Youth find their voice on Tunisian radio
| Tunis, Tunisia
鈥� A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
In the year since Tunisia鈥檚 Arab Spring revolution shed its former dictator鈥檚 tight grip over public expression, many are exploring myriad ways to be heard.
Ana Tounsi Radio, a US-funded effort, aims to keep young voices in the mix through Web radio and online video broadcasting. More than 100 young volunteers received technical training and now make programming decisions for the initiative, which went live in October under the slogan (translated from the local Arabic dialect) 鈥淚t鈥檚 not enough that you listen. It鈥檚 time now to speak.鈥�
On-air topics range from sports and culture to social and political issues. Conversations spill over onto social media sites and YouTube. Programs run 24/7, with live broadcasts from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. During Tunisia鈥檚 fall elections, the station says young people provided extensive coverage from around the country.
Fedia Gasmi, part of a nongovernmental organization that oversees the project, says the station empowers youths by giving them a space to articulate their priorities. As they re-invent the communications landscape, she says, the goal is to enhance civic engagement as well as to 鈥渃reate critical thinking about media.鈥�
A $215,000 grant from the US State Depart颅ment鈥檚 Middle East Partnership Initiative helped pay for equipment and start-up costs.
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