Strengthening Community Radio Networks: Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication

Strengthening Community Radio Networks:

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication

   

1. Name:             Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)

Contact Details: House 13/1,Road : 2,Shamoli,Dhaka:1207

ceo@bnnrc.net  www.bnnrc.net

Vision:    BNNRC does like to see the rural people has the easy,quick and low cost access to global communication so that they are enriched and updated by knowledge.

2.             History of Network: Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is a changed name of Bangladesh Coastal NGO Network for Radio and Communication (BCNNRC). BNNRC was established in April 2000 as per Article 19 charter of UN bill of rights and registered as trust in the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs with the auspicious of 9 coastal non-government organizations (NGO) with lead initiatives from COAST (Coastal Association for Social Transformation Trust) former ACTION AID-Bangladesh, Bhola project. The name was changed and formalized on 5 April, 2003 considering the fact of all members urged to have a national converge.

BNNRC is registered with NGO Affairs Bureau, Office of the Prime Minister’s, Government of Bangladesh according to the foreign donation (Voluntary Activities) regulation ordinance 1978 as an organization on Information, Communication and Technology for Development (ICT4D).Community Radio movement has started in 1998 in Bangladesh. After the official establishment in the year 2000,

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC is in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

BNNRC has been undertaking pioneer approaches to integrate ICT and Community Media for Development, Knowledge Management, policy advocacy for good governance, people's right in country and global commons and poverty alleviation at the grassroots through its networking NGO/CSOs in Bangladesh.

BNNRC's outreach extends to local, national and international forums for communicating Knowledge for Development (KM4D). In this backdrop, communication is recognized as an essential human need and, therefore, as a basic human right. Our working strategies are:

1.       Communicating on the Public Sphere: The role of communication and media in exercising democratic political participation in society

2.       Communicating Knowledge: The terms and means by which knowledge generated by society is communicated, or blocked, for use by different groups.

3.       Civil Rights in Communication: The exercise of civil rights relating to the processes of communication in society &

4.       Cultural Rights in Communication: The communication of diverse cultures, cultural forms and identities at the individual and social levels.

BNNRC now strives for the following core interventions to contribute in achieving Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through:

Right to Information for ensuring improved livelihood of the marginalized

ICT for Development for Bridging the Digital Divide in rural areas &

Community Radio/Community Broadcasting for amplifying voices for the voiceless

BNNRC utilizes its vast experience and works as development partner with all concerned government ministries/bodies, Political leaders, NGO/ CSOs, private sector, academia, media, national and international agencies.

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) along with other like-minded organizations and also representatives of the civil society accelerated the movement for CR operation throughout the country. During the rule of the Non-Party Caretaker Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh in 2007-’08, BNNRC organized a Letter Campaign regarding community radio. The objective of the campaign was to open up the community radio as a pilot basis. As the outcome of the campaign, Office of the Chief Adviser sent an advice to the Ministry of Information in order to release permission for the pilot basis community radio. On the other hand BNNRC linked, communicated and attended the several meeting and workshops with Regional and Global forum on Community Radio. After a long time advocacy, lobbying, meeting with Information Ministry along with other stakeholders
declared a policy named as “Community Radio Installation, Broadcasting and Operation Policy 2008” on 12 March 2008 by Ministry of Information (MOI) of People’s Republic of Bangladesh. 

BNNRC was one of the members who played the active role of Ministry of Information (MOI) for Draft CR policy. Afterwards government has maintained strict procedures like verifications and inspections by some government institutions. Finally government has given license to 13 NGOs and 1 government institution (as a total of 14) of the country till 20.05.10. The organizations are RDRS Bangladesh, LDRO, NHRDA, Proyas MUS, CCD, Srizony Bangladesh, NHCHF, Broadcasting Asia, MMC, ACLAB, YPSA, EC Bangladesh, BRAC and AIS (Ministry of Agriculture). After declaration of the Policy on CR by MOI, BNNRC is implementing various initiatives against strengthening CR movement in Bangladesh.

3.             How the Network is organized, managed and funded:

BNNRC has been established in 2000.BNNRC has got a Board of Trust(BoT) consisting of 09 senior-level organizations as memebrs with geographical representativeness such as coastal areas.BOT performs decision making process relating to program design,policy formulation,and program priority assessment.BNNRC works with 150 thematic NGOs active in the field of Community Radio initiation,Right to Information,ICT for development and enhancement of livelihood improvement of the rural community.It continuously provides the information, share resources and lessons learnt related to ICT and community media with its partners. It supports the partners in the form of Research, Capacity development and Technical Assistance. BNNRC collaborates even beyond its founding partners for the purpose of any of its related project.

