Incomplete draft report of notes from the Radio & Development Workshop organised by BOND in London on 7 October 2002, written by Grant Goddard in October 2002.

1. REVIEW: RADIO &
DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP,
BOND NETWORK EVENT: 7
OCTOBER 2002 [incomplete draft
report]
by
GRANT GODDARD
www.grantgoddard.co.uk
October 2002

2. INCOMPLETE DRAFT REPORT
The workshop was held at NCVO, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 from
2pm to 5pm. It was the first radio development event to be hosted by
BOND (a network of 270 UK-based voluntary organisations working in
international development and development education) and OneWorld
Radio (whose online radio network linking broadcasters with NGOs
launched earlier this year).
The event was attended by about 50 delegates from NGOs (Help The
Aged, ActionAid & Amnesty International), broadcasters (BBC World
Service, Radio Netherlands & Passion For The Planet) and media trainers
(Goldsmiths College). The atmosphere was very positive and a lot of
information was shared.
1.
Welcome & Introduction
Jackie Davies of OneWorld Radio http://www.oneworld.net/radio
introduced the event.
2.
NGOs & Radio Stations In The North
Glen Tarman of OneWorld International http://www.oneworld.net
explained the work of his organisation.
3.
NGOs, Radio & The South
Francis Rolt of Common Ground Productions http://www.sfcg.org
talked about his organisation’s use of radio in the process of conflict
resolution and for health education in Africa. He identified best practices
for radio:
3.1
Identify target audiences and draw themes and ideas from the local
context
3.1.1 In Burundi, when we made programmes that specifically addressed the
rural population, we only used presenters whose Burundi was classical
(that means rural) and whose accent was rural. Otherwise our target
audience in rural areas would have switched off. We started a new radio
soap in Crimea in the Ukraine entitled “Our Street.” We identified the
urban youth as our target audience because they are most vulnerable to
joining and then being manipulated by the criminal gangs that control
economic life in Crimea. The point is - we don’t try to establish
programmes that we think will be useful, but ones that people in that
society think will be useful. The issue of criminal gangs in Crimea is not
one that I would have come up with. I was thinking along the lines of a
more straightforward Ukrainians versus Tartars soap and trying to look
at ways that they might resolve their differences. It took the writers
some time to convince myself and others that criminal gangs are really
at the root of the xenophobia, prejudice and negative stereotyping that
leads to tensions between Tartars and Ukrainians. So that this is really
a much more important issue to tackle.
Review: Radio & Development Workshop, Bond Network Event: 7 October 2002 [incomplete draft report]
©2002 Grant Goddard
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3. INCOMPLETE DRAFT REPORT
3.1.2 Population speaks perfect Burundi, whereas the urban population tends
to mix in Swahili and French. This stresses the importance of speaking
from the local perspective.
3.2
Root programmes and production in local culture
3.2.1 The theme tune to our Indonesian soap opera is not the type of song
that you or I would think of as being very catchy. This was written by
local musicians, pre-tested with the target audience, and re-written in
response to the target audience’s comments. So it is something that the
audience likes, will accept and will understand. And it doesn’t matter
what you or I think. It doesn’t even matter what the writers think. We put
the scripts through the same process of pre-testing. So the drama is
made, produced, acted and recorded by Indonesians for Indonesians.
We had to really argue the case for radio soaps with some of the older
members of the advisory committee which advises the writers. Like
intellectuals everywhere, some of them view soap operas with a very
jaundiced eye.
3.3
Provide equal access for all parties
3.3.1 In Sierra Leone, war is multi-polar so we have been careful to employ a
representative cross-section of the population, not only that but to
ensure that we have a big mix of rural and urban voices. One way of
ensuring that everyone gets to speak, and it also reinforces the habit
amongst the producers of making sure that the most number of
viewpoints are given.
3.3.2 In Burundi, where the conflict is essentially bi-polar, Studio Ijambo is
staffed by almost equal numbers of Hutu and Tutsi. It is not very easy to
maintain that kind of balance, but it has been essential to the balance of
the programmes and it is important as a demonstration of our
commitment to balance and equal access. Until a couple of years ago,
very few other NGOs or international organisations in Burundi had even
thought about this as the issue. When they checked, three years ago,
they found that almost all their staff were Tutsi, who make up 15% of the
population.
3.4
Measure the impact of programmes during and after broadcast
3.4.1 We pre-test all programmes, particularly soaps as they tend to reach
much larger audiences and offer a longer term impact. We tend to go
through a number of focus groups of 10 to 15 people who are usually
homogenous. So, for example, in Indonesia, when we were pre-testing
the soap opera there, we tried it out separately on members of an
Islamic school and on residents of the community living under a train
bridge in central Jakarta, as well as on five other different groups. What
these groups told us fed directly into the last re-write of the six pilot
episodes and persuaded the writers to make some major changes.
Review: Radio & Development Workshop, Bond Network Event: 7 October 2002 [incomplete draft report]
©2002 Grant Goddard
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4. INCOMPLETE DRAFT REPORT
3.5
Reach vulnerable populations
3.5.1 We produce a number of programmes for women, young children and
youth in addition to other minority and majority groups. In Burundi and
Sierra Leone, programming for youth reaches those most at risk in
choosing the option of violence. And the new soaps both in Ukraine and
in Indonesia are targeted at youth.
