A first Community Radio training course - 7 weeks, 7 modules -
online & for digital download
Dear OURMEDIA
colleagues,
Please share with your networks as
appropriate!
As you may know I have started: EMPOWERHOUSE (
www.empowerhouse.dk ), focusing on
supporting the creation and consolidation of powerful and empowered community
radios. As we all know many ‘community radios’ have little or nothing to do with
the community, and never intended that. Others are real community development
dynamos. Most community radios in developing countries that I know, intend to be
motors in community development, but have an enormous amount of
challenges.
With my 30 years + working with community radio development in many parts
of the world, I have seen what works and what does not work, and over the years
I have worked with teams to develop tools and processes to carry out a diagnosis
and to find good and effective ways forward. As we all know there are no ‘quick
fixes’ – but there is an awful lot that can be done.
This I have encapsuled in
my new book: ‘EMPOWERMENT RADIO – Voices
building a community’ which was launched on World Radio Day in London
(Feb 13 2012) and for the academic communty at the IAMCR conference in Durban in
July. I am pleased to note that the book has been very well received, and is
already being used in many different countries and contexts. (
http://empowerhouse.dk/new-book-empowerment-radio/.
I attach foreword and index for reference.)
Empowerment and Sustainability are the two key themes,
carried through the whole book, laying out – not a model community radio because
this, we know, is neither possible nor desirable. But is lays out the
step-by-step set of issues to consider and deal with when wanting to form a
community-owned and impact-ful radio.
Following the systematic framework of the book, I have developed a
7-module training course. It will start October 17 with a new module
starting every Wednesday for 7 consecutive weeks until the final session
November 28.
To facilitate time differences, different (read: often limited) bandwidth
and unstable connections, I have changed my original idea of running webinars to
turning it into weekly downloadable training packages including audios, chapters
from my book, models, tools and frameworks. This is matched by a moderated (by
me) online forum, where the thematics of each training session will be debated,
experience shared, questions asked and partnerships of different nature
emerging.
I attach a long (!) presentation of the course, which will be
available online (
www.empowerhouse.dk/training)
before next Monday, from which time it is possible to sign up.
This first (!) course is in English. Later other language versions can be
developed / or shorter courses tailored to specific needs agreed upon and
developed. A French version of the book is planned (and funded).
My question to you is whether you might
want to consider sending some core staff from the stations / networks you
support – on this course? Or whether some of your organisations would
want to sponsor a number of spaces, which could be sought on a competitive basis
– based on set criteria???
As you will see from the attached, it is a really thorough 7
intensive weeks of learning – maybe up to one day a week of listening,
reading and interacting on the web on a weekly basis. When the course is over,
the participant will have a very clear ability to see what and how
community radio can become an empowerment tool with intense community
participation and community ownership – and this means positive change,
as we know from experience.
One space costs 875 USD, early bird registration USD 750.
But if you were to consider to buy 10 or more spaces, we could negotiate
a package-price, of course!
From my experience in most parts of the world the high cost of domestic
travel, of hotel, of trainers, makes this is a very cost effective
solution – and the online forum (EMPOWER FORUM – a subscription based
club) will be able to keep the discussions, twinning, partnerships etc going.
The price for subscription is USD 15 per month, and I would recommend that you
(and others I am speaking with) would include a year’s subscription with a
sponsored space on the course. The FORUM is moderated by me, and is – as I say
in the materials – access to an online coach and mentor!
My experience from many countries is also that it is hard to find
trainers, coaches and staff for community radio work, with an understanding of
what community radio can be – and with an effective and appropriate
attitude and approach. This course can change that (provided
that the participant uses the materials and the online options).
If you would want to discuss this with me, it would be best before Monday,
where I am off for Zimbabwe. I look forward to hearing from you.
Warmest,
- birgitte