Mexico, one of the countries with more activities on the World Radio Day

February 18, 2020, Mexico City -. On February 13th the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Field Offices around the world celebrated the World Radio Day with more than 200 registered activities. In this regard, Mexico was one of the most active countries.

In the country, more than 20 radiofrequencies, civil society organizations and other institutions joined the celebration for diversity, which was the theme for 2020’s World Radio Day. The celebration was carried out through exhibitions, discussion tables and the broadcasting of special programs and contents. The next broadcasters and organizations were some of the ones who joined this celebration: Aristegui Noticias, Radio Fórmula, Universities of Guadalajara, Colima, Autonomous University of Baja California, Radio Tierra y Libertad, Radio Paraiso, Radio Juchari, Communitary and Cultural Radio Gi ne ga bu he tho, Radio Tsipikua, the Mexican Valley Radio Association (Asociación de Radio del Valle de México), Radio Ayuuk, and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters.

Along with the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) and the association Networks for Equity, Diversity and Sustainability, the UNESCO Field Office at Mexico gathered 250 contents in, at least, 16 indigenous languages and in Spanish, which were made available to Mexican broadcasters. Although there are 68 autochthonous languages with multiple variances in the country, this effort is remarkable due to the need of greater linguistic plurality in the media. At the same time, the INPI’s System of Indigenous Cultural Broadcasters produced special transmissions, and then shared their programing.

Around the world there were also efforts from UNESCO Field Office at Hanoi, which carried out a one-day program along with the national Vietnamese radio station, The Voice of Vietnam. The program “included a chat with speakers and experts, the participation of journalism students, music programs and the participation of the audience”.

On the other hand, UNESCO Field Office at Beirut celebrated the World Radio Day with an event that got together 10 radio stations throughout Lebanon. The activity revitalized the Arabic, English and French languages from a cultural perspective through magazine, social, entertainment and even religious programs.

The tags #SomoslaDiversidad and #SomoslaRadio, which represented the global campaign in Spanish on the World Radio Day 2020, registered at least 1 million and a half views in Twitter. In this regard, the accounts UNESCO in Spanish (@UNESCO_es) and UNESCO México (@UNESCOMexico) where the main contributors.

Although the World Radio Day was celebrated on February 13th, UNESCO Field Office at Mexico reiterates its mission to work hand by hand with community and indigenous radio stations and keeps its invitation for the country’s media to revitalize diversity inside their organizations, as well as in their contents. This is why the content on indigenous languages, produced and kept by the Office, will still be available through the website about plurality in the media.