World Radio Day

February 13 is World Radio Day, which

celebrates the radio as a way of educating

people, providing information, and promoting
freedom of expression across cultures
The theme chosen this year is "Youth and
Radio" calling for greater social inclusion of
the generation under 30 years old, which
accounts for more than half of the worlds
population

 World Radio Day was proclaimed by UNESCO

in 2011 as aday to remember the unique power

of radio to touch lives and bring people
together across every corner of the globe.
From news and public debate to music and
entertainment, radio continues to inform,
captivate and inspire us in a way that no other
medium can.

 It reaches more people in more places than

any other medium. Its a bridge of

communication for remote communities,
developing regions and vulnerable
populations, sometimes with no other
connection to the outside world. Perhaps no
other platform can have the real-time reach
between people and across cultures.

 Each year the United Nations Educational,

Scientific, and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) celebrates World Radio Day by
planning activities with broadcasters,
organizations and communities around the
world.

About World Radio Day

Despite being over 100 years old, the radio is

one of the most popular ways to exchange

information, provide social interchange, and
educate people all over the world
It has been used to help people, including
youth, to engage in discussions on topics that
affect them.

 It can save lives during natural or human-

made disasters, and it gives journalists a

platform to report facts and tell their stories.
The first World Radio Day was officially
celebrated in 2012.

 On this occasion, UNESCO calls for greater

social inclusion of the generation under 30

years old, which accounts for more than half
of the worlds population, and underlines the
power of radio to contribute to this objective.

 Young women and men are not sufficiently

represented in the media -- an exclusion that

often reflects a wider social, economic and
democratic exclusion. Young producers and
broadcasters are still rare. Too few
programmes are devoted to or designed by
young people. This deficit explains the many
stereotypes concerning young people
circulating in the media and over the
airwaves.

Radio provides the means for change.

It is a vector of cohesion, education and culture.
It is a platform for exchange, where young people may find their
place and express themselves.
It is often through young people (citizen journalists or
freelancers) that the international press are able to cover
current affairs in sensitive or dangerous regions. Many have
risked their lives in the service of information and the radio.
Supporting them better by giving them greater voice, we can air
innovative ideas and new viewpoints and renew collective
energies. This is the goal of World Radio Day in 2015, reflecting
UNESCOs efforts to counter all forms of discrimination.
Ideas, events, resources and additional information can be
found on the World Radio Day 2015 website.