AMECEA: Catholic Communicators Ready to Roll Out Radio Programs on Social Cohesion after General Elections in Kenya
Catholic Communicators
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Catholic communicators from four radio stations in Kenya who have benefited from a training on promoting community radio-based social cohesion for tolerance and peaceful coexistence during Kenya’s 2022 General Elections, are enthusiastic to develop programs which promote harmony in the society.
The workshop which took place at Donum Dei in Kenya’s capital brought together communicators from Radio Waumini located in Nairobi, Radio Amani based in Nakuru, Upendo Radio locate in Eldoret and Radio Maria-Kisumu.
During the session which aimed participants to reflect on their communicative practices, discuss frameworks for engaging audiences in peace communication during and after political campaigns and finally develop innovative strategies for post-election peace communication, the participants came up with action plan on how to carry out the entire process.
In his opening remarks, the Social Communications Coordinator for the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) Fr. Andrew Kaufa disclosed that the project aims at “empowering the community and faith-based radios to contribute towards social cohesion by mainstreaming peace building messages during and after the General Elections in Kenya.”
Communicators from the four radio stations who attended the training were identified from regions that were anticipated to be potentially electoral violence hotspots and which could easily cause chaos in the country during and after the elections.
According to Fr. Kaufa the convenor of the training, the project initiated by AMECEA Social Communications department purpose to produce peace programs to “enhance social cohesion among the people at grassroots level through the existing community and faith-based radio stations.”
Through these programs he said, “The radio stations will increase levels of trust among the local communities regardless of their political affiliations and also between local government, civil society and faith-based radio stations.”
The main facilitator of the day Dr. Zac Chiliswa a Part-time Lecturer, KCA University highlighted to participants that “Peacebuilders need a clear understanding of prevailing notions of peace and peace practices,” stressing on how various actors including states, and non-states define and engage in peace.
In his empowerment to representatives from the identified radio staions in hotspot places, Dr. Chiliswa narrated that framework for peace communication requires “organising actions to further common understanding.”
Besides, “It includes activities which ordinary citizens and civil society groups organise to promote dialogue and raise awareness about conflict management and resolution strategies,” he said.
According to the facilitator, when a community involves in social cohesion, it promotes “connectedness, tolerance, participation, trust and sense of belonging among the people.”
From the training the participant promised to have consultative meetings with their staff to brainstorm and identify various stakeholders to be involved as key players they will then produce and broadcast peace messages to help strengthen the bond in the society especially after the general elections in the country.
