Dear friends, I can't describe the delight with which I am sharing with you the news that the first rural Community Radio Station in India will be going on air on October 15, 2008, the World Rural Women's Day. It is also a historic justice that the DDS Community Radio, the first community radio initiative in the country will pioneer the true and authentic Community Radio. This is a radio owned, managed and operated by women from the margins of the Society, people who have been excluded and rendered voiceless in any public forum.
The DDS Community Media initiative started more than ten years ago was founded on the principle that media has always treated the rural people in particular and women from marginalised sections in particular, consumers of the media and never its producers. In recent times, it has totally ignored them. Therefore a media of the people, for the people, by the people is the only way to responde to this media marginalisation of the rural poor and women. The DDS Community Radio, now called Sangham Radio [for some strange reason, the government has banned the use of the word FM in the names of Community Radio Stations. Therefore DDS radi has metamorphosed from the earlier titleSangham FM.] has several firsts to its credit. It is the first rural community radio. It is the first all women radio. It is the first community owned and managed radio. It is the first radio owned and managed by marginalised communities. It is also of historical significance that the first authentic community radio will start from the same place where the first clear definition and call for Community Radio emanated eight years ago in the form of Pastapur Declaration by the Community Radio advocates. It is also significant that DDS was the first applicant for Community Radio as far back as 2000. The Sangham Radio will be another link in the historical continuum of community radio in India. Justice P B Sawant who delivered the landmark judgement Airwaves are public property will switch on the DDS Radio. Former Secretary I & B as well as former D G Doordarshan Dr Bhaskar Ghose along with senior feminist journalist Kalpana Sharma, Ms Jai Chandiram, Chair, International Association for Women in Radio and Television and Dr Vinod Pavarala, Professor of Communication and Dean, School of Communication, University of Hyderabad and the author of the first Indian book on Community Radio The Other Voices will join the celebration. Hundreds of women from the DDS sangham families will make the occassion vibrant and will literally echo the rural voices and issues as the radio goes on air. It will be an extraordinary pleasure for all of us if you can come and join us in these celebrations. DDS COmmunity Radio will also be the first baby of the struggle of the Community Radio Forum launched with such devotion and nobility by all of you. Please see attached the official invitation drafted by General Narsamma, Algole Narsamma and myself on behalf of the Community Media Trust. With warmest regards satheesh -- Deccan Development Society (DDS) 101 Kishan Residency, street no- 5, Begumpet,Hyderabad-16, AP,India. Ph# + 91-40-27764577 / 27764744 Visit us at : www.ddsindia.com
Final invite, Sangham radio, Oct 10, 2008.doc
Description: MS-Word document
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