UNESCO supports community radios in Tunisia

Field interviews in Gafsa, Tunisia - Photo by Ksira Marwen, Sawt El Manajem, Creative Commons

UNESCO, through its Rabat Office and Tunis Project Office, supported the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters in the organization of training on community radio in Tunisia. The main training session took place from 12 to 14 March 2012 in Gafsa (Tunisia) and was followed, from 15 to 18 March 2012, by a series of training-mentoring workshops for Sawt el Manajem radio staff.

The Jordan Community Media Network (CMN), International Media Support (IMS), Oxfam Novib, EED, and many Tunisian radios and production groups were also involved. 

The training aimed at strengthening professional capacities of Sawt el Manajem radio staff in the following fields:

• content development in accordance with community radios mission,
• women’s participation,
• programming definition,
• community radios’ sustainability, and
• ethics and deontology.

UNESCO promotes community media in order to enhance media pluralism and the inclusion of marginalized communities in policy- and decision-making processes related to sustainable development. 

Community radio has a special place in UNESCO’s programmes. The aim of UNESCO’s community radio programme is to address crucial social issues at a community level, such as poverty and social exclusion, to empower marginalized rural groups and catalyze democratic processes and development efforts.

(Source : UNESCO)