UNESCO: Message for World Radio Day

Audrey Azoulay, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), sent a message to all the radio media in the world on the occasion of February 13, the date on which World Day is celebrated Of the radio.

Under the slogan "Dialogue, tolerance and peace", the message of the UNESCO board stresses that today we celebrate the unique and far-reaching power that this means has to expand our horizons and build more harmonious societies.

He assured that from the big international networks to the community broadcasters, the radio stations remember today the importance of this means to stimulate the public debate, to reinforce the civic commitment and to inspire the mutual understanding.

Remember that since its invention, more than 100 years ago, the radio has provoked new conversations and disseminated new ideas in homes, towns, universities, hospitals and work collectives, and that dialogue on the airwaves can serve as an antidote to the negativity that Sometimes it seems to predominate on the Internet, hence UNESCO's interest in reinforcing the plurality and diversity of radio stations throughout the world.

Radio is still one of the most reactive and interesting means of communication that exists, while adapting to the changes of the 21st century and offering new forms of interaction and participation in the conversations that matter, especially for the most disadvantaged.

Women in rural areas, for example, are among the groups least represented in the media, and twice as likely as men to be illiterate, so radio can be a vital resource for their expression and your access to information.

UNESCO supports radio stations in sub-Saharan Africa that encourage women's participation in public debate, particularly on often neglected issues such as forced marriages, girls' education or child care, he said in the document.

In areas where there have been conflicts, radio contributes to dissipating fear, while linguistic diversity on the air is also fundamental: the right of people to express themselves on the airwaves in their own language, an aspect that acquires a special meaning this year. that the international body commemorates the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

Around the world, from the radio stations for those who live in unhealthy homes in Kenya to the minorities of Mongolia or the indigenous communities of Mexico, the inclusion of diverse populations makes our societies more resilient, open and peaceful, expressed the message of Audrey Azoulay, Director General of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture, UNESCO.

The challenges we face, be it climate change, conflicts or the rise of opinions that cause divisions, increasingly depend on our ability to communicate and find common solutions, finally closes its message of this year 2019 for the World Day of Radio.


Source: Maria Salomé Campanioni
               Portal of the Cuban Radio

               www.radiocubana.cu