2011 Radio for Peacebuilding Africa Awards - Ceremony and Exchange Visit
On Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011, the winners of the 2011 RFPA Awards were honoured at a ceremony organised by Search for Common Ground in Kigali, Rwanda.
From left: Eunice Maina, SFCG Rwanda National Programs Manager Narcisse Kalisa, Serge Guillaume, Emmanuel Ojok, and Rebecca Besant.
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Approximately 40 persons, including journalists from the Great Lakes region, representatives of civil society organisations, and Rwandan government officials, attended the Ceremony during which Ms Rebecca Besant, the Director of SFCG in Rwanda, awarded Eunice Maina from Well Told Story in Nairobi, Kenya and Ojok Emmanuel from Radio Pacis in Arua, Uganda, respectively winners of the 2011 Youth Award and Jury’s Special Award. Sheriff Bojang Junior, winner of the Gender Award, was also honoured although he was unable to participate in person. “RFPA seeks to create a peer network among African journalists working for peace and development. We are delighted to honour these journalists for their efforts and hope to encourage Rwandan Journalists to participate in this network as well,” said Ms Besant. The ceremony ended with a speech from Mr. Serge Guillaume, Adviser to the Rwandan Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, who congratulated the winners and insisted on the role that journalists must play in their societies. He also highlighted the importance of ICTs as a tool for journalists.
In addition to the Ceremony, the winners spent three days in Rwanda to learn from their peers. They had the opportunity to exchange with journalists from Rwanda, Burundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo during various interactive meetings. They also visited two radio stations: Radio Izuba, a community radio station in Kibongo, in the Eastern province of the country, and Radio Isango Star, a private radio station based in Kigali.
It was the first time in Rwanda for both Eunice and Emmanuel, who said “we are really grateful for this experience, and many of the topics that journalists are discussing here are also very relevant in our countries!”
The RFPA Team congratulates again the winners and thanks the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland for its support!
Visit the RFPA website audio section and listen to the best programmes submitted for this 2011 edition!
THE AWARDS GO TO:
YOUTH AWARD
1st Prize: Shujaaz (Kenya, Producer: Bridget Deacon)
This episode of Shujaaz, a radio show adapted from a comic book combining drama, audience and experts interviews, focuses on political manipulation of youth. Shujaaz aims to inspire and motivate young Kenyans to take action to improve their lives, and engage with urgent practical issues that shape their future.
The jury said that it “is a very entertaining programme very appropriate for youth”, with a “very innovative format.” “The topic itself is very relevant to what is happening in Africa where the youth are abused by politicians to serve their interests.”
2nd Prize: The Team (Kenya, Producer: Just Imagine Productions)
This first episode of The Team, a serial radio drama promoting fair play and tolerance, features young Kenyan footballers, both boys and girls from different ethnic groups, who must overcome their mutual distrust and prejudices so that their team succeeds.
The jury said “the messages are clear enough and the team of actors must be congratulated!” “The programme is presented in a very creative way.”
3rd Prize: Top Stories (Cameroon, Producer: Roland Akong)
This radio programme is a special edition of the magazine Top Stories. It presents the results of a year-long investigative report entitled “Blood on My Hands”, conducted by the journalist Arison Tamfu. It addresses the issue of mob justice in Cameroon.
The jury said that the programme is “well documented,” “detailed” and “well researched with different points of view.” “The use a variety of sound effects provides to the programme a real ‘radio movie’.”
GENDER AWARD
1st Prize: Fifty-Fifty: Rape and Gender-Based Violence in Senegal (Senegal, Producer: Sheriff Bojang Junior)
This radio programme is a magazine addressing the issue of rape and other forms of violence against women in Senegal, including consequences for the victims, both physical and psychological, and the question of impunity for perpetrators.
The jury said “this programme has a very good format and the testimonies capture the attention of the listener.” “It includes a lot of points of views and interesting information.”
2nd Prize: Chakruok (Kenya, Producer: Bridget Deacon)
This episode, from the serial radio drama Chakruok, addresses the issues of sexually transmitted diseases, family planning, and the difficulties of discussing these issues among one’s family and community. Chakruok, funded by APHIA II OR / USAID, aims to expand access to integrated reproductive health and family planning and HIV services for married adolescent girls, in order to improve reproductive health outcomes.
The jury said that while it was difficult to assess the impact of just one episode, it was “a very interesting programme.”
3rd Prize: Fifty-Fifty: Female Genital Mutilation (Senegal, Producer: Sheriff Bojang Junior).
This edition of the gender-focused magazine Fifty-Fifty focused on the sensitive issue of female genital circumcision on young girls. It includes the voices of a series of anti-female genital circumcision campaigners who discussed the issues.
The jury said that “this is a very well structured programme with a good format.”
JURY'S SPECIAL AWARD
Eunice and Emmanuel visited Radio Izuba, a community radio station in the Eastern province of Rwanda. They had the opportunity to exchange with the staff of the station and to visit their studio.
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1st Prize: Let’s Talk Peace – Pastoralist Conflict (Uganda, Producer: Ojok Emmanuel)
This radio programme is an edition of the weekly magazine Let’s Talk Peace addressing the issue of the conflict between local residents and pastoralists in the Ajia sub-county, Uganda. It explores how misunderstandings and differences can be addressed between the two communities.
The jury said that “most stakeholders are interviewed, including experts,” and “listeners’ comments are encouraged!”
2nd Prize: How a Civic Education Programme Can Eradicate Sea Piracy in Somalia (Somalia, Producer: Abdi-kadar Nur Mohamed)
This radio show, broadcast by Saadaal Media, talks about how civic education can participate in bringing harmony and counter sea piracy, a prevalent issue in Somalia affecting particularly young men.
The jury said that “this programme is very much inclusive, including the views of all stakeholders including the perpetrators. It has great potential to aid in peace building as it shows the negatives of piracy both to the perpetrators and their community.”
3rd Prize: Africa This Week – Côte d’Ivoire (Nigeria, Producer: Huruna Idris)
In this radio talk-show, the presenter Idara Ukpanyang facilitates discussions on the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on what are the root causes of the problem and how it can be resolved.
The jury said that “this programmme is very interesting and there is an interaction between stakeholders.” The jury noted the challenges of producing a programme about one country while based in another.
All these programmes are now available on the RFPA website: www.radiopeaceafrica.org (for the programmes that are not in English, a translated script is available on request from RFPA).
Congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to all the participants!
The RFPA Team
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