COMMUNITY

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COMMUNITY RADIO MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS IN THE
CARIBBEAN
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INTRODUCING

• PP is is a professional and dynamic non-profit
  organisation providing high quality
  training, consultancy, products and services
  for organizations and countries that are seeking
  to improve parenting outcomes.

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believes that

• Every child should be afforded the best quality
  parenting as the most important contribution to
  their total development.
•  
• All Caribbean parents can, with self-confidence,
  information, skills and support, raise happy and
  healthy children who will become resilient and
  responsible citizens.

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INTRODUCING

• Caribbean Support Initiative (CSI) is a 5 year
  sub-regional Early Childhood Development (ECD)
  programme with a thematic focus on parenting
  initiatives in ECD.
• PROGRAMME PURPOSE
• Good parenting practices in ECD adopted

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• CSI Supported projects with funding from
  the Bernard van Leer
  Foundation

Caribbean Research Project (CARE)
Caribbean Internship Project (CIP)
Replication of the Roving Caregivers Project (RCP)
Story-Telling for Early childhood Parenting
Support STEPS
Revision of the Pathways to Parenting manual (PP
manual)
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Project Countries

Project Purpose Local capacity to produce and
deliver radio programmes on parenting and early
childhood development (P/ECD) is strengthened
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RRP - PHASES 1 2
PHASE 1 (March 2004 August 2005) PHASE 2 (September 2005 February 2007)
Local Level Local Level
Local focus groups Stakeholder consultations. Develop broadcast pilot radio programme Development of Proposals for strengthening, marketing sustaining P/ECD radio programme development Inclusion of Belize Follow-up submission of proposals for radio programme and communication supports Continue production, broadcast promotion and marketing of radio programme Media Literacy Programme
Regional Level Regional Level
Regional Consultation Technical Assistance and peer support to local groups Radio Drama Workshop Exchange of radio programmes and/or scripts Continued Technical Assistance and peer support to local groups Regional Consultations
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Radio Programmes Developed
Dominica - Shaping Our Childrens Future
Through Good Parenting
Practices Grenada - Spice It Up St. Vincent
the Grenadines - In This Life Trinidad (Toco)
- Focus on the Family Tobago - Tobago Today
All About Good Parenting St. Lucia -
Mamay-la (The Children and People of the
country)
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The Radio Programmes should help Caribbean
Parents Children attain

• WELLNESS - A child who is healthy, strong and
  well-adjusted
• EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION - An effective
  communicator
• CULTURE VALUE - A child who values own culture
  and that of others
• INTELLECTUAL EMPOWERMENT - A critical thinker and
  independent learner
• RESPECT FOR SELF, OTHERS ENVIRONMENT - A child
  who respects self, others and the environment
• RESILIENCE - A child who has coping skills

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Underlying Radio Programme Principles

• THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (as outlined in the UN
  Convention on the Rights of the Child)
• GENDER EQUITY - both male and female parents and
  children must be involved and their respective
  issues, differences etc. addressed.
• LIFE CYCLE APPROACH recognising that Early
  Childhood is not a stage but part of a process of
  human development
• ADAPTABILITY - of other issues into P/ECD e.g.
• Health Nutrition Youth Development
• HIV/AIDS Community Development
• Drugs Alcohol Conservation the
  Environment
• Conflict Resolution Domestic and Community
  Violence

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The Grenada Experience

• Grenada was badly and directly hit by Hurricane
  Ivan on September 7, 2004
• Many people died, others made homeless and the
  infrastructure suffered extreme damage
• Little or no communication throughout the island
  for weeks.
• No electricity throughout the island due to
  fallen poles

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The Grenada Experience

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The Pilot Project Altered

• A drama series Spice It Up was advocated as the
  format of presentation
• Series was written by Ms. Paloma Mohamed,
  Communications Specialist from Guyana as a public
  service to the people of Grenada in the aftermath
  of Hurricane Ivan
• Spice It Up was produced by Mr. Francis Urias
  Peters of Family Theatre Production.

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The Pilot Project Altered

• Themes for first 3 episodes Family
  Communication Back To School Coping With
  Unfamiliar Behaviour and Emotions
• A panel is in studio to discuss the
  issues, speak with
  callers and
  make referrals where necessary.
• WEE FM and GBN broadcast
  the programmes. Feedback has
  been very
  positive

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RRP Collaborations

• The RRP has collaborated with the STEPS project
  (Storytelling)
• The CIP (internship) has provided interns
  from various Departments of the University
  of the West Indies (UWI) who assist on projects
• UNESCO the Caribbean Multimedia Centres (CMCs)
  for rural and remote communities

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UNESCO's MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS
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UNESCOs Multimedia for Caribbean Communities
(MCC)

• The MCC Project exists under the framework of a
  larger international project to develop Community
  Multimedia Centre (CMC) in 12 countries in Asia,
  Africa and the Caribbean.
• The CMCs offer concrete examples of how
  integrated, sustainable, grass-roots community
  development use Information and Communication
  Technologies (ICTs)

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UNESCOs Multimedia for Caribbean Communities
(MCC)

• ICTs can help improve the quality of life,
  particularly in disadvantage communities in rural
  and low-income urban settlements

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Benefits of Community Radio

1. Builds local identity, character  and culture
   through a diversity of programmes and content
2. Promotes community access to Caribbean and local
   community content
3. Focuses on specific community issues  concerns
   and events
4. Highlights  various interest groups and community
   personalities
5. Shares local   news  by giving voice to the
   voiceless

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Benefits of Community Radio
Benefits of Community Radio

1. Includes minority and marginalized community
   members
2. Facilitates mastery of radio equipment  and basic
   broadcasting techniques
3. Promotes democratic process, social change,
   development, civil society and good governance
4. Acts  as a form of public-service broadcasting
   independent of government and  party politics
5. Relies on the community resources it serves
   rather than the whole nation

