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Current official communications policy in India encourages the development of community managed radio stations. Compiled by María Teresa Aveggio, Programme Manager, with information provided by Indira Ramesh of Himalaya Trust
So when the Himalaya Trust saw the real need for a community-driven medium through which people can access information relevant to their lives and acquire new confidence and skills it decided to take advantage of this policy and sought WACC’s support to launch a community radio station in the town of Garur in the state of Uttarakhand. The station would serve as an open and inclusive information, communication and training centre for broadcasting and related media skills for young people, and help develop talents and capabilities which may lead to better participation and learning opportunities.
 | | Participants were introduced to different radio programs format and learned to use field recorders |
The first stage of the project started on 3 January 2011 and drew 20 participants, from many villages across the Katyur valley. Indira Ramesh, responsible for the project said, “We had some very lively training sessions over the five days.” She added, “The resource persons, Ram and Ekta, two young persons from the southern end of India, were really excellent, bonding well with the participants, a mixed group of young men and women ranging from ages 22 to 45.”
The inaugural workshop was designed to provide the conceptual clarity and basic technical skills required for audio recording and sound editing. The group went through a series of exercises and games to draw out the trainees’ ideas and concepts of media, their idea of “social change”, preconceptions of gender roles, and other related ideas and attitudes which the young people may now have to rethink.
Over the five-day workshop, they were introduced to different radio formats, learned to use field recorders and made interesting discoveries about their own communities through field visits. One fact that would probably surprise most people in affluent countries was that most of the young women had never before touched a computer. Organisers have identified this as a particular important area where much more work needs to be done.  | | Some of the Participants had never before touched a computer. |
In addition to technical knowledge and awareness, participants developed a plan of action for the interim period while they internalize their new skills, and will begin to make their first experimental programmes for evaluation. A media survey has also been undertaken among at least 1000 people across the valley to form a baseline survey necessary for the application for a broadcasting license from the government.
The Himalaya Trust was set up in 1993 in response to the need expressed by a group of social and environmental grassroots activists for a forum to address critical issues of environmental degradation which has led to the increasing impoverishment of mountain communities in the Western Himalaya (India).The Himalaya Trust works with small communities on awareness raising and skill development to improve access to knowledge and livelihood options in the state of Uttarakhand, in northern India.
For more information, contact:
Himalaya Trust
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