to familiarise themselves with the activities of a number of FAO technical divisions which are depositories of scientific and technical information concerning : § food security § global information, and the rapid alert system § post-harvest operations § agro-meteorology § market prices. Part of the Workshop was devoted to Working Groups. Three Working Groups were created : § Working Group I concentrated on the "Creation of a Network Linking the African Farm Radio Broadcasters with the American Farm Radio Broadcasters via the INTERNET"; § Working Group II worked on " The Challenges of New Technologies and New Contents"; and finally, § Working Group III discussed "Following-Up the Workshop's Activities, as well as South-South and North-South Cooperation". At the end of their work, the reporters of the different groups presented to the Workshop the conclusions, recommendations, dialogue and exchanges of views formulated by the groups : Working Group I, on the subject of networking, recommended that: 1. A network be created to improve the flow of information relevant to rural areas, using the existing networks; 2. That FAO use radio to more effectively communicate on agricultural issues; 3. That FAO and other interested parties complement each other through the implementation of such a network; 4. That a World Radio Day for Development be instituted. Working Group II made the following recommendations: 1. Prioritize the types of information. Recognizing the fact that local information has existed, exists and will exist, there is, nevertheless, important technical information available at FAO (via WAICENT and the technical divisions), as well as at other agencies such as ACMAD and CGIAR. In this regard: § the information in question can be fairly general; § journalists have to develop links in order for them to know where they can access this information; § the approach used should not be "top-down" - community input is needed; § we must find out what and whose needs this information will respond to; § needs should be assessed informally, and are often non-systematic; § it is important to include key social groups, such as women and young people. 2. The priority information needed for agricultural development is as follows: (a) Market and weather information; (b) Inputs for agriculture, e.g., pest and disease control; (c) Local agricultural and environmental practices. This type of information cannot necessarily be found in global data bases. It must be researched, rather than broadcasted in the field. 3. Suggested Actions: a) Build national capacity (country-level teams of technical and communication specialists) in order to : I) contact with local levels, in order to collect and interpret needs; II) interpret and package technical information for radio III) distribute it, via e-mail IV) build district capacity and partnerships. b) Local Radio Stations § These can act as information centres, and solve problems in local languages and contexts. § They should include knowledgeable community members. c) Create a database of frequently-asked questions: § from questions asked at the local level, and collected and answered at the national level; § that are constantly updated, and can serve as a living record. d) Create a Global Help-Desk for Rural Radio : § that will include key technical information, a tool-kit for rural radio, as well as a map of partnerships and countries / districts with rural radio; § FAO headquarters was asked to lead with inputs from all partners. Working Group III concluded as follows : · Our Objective is: to improve the quality and flow of information and communication of rural radio stations and the communities they serve · Our Recommendation: that there be a mobilization of funds, not managed by government, to provide projects that have been brought about through collaboration between organisations such as CIERRO, SADC CCD, AMARC and NAFB. These projects could include training, equipment, scholarships and exchanges. Proposals for funds must be precise, with clearly-defined objectives. The Workshop recommends that: · FAO, in association with its partners, should create a follow-up committee to carry out the recommendations that have been made by the Workshop. · The different papers that have been presented during the course of the Workshop, as well as the discussions and debates that have taken place, will be included in subsequent publications, which will be sent to all the Workshop participants. For more information and links see the workshop web page: http://www.fao.org/sd/2001/radio/back_en.htm For news brief see: http://www.fao.org/news/2001/010301-e.htm ------------ ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.globalknowledge.org>
