THE 12TH INTERNATIONAL EDITION FOR RADIO COMMEMORATION.
To honor the unique capacity of radio to bring people together and share critical information, member states of UNESCO proclaimed February 13th as World Radio Day during the organization's 36th summit in 2011. The main objective of World Radio Day is to increase public and media awareness of radio.
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Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian electrical engineer and scholar, invented radio for the first time in 1895. Since then, it has been used to disseminate information to the general public worldwide, including remote locations. In comparison to other forms of communication, it continues to be a reliable source because of its accessibility and low cost. As a result, it is among the most widely used forms of communication because it is not affected by factors like a lack of electricity or internet connectivity that could reduce its audience.
Radio and Peace was the focus of the 12th annual World Radio Day. The emphasis was on radio's function as a stand-alone tool for promoting peace. Through the dissemination of information, radio creates a space where societal disputes can be addressed and peace improved. Kenya's public, private, and community radio stations continue to be crucial in connecting the nation's leadership with its citizens and allowing them to express their opinions on social, political, and economic matters that could have an impact on how the nation develops.
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The Executive director of the Association of Media Women in Kenya, Patience Nyange in her speech stated that AMWIK recognizes the unique power of national and community radio in bringing people together. “Throughout the implementation of our programs in various thematic areas, we use radio listening groups to provide educational content and programs that improve literacy, addresses issues like FGM, sexual harassment, women empowerment and improving life skills, she said. She further added that radio contributes to the advancement of women’s right as it not only has empowered them but also equipped them to challenge gender stereotypes.
Radio continues to develop as technology advances, with the rise of internet radios that allow information to be delivered from the convenience of people's mobile phones. Furthermore, as the information communicated is limited to audio, radio has proven to be more reliable than other channels of communication in generating ethical shows that do not promote immorality through the content that it airs.
According to the Media Council of Kenya's annual state of media report from 2021, radio consumption is at 74%, down from 84% in 2019 due to factors such as weak frequencies that need to be addressed for its effectiveness in preventing conflict and promoting conflict resolution techniques.
In order to ensure that peace prevails in Kenya and the rest of the globe, radio should be used appropriately as an instrument for peace promotion.
