The Drum Beat 132 - Community Development and Information Technologies in Central and Southeast Europe

"...hundreds of radio stations and telecentres serving the needs of local communities across Central and Eastern Europe offer a solid foundation for new initiatives to bring digital opportunities to those who most need them."(p. 2)

In December 2001 UNESCO held a seminar on 'Digital Opportunities for Central and Eastern Europe - Community Media Centres' which examined how community radio and a growing telecentre movement could work together for greater impact.

This Drum Beat looks at the issues, trends, opportunities and ongoing projects discussed at this seminar.

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ISSUES and TRENDS

1. Radio - Most stations, even those with mandates for community programming, struggle with small budgets and the need to attract advertisers and audiences. This has lead to increased production of commercial music and news shows and fewer programmes on social issues. Local stations are being squeezed out by competition from larger stations and public stations complain of outdated equipment and management practices. In zones of conflict there is concern that stations may be taken over by war profiteers or nationalist political groups. Yet many radio stations produce at least some community programmes, are equipped with computers, have access to the internet, and belong to networks. These assets show promise as they could provide community service and generate revenue. (pp. 23-26)

2. Telecentres - These are also known in the region as telecottages and telekiosks and provide community access to computers, the Internet, fax and copying along with other locally defined services. The functions performed by Telecentres vary and are linked to civic initiatives, donor funding and government support. There are strong movements in Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia and developing movements in Poland, Slovakia, and Lithuania. The strongest movements are based on successful local and national NGO's which are seen as the 'building blocks' of civil society. Telecentres have demonstrated an ability to be tailored to local requirements and needs. They are able to provide services as diverse as job training, post-conflict reconciliation, reinforcing civil society and working for and with marginalised groups such as refugees and Roma communities. (p. 7)

3. Networks - There are networks throughout the region for both radio and telecentres. As many as 8 in 10 community radio stations are members of 1 or more regional or national networks. AMARC, for instance, has over 60 member stations throughout the region and the newly formed Southeast European Network of Associations of Private Broadcasters has 750 member stations in 10 countries. Other networks are the Foundation for Independent Radio Broadcasting, the SEE Radio Network, 'Together', ANEM, Spektar, Kontakt, and the Refugee Radio Network. (pp. 26-27) Most telecentre movements have formed associations to work together on common goals. Members gain assistance in training, content development, operations and management and a platform to lobby government and link with the private sector and international agencies. Telecentres are also networking across borders to share experience. Hungary's Association works with Yugoslavia, Slovakia and Ukraine and Baltic region countries with Scandinavian groups. Where the telecentre networks are strong they work as integrated movements and are recognised constituencies able to influence policy. (p. 22)

4. Community Multimedia Centres (CMC's) - A CMC combines low cost easy to operate radio, by and for local people in local languages, with telecentre facilities offering access to Internet, e-mail, word processing, etc. Central and Southeast Europe have the ingredients to integrate struggling community radio with the growing and dynamic telecentre movement in a way that can 'reach, serve, involve and improve the lives of whole communities'. (pp. 29-34)

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NEW COMMENTARY

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Mohuya Chaudhuri warns that an AIDS epidemic is growing in India and it’s being fuelled by exploitive business practise and government inaction...

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PROGRAMMES

5. The Hungarian Telecottage Movement - Hungary - The movement is based on development lead by communities, and on building linkages between NGO’s, government and local business. It is supported by the Hungarian Telecottage Association (HTA) which acts as a network amongst the Telecottages and as a bridge for collaboration with government and outside funders. There are currently 203 Telecottages in Hungary and this number is expected to double within the year. The HTA supports similar initiatives outside Hungary and feels 'that the Hungarian model can be a milestone in the development of a larger, regional Telecottage network, not constrained by international boundaries'.

6. Center for Rural Assistance TeleCenter Programme - Romania - This programme is piloting the establishment of multipurpose telecenters. The telecenters contain computers, a copy machine, fax machine and telephone and focus on encouraging individual and group initiatives. Each telecenters' functions are defined by the village where it's located. Functions range from business management to community service and education to distance employment.

7. Russian Rural Information Network (RIN) Project - Russia - RIN supports agricultural reform by providing private farmers with an alternative system for agricultural extension. It seeks to establish a self-sustaining Network for the dissemination of information on practical, low input and low technology methods of sustainable food production; to enable private farmers to increase food production; to develop close links to the users of the information it produces through a strong feedback mechanism; and to develop the capacity of a Russian organization to manage a large development communications programme sustainably.

8. OneWorld Radio Southeast Europe (SEE) - This project aims to give radio stations and organisations a way to exchange audio material on a range of human rights, democracy and civil society topics to help share knowledge and broaden audiences. Programmes produced in one area can be heard in another as a re-broadcast programme as well as heard globally over the Internet. At present the project uses English, Albanian, Macedonian, and Serbian.

OneWorld SEE recently produced a report titled 'The Use of Information and Communication Technologies by Non-Governmental Organizations in Southeast Europe'.
Click here for further information in PDF format

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This issue compiled by Chris Morry cmorry@comminit.com

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