Consultative Workshop on Enabling Media Access for Communities’ Self Expression: Lessons Learned, New Delhi, August 08, 2013

Consultative Workshop on Enabling Media Access for Communities’ Self Expression: Lessons Learned- New Delhi, August 08,2013,

New Delhi, 16/08/2013: CEMCA organized a consultative workshop on “Enabling Media Access for Communities’ Self Expression” to share the lessons learnt from the two year Ford Foundation supported project. Representatives form 28 Community Radio stations participated in the workshop held at The Grand, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi on 8 August 2013. The panelists at the workshop included representatives from Ford Foundation, CEMCA, and agencies involved in the Community Radio sector.  In the inaugural session, Ms Ravina Aggarwal thanked all partners and especially the team at CCFC for their involvement and committed delivery of improved services for enabling smoother licensing.

Ms. Jayalakshmi  Chittoor discussed and  share the process of the development of two good practice toolkits under the project – Ethical Practice Guidelines for CR Stations and Self-Assessment Toolkit for CR Stations and Practitioners.   Ms Rukmini Vemraju, Project Director and the CCFC team also shared the achievements and the way forward. Prof Biswajit Das shared the findings of an independent assessment of the project.

Prof Asha Kanwar, President and CEO of Commonwealth of Learning, speaking on the occasion underscored the engagement of Commonwealth of Learning and CEMCA with this very important medium to help people learn for their own developmental goals. She released the first version of the Community Radio Continuous Improvement Toolkit (CR-CIT) developed by the UNESCO Chair on Community Media with support from CEMCA. Dr. Sanjaya Mishra, Director, CEMCA while thanking Ms Rukmini Vemraju, the Project Director, emphasized that CEMCA will continue to engage with the CR sector through its planned activities such as the Community Women Broadcaster Training, Sustainability of CR stations, quality improvement of CR operations, web radio, and development of learning materials of CR technology. He also stated that the CCFC website will continue to be a resources for all information related to CR, and CEMCA will provide all support to One World Foundation India (OWFI) to further strengthen the CR licensing and informed that the website for the CR information management system developed by CEMCA has been further renewed for one year, and will be transferred to MIB for further operation.

The feedback and open house rounds of the invited delegates enabled OWFI, also a partner of CEMCA, to understand the value created by CEMCA’s team in supporting the new applicants to get CR licence.

In a special panel session, experts who have also embarked on development of similar assessment and learning tools shared their work. The panel was represented by Ms. Venu Arora of Ideosync Media Combine whose tool for tracking training programmes on community engagement was presented. Mr. B Vasuki, Faculty Fellow, UCOCM shared the details of the CR-CIT. Mr Rajiv Tikoo, Director, OWFI made a presentation on their engagements with community radio. 

The meeting ended with consolidation of the important lessons learned, on brand value creation through committed role of the CCFC staff, the importance of tracking, developing and strengthening the capacities of CRS for sustaining their work through DAVP empanelment and recognizing and appreciating the role of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in ensuring the proactive support both to applicants and practitioners. 

New Delhi, 16/08/2013: CEMCA organized a consultative workshop on “Enabling Media Access for Communities’ Self Expression” to share the lessons learnt from the two year Ford Foundation supported project. Representatives form 28 Community Radio stations participated in the workshop held at The Grand, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi on 8 August 2013. The panelists at the workshop included representatives from Ford Foundation, CEMCA, and agencies involved in the Community Radio sector.  In the inaugural session, Ms Ravina Aggarwal thanked all partners and especially the team at CCFC for their involvement and committed delivery of improved services for enabling smoother licensing.

Ms. Jayalakshmi  Chittoor discussed and  share the process of the development of two good practice toolkits under the project – Ethical Practice Guidelines for CR stations and Self-Assessment Test for CR stations and practitioners.   Ms Rukmini Vemraju, Project Director and the CCFC team also shared the achievements and the way forward. Prof Biswajit Das shared the findings of an independent assessment of the project.

