Background Paper

Background Paper

CRFC Internship Workshop

The Community Radio Facilitation Centre (CRFC) was set up in 2013 with support from Ford Foundation with the objective of guiding Community Radio licence applicants towards the larger objective of advancing media rights and access. Work at the CRFC is managed by the OneWorld Foundation India.

Besides regular guidance, CRFC also works to put together guidelines and toolkits and support in the capacity building efforts of Community Radio Stations so as to achieve the larger objective of adding to media plurality with providing access to communities living in the shadows of development. This has been fired by our belief at OneWorld that access to mediums and media is a strong catalyst in the process of human and intellectual development of people and communities.

Over the years of its functioning, CRFC has evolved into a robust set-up, not only helping applicants navigate a labyrinth of offices, but also mastering the paths of the maze individual applicants might find daunting. This has been achieved with active support from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting which has reposed faith in the CRFC and given it much needed endorsement in pursuing its objectives.

The team at CRFC has also learnt a lot. With the experience it has gained and with documentation of information it has gleaned from its experience, it is only to expected that CRFC engage with other actors committed to access to information. This also confirms to OneWorld’s viewpoint that forming, evolving and engaging with communities of practices furthers the objectives of bridging the information divide. The communities of practice that OneWorld aims to foster are also active believers in the power of information and the belief that knowledge transcends community barriers.

Fulcrumed on this belief, CRFC Internship Workshops provide an opportunity to engage in collective learning and experience sharing over four rigorously defined days. The idea here is that the communities of practice being fostered will work in tandem with the CRFC in furthering the facilitation CRFC provides to new applicants in distinct geographies and linguistic regions.

At the end of four days, representatives from the NGO or educational institution run Community Radio Station will be familiar with the Community Radio licensing procedure, issues around DAVP Empanelment and responsibilities related to Community Radio. This will enable grassroots leaders facilitate applicants to apply for Community Radio Stations and also create awareness in their regions on Community Radio.

Participants will act as CRFC’s regional facilitators, support the centre in translation of queries recorded on the facilitation centre’s IVRS in languages (other than English and Hindi), besides supporting organisations interested in setting up of Community Radio Stations in their areas of work.