3.5.2 In Liberia and Sierra Leone, children produce shows for children. In
Liberia, one of the first shows the children did involved going to
interview [head of junta] Charles Taylor and they asked him a question
that no journalist had dared ask him before, which concerned his new
mistress. [delegate: “Did he answer it?”] He did, amazingly, and he
didn’t chop anyone’s head off.
3.5.3 In several countries, we also produce shows on women's issues. In
Angola we make a programme that is targeted at and gives a voice to
refugee women.
3.6
Local capacity building
3.6.1 This is implicit in the all other points I have made. Peace depends so
much on the capacity of a society and its individuals to analyse and to
act in positive ways. Since April 2000, Search For Common Ground in
Macedonia has managed a three-year project to build bridges in the
new Balkans, which spans Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Montenegro,
Roma and Kosovo to promote greater inter-cultural awareness and
understanding. The radio part of the project facilitates co-operation
across the languages that divide radio stations in Macedonia.
Programmes are in Macedonian and Albanian. The objective of the
project is to circumvent the segregated nature of the media and to
construct bridges across ethnic and linguistic barriers to help eliminate
prejudice, fear and mistrust.
3.7
Consider how media can enhance other projects
3.7.1 Conflicts are extremely complicated, so that media by themselves are
unlikely to have more than a limited impact. As in life, it is the
accumulation of experiences and ideas that matter and affect us.
People can listen to a radio programme and say: “Yes, but that’s just
theory. That’s all very well for her, but she’s not going to be where I
live.” We apply radio to all projects.
3.7.2 In Burundi, we use radio to promote aspects of the Women’s Peace
Centre’s work, the youth project and the work done by other NGOs in
the realm of conflict resolution. In Liberia, radio goes hand in hand with
theatre productions. Radio is a valuable tool in strengthening the
activities of other projects and in multiplying the effect of an event by
Review: Radio & Development Workshop, Bond Network Event: 7 October 2002 [incomplete draft report]
©2002 Grant Goddard
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5. INCOMPLETE DRAFT REPORT
publicising an event and letting others know about positive work being
done elsewhere either by ourselves or by other organisations.
3.8
Partner with other organisations
3.8.1 Partnering is essential. In Sierra Leone, in May 2002, the elections were
held and were a source of potential conflict, even despite the peace
deal having been signed. In the past, elections have led to conflict in
Sierra Leone because the results have been delayed, people have
assumed that some parts of the country have voted one way, rumours
have started flooding the country and led to conflict. Our Talking Drum
studio is partnered with five ethnic radio stations that give them almost
total coverage of the country. This partnership led to national coverage
for the first time. Usually they simply operate as independent FM radio
stations. For the elections, the partners begged, borrowed or rented 14
satellite phones, 62 cell phones, 4 landlines and 2 vehicles. And they
deployed 120 people – everyone from journalists to office assistants –
across the country to gather the election results at each polling centre.
So one person had five polling centres to cover, either on foot or by
bicycle. And then they phoned in the results to centres in Freetown,
where they were collated and then distributed to the five radio stations
by telephone and broadcast the same day. This is the first time that has
happened in Sierra Leone. This had an enormous impact. It limited the
ability of the National Election Commission to manipulate or change the
results, both of which could have led to a resurgence of violence. The
whole effort only cost $25,000. Most people I have spoken to in Sierra
Leone believe that the cost of $25,000 prevented the potential for a
resurgence in violence during the elections. This radio partnership still
exists and, having had their first success, they plan to do other things in
common.
3.9
Future Projects
3.9.1 We want to do a survey of attitudes amongst journalists and media
workers in Africa and Europe to set up a baseline survey. One of the
problems with media work in conflict resolution, and of media work in
general, is the difficulty of evaluating it. How do you say: “We
broadcasted this. So many people listened. And such and such a
percentage changed their behaviour as a result.” It is really hard. One
way is start out with a baseline survey. We are working with a lot of
other organisations and academics on evaluation methodologies.
3.9.2 We are developing manuals and modules – one on “How To Do Radio
Soaps For Conflict Resolution”, one on “How To Do News & Current
Affairs For Conflict Resolution” and one on “Magazines & Feature
Programmes.” I hope that these will be on CD-ROM and on the internet.
3.9.3 With the BBC World Service Trust, we are organising a national
conference on radio soaps next year. One day will be on radio soaps in
Review: Radio & Development Workshop, Bond Network Event: 7 October 2002 [incomplete draft report]
©2002 Grant Goddard
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6. INCOMPLETE DRAFT REPORT
general and the second day will be on radio soaps for conflict
resolution.
3.9.4 We want to produce a number of contemporary programmes that can
be syndicated to English-language radio stations throughout the world.
One of the problems of conflict resolution radio is that there are very few
examples of it in languages that are accessible to English-speaking
people. So we thought that by producing contemporary programmes,
we can help people understand the ideas of conflict resolution, and also
reach journalists and people working in the media.
4
Karen Merkel, Director of Education, BBC World Service Trust
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/trust , explained the BBC’s work promoting
development issues through innovative use of the media.
5
Mary Myers, DFID consultant on radio http://www.dfid.gov.uk ,
discussed development radio in Africa and the radio projects funded by
DFID.
6
Francesca Silvani of InterWorld Radio http://www.interworldradio.org
explained the service provided.
7
Mixing It Up… Radio, Development & The Internet
8
Radio & Development Discussion
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk
Review: Radio & Development Workshop, Bond Network Event: 7 October 2002 [incomplete draft report]
©2002 Grant Goddard
page 6