Union Minister Prakash Javadekar to inaugurate the Sammelan
By Shaurya and Esha Mishra
New Delhi: As the world looks up to India’s progress on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), community radio stations in India are all set to show their commitment and showcase their efforts in helping the nation achieve its targets.
The 7th national Community Radio Sammelan scheduled commencing today in the national capital will have grassroots people sharing their experiences in taking the development agenda to the people. The three day conference is being organised at Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
The conference will highlight the role of community radio stations across the country in achieving SDGs. The theme of this year’s Sammelan is ‘Community Radio for SDGs’.
India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar is expected to inaugurate the conference on August 28. Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Information and broadcasting (MIB) kick off the conference with a poster exhibition.
The conference will also recognise the commendable roles played by certain community radio stations with their innovative programming and creative ideas in not just sustaining their stations but also providing a platform to the surrounding communities.
Thirty Community Radio Awards will be awarded to recognise exceptional efforts by community radio stations across five categories.
Apart from other stakeholders, the community radio stations have played an important role in taking the message on SDGs to the doorsteps of local communities. Community Radio plays an important role in connecting the masses with the development journey of the country.
The SDGs aim to leave no one behind, and community radio stations are the ones propelling the idea at grassroots level through their extensive reach and understanding of local communities.
The Sammelan will also focus on the issues, experiences and challenges faced while setting up and running a community radio station. The conference will provide a platform to radio stations to share their experience of working on SDGs and other issues of local and global importance.
During three days, representatives of various CR stations will share their experience various topics like consumer affairs, food and public distribution, agricultural and farmer welfare as well as a host of other vital subjects.
The conference is being organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, in collaboration with OneWorld Foundation India, a leading community media organisation.