Prof Asha Kanwar, President and CEO of Commonwealth of Learning, speaking on the occasion underscored the engagement of Commonwealth of Learning and CEMCA with this very important medium to help people learn for their own developmental goals. She released the first version of the Community Radio Continuous Improvement Toolkit (CR-CIT) developed by the UNESCO Chair on Community Media with support from CEMCA. Dr. Sanjaya Mishra, Director, CEMCA while thanking Ms Rukmini Vemraju, the Project Director, emphasized that CEMCA will continue to engage with the CR sector through its planned activities such as the Community Women Broadcaster Training, Sustainability of CR stations, quality improvement of CR operations, web radio, and development of learning materials of CR technology. He also stated that the CCFC website will continue to be a resources for all information related to CR, and CEMCA will provide all support to One World Foundation India (OWFI) to further strengthen the CR licensing and informed that the website for the CR information management system developed by CEMCA has been further renewed for one year, and will be transferred to MIB for further operation.

The feedback and open house rounds of the invited delegates enabled OWFI, also a partner of CEMCA, to understand the value created by CEMCA’s team in supporting the new applicants to get CR licence.

In a special panel session, experts who have also embarked on development of similar assessment and learning tools shared their work. The panel was represented by Ms. Venu Arora of Ideosync Media Combine whose tool for tracking training programmes on community engagement was presented. Mr. B Vasuki, Faculty Fellow, UCOCM shared the details of the CR-CIT. Mr Rajiv Tikoo, Director, OWFI made a presentation on their engagements with community radio. 

The meeting ended with consolidation of the important lessons learned, on brand value creation through committed role of the CCFC staff, the importance of tracking, developing and strengthening the capacities of CRS for sustaining their work through DAVP empanelment and recognizing and appreciating the role of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in ensuring the proactive support both to applicants and practitioners. 

New Delhi, 16/08/2013: CEMCA organized a consultative workshop on “Enabling Media Access for Communities’ Self Expression” to share the lessons learnt from the two year Ford Foundation supported project. Representatives form 28 Community Radio stations participated in the workshop held at The Grand, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi on 8 August 2013. The panelists at the workshop included representatives from Ford Foundation, CEMCA, and agencies involved in the Community Radio sector.  In the inaugural session, Ms Ravina Aggarwal thanked all partners and especially the team at CCFC for their involvement and committed delivery of improved services for enabling smoother licensing.

Ms. Jayalakshmi  Chittoor discussed and  share the process of the development of two good practice toolkits under the project – Ethical Practice Guidelines for CR stations and Self-Assessment Test for CR stations and practitioners.   Ms Rukmini Vemraju, Project Director and the CCFC team also shared the achievements and the way forward. Prof Biswajit Das shared the findings of an independent assessment of the project.

Prof Asha Kanwar, President and CEO of Commonwealth of Learning, speaking on the occasion underscored the engagement of Commonwealth of Learning and CEMCA with this very important medium to help people learn for their own developmental goals. She released the first version of the Community Radio Continuous Improvement Toolkit (CR-CIT) developed by the UNESCO Chair on Community Media with support from CEMCA. Dr. Sanjaya Mishra, Director, CEMCA while thanking Ms Rukmini Vemraju, the Project Director, emphasized that CEMCA will continue to engage with the CR sector through its planned activities such as the Community Women Broadcaster Training, Sustainability of CR stations, quality improvement of CR operations, web radio, and development of learning materials of CR technology. He also stated that the CCFC website will continue to be a resources for all information related to CR, and CEMCA will provide all support to One World Foundation India (OWFI) to further strengthen the CR licensing and informed that the website for the CR information management system developed by CEMCA has been further renewed for one year, and will be transferred to MIB for further operation.

The feedback and open house rounds of the invited delegates enabled OWFI, also a partner of CEMCA, to understand the value created by CEMCA’s team in supporting the new applicants to get CR licence.

In a special panel session, experts who have also embarked on development of similar assessment and learning tools shared their work. The panel was represented by Ms. Venu Arora of Ideosync Media Combine whose tool for tracking training programmes on community engagement was presented. Mr. B Vasuki, Faculty Fellow, UCOCM shared the details of the CR-CIT. Mr Rajiv Tikoo, Director, OWFI made a presentation on their engagements with community radio. 

The meeting ended with consolidation of the important lessons learned, on brand value creation through committed role of the CCFC staff, the importance of tracking, developing and strengthening the capacities of CRS for sustaining their work through DAVP empanelment and recognizing and appreciating the role of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in ensuring the proactive support both to applicants and practitioners.