For immediate release: Field Mission to Pakistan by AMARC and PPF
has begun October 1, 2010, Kathmandu. The field mission to Pakistan by
the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and the
Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) to assess information and
communication needs of areas affected by floods has commenced with
mission members arriving in Karachi on the 30th of September 2010. In
addition to assessing immediate communication gaps in the affected
areas including the assessment of information & communication needs of
the internally displaced people and Aid Providers, the mission will
explore possibilities of integrating functioning independent radios
into the humanitarian information network along with guidance on
humanitarian relief reporting. Technical experts from the mission will
carry out basic repairs of the stations. The mission will also assess
the possibility of setting up emergency radios in the worst affected
areas and the immediate, short term and longer term needs of the
radios and their personnel. The beginning of the mission will be
marked by a round table discussion to be held in Karachi on the 2nd
of October 2010 with government authorities, policy makers,
representatives of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority,
and other stakeholders such as independent broadcasters, humanitarian
organizations and donors to present case for community radio and its
role in helping in relief and rehabilitation efforts for the flood
affected. The mission is led by Steve Buckley, President of AMARC
International. Other mission members include Imam Prakoso, member of
AMARC Asia Pacific Regional Board from Indonesia, Junichi Hibino,
Director of community radio FMYY of Japan, and engineers Toru Sato
and Sadao Ito from BHN, Japan. Owais Aslam Ali, Secretary General of
PPF is cop-heading the mission along with a team of experts from PPF.
Please visit http://asiapacific.amarc.org/pakistan_floods/ [1] for the
latest mission news. -END- AMARC is an international non-governmental
organization serving the community radio movement in over 110
countries, and advocating for the right to communicate at the
international, national, local and neighborhood levels. AMARC has an
International Secretariat in Montreal. It has regional sections in
Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific and offices in Johannesburg,
Buenos Aires, Brussels, and Kathmandu. For more information, please
contact Suman Basnet, Regional Coordinator for Asia-Pacific,
[email protected] or visit www.asiapacific.amarc.org.
-- Suman Basnet Regional Coordinator AMARC Asia Pacific Kathmandu,
Nepal Tel:
Links:
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[1] http://asiapacific.amarc.org/pakistan_floods/
[2] http://asiapacific.amarc.org/
Join the Community Radio Forum. For membership details, please go to
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