National Launch of New Radio Drama for Youth
The cast during the recording of the radio program Karau Dikur ba Dame
Search for Common Ground (SFCG) recently celebrated the launch of its new radio program for youth called Karau Dikur ba Dame (‘Buffalo Horn for Peace’). After Babadok Rebenta! (“The Drums of Peace”) this is the second radio program SFCG has launched to help transform the way youth in Timor-Leste deal with conflict, and improve their development prospects through media.
Timor-Leste gained its independence from Indonesia in 2002, the same year it became a UN-member. That transition to independence was marked by violence. Unrest still impedes the country’s progress and the UN has stationed peacekeepers in Timor-Leste until the presidential elections in 2012. Youth is a crucial population of the country, with 33 percent under the age of 14. SFCG is helping youth to participate in civic life, through innovative radio programs, thus contributing to a transition into a peaceful and democratic country.
Featuring a dynamic cast of young local actors, Karau Dikur ba Dame is a 25-episode radio drama that follows the lives of the Barbosa family and their community, as they negotiate everyday challenges common to people across Timor Leste. The Tetun-language production is divided into five sections, each one focused on an issue identified by young people as being important to them and to their communities; namely unemployment, domestic violence, land disputes, martial arts and elections. Promoting practical, non-violent, and cooperative ways to address conflict, the drama aims to break down negative stereotypes and provide examples of cooperative solutions to stimulate social progress.
Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality, Idelta Maria Rodrigues officially launching the drama series, with SFCG Country Director, Jose De Sousa
Around 80 people came to the auditorium of the National University of Timor Leste in Dili to attend the launch ceremony. Keynote speakers included U.S. Ambassador Judith R. Fergin, the 2011 N-Peace award winner from Timor Leste, Filomena Baros dos Reis (Mana Mena), and the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality, Idelta Maria Rodrigues, who formally opened the event by blowing the Karau Dikur (buffalo horn).
The speakers expressed their enthusiasm about the program, praising its contribution to peacebuilding and to the positive development of Timorese youth. Ambassador Fergin said: “This series owes its birth to the desire of Timor-Leste’s youth to serve as peacemakers and nation builders. With their passion, their energy, and their determination, they can be the nation’s strongest agents for peace.”
Music from the program was performed with traditional soruboek dancing. There was also a live theatre performance by members of the Karau Dikur ba Dame cast. Entitled Rai Rohan (“Piece of Land”), the performance was an excerpt from an episode focused on land disputes.
Karau Dikur ba Dame begins broadcasting on 15 Community Radio Stations throughout Timor Leste on November 15, airing at 7pm from Tuesday to Saturday.
The program is produced in cooperation with the Timor Leste Media Development Centre (TLMDC), Conselho Nacional Juventude de Timor Leste (CNJTL), BELUN and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Trackbacks and Pingbacks