Interview with Francesco Diasio (Secretary General of AMARC) on the occasion of the (upcoming) World Radio Day on 13th february 2015 (held on 1st february 2015)

Falk Schlegel:
There on the telephone line is Francesco Diasio, the general secretary of AMARC – Hello, Francesco Diasio – What is AMARC?

Francesco Diasio:
AMARC is the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, so it is a worldwide organisation, gathering more or less 4.000 members all around the world. Members are Community radio stations, but Community radio stations themselves are very diverse. It's a very diverse movement going from Campus radio stations to local Citizen radio stations to rural radio stations. Of course, what we try to do is to unify this concept and to try to have a common struggle for access to the waves, access to frequencies but also for the freedom of expression. AMARC – it's really the movement which try to fill this dichotomy between radio stations on the ground and international institutions on the other level. And that's what AMARC is.

Falk Schlegel:
OK. And one institution you are dealing with is UNESCO and UNESCO is preparing for a World Radio Day. What is World Radio Day on your perspective?

Francesco Diasio:
Well, you know, World Radio Day for us – it's important, not just for our Community radio sector. Radio is still the most powerful and useful communication tool. And especially if we look to the communication landscape from the perspective of african, latin-american and asian countries. So, for us, it is a very important opportunity. Not just to celebrate ourselves but to celebrate the freedom of expression through radio – and with UNESCO – the cultural diversity and the overall diversity that we represent within the Community radio sector. So, for AMARC it would be the occasion to do small events in Asia, in Latin-America, in Africa as well as in Europe but the most important thing is to participate with our small piece of story, with our small Edu-Features, just in order to give a testimony of our presence.

Falk Schlegel:
This means that AMARC is doing something and also the radio stations are doing something?

Francesco Diasio:
Well, both, in Asia a roundtable will take place, in Africa there is an electronic forum trying to analyze the relationship between youngsters and the rural radio stations which seems quite far, because, of cause youngsters are much more related to new technologies and to another perception on how to communicate. In Europe some radio stations are gathering in Slovenia because one historical member of AMARC, Radio MARŠ, in Maribor will celebrate the twenties aniversary. So it will be the occasion to gather some radio stations over there and celebrate with Radio MARŠ the birthday of the radio but also the World Radio Day. Small events like this will not change the communication landscape, nevertheless I believe that these occasions are very important just in order to feel less isolated around the world and I believe that Community radio stations themselves also need to communicate more and this is a wonderful occasion to do something together.

Falk Schlegel:
Also if this maybe not change the whole radio or media landscape it will have an impact on youth and radio. And „Youth and Radio“ is the topic of the World Radio Day. Why you think about this topic: „Youth and radio“?

Francesco Diasio:
For Community radio stations it's quite complicated, I believe. In some regions of the world there is a generational gap which is very strong and especially in Europe, when we realize that most of Community radio stations are often managed by the people who set up themselves 20 years ago. So there is a generational gap. There is the need to involve more youngsters in the radio field. And I believe that these debate between social media and community media should go beyond the very simple approach. We have to be able to articulate all the tools and we have to be able to involve more youngsters into the Community radio field. This is why training, education but also networking and interesting projects going beyond the simple approximately level should encourage youngsters to use this tool as a cooperation tool for southern countries, in countries where the democracy is at risk, for countries where freedom of expression is at risk. And I believe that in Europe we have a huge experience and it is time also to share it with other colleagues all around the world.

Falk Schlegel:
So, the impact of the youth could be very wide, and the …

Francesco Diasio:
The impact could be very very wide but on the other hand we have to work on it. I mean this is the reason why we also need more projects involving youth. One of the topics that we are going to approach during the General Assembly of AMARC in Accra in 2015, in August this year, will exactly be this step of a youth international network in order to involve more young people and try also to have a more dynamic movement responding to the current challenges. So, yes, we need more involvement, I believe.

Falk Schlegel:
But on the other hand, maybe in Europe, it would be also interesting to increase the number of older people. What you think about that?

Francesco Diasio:
I believe that Community radios are just, you know, the mirror of the society. So, of course, we need to involve youngsters, we need to involve old people, we need to involve the citizenship themselves. It is not a question of age. When I was talking before about the generational gap, it is because I believe that in many, many radio stations the involvement of the younger generation is still quite limited. So I believe that we should reinforce this. Especially in some countries where the Community radios were born 30 or 40 years ago. Of cause, I mean we need to involve more elder people but that's what I believe. I mean we have to involve the citizenship in order to have an impact with them. And this is also part of the social sustainability of Community radio stations. Community radio stations exist because they are the microphone of other organistaions, NGO's, militants, activists. We have to reflect all this and we have to be able to change with the changes of the society.

Falk Schlegel:
Ok, thank you very much, Franceso Diasio, the General Secretary of the World Association of Community Radios worldwide.

Francesco Diasio:
Thank you very much, my pleasure.