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UNESCO and the youth take to radio with "Sawt Jdid"

Four young students have been selected by UNESCO - Beirut to host a new weekly program on Lebanese radio station Voice of Lebanon (VDL) 100.3 - 100.5, starting May 7th. On the agenda, COVID-19, youth, marginalized communities and Li Beirut, UNESCO's flagship initiative.

At the premises of the VDL radio station in Achrafieh, in the heart of Beirut, discussions are lively on this Friday afternoon and preparations are going well. In the middle of a coaching session, the general manager of the radio, Assaad Maroun, is busy explaining to four young people the dos and don'ts of hosting a radio show, and for good reason: they were chosen by UNESCO - Beirut to produce and present a weekly program on the airwaves of the VDL, starting May 7, as part of UNESCO's commitment to promote freedom of expression and access to information.

This interactive radio program titled Sawt Jdid ("New Voice"), which will run for nine months, will indeed aim to establish a broader engagement with marginalized or hard-to-reach groups within the Lebanese community, in order to allow an integration of their views and perceptions into planned discussions. Especially with regard to the recent Covid-19 pandemic, which is accompanied by a massive disinformation campaign, knowing that UNESCO has developed a comprehensive strategy to provide communication resources, implement projects, disseminate campaigns, and mobilize media, societies and governments in countering disinformation and promoting media literacy during the crisis. The program will feature debates, vox pops, and interviews with special guests and experts, to counter the creeping scourge of fake news, while giving particular importance to the theme of freedom of expression.

"We are going to talk about topics that matter to us as young people and move away from stereotypes," says Amani Bou Diab, 23, a graduate in advertising, marketing and communication from the Lebanese University (LU). I think it's important for us to be close to our audience and that the show resembles us in its segments, its subjects, its music. I think radio is on the decline today because it no longer keeps up with the lives of young people and their aspirations, and the four of us are very enthusiastic about working together. "

A voice for the youth

This is not the first time that Amani, Rita, Habib and Karim are working together under the auspices of UNESCO. The UN institution had already brought them together for a short broadcast on the occasion of World Radio Day. “There were more of us then, explains Rita Abdo, a LU graduate with a Masters in Journalism and Digital Media. Each of us was working from home and online because of the pandemic. Today we are meeting for the first time in real life and this interaction is invaluable ". "I have worked on radio broadcasts before, but never live," says Karim Kawkabi, 21, an audiovisual student at the University of Notre-Dame de Louaizé. We will allocate the tasks and prepare well for the show. "

The training on the production of segments for radio and information education is an integral part of the project envisioned by UNESCO for the four young media enthusiasts, who will have to display a lot of creativity. “Young presenters will be given wide freedom to propose their own creative viewpoints and innovative solutions for the issues at hand, as they are more qualified to identify new ways of communication as well as engage individuals from their own age group and communities,” says George Awad, Information and communication officer at UNESCO - Beirut.

The show will also be a platform for UNESCO's flagship action plan, Li Beirut, and will shed light on the many initiatives undertaken on this plan to support the Lebanese capital following the explosions at the port. "It's very important to keep talking about Beirut on the radio or on social media, points out Habib Akiki, 22, a master's student in journalism at the American University of Beirut. We must preserve the identity of Beirut which is threatened by the explosions of August 4, and this is a matter that concerns us all".

For the young man who is sensitive to UNESCO's mission through his previous experiences with the institution, Li Beirut is of particular importance, and he intends to take advantage of this new radio platform to talk about this subject and many other topics which matter to him. “With UNESCO, freedom of expression is not just a slogan or ink on paper, says Amani. There is a real respect for our opinions, great support and valuation of our work and ideas, and a commitment to instill in us values ​​relating to ethics and journalistic deontology. All these opportunities encourage us, as young Lebanese citizens, to move forward in our country".

 

Li Beirut is an international fundraising appeal launched from Beirut by the Director-General of UNESCO in the aftermath of the explosions, on August 27, 2020, to support the rehabilitation of schools, historic heritage buildings, museums, galleries and the creative industry, all of which suffered significant damage in the deadly explosions.