RADIO journalists reporting high quality programmes contributing to peace in Africa will be recognised at a function in Kigali today. The ceremony in Kigali will see radio journalists from around the continent who have produced quality programmes on peace and development in their communities, walk away with different awards. Three journalists from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ghana are the winners of this year’s competition which was open to all Radio journalists in Africa. Narcisse Kalisa, the Search for Common Ground Programme Director observed that radio is a big tool for peace building and therefore journalists are key partners in this initiative. Kalisa noted that it was the first time for Rwandan journalists from two radio stations; Contact FM and Salus to participate in this programme although none of them won. “We decided to host these awards in Rwanda to motivate Rwandan journalists to participate more since it was just the first time for them to send in their entries. Our Search for Common Ground Offices in Rwanda is also among the strongest in the region where we have close to 15 offices,” he added. The project started in 2001 and the competitions started in 2009, although no Rwandan had participated until this year. This year’s winner of the Jury’s Special Award will be given to the Ghanaian Producer Umaru Sanda Amadu and his programme titled “The Fulani Revealed.” This programme discusses the state of Fulani living in Ghana and the discrimination they face thus showing the crimes they are accused of and the causes of this discrimination with testimonies of members and chiefs from different locations across Ghana. Another is Mr. Baron’s programme, which is an episode of the show Bloc Notes, titled “Camps Luca”. The programme explores the effect of this problem on youth through interviews with school children about their experience with the lack of water and hygiene issues. The Gender Award for this year will be given to Hortence Iradukunda, a journalist from Burundi who hosts a programme that addresses issues pertaining to widows and how they are perceived by the family of the deceased. The Radio for Peace building Africa (RFPA) is a project of Search for Common Ground which was initiated in 2001. It is based on the fact that radio is by far the most effective method of communication in Africa and has the ability to help effect changes in Knowledge, attitude, and behavior, mainly in conflict-ridden areas, where People are often receptive to information presented in entertaining form. Search for Common Ground, the brain behind this programme, is an international conflict transformation organisation dedicated to the mission of transforming the way the world deals with conflict, away from adversarial approaches towards cooperative solutions. maria.kaitesi@newtimes.co.rw