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UNESCOs Multimedia for Caribbean Communities
(MCC)

• The first phase of the MCC project saw the
  establishment/transformation of four community
  radio stations into Community Multimedia Centres
• Roots FM - Jamaica
• Radio Toco - Trinidad
• Radio Cocodrilo - Cuba
• Radio GED - Barbados

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Multimedia for Caribbean Communities (MCC)s
Vision

• 15 steps that include
• Computerised news scripting and
  research
• Computerised storage, indexing
  and
  cataloguing of recordings
• Mastery of sound editing software and automated
  radio management system
• Internet connectivity for downloading, sharing
  and repackaging
• Eventual transformation of broadcasters
  into MultiMedia practitioners

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Phase 2 Countries selected with specific
criteria, offering a variety of backdrops and
themes
Community Type Theme Station and Country
Rain Forest Environmental protection Radio Paiwomak Guyana
River Rain Forest Tourism Environmental protection Radio Muye - Suriname
Rural Poor Radio em ba Mango - Dominica.
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Related Project ICTs and Indigenous Peoples
Project

• GOAL To address poverty in isolated indigenous
  communities using integrated community media and
  the creation of multimedia products as the focus
  for a sustainable human development strategy
• This pilot project aims to consolidate existing
  community broadcasting and/or telecentre
  facilities into community media centres for
  indigenous peoples in isolated communities in the
  following countries

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The Suriname Experience

• Radio Muye serves 10,000 indigenous Maroons in
  villages along the Saramacca River.
• Maroons, originated from runaway slaves, started
  illegal communities years ago and have kept the
  African culture alive.

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The Suriname Experience

• The radio station came about as a result of there
  being no electricity or television in the rain
  forest, few schools limited information, socially
  isolated from the outside world.
• Radio Muye is powered by solar energy
• Programmes also reinforce the Saramaccan language

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The Suriname Experience

• There is a generally high dropout rate at primary
  school level in the villages.
• The station has been useful in supplementing
  childrens education, Both children and
  teachers appreciate those programmes,
  especially at exam time!

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The Suriname Experience

• Nurses and Health Workers say both men and women
  are more curious about sex and HIV/AIDS from what
  they hear on Radio Muye.
• However, listeners are very
  keen to criticise, demand and
  propose
  programme ideas to
  the radio staff they meet on
  river
  trips.

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The Suriname Experience

• Radio Muye is The Poor Mans Telephone
  people can send messages and news to relatives
  and friends in far off villages
• Behaviour changes when a station reporters visits
  a village.
  Radio Muye
  is here, so
  better behave properly!

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The Suriname Experience

• Village meetings are broadcast and benefit those
  unable to travel to the meeting
• The villagers want a stronger transmitter in
  order to reach more people and thus attract
  advertisers, especially tourism interests

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SUCCESSES CHALLENGES OF RRP MCC PROJECTS

• Challenges
• Challenges of sustainability are common
• Developing content
• Difficulty developing local proposals at local
  level
• Frequent disruptions in email, fax and telephone
  connections delay implementation
• Absence of technical expertise to service and
  maintain equipment

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SUCCESSES CHALLENGES OF RRP MCC PROJECTS

• Successes
• Community Involvement is good
• Interest has been mounting from national
  governments, regional and international
  stakeholders in the region
• Community residents take much pride in their work
  and culture
• Radio programmes produced at community level
• Coordinators are nurtured in their independent
  efforts at improving themselves rather than
  relying solely on development funding
• Collaborations developing

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UNESCO-CSI/RRP COLLABORATION
UNESCO Indigenous Peoples Project CSI via RRP and STEPS



- provides access to ICT training
and infrastructure
- helps communities develop content on Parenting
Early Childhood issues
Projects have countries in common
(Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Suriname,
St.
Vincent the Grenadines, Trinidad Tobago)
Projects are both interested in enabling and
developing local capacity
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UNESCO-CSI/RRP COLLABORATION
Together, CSI/RRP and UNESCO can assist local
communities produce and broadcast relevant
content to a wider audience
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Remember . . . the reason for our work.
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For further information on the
REGIONAL RADIO PROJECT or PARENTING
contact MS. COLLEEN WINT-SMITH PROJECT
COORDINATOR PARENTING PARTNERS C/o CARIBBEAN
CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST
INDIES MONA, KINGSTON 7 JAMAICA TEL (876)
927-1618 or [phone] (roaming) FAX
[phone] EMAIL parentingpartners03_at_yahoo.co
.uk regionalradioproject_at_yahoo.com URL
www.csinews/rrp/index.html
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For further information on the
CARIBBEAN SUPPORT INITIATIVE
contact MS. SUSAN BRANKER PROJECT
DIRECTOR CARIBBEAN SUPPORT INITIATIVE (CSI) 1st
FLOOR, WEYMOUTH CORPORATE CENTRE ROEBUCK
STREET BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS TEL [phone]
FAX [phone] EMAIL sbranker_at_csinews.org
URL www.csinews.org
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For further information on the
UNESCOS MULTIMEDIA FOR CARIBBEAN
COMMUNITIES contact MR. ALTON GRIZZLE NATIONAL
PROFESSIONAL OFFICER COMMUNICATION,
INFORMATION UNESCO CARIBBEAN OFFICE 25 DOMINICA
DRIVE KINGSTON 10, JAMAICA TEL (876)
929-7087 FAX [phone] EMAIL
a.grizzle_at_unesco.org URL www.mcclinks.com
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Produced and presented by Colleen Wint-Smith, at
the Mauritius Strategy Implementation Small
Islands Voice Planning Meeting Bequia, St.
Vincent the Grenadines July 14, 2004