2011 Radio for Peacebuilding Africa Awards – Official Results!

RFPA is pleased to announce the results of the 2011 RFPA Awards! RFPA received a diverse selection of programmes in the entries, including both fictional and non-fictional programmes; English, French, and local language broadcasts; and representation from countries across the continent.

For this edition of the RFPA Awards, the three award categories were:

• Youth
• Gender
• Jury’s Special Award

A prize was given to the top three entries for each category, recognising high quality radio programmes that contribute to peace in Africa. The jury members were media and peacebuilding experts from sub-Saharan Africa, as well as from Europe and the United States.

Visit the RFPA website audio section and listen to the best programmes submitted for this 2011 edition!

The winners are:

• Youth Award:
  • 1st Prize: Shujaaz (Kenya, Producer: Bridget Deacon)
    This episode of Shujaaz, a radio show adapted from a comic book combining drama, audience and experts interviews, focuses on political manipulation of youth. Shujaaz aims to inspire and motivate young Kenyans to take action to improve their lives, and engage with urgent practical issues that shape their future. The jury said that it “is a very entertaining programme very appropriate for youth”, with a “very innovative format.” “The topic itself is very relevant to what is happening in Africa where the youth are abused by politicians to serve their interests.”
  • 2nd Prize: The Team (Kenya, Producer: Just Imagine Productions)
    This first episode of The Team, a serial radio drama promoting fair play and tolerance, features young Kenyan footballers, both boys and girls from different ethnic groups, who must overcome their mutual distrust and prejudices so that their team succeeds. The jury said “the messages are clear enough and the team of actors must be congratulated!” “The programme is presented in a very creative way.”
  • 3rd Prize: Top Stories (Cameroon, Producer: Roland Akong)
    This radio programme is a special edition of the magazine Top Stories. It presents the results of a year-long investigative report entitled “Blood on My Hands”, conducted by the journalist Arison Tamfu. It addresses the issue of mob justice in Cameroon. The jury said that the programme is “well documented,” “detailed” and “well researched with different points of view.” “The use a variety of sound effects provides to the programme a real ‘radio movie’.”
• Gender Award:
  • 1st Prize: Fifty-Fifty: Rape and Gender-Based Violence in Senegal (Senegal, Producer: Sheriff Bojang Junior)
    This radio programme is a magazine addressing the issue of rape and other forms of violence against women in Senegal, including consequences for the victims, both physical and psychological, and the question of impunity for perpetrators. The jury said “this programme has a very good format and the testimonies capture the attention of the listener.” “It includes a lot of points of views and interesting information.”
  • 2nd Prize: Chakruok (Kenya, Producer: Bridget Deacon)
    This episode, from the serial radio drama Chakruok, addresses the issues of sexually transmitted diseases, family planning, and the difficulties of discussing these issues among one’s family and community. Chakruok, funded by APHIA II OR / USAID, aims to expand access to integrated reproductive health and family planning and HIV services for married adolescent girls, in order to improve reproductive health outcomes.
    The jury said that while it was difficult to assess the impact of just one episode, it was “a very interesting programme.”
  • 3rd Prize: Fifty-Fifty: Female Genital Mutilation (Senegal, Producer: Sheriff Bojang Junior).
    This edition of the gender-focused magazine Fifty-Fifty focused on the sensitive issue of female genital circumcision on young girls. It includes the voices of a series of anti-female genital circumcision campaigners who discussed the issues. The jury said that “this is a very well structured programme with a good format.”
• Jury’s Special Award:
• 1st Prize: Let’s Talk Peace – Pastoralist Conflict (Uganda, Producer: Ojok Emmanuel)
  This radio programme is an edition of the weekly magazine Let’s Talk Peace addressing the issue of the conflict between local residents and pastoralists in the Ajia sub-county, Uganda. It explores how misunderstandings and differences can be addressed between the two communities.
  The jury said that “most stakeholders are interviewed, including experts,” and “listeners’ comments are encouraged!”
• 2nd Prize: How a Civic Education Programme Can Eradicate Sea Piracy in Somalia (Somalia, Producer: Abdi-kadar Nur Mohamed)
  This radio show, broadcast by Saadaal Media, talks about how civic education can participate in bringing harmony and counter sea piracy, a prevalent issue in Somalia affecting particularly young men.
  The jury said that “this programme is very much inclusive, including the views of all stakeholders including the perpetrators. It has great potential to aid in peace building as it shows the negatives of piracy both to the perpetrators and their community.”
• 3rd Prize: Africa This Week – Côte d’Ivoire (Nigeria, Producer: Idara Ukpanyang)
  In this radio talk-show, the presenter Idara Ukpanyang facilitates discussions on the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on what are the root causes of the problem and how it can be resolved. The jury said that “this programmme is very interesting and there is an interaction between stakeholders.” The jury noted the challenges of producing a programme about one country while based in another.

All these programmes are now available on the RFPA website www.radiopeaceafrica.org (for the programmes that are not in English, a translated script is available on request from RFPA).

Congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to all the participants!

The RFPA Team