in London...

Internews Europe with the support of its partners Nai – Supporting open media in Afghanistan and ESN (Education for Sustainability Network), is inviting the Afghan community of the London area and everyone wanting to celebrate the vibrant radio sector of Afghanistan to support the efforts made every day by courageous journalists and media development organisations to provide the Afghans in all corners of Afghanistan with free and independent information.

’There is no better way of investing in Afghanistan’s stability and long-term security than by supporting local radios, and no more inspiring way than by helping Afghans in Europe make this investment themselves in ways that bring them closer to their families friend and communities at home’, says Sanjar Qiam, founder of Nai – Supporting open media in Afghanistan, and who will be joined by Ms. Najiba Ayoobi, Director of Radio Killid in Kabul, Abdullah Shadan, former head of the Afghan TV and Radio and political editor at the BBC, and other esteemed guests in sharing their stories and hopes for the Afghan media sector.

The event hosts the launch of the Internews Europe Afghan Radio Connect project and through which the journalists and technical staff of 33 radios have been trained to deliver news to the Afghans around the world by using internet publishing technologies. On their websites, local news and podcasts of the programs aired by the radios will allow the Afghan diaspora to stay in touch with the current affairs of their communities of origin.

Afghans living in Europe will be able to deliver messages to their relatives, friends and compatriots, through each of the radio station’s websites of the Afghan Radio Connect network. In exchange for a small fee, family announcements, requests for music, but also personal classifieds or advertising will then be read by a speaker on the Afghan airwaves.

The Afghan Radio Connect portal at www.radioconnect.af is officially launched and demonstrated during the event, and allows visitors to access the 33 radio websites and to learn more about the project and the Afghan radio sector.

A selection of letters sent to the radio stations by their local audience will be on display at the event to underline the importance that local media has in the Afghan’s lives. Excerpts of popular radio programs and interviews of radio station managers will also be available for the public to listen to.

This project is co-funded by the European Union