Caption:AMARCA Asia Pacific President, Asish Sen and femLINK pacific coordinator, Sharon Bhagwan, during the workshop at the Fiji National University, Raiwai Campus. Source: FNU
By VARANISESE NASILASILA
A simple hand-held tape recorder or a microphone provides an enabling environment for everyone as radio presentation is as simple as putting a smile on your face and reaching your audience even if you have to use a script.
Those were the words of femLINK pacific coordinator, Sharon Bhagwan rolls at the first ever Inaugural Pacific Island Community Radio Roundtable and Workshop at the Fiji National University, Raiwai Campus, yesterday.
Speaking to FNU’s Media and Journalism students and volunteers from other countries, Rolls stressed on the main importance of radio to the people of the communities.
“The fact that radio can broadcast immediately from anywhere to communities is one of its key assets; even in the production of programs, “the theater of the mind” technique or philosophy is just as effective today as it is was prior to the onset television,” she said.
Rolls said community radio has always been a convenient way of getting informed of all the events that is happening around the community, Island and the World for that matter.
Also present at the workshop, AMARCA Asia Pacific President, Asish Sen, mentioned the importance of training material in order to let the public know of what is happening around them.
““Training material must be developed which involves important social and economic issues that are relevant to the community – on policy, labor, laws, and sexual harassment in the workplace,” he said.
The workshop which will be a 4 day event (11th-14th of February), which will focus more on how to improve Community Radio in the Pacific and around the world. With countries such as Nepal, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Seoul (South Korea) and Switzerland coming in and Pacific neighbors such as the PNG, Solomon Island, Vanuatu, Rotuma and Tonga present for the workshop.