Chaskiwawas - Peru
The three-year UNICEF/ProAndes youth initiative Chaskiwawas (a Qechua word meaning one who cares about and speaks for children) involved training young people in the use of media for the dissemination of information and for the promotion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Youth child rights reporters originally part of that initiative were then invited to receive additional training; these young people are now working in the highlands and lowlands of Peru with a network of local radio stations to make the voices of children heard.
Communication Strategies
As many as 400 students participated in the Chaskiwawas initiative, which worked through schools and universities in all parts of Peru from 1996 to 1999. Chaskiwawas child rights trainees broadcast radio campaigns and produced radiospots for the stations, which form part of the Ideéle-Radio National Network.
When the project ended, twelve Chaskiwawas attended further training workshops held in Cusco to develop their skills as youth reporters able to work with disadvantaged children and record interviews for broadcast on four radio stations. Recording equipment used in workshop training sessions was donated to the Chaskiwawa groups (who came from Cajamarca, Apurimac, Cusco, Abancaya and Cajabamba) to enable further peer-led training sessions and the continuation of their work as youth reporters for the stations.
Following the training workshops, the Abancaya, Cajamarca and Cusco radio managers each undertook the following commitments:
Children, Youth, Rights.
When the project ended, twelve Chaskiwawas attended further training workshops held in Cusco to develop their skills as youth reporters able to work with disadvantaged children and record interviews for broadcast on four radio stations. Recording equipment used in workshop training sessions was donated to the Chaskiwawa groups (who came from Cajamarca, Apurimac, Cusco, Abancaya and Cajabamba) to enable further peer-led training sessions and the continuation of their work as youth reporters for the stations.
Following the training workshops, the Abancaya, Cajamarca and Cusco radio managers each undertook the following commitments:
- Radio Secquani - Cusco: to ensure that two hours every weekday afternoon are dedicated to child rights-related programming.
- IDL Radio - Lima: to develop a one-hour programme on Saturdays for Chaskiwawas and the local women's NGOs.
- Cajamarca Radio - Cajamarca: to rename the one-hour radio programme "Songs of the People", broadcast on two stations, "Chaskiwawas" and to make the subject of child rights part of this programme.
- Radio Paradiso & Radio Melodia - Abancaya: to take the child rights message back to the radio stations for further action.
Children, Youth, Rights.
Key Points
Radio remains a central means of communication in Peruvian society. As many villages only have one telephone between them, the value of radio is strengthened by its use as a public message service. Furthermore, radio's ability to represent a variety of different languages can reflect the multi-cultural nature of Peruvian social groups.
The Ideéle-Radio National Network is an association of radio stations organised by the NGO Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL), which takes part in the production and weekly broadcasting of two half-hour programmes. IDL works with 89 stations throughout the country. Special programmes include "Los derechos que te tocan" (Your Own Rights) (16 programmes broadcast from December 1998 to April 1999 to commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and "El poder de elegir" (The Power to Choose) (12 programmes providing education on political rights and monitoring the electoral process). In addition, every month the Ideéle-Radio production team travels to visit the radio stations that are part of the National Network in order to produce programmes on local human rights issues; gather audio material on human rights; provide human rights training to the news teams of associated radio stations and other journalists who work in community media; and conduct a human rights seminar for authorities, public officials, human rights organisations, and community-based organisations in order to coordinate efforts and promote local campaigns.
The Ideéle-Radio National Network is an association of radio stations organised by the NGO Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL), which takes part in the production and weekly broadcasting of two half-hour programmes. IDL works with 89 stations throughout the country. Special programmes include "Los derechos que te tocan" (Your Own Rights) (16 programmes broadcast from December 1998 to April 1999 to commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and "El poder de elegir" (The Power to Choose) (12 programmes providing education on political rights and monitoring the electoral process). In addition, every month the Ideéle-Radio production team travels to visit the radio stations that are part of the National Network in order to produce programmes on local human rights issues; gather audio material on human rights; provide human rights training to the news teams of associated radio stations and other journalists who work in community media; and conduct a human rights seminar for authorities, public officials, human rights organisations, and community-based organisations in order to coordinate efforts and promote local campaigns.
Partners
UNICEF, Ideéle-Radio National Network, IDL, PressWise Trust. Workshops in Cusco were funded by the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
Sources
Report: Representing Lost Childhood Child Rights & Media Radio Workshops (2) Peru - August 2000 - found on the PressWise website.
- Log in to post comments