Removing Barriers, Increasing Effectiveness - amarc

to solve problems that affect the community as a whole, the strengthening oflocal community voices to increase the dialogue with other communities and withexternal agents of development, the rise of cultural identity, the appropriation of ashare of the public space for active citizen’s participation, and the growth ofawareness of the concept of national citizenship or ethnic universe. Impact canbe recognized if, for example, groups of women have bettered their positions interms of being heard and contributing to decisions.” Participant from Guatemala.Community Radio empowers local communities. Likewise, the increase in impactis related to empowerment, to decentralization, to the establishment of citizenshipagendas, and the content of strategies directed to the radios and to the networkswith clear concepts and goals. (Mali) The vision, objectives, management andprogramming are adapted for communication with a view to communitydevelopment.CR supports the development of a democratic and inclusive information society.Community radios introduce in their practice the subject of communications and apromise of appropriation of new technologies by society. Possibilities exist ofshortening the gap but there are no public policies (in place to guide theprocess). Governments see the subject of NICT from the economic point of view.It is necessary to find ways to convince others that NICT is a question of rights.We must also reflect on how these technologies would affect radios, their content(programming), not only the replacement of old with new technologies/equipment, but the political, social and economic impact on societies. Thisdiscussion is important to prepare us for the change.The Survey on Community Radio Social Impact indicated that the perceivedorder of social impact of CR is as follows. (1) Access to a media for excluded; (2)Promote democratization of society and of communications; (3) Accountability ofgovernments; (4) Inform and broadcast on local issues; (5) Solidarity andcommunity development; (6) Women empowerment; (7) Poverty reduction; (8)Health prevention & relief; (9) Conflict resolution & peace building; (10) Source ofemployment;AMARC Community Radio Social Impact Assessment 2007 Page 44 of 128