[:en]April 19, 2016, Kathmandu. AMARC Asia-Pacific, the regional chapter of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), is organizing a seminar to mark the first year since the massive earthquake that struck Nepal on 25 April 2015 and to review the role of community radios in the aftermath of the disaster. The seminar will be held in Kathmandu on 21 April 2016.
Honorable Minister of Information and Communication of Government of Nepal Mr. Sher Dhan Rai will grace the event as the Chief Guest.
Mr. Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communication of Government of Nepal along with His Excellency the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Mr. Masashi Ogawa of Embassy of Japan in Nepal will attend as Guests of Honor.
The role of community radios and local media as mediums of disaster risk reduction is well acknowledged through out the world. Community radios play the vital role of enhancing preparedness of communities to deal with natural disasters and epidemics. They also play a crucial role of connecting relief agencies with the local populations in the immediate aftermath of disasters.
In the medium and longer term, their role as watchdogs and facilitators of rehabilitation and reconstruction tasks, in ensuring transparency of public expenditures and services, and thereby promoting good governance at local levels is critically important.
The Seminar entitled “Community Radios for Disaster Risk Reduction – The Nepal Initiative” will discuss strategies and ideas for enhancing preparedness of community radios so that they can play an even more effective role as tools of disaster risk reduction. A range of issues such as people’s participation in community radios to a community radio friendly national media policy will be brought under focus during the deliberations.
Speakers and community radio experts from India, Japan and Nepal will share their opinions and ideas in the seminar. Mr. Ramnath Bhat, Acting President of AMARC Asia-Pacific along with Mr. Junichi Hibino, treasurer of the AMARC Asia-Pacific, and Ms. Nimmi Chauhan, Asia-Pacific representative of Women International Network (WIN is a network of women broadcasters in community radios) will be at the seminar to share their insights.
The seminar is being organized with the support of Shaplaneer, an INGO involved in grassroots development in Nepal.
The organizer of the seminar, AMARC is an international association of community radios. Its members are located in more than 113 countries worldwide. The Asia-Pacific regional office is located in Kathmandu.
Please find the agenda of the seminar here.
For further information, please contact:
Suman Basnet, Regional Coordinator, AMARC Asia-Pacifc
Phone: 015554811[:]