MKK 2009 presents a bright future

Putting MKK 2009 together was not without its challenges, like others we too have suffered due to the economic meltdown.

 We are proud to say that the 10th Media Kidocracy Konference (MKK 2009) which ran from the 14th to the 18th December 2009 was a resounding success.

On the final day the young delegates (12 – 18 years old) presented their productions in a four hour closing ceremony which included video, online, graffiti and radio presentations.

 The closing ceremony also included performances by young Capetonian talent such as Shaz & B, Apple and Cinnamon and Grand Alliance.

The photographers have captured the contrast between the beauty of our natural landscape and the filth that soils it.

The television group challenged us to re-examine our so-called natural ways of being as men and women with respect to violence within the home.

The graffiti group showed through their piece that although we may differ linguistically and/or culturally, we can live in harmony.

The online and radio groups have spread the word that violence is not and never will be an option, be it violence inflicted by others through forced child labour or self-inflicted violence in the form of substance abuse.

WATCH THE ONLINE GROUP’S POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (CLICK HERE)

LISTEN TO THE RADIO GROUP’S FEATURE (CLICK HERE)

Together these products send a resounding message that states that their vision for tomorrow is one in which they wish not to live in fear and is filled with hope.

We would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their assistance through advice and contributions in making this conference a success:

St Agnes Primary School and in particular the principal Mr. Alfonso Louw and caretaker Mr. Marsh.

Mr. Darion Pillay from Woolworths Financial Services

Mr Neil John Smith from John Smith Photography and Design

Mr. Brad Hale from Wild Organic Foods

Superfoto Canal Walk

Shoprite Woodstock

Ms. Lache Woldson from MTN

Trevor Muller from The Indibano Group

Loaded Smoothies

MAK1

We would also like to thank:

Elroy Williams for logistical support

Brenda Leonard and Belinda Sepkit from Bush Radio’s admin department who made the lunches

All the production facilitators and content facilitators.

The guest speakers who joined us on the first day of the conference, especially Ms Jennifer Hartnick from the Provincial Parliament whose kind and gentle words set a good tone for the conference.

We would also like to thank our delegates who joined us from as far a-field as Northern Ireland (Public Achievement) and Canada (Canada World Youth).

Listener support for pledge drive

Bush Radio 89.5FM has been broadcasting legally since the 9 August 1995 and this past week saw the station embark on a pledge drive to assist with the sustainability. Today volunteer Dyllan Canterbury hosted a marathon show from 6 am to 12 pm to try and get more pledges for the station.

Some of the people who came to show their support to the marathon show

We hope that through the pledge drive the station will be able to continue broadcasting and run it’s community projects, which range from HIV and AIDS education though to putting on rain covers to help keep people dry in winter.

According to Elizabeth Knipe, from Mitchells Plain (a listener since the switch on in 1995), she came to the station today to show her support. She says it is the first time in 14 years that the station had to make an appeal for help and she had to come and drop off her family’s pledge to make sure Bush Radio can continue its work. She hopes that organisations and other listeners will do the same.

According to another listener, Cathy Naido from Bontheheuwel on the Cape Flats,  it is important that the station keep doing what it does, especially helping to find children who go missing. (Bush Radio changes it programmes when a child is reported missing and helps with the search).

Even though the on-air pledge drive comes to and end today, you can still donate (CLICK HERE FOR INFO)

Local artists also came to join Dyllan on air, watch a special performance by Shaz & B and Apple and Cinnamon below.

MKK2009 buzzing

Graffiti artist MAK1 engages in debate with a MKK2009 participant

The Media Kidocracy Konference 2009 is into its fourth day and things are hotting up.

Over fifty young people from as young as 12 years of age are participating in the various activities such as television, online, graffiti, photography and of course radio.

Victor J and Shiraaz Ismail introducing participants to the production studio

These activities are aimed at giving them different skills to enable them to use various forms of media to express their understanding of issues that affect them.

16 year-old Jamie-Lee James is hard at work in the online group focusing on child labour as their topic. “I’m doing online research about child labour and thereafter I need to write an article for the blog,” said an enthusiastic James.

She says the experience is awesome as she uses online tools like twitter to promote her ideas, something she says she only dreamt of. Amongst the other topics covered by MKK 2009 participants as part the production workshops are gender based violence and substance abuse.

Some MKK2009 participants get down to planning their media productions

Another participant in the MKK 2009 programme, 10 year-old Athenkosi Tshenese says she is extremely happy to be part of this year’s activities. “We learnt a lot of stuff with different topics in a very exciting way, which is very interactive and child friendly,” said Tshenese. Tshenese says she wants to be a social worker when she grows up because she wants to help her community with their problems.