Presently, BNNRC is providing supports to develop the capacity of the 14 CR Initiators of the country under supports from UNICEF, USAID and FAO. The other donors supporting in implementation of BNNRC themes are ARTICLE 1X, Free Voice-Netherland, CIDA, UNESCO-IPDC and Equal Access.

           

4.         The activities of the Network and its services to member stations:

a.         Advocacy on Community Radio rights at national and local level: The declaration of ‘Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy’ in 2008 by the govt.  and the licensing to 14 Initiators to install CR within April 2011 –all these are the outcomes of advocacy efforts of BNNRC for a decade.BNNRC is now involved in advocacy to motivate the decision-makers to create a fund to help the interested initiators for CR installation at the grassroots, so that the govt.vision for achieving digital Bangladesh could be fulfilled. Also advocacy and campaigning supports are going on regarding rights to information, elimination of digital divide, role of community radio in achieving transparency, governance and human rights for rural community. These are in line with MDG and PRS objectives of the govt.As part of advocacy BNNRC organizes opinion-sharing discussion, dialogue, seminar, publication of news bulletin, webpage development, networking  and dissemination of information.         

b.         Legal support to member stations:No,but BNNRC has helped the initiators in application procedure for licensing(approval)and frequency allocation from BTRC ,looking after all the legal aspects. For this, it has opened a “Help Desk “in BNNRC office.

In assistance of UNICEF and through consultation with 14 CR Initiators, BNNRC has drafted a Code of Conduct and a Guideline for Children’s Radio Listeners’ Clubs.

c.         Management and organizational development support: Presently, BNNRC is providing training for strengthening capacity of the Community Radio Initiators particularly on the topics of station management and technical operation of CR Stations.

d.         Coaching and training –in all areas: Presently, BNNRC is providing training to field-level staff members of CR Initiators who will be involved in operation, broadcast and management of the stations.

They have been provided training on –

·         Station Management

·         Program and news production

·         Technical Training

·         Emergency preparedness and response

·         Children and women rights      

As outcome 05 training modules have been developed for the first time, since there are no existing CR training manuals on these issues.

As follow up, there are provisions of refreshers training to upgrade the information-stock and knowledge-base of the station staffs.

Moreover, BNNRC has set up a Community Radio Academy for continuous coaching and strengthening capacity of the CR Initiators of the country. This Academy provides supports in 03 thematic areas-Research, capacity development and technical assistance.

e.         Content development support to stations /documentation-cum news service:

The staffs of CR stations are also provided content development skill and knowledge through training and orientation. Some of the sample contents like radio drama on corruption and good governance, discussion on child care, documentary program on personal hygiene, Magazine program on safe motherhood have been produced as possible broadcasting content of the CR.  

f.          Technical support and repair-help desk:

BNNRC is providing technical supports to the Initiators during installation phase. For example, it is providing full-time technical assistance to installation of community rural radio by Agricultural Information service (the only community radio installed by the govt.for the first time)under financial assistance of FAO.

g.         Community outreach support & ensuring broad community representation in and around radio including ethnic, gender and PLWD aspects.

BNNRC is organizing local level consultations and workshops with different sections of the community (including ethnic, gender and PLWD) and seek their cooperation and opinion in designing program contents and sustainability plan of CR.    

h.         Financial management support and channeling of national /provincial level partnerships to radios

N/A

i.          Community research/impact assessment report

BNNRC is now conducting a need assessment survey in 14 CR areas.

j.          Support to a national women’s community radio network

N/A

k.         Other areas of work

5.         Overall reflections on lessons learnt, experience

Community Radio could draw the attention of policy level people, media and decision-makers. This could be a plus for achieving the govt.vision of establishing community radio in each upazila in future. BNNRC (and the Community Radio Academy) need to be more equipped to ensure quality assistance to CR Initiators in future.    

6.         Major challenges now in the work towards the vision of the network

It‘s not fully clear yet how the CR initiators will act within the community in the future. Sustainability will be a concern and perhaps the most challenging area for the operation of Community Radio.

Capacity and skill, specially for the technical aspects will be another area of concern for the CR Initiators.