With IMS as the host, the workshop was conducted at the French Institute, in Sanchaung Township, Rangoon, on July 24. About six facilitators with extensive experience in community radio, other media sectors [ as well as participants ] from abroad carried out the workshop.
“With the objective to kick start a process of reflection and increasing understanding and knowledge among the core stakeholders in Myanmar [Burma] around the future implementation of community radio, part of the new broadcast law, we hold this first workshop,” said Birgitte Jallov, who was the principle facilitator of the workshop.
Birgitte Jallov, author of the book “Empowerment Radio: Voices Building a Community”, also said that this was the start of several workshops and more will be announced in the following months. Through the subsequent workshops, different topics will be carried out, including capacity building, women and youths involvement in radios, identifying areas for pilot community radios, broadcast techniques, how to deal with technical areas, organization management, strategic planning, and fundraising with donors. These would also include the process of building and understanding partnerships and national networks, as well as constructing frameworks and understandings with parliamentarians and media groups.
Jallov went on to say “We will also identify coaches in different areas and provide them with training for trainers and training for coaches so that they can then train their own people in their community.”
The workshop attracted more than 50 participants from different organizations, while some attended as individual reporters and youth activists. The presented organizations included Karen Information Center (KIC), Mizzima, Chin World Media, The Mirror, Action Aid (Myanmar), Northern-Shan Women Network, and Myanmar National Radio.
“It is a very interesting workshop. This is my first time to take part in this kind of workshop. And, I have learnt a lot. I also learnt what community radio is and the differences between this community radio and other kinds of radios. I also gained a new experience because I attended the workshop provided by facilitators from foreign countries,” said U Ba Aye, a participant, who is a Lahu ethnic from Shan State.
U Ba Aye continued “I would also like to join the following workshops. After that, if we can obtain a radio registration and license, I also have plans to help work with locals in our community to set up community radio.”
The workshop was the first one-day icebreaker workshop, and it is the first of its kind conducted in Rangoon. Upon the success of this initial workshop a series of follow-up workshops will be in turn hosted by the IMS, Fojo, DWA, and UNDP-Myanmar. They will take place over the next three months and through the early fall of 2015.
