Mumbai:At a time when the fledgling community radio industry in India looks for On August 8, 2007 Ek Duniya Ek Awaaz completed its 100 episodes. Ek Duniya Ek Awaaz is broadcast nationally on FM Rainbow India ?“ on frequency 102.6 MHz, every Wednesday. This programme was initiated by OneWorld South Asia (OWSA) in 2004 with the aim of promoting the use of radio as an effective tool of communication for development. Talking about OSWA, Geeta Malhotra ?“ Head ?“ ICT Advocacay, Grassroots Communications & Capacity Building adds, "OSWA is an organization working for community radio. Our objective at OSWA is to use radio as a participatory method of empowering communities. We concentrate on building a network for grassroot broadcasters and to build capacities of Community Based Organisations in the use of audio tools. Ek Duniya Ek Awaaz started off in late 2004 and now that it has completed its 100 episodes, it just feels great!"

The dissemination strategy of Ek Duniya Ek Awaaz includes listeners` clubs formed by the communities themselves. OWSA has a small studio at its Delhi office where participants can make their programmes, listen to their own voices and return to their community with a zeal to empower them. This skill sharing process has led to a strong network of grassroots broadcasters. The members forming the core team are called Ek Duniya Fellows.

Till date, 2,000 Ek Duniya Fellows have been trained by OWSA in radio production, development writing and in internet usage. Out of these, approximately 70 grassroots voices have been regularly anchoring radio programmes from their studio. Adds Geeta Malhotra, "Earlier Ek Duniya Ek Awaaz was funded by Bfid. But now, our major funding comes from SDP. But what really matters is that, since the time it was has been launched, it received really good feedback and also, NGOs understood the importance of radio."

OWSA also organizes capacity building workshops for those who are working directly with the community. These workshops are designed as a comprehensive package ?“ starting from voicing communities to empowering people with knowledge on MDGs. Geeta Malhotra further adds, "We started off initially at a very small scale with our target audience being the localites in Delhi since it is aired on FM Rainbow. But slowly and steadly we have come at a level where we now have a listeners club network, grassroot broadcasters networks, cumulative weeks etc. We have also been successful in addressing various issues which are directly or indirectly related to the Millennium Development Goals and developing a platform for peer to peer exchange of audio programmes. Our aim of mentoring people in the radio industry has been successful. We are happy to see people earn their livelihood today because of our guidance to them into the radio industry."

For OWSA, the radio is not simply about producing programmes, it is a process of empowering communities. On a final note, Geeta Malhotra adds, "People have very quickly turned from passive listeners to active broadcasters. And those who have been with us with such a vision now know the in and out of radio. We are just too happy to use radio as a participatory method of empowering communities."

Ek Duniya Ek Awaaz is broadcast nationally on FM Rainbow India ?“ on frequency 102.6 MHz, every Wednesday, from 4.30-5.00 pm . The programmes are also on air from AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi ?“ on Radio Jamia FM 90.4 MHz. Similar initiatives have been taken in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.