CR stations and CR networks are active in the media scene in many African countries. The programs also addressed the role of local governments in intervening in streamlining logging activities in Ghanaian communities at large. Ultimately, the three parties (communities, lumber contractors, and District Assembly staff) felt the need to do so.
The festival always attracts some of the country's top talent, who are of course award winning.
Introducing Dialogue for Peace-Building and Conflict Resolution
The station began by gathering the chiefs of the area to make a pledge of peace, and they return to make progress reports. The station finds ways to help the poor and often desperate marginalized and has become a focal point for socio-economic development in the region (Alumuku, 2007). Radio Peace has an early warning system to report any illegal activity or violence so that this can be resolved.
The management of the station said that one day a young man came from a village known as Apam and claimed that the village chief had sold a piece of land belonging to the community for eight thousand Ghana Cedis, about twelve thousand one hundred and sixty US dollars . He did not want to tell the story over the radio, but indicated that out of anger he would bomb the village. The station quickly informed the security authorities, who conducted an intensive investigation, about the allegation.
Radio Progress is known for promoting religious understanding between different Christian denominations and between Christians and Muslims in the Upper Western region. Although the origin of the channel can be traced back to the Catholic Church, the channel has an open door policy with regard to religious broadcasts. This Radio Progress “evangelistic mission” has contributed to the reputation of the Upper West Region as the most peaceful region in Ghana.
Introducing Discussions to Address Felt Injustices and Abuse of Human Rights
Since the shows started on radio, everyone now knows that you cannot be detained for more than a certain number of hours (28 hours) without being charged. One of their main contributions that deserves special mention is the advocacy role for the recognition of and respect for the human rights of the marginalized in society. Since 1997 when the station started, the Upper West branch of the Association of the Disabled in Ghana has been granted a free weekly slot.
The purpose of the disability program was two-fold: to fight the stigma attached to disability and to ensure that all their rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution are granted to them. Notable in the latter connection is the fact that the Constitution stipulated that two percent of the District Assembly's common funds be dedicated to supporting the activities of the country's disabled people. The disability program on Radio Progress challenged the congregations and put pressure on them which led to some districts in the.
The disability programs also challenged the injustices and stigmatization against people with disabilities by the community. At the end of each broadcast, the host of the program will promise that the disabled people will not stop speaking out against any actions and trends that tend to undermine their rights and dignity as human beings. An increased recognition of the rights of disabled children in general, and of the blind and deaf in particular, to have access to education.
Promoting Indigenous Creative Practices Peculiar to the Local Communities
The use of such funds has undoubtedly improved the living conditions of people with disabilities in the area. The lady who sells vegetables in the market is constantly trying out new sales improvement methods. In general, the media in Ghana has been at the forefront of promoting indigenous creative practices.
In the same vein, the Ghanaian media has also acted as a watchdog exposing quack claims in traditional medical practices aimed at instilling sanity in traditional medical practice in the country. In this regard, CR stations in Ghana have championed the cause of promoting creative practices in local communities, particularly in the health and agriculture sectors. In the health sector, Radio Simli in the Northern Region broadcasts regular programs highlighting the potential of herbal medicines in treating common ailments such as fever and diarrhea (Al-Hassan et al., 2011).
The programs also become platforms for famous traditional healers in the local communities to not only expose their healing skill but also educate people about traditional measures to prevent diseases. The program gives these "village doctors" the opportunity to showcase their role in the health delivery system in rural areas, the frustrations they face, and above all the need for their knowledge and expertise to be properly recognized and integrated in mainstream medical practice. . The radio producer challenged him that many farmers in the area also use manure; however, the farmer said that he stored his manure in such a way that it was protected from direct heat and other weather conditions that could cause the manure to lose its potency.
Educating People regarding Democratic Procedures in Elections and Avoiding Corruption
The importance of their involvement in the various forms of civic education before and during elections is obvious. Before the advent of CR in the country, rural people had inadequate access to information during election campaigns. In fact, it is on record that the new president of Ghana, John AgyekumKuffuor, in his victory speech, acknowledged the role of the private media, and especially CR in the country, in helping his party win the election (Naaikuur, 2003).
The most significant episode involving CR in electoral activities was in the 2008 elections (Diedong & Naaikuur, 2012). Tension in the country has risen, especially in the Brong Ahafo region, as the nation has completely focused on the outcome of the election. In the 2012 elections, CR stations more radically strengthened their role in political education.
Who can soberly and clearly explain in the relevant local languages that our communities speak and understand why decentralization has not yielded results to date. Broadcasting a series of locally produced programs under the guidelines of the GCRN, which sought to develop the awareness of the local communities to critically examine the campaign manifestos of the various parties contesting for their mandate in the 2012 elections. Overall, it can be argued that CR participation has contributed significantly to the improvement of electoral results in Ghana and to the country's image as a beacon of democracy on the African continent.
Education of the Public regarding Better Cultural Practices
Another example of a social change driven through CR in Ghana is the education of female children in the Upper West Region. Alumuku (2007) notes that due to cultural reasons, female children did not have equal access to formal education as their male counterparts in the past. Radio Progress, in line with its main objective to promote holistic and integral human development, initiated a program to educate the community on the importance of female child education.
The report concludes that due to constant radio appeals on the issue, girls' education in the area has received a significant boost.
Challenges of Operating Truly Community-Based Radio
Compared to the actual situation on the ground in the implementation of the principles outlined above, the biggest challenge demonstrated by the study is how to effectively involve community members in the management of the station and create a sense of community ownership put into practice. . When a community radio comes into existence through this process, there is a real sense of community ownership which in turn will influence most aspects of the operations of the station. Worst of all, "depending on how the process is handled, the result is sometimes one of bitterness and sadness from people who want to be part of the radio but feel excluded" (AMECEA-IMBISA, 1999).
In almost all of the stations studied, there has been no change in the Board of Directors, and most community members do not even know the board members who were self-elected by the CR founders. While CR management is quick to point out that giving voice to the voiceless is the raison d'être of their operations in the first place, a deep analysis of the processes that are essential to realizing this objective appears murky in economics. political. of the direction of CR. More than ninety percent of the interviewees perceived the democratic management and ownership of CR as the capacity of the radio station to provide them with information on issues related to agriculture, education, health, culture and politics and serving as a channel for them to make relevant social. and public announcements.
The point worth noting is that when community ownership is questionable, it can affect other aspects of the operation of community radio, especially democratic operation and community participatory processes that are fundamental to the viability and sustainability of CR. However, what has emerged as a possible way to address the challenge of how to engage, maintain and motivate a corps of volunteer producers, as well as how to increase volunteer staff's understanding of the principle of employment in CR to improve, the management of CR has made it a policy to regularly host in-service training programs and other external training opportunities for them to upgrade their skills and knowledge in CR broadcasting. Community Communication for Social Change: The Role of Community Radio with Specific Reference to Diocese.
