Suman Basnet

Regional Coordinator
AMARC Asia Pacific
Kathmandu, Nepal
 Approximately 5000 community radio and individual members
in 113 countries;

 Created in 1983 during the first international conference of

community radios in Montreal;

 Asia-Pacific regional office in Kathmandu & International

Secretariat in Montreal;

 Core purpose is to defend & promote of community

broadcasting;

 Women’s International Network (AMARC-WIN) is a sister

movement to promote women’s role in community radios

 http:/www.amarc.org
  To express local
issues and
concerns in a
culturally and
socially relevant
manner and in
local languages;

 To create an alternative to the state-owned and the

private commercial media

 To fill in the information gap by the absence of media

Photos of Radio CBS, Indonesia
 Afghanistan
 Australia
 Bangladesh
 Cambodia
 East Timor
 Fiji and Pacific
Island Countries
 India
 Indonesia
 Japan
 South Korea
 Nepal
 New Zealand
 Philippines
 Thailand Community Song contest, Sheker radio,
Kyrgystan
“In my village vegetable
farmers received
enhanced bargaining
power after our local
community radio “Radio
Palung” started to
provide the latest
vegetable rates from
Kathmandu. Earlier we
were exploited 'by
middlemen who made
good of the information
gap. We also receive
information about
pesticides, farming
seasons, etc. that are
useful for farming.”
Harkha Bahadur Karki,
Vegetable Farmer,
Palung
“If we have our own
radio, the issues that we
talk about will reach a
larger community of
women. Radio will
enhance the credibility of
our messages by lending
them the weight of the
medium” - Bidakanne
Sammamma, Pastapur.

“Community Radio
Namma Dhwani gave us
an identity of our own” -
Budhikote Community
Suitcase Radio of femLINKPACIFIC Media Initiatives
for Women
 Installing antennae, Japanese women in the studio
North Sumatra Province, of FMYY, Kobe, Japan
Indonesia
Nepali porter and his radio Radio Sagarmatha, Kathmandu
 The Self Employed Women’s Association, SEWA is a
cooperative with a membership of over one million and
runs a community radio for its members in Gujarat, India
Radio is immensely
Khoun Radio Laos PDR
popular everywhere
Kishim community radio, Radio Most,
Afghanistan Kyrgystan
Independent broadcasters between two guns
 Lack of legislative recognition or unfriendly legislation

 Lack of spectrum planning

 Unclear ownership issues

 Complicated licensing procedures

 Threats by militant groups

 Lack of code of conduct

 Low capacity of operation and maintenance

 By the people, for the people and of the people
 Not for making profit
 Local languages
 Inclusive, democratic, and creative medium
 Low cost
 Promotes transparency
 Promotes local culture
 Functions as a development tool