Removing Barriers, Increasing Effectiveness - amarc

Community Radio suffers, everywhere and in varying degrees depending on theregion or country, either situations of oppression, of military threats or censorshipand associates itself to social movements and builds coalitions forcommunication rights and freedom of expression with other media and/or withhuman rights activists. In spite of increasing positive evidence on the positiveimpact of CR, a common barrier to the development of Community Radioworldwide is, either the absence, shortcomings or inadequacy of legislation andregulation for community radio at all levels (spectrum allocation, frequencyallocation, community radio definition in law, support to community radio).Unfriendly legal frameworks are a constant challenge to the sector so that themain characteristics of community radio need to be constantly highlighted anddeveloped.Thus, CR political, social & cultural recognition and performance varies fromregion to region leading CR and community media practitioners to reinforcediverse social movements and country agenda, including on development issues,civil society reinforcement, women rights, cultural diversity, peace building amongothers. But, in spite of differences due to legal frames and regulations and thechallenges of country environment, community radio is universally built along notfor profit objectives, local community ownership, participatory and progressiveprogramming driven by community challenges.What is Community Radio? Not the media moving into community but thecommunity moving into the media. We (Community Media) are not the media butthe facilitators of social movements, the voice of civil society. Furthermore, localownership and appropriation of CR are closely linked to participation in decisionmakingprocesses and the needs of the community deserved. One of thestrengths of community radios, is their horizontality and diversity, which showsthat they are built from the bottom up, thus reflecting a network of multiplelanguages, and the expression of differences. This diversity actualizes therepresentation of the excluded, the survival of historic memories, of culturaldiversity and an equitable approach to development.Community radio can initiate or accompany social change and carriesresponsibility to be effective in facilitating civil society development anddemocratic processes. The participation of community radio practitioners andstakeholders in social action and social movements was indicated all along theglobal assessment of CR as an important challenge facing community radio anda key factor in achieving increased social impact.After decades and centuries, and several women’s conferences, in many parts ofthe world, women’s rights have been recognized and opportunities for womenhave expanded. However, gender equality is far from being achieved. CR is akey instrument in advocating women’s rights and practicing gender equality. Theparticipants identified the exclusion of women as a key social challenge forcommunity radio. Gender equality is a societal challenge that needs to be tackledAMARC Community Radio Social Impact Assessment 2007 Page 22 of 128