[From MC Rasmin, Sri Lanka Community Radio Forum] The world radio conference under the theme of ‘strengthen the radio movements and empower communities in Sri Lanka’ has taken place in Colombo. A network of community broadcasters, working towards community broadcasting for social development in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF), brought together more than 30 broadcasters representing Uva community radio, Kothmale Community Radio, Saru Community radio, Sasura Community Radio, Telradio, Vayamba voice, Ruhunu voice, Kandurata FM, Vasantham FM, Sri Lanka broadcasting corporation, Nenasala telecenters and different universities for the first World Radio Day.
The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka, the national ICT apex body, partnered with SDJF in organising the conference. ICT Agency of Sri Lanka extended its fullest technical input in order to make this conference more successful. ICT Agency of Sri Lanka has continuously been supporting Sri Lanka development Journalist Forum (SDJF) for the cause of connecting community broadcasters. The conference was divided into three major sessions such as hearing the challenges from the ground, assessing the challenging policy environment for community radio broadcasting in particular and radio broadcasting in general and the future pathway for it. The fact that the policies which exist are not supporting the citizens to bring up the community voice was explored by the senior lecturer of the media department of the Kelaniya University, Vijayanada Rupasinga. The major issues such as lack of communication with the government, lack of civil society involvement, lack of lobbying among different policy players and lack of knowledge among community radio workers about the policy environment were identified as immediate hindrances in designing a better policy to promote and regulate community radio movements. Furthermore, the unfair situation of criticizing the role of government of Sri Lanka without any communication with it was also emphasized by Saman Rajapaksha, lecturer from the same university. He stressed the fact that there should be series of communication and dialogue with government stakeholder on this cause and which is not been happening currently. At the same time, there are other sessions which arrived at the following conclusion. 1. Any radio comes under government preview shouldn’t name as community radio. What Sri Lanka need at this juncture is radio fully won by people. 2. UVA community radio representative and the newly elected national coordinator of SDJF stressed that UVA is the only community radio 3. Sri Lankan government should be made clear that the need of community radio is not to challenge the government or the mainstream radio but to create a strong platform in order to cater the development need of the disadvantaged and to create a platform where civil society can voice the issues affecting them. There is a huge amount of people’s interests and information needs which are not catered by the commercially driven private and government mainstream radios. 4. It was also shown as a good sign that government has clearly supported SARU community radio which is a real community radio set up accordingly to the community radio principle and was not processed by relevant organization or the final proceeding in calling bid for the transmitter. Until a genuine community radio era is flourished, all the community based – regional radio stations have to absorb the features of community broadcasting in order to create a positive environment for the future community radio. 5. For the first time in the history of Sri Lankan community radio industry, a national forum was formed by Sri Lankan development journalist Forum (SDJF) to carry forward a collected mandate in triggering the communication with government and all the other stakeholders. 6. The deputy country director of USAID Sri Lanka, Christopher Wyrod explained the fact that domination of the commercially driven radio and other media is not a challenge for a real community radio and radio movements. 7. Sri Lanka development Forum (SDJF) was requested by the participants, o write to ICT Agency of Sri Lanka, CEMCA and AMARC seeking the technical inputs in order to host an international conference on future community radio in Sri Lanka and work towards lobbying the need of news radio policy. The head of SDJF M C Rasmin, accepted the suggestion of the participant. 8. A unique fact was despite the nationwide private bus strike, all around the country, participants have managed to come by their own means. Some participants have walked longer ways due to the heavy traffic jam and lack of transport facilities which prove the thirsty amongst the community broadcasters to re-strengthen the radio movement in Sri Lanka. The country director for Search for Common Ground, Nawaz Mohammed also attended the conference Charing a session. Sri Lanka developments Journalist Forum (SDJF) will prepare an extended conference report in due cause and make it available for the public awareness. M C Rasmin Director/CEO Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF) 8/5, Liyanage Mawatha, nawala, Ragagiriya Office - +94112 87 70 07 Web – www.ldjf.org, Mail – rasmin (at) ldjf (dot) org Skype – mcrasmin
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