Africa Radio Conference opens

The '3rd Community Radio Pan African Conference' and the first to be held in East Africa is organised by AMARC (the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters), an international non-profit organization, which supports community radio broadcasters around the world.

The conference, whose theme is 'Local Content for the Sustainable Development of Community Radio in Africa', ends on April 23, 2005.

According to AMARC Africa Region, “Community radio has in the past 10 years established an innovative role for itself in the development processes in Africa by matching a human rights approach to livelihood concerns with state governance impact. The prime objective should now be the development and sustainability of this role.”

And in an interview with CISA in NAirobi, Ms Joyce Mwaura of Kenya Community Media Network (KCoMNet) said that around 150 participants drawn from across the continent are expected to attend. KCoMNet is hosting the event at The Stanley Hotel, she said.

The African Charter on Broadcasting 2001, signed in Windhoek, Namibia, defines community radio as "broadcasting which is for, by, and about the community, whose ownership and management is representative of the community, which pursues a social development agenda, and which is non-profit."

For more inforamation Shingai Nyoka, the Regional Communications Programme Officer, AMARC Africa can be contacted at at comofficer@amarcafrica.org Send a copy of your inquiry to newtechofficer@amarcafrica.org during the period of the conference.