World Radio Day, noticed yearly on 13 February, celebrates the ability of the medium.  The theme this yr is ‘Radio and Peace’, highlighting its position in battle prevention and peacebuilding. 

“Because it was developed a couple of century in the past, radio has confirmed to be an distinctive technique of communication, debate and change – certainly, it is without doubt one of the most accessible and widespread kinds of media,” stated Audrey Azoulay, Director-Basic of the UN Instructional, Scientific and Cultural Group (UNESCO). 

In her message for the Day, she urged everybody “not solely to have a good time radio’s potential, but in addition, and particularly, to make larger use of radio as a novel instrument of peace.” 

Radio and UN Peacekeeping 

For Francesca Mildew, Chief of Strategic Communications within the UN’s Division of Peace Operations (DPO), this yr’s theme couldn’t be extra related. 

DPO lately kicked off a year-long marketing campaign to commemorate the seventy fifth anniversary of UN Peacekeeping. 

“Working as a part of UN peacekeeping missions, we function radio networks that are important to reaching large-scale and numerous communities, notably in locations the place web penetration is poor and the inhabitants may be very cell on account of battle and displacement,” stated Ms. Mildew. 

UN Peacekeeping was established in 1948 and since then, 71 missions have been deployed to post-conflict international locations around the globe.  As these operations have to elucidate their mandates to native populations, communication is important.   

‘Finest instrument’ for speaking 

Radio formally turned a part of peacekeeping in 1989 underneath the UN Transition Help Group (UNTAG) in Namibia, a political mission established to make sure the holding of free and honest elections there. 

UNTAG created content material on points corresponding to voter registration, which was given to native broadcasters for dissemination. The primary important peacekeeping radio station arrived a couple of years later, with the UN’s Mission in Cambodia. 

“Maybe the perfect instrument in our toolbox has been UN Peacekeeping radio stations,” stated Douglas Coffman from the Peace and Safety Part of the UN’s Division of World Communications (DGC), which can be dwelling to UN Information. 

Talking to the individuals 

Mr. Coffman served within the Balkans within the late Nineties, within the wake of the sequence of wars that erupted following the breakup of Yugoslavia.  

“Radio is vital as a result of the UN can converse to the native inhabitants with out going by way of the filter of biased media,” he stated.  “These are media which were a part of the issue within the battle. They do not essentially need to assist us get our messages out. So, being able to converse instantly and in actual time to the communities we’re working for, is important.” 

Radio has performed a pivotal position on this planet’s youngest nation, South Sudan, which has suffered durations of brutal preventing and displacement since gaining independence in 2011.   

A companion for peace 

Radio Miraya on the UN Mission within the nation, UNMISS, offers a platform for each establishing and consolidating peace.  In reality, it’s “the companion for peace for the Authorities and the individuals of South Sudan,” based on Ben Malor, UNMISS Chief of Communications and Public Info. 

Among the station’s programmes embody a weekday Breakfast Present, consisting of reports studies and interviews with Authorities ministers, civil society representatives and different key figures.   

One other present known as ‘Roundtable’, which airs on Saturdays, brings collectively ministers, senior officers and influencers for a political dialogue on generally thorny points, corresponding to inter-communal violence and cattle raiding. 

Different programmes goal younger individuals, and there may be additionally a devoted telephone line for ladies who need to name into the station – a approach to give voice to ladies in a society the place they must be heard.

Reinforcing nationwide unity 

“Our goal, no matter radio is doing, whether or not we’re on-line and we’re on air, and persons are calling in, is to reinforce the togetherness of the individuals throughout political divides, throughout spiritual divides, throughout ethnic divides, throughout gender divides, then throughout age divides,” stated Mr. Malor. 

Radio continues to be the first medium for conveying info to South Sudan’s 11 million individuals, and Radio Miraya is in a continuing state of readjustment and self-evaluation to higher assist UNMISS in delivering on its mandate. 

Lately, the Authorities requested for the UN’s assist for the electoral course of that can culminate with a vote in December 2024. 

“Radio Miraya goes to be taking part in its half as finest as potential, as a lot as we get the cooperation of the Authorities of South Sudan, so that we are going to do the whole lot to assist the management for the success of this course of,” stated Mr. Malor. “So, there may be fixed examination, fixed restructuring, fixed enchancment.” 

Adaptability and attain 

Radio’s accessibility and widespread attain have made it a vital instrument for UNESCO, notably through the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was obligatory to achieve college students who have been out of college. 

The UN company established a system to show kids over the airwaves, benefiting scores of learners in lots of international locations, together with in sub-Saharan Africa the place lower than 1 / 4 of individuals have web entry. 

“Radio is thus fairly often the medium of final resort.  We’re seeing this once more in Afghanistan, the place women and girls have been abruptly and unfairly denied their proper to be taught, research and educate,” stated Ms. Azoulay. 

UNESCO has strongly condemned the bans and has launched a programme with the European Union to assist media shops in Afghanistan. The target is to assist flow into instructional materials, and data on well being and security, to achieve not less than six million individuals instantly.