First-ever UNESCO community media chair named
AMARC – Prof. Vinod Pavarala, Dean, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication, University of Hyderabad has been chosen to be the first ever UNESCO Chair on Community Media. The four-year appointmnent will serve as a knowledge and resource centre for the study and promotion of community media, including such things as community radio, participatory video, and other citizen-driven initiatives with media and communication technologies.
AMARC – Prof. Vinod Pavarala, Dean, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication, University of Hyderabad has been chosen to be the first ever UNESCO Chair on Community Media. An agreement to this effect has been signed by the Director-General, UNESCO and the Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad. The Chair being set up at the University for an initial period of four years will serve as a knowledge and resource centre for the study and promotion of community media, including such things as community radio, participatory video, and other citizen-driven initiatives with media and communication technologies.
The prestigious Chair, which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, comes in recognition of Prof. Pavarala’s work in the last decade on community radio. His research and writings, including the book, Other Voices: the struggle for community radio in India, has contributed to the opening up of airwaves in India. He has also been the founder-President of the Community Radio Forum of India, a collective of civil society organizations, activists, and other advocates of community radio in the country.
The Chair would operate as a liaison among the communities, media activists, academia and policymakers while, simultaneously undertaking research and documentation of best practices in the country and capacity sharing with the community members.
UNESCO now has the Chair information at this link:
Patricia W. Elliott is a magazine journalist and assistant professor at the School of Journalism, University of Regina. You can visit her at patriciaelliott.ca.