Youth on the Wave – CYP Caribbean Radio goes LIVE

This station has been causing a ripple effect by attracting a legion of listeners and motivating more to jump on the broadcast bandwagon. This station has caused a radio renaissance of sorts writes Ajay Kumar as youth agenda dominates air waves.

The radio renaissance with youth as the focal point is set to change broadcasting in the Caribbean region. Broadcast live from the Information Department at the CYP Caribbean Centre in Georgetown, Guyana; this initiative by the CYPCC makes for an excellent avenue to mobilize, disseminate and promote youth opinion and learning. The main philosophy behind the radio programmes is to empower young people to build a team and sustain the spirit, to introduce young people to new opportunities, new people and give them the chance to build confidence, promote learning and extend their skill set through interactive and evolutionary ideas. Although youth radio is not a novel concept, the distinguishing aspect of ‘Youth Vibes Radio’ is its inherent Commonwealth focus and the ability to produce programmes that promote understanding, sensitivity and youth agendas.

Call them what you will - Disembodied voices… Jockeys without faces… Airwave geniuses... today, nearly three months after the launch, the radio station has a bouquet of youth presenters sharing their stories and promoting understanding. Re-runs of workshops, interviews and youth focussed seminars are broadcast regularly under the direction of Robert Bazil, the information officer at the Caribbean centre. The internet as a medium is picking up pace, with organisations like UN and Red Cross establishing formal contact with the station to collaborate on their own Caribbean focussed broadcasting. The Regional Director of CYPCC – Henry Charles said “this new youth internet radio initiative is an excellent tool to advance the youth empowerment agenda. It could not come at a better time, especially as we embark upon the mission of promoting the Commonwealth's Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment. It will also become very useful in developing strategic partnerships with various strata of youth, now that we are actively engaged in establishing a youth mainstreaming agenda as a matter of priority”.

Being the first of its kind in the region the radio station already has a strong legion of listeners. So, what does an average listener look for in an internet radio station? It seems to be the two-way process of communication where both the presenter and listener are actively engaged. Especially youth of the region telling their stories, their aspirations and taking a sense of ownership and responsibility have motivated many more youths. Asia which is being modelled as a centre of excellence in governance by the CYP and a region with huge shortfalls in youth representation, I decided to ask a few people what a radio station like this would mean to them in their region:

Anuradha Reddy, India – President of a women’s NGO (ellements) “this would help society understand the mental make up of youth and enable us women to work around the lives and aspirations of our children. Very often we take their aspirations or emotions for granted. This initiative can also reduce risky adolescent behaviour and enable us parents to motivate our youth”

Krishna Chaitanya, India - a eighteen year old who runs an NGO (Heal) – “A youth radio station would be perfect to question the shortcomings and abuse meted to street children and domestic workers. In India we need more activism on part of the youth and this would be one such tool to question authorities and broadcast our stories. Mainstream media just doesn’t do enough”

Marcus Lee, 26, Business Executive, Malaysia – “this sort of broadcasting will change the way Malaysian youth draw inspiration from mere films and Hollywood. Youth peer education is important and this would be a great way to achieve it”

This initiative by the CYPCC certainly seems to have opened many doors of communication in the region and its helping youth around the world to push frontiers they’ve only dreamt off. Through the combination of story telling, imaginative programmes and expert guidance, ‘Youth Vibes Radio’ is in a unique position. Eduardo Del Buey, Director – Communications & Public Affairs Division of the ComSec applauded this initiative and said “Youth talking to youth, in their own language. That is the essence of networking, and this is what brings young people together for common purposes. Their music, their experiences, their stories, as told by them in their own vernacular is a major step in getting them involved with one another.”

Breaking away from the beaten track of approaching mainstream media to allocate space for the Youth, CYPCC’s initiative is an opportunity served up on a platter. And if things continue in the right direction, the air waves are set to stay buoyant with the infusion of fresh ideas and perspectives from Caribbean youth. And as Director of Youth Affairs, Fatiha Serour sums it up “This is a boon in terms of increasing our visibility and promoting understanding of youth. This is one amongst many more milestones to come”.

Key Links:

• CYP Caribbean Centre