Year: 2019 | Month: June | Volume 7 | Issue 1
Radio Companion: The Role of Sri Lankan Community Radio in the Sphere of Empowering Marginalized in the Society
K.G.L.A.N.S. Jayawardhana
DOI:10.30954/2454-9525.01.2019.12
Abstract:
Community broadcasting involves radio by and for the community. In developing countries, community radio has a developmental mission and sees itself as uniting either geographical communities or communities of interest around common economic, cultural, or linguistic interests and themes. The role of the community radio is to respond to the priorities set by the community, to facilitate their discussion, to reinforce them, and to challenge them. Being the pioneer in the community radio broadcasting in South Asia, it is important to identify the potentials of CR in empowering marginalized in the society for a sustainable lifestyle. In order to identify the role of CR in Sri Lanka in the sphere of empowering marginalized, 8 leading community radio activists of Sri Lanka were interviewed by using semi structured in depth interviews. Reinforcing and facilitating the livelihood of resettled people under Mahaweli Development Scheme, Empowering the proper representation and participation of people in development (decentralized decision making), Fulfilling the need for information, Enhancing educational level of the community with the help of Information and Communication technology, Pertaining to job opportunities and vocational training, Empowering youth with language skills, identifying the day to day challenges the marginalized communities faced and assists them to overcome them (addresses the unmet needs of communities) and Resolving the conflicts and disputes within the village (facilitate in having responsible and accountable citizens)were identified as the main roles that were played by CR in Sri Lanka to empower the marginalized in the society for a sustainable lifestyle.
Print This Article Email This Article to Your Friend
