West Africa: The sound of the suburbs
The Radio Department of the Panos Institute West Africa with support of Unesco, organized a training workshop for its Anglophone radio correspondents in Ghana. The workshops' end result was the design of an Oral Testimony production support project called "Sounds of the Suburbs". The objective of the project was to focus on the life of youngsters in a complex multicultural surrounding. Cities, and especially capitals, tend to expand into an environment characterized by different ethnic, religious, linguistic and social groups. Youth tend to hold a very specific position in these urban areas. As youngsters and participants in the day to day street life, they tend to better integrate into mixed societies. Through this radio production project, Panos West Africa endeavoured to get the views of the youngsters themselves. They are often ignored by traditional urban media, especially if such youngsters come from socially marginalized areas.
"SOUNDS OF THE SUBURBS"
The Radio Department of the Panos Institute West Africa with support of Unesco, organized a training workshop for its Anglophone radio correspondents in Ghana. The workshops' end result was the design of an Oral Testimony production support project called "Sounds of the Suburbs".
The objective of the project was to focus on the life of youngsters in a complex multicultural surrounding. Cities, and especially capitals, tend to expand into an environment characterized by different ethnic, religious, linguistic and social groups. Urban societies develop into 'melting pots', and often, without any adequate and strong integration-oriented factors, encouraging the creation of a sense of unity.
Youth tend to hold a very specific position in these urban areas. As "sons and daughters there of", they relay directly to one or more reference groups. As youngsters and participants in the day to day street life, they tend to better integrate into mixed societies.
Through this radio production project, Panos West Africa endeavors to get the views of the youngsters themselves. They are often ignored by traditional urban media, especially if such youngsters come from socially marginalized areas as suburbs and ghettos and do not seem to represent any commercial, political or social value for the powers that be. On the contrary, they are often seen as marginal, delinquent and troublesome lot. Their integration into normal economic society poses most often a problem. However, sociological observations often conclude that youth are better adapted to integrate in multicultural societies. Therefore, Panos wants to focus on their vision, their methods of integration, their vision on tolerance towards one another, their hopes for the future ...
The documentaries (16 in total) are targeted at teenagers and young adults, aimed at increasing intercultural awareness and sensitizing young generations on humanity's need for tolerance, dialogue and peace. Each testimony provides a reflection on the conflict-generating issues between communities and the solutions that can be found both individually or at community level.
Five countries, five case studies :
1) "Can any good ever come out of Saigon" - New Kru Town / Monrovia (Liberia)
2) "An intruiging Lagos suburb, Ajegunle" - Lagos (Nigeria)
3) "Nima, a slum in Accra" - Accra (Ghana)
4) "The Greenland area in Banjul" - Banjul (The Gambia)
5) "The King Jimmy suburb in the centre of Freetown" - Freetown (Sierra Leone)
Shortly, all audio documentaries will be available on line (www.panosaudio.org)
Limited copies of all radio documentaries on CD are available for African radio broadcasters. For more information contact :
Panos Institute West Africa
Radio Department - Johan Deflander
BP 21 132 - Dakar / Senegal
+ 221 - 849 - 16 66 (tel)
+ 221 - 822 17 61 (fax)
[email protected]
www.panos-ao.org
www.panosaudio.org