[cr-india] ‘Community radio can strengthen activism’

[sajan venniyoor]

‘Community radio can strengthen activism’
The Hindu, 23 Feb, Bangalore

BANGALORE: What does the Right to Information (RTI) Act have to do with
community radio? A lot, claim RTI activists and activists from social
movements. As the Magsaysay award-winning RTI activist Aruna Roy points out,
community radio can be a powerful tool that can enable people to make
informed choices.

Ms. Roy was addressing over 300 radio broadcasters from India, Asia Pacific,
Europe and Africa, attending a three-day workshop organised by AMARC (a
network of community-based broadcasters) and Bangalore-based
non-governmental organisation Voices.
“When it comes to political issues, such as atrocities against Dalits, women
or other forms of repression, mainstream media fails in reflecting the
truth. Community radio, in these cases, can be an important tool,” she said.

The time had come for community radio in India to deepen its role as a
movement by synergising with the Right to Information Movement and achieving
the goals of freedom of information, she added.

“Democracy is about speaking the truth. It is all about making the truth
powerful, and power truthful,” she said. If you take broadcasting as a form
of activism, and go to the people and listen to their voices, it could
really be of great value, she said.

http://www.thehindu.com/2010/02/23/stories/2010022355630900.htm
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