Refugee Children On Air - Global

The programmes contained children's reports alongside a drama serial or story and an educational feature with attention to issues such as basic hygiene, how best to avoid abuse, and the rights that they have as children. The tone of the programmes was personal; children discussed fears related to struggles they faced like hunger, abuse, AIDS, and landmines. They also explored their hopes - where they find pleasure, their longing for education, and their desire to return home. There was an interviewing component associated with these children's work as well. Provided with a BBC recording kit, these children conducted interviews with community leaders, physicians, and entertainers. As one BBC producer explains, "I took them to a local drug rehabilitation centre - heroin, or 'white death', is a big problem in the camps - and they interviewed the doctor in charge and the patients. Most surprising of all, was the eventual frankness of the young girls, traditionally suppressed by Afghan culture."

The 60 programmes were produced in 6 languages: Pashto and Persian, for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran; Nepali, for refugees from Bhutan in Nepal; Azeri, for internally displaced people in Azerbaijan; Portuguese for Africa, for the internally displaced people in Angola, and Angolan refugees in neighbouring countries; and Somali, for Somali refugees in Kenya.

Conducted by a former drama teacher, a training programme was organised to prepare 6 BBC World Service producers to make radio with children, by children, for children. This training focussed on role play - the practising of techniques that would help them work successfully with children in the field.

The 6 series went out on the BBC World Service's regional short wave transmitters - and in Nepal, on Radio Nepal - but was also distributed on cassette with the help of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNICEF.

Children, Rights.