The conference will end Friday the 18th December 2009

Support your mother

This week Bush Radio 89.5 FM, the mother of community radio in Africa will be running a pledge drive from 13 (Sunday) – 20 December (Sunday) 2009. We are asking you, our supporters, listeners, former Bush Radio interns, volunteers, trainees or staff member to make a donation.

This donation will allow Bush Radio to continue providing the quality programming as well as allowing us to continue with the implementation of the community upliftment projects (schools aids education, CREW, crèche, soup kitchens, rain covers etc).

CLICK HERE: Listen to former intern Koketso Sachane talk to Bassie Montewa about his Bush Radio experience. (1.3MB file)

Four ways to help:

1. You can also call on-air to 021 448 6266 (international callers dial SA country code 27) to make a pledge and challenge other listeners, family, friends or corporates to do the same.

2. You can call the office on 021 448 5450 (international callers dial SA country code 27) to make pledges.

3. If you would like us to call you SMS the keyword GIVE to 32158 and the staff will call you back during office hours to get the details of your pledge. (local mobile phones only)

4. You can make a direct transfer into the Bush Radio bank account

Name of account: Bush Radio

Name of bank: Standard Bank

Name of branch: Mowbray

Branch code: 02-4909

Account number: 07 122 0194

Swift code: SBZA ZA JJ (only needed for international transfers)

Address of bank : 37 – 39 Main Road, Mowbray, 7700

Let’s work together to ensure that Bush Radio can provide the same high quality programming that you deserve.

Should you need more information on this pledge drive contact Brenda Leonard +27 21 448 5450 or e-mail brenda@bushradio.co.za

Download Bush Radio: Champions of Change radio documentary (NB 23.8MB file / 1 hour programme)

MKK 2009 gets off to a soulful start

Bush Radio’s Media Kidocracy Konference (MKK 2009) met for the 10^th time today at the St Agnes Primary School in Woodstock.

The station’s unique programme is a platform created to bring young people under one umbrella to discuss issues that affect them and uses media to address these.

Delivering his opening address at the conference, the station’s programme integrator Adrian Louw briefed the delegates and participants about the programme’s history.

“MKK initially started as Radio Kidocracy Konference about ten years ago enabling the youth to gather and discuss issues that affect them within the media landscape,” said Louw.

He highlighted that even though financial constraints were persistent in the work of the programme, emphasised that MKK will take its full course.

He challenged participants to engage in debate around issues that affect them, and to empower themselves with the resources and opportunities at their disposal.

Jennifer Hartnick a former teacher and currently Western Cape Provincial Parliament MP reiterated to the youth that they should make use of the available opportunities.

Western Cape Provincial Parliment's Chaiperson of Education, Sports and Culture, Jennifer Hartnick

“You should count yourselves lucky that today you have great opportunities such as these, we only dreamt of,” Hartnick said.

Giving a soulful address Hartnick, who also chairs the education, sport and cultural affairs committee, said with her experience as teacher, she likes working with children and it’s a point to tackle issues that affect young people in her work.

“During June we do have youth debates in parliament and we would like to have the MKK part of our youth programmes,” added Hartnick.

Veteran participant , Mfundo Dafeti, who has been with the programme for five consecutive years, said his experience has been great and wonderful throughout the years.

“Because of my enjoyment and wonderful work I did in this programme I will definitely be part of it again next year although 2009 is officially my final year,” said Dafeti.

Dave McNamara chief director at the Social Development department said MKK’s theme of “Away from Violence” was relevant, given the high rates of alcohol and substance abuse which is a major contributor to violence in the province.

Not only serious talk got the delegates moving; Cape Town song writer and composer, Chad Saaiman, kept the audience thrilled throughout his performance.

Chad Saaiman getting into the groove at MMK 2009

Some of the topics to be tackled at this year’s meeting include violence and drug abuse amongst others.

Targeting community radio

Yesterday saw voting by members of the National Community Radio Forum attending their Bi-Annual General Meeting (BGM) disrupted by a group of 20 people allegedly representing community-based and non-governmental organisations.

The NCRF BGM happened at the same time as the Alternative Information Development Centre’s (AIDC) MindBlast 2009 which started on Monday, December 06, 2009.

Tension - footage courtesy of John Mathew - Whale Coast FM

The NCRF, representing over 120 community radio stations, started smoothly but was disrupted on the last day by a group of 20 people, allegedly from community and non-governmental organisations who forced their way into the NCRF voting session demanding to be part of the process. According to the programme the NCRF sessions were scheduled for members of the organisation.

Mark Weinberg from the AIDC says “the latter was not premeditated and the AIDC was not part of the protest but civil society was very angry because the NCRF had agreed to spend a week with them discussing the role of the radio in deepening democracy and fighting poverty and the NCRF had completely turned their backs on the conference”.

According to Weinberg, community media needs to engage civil society because it is NGOs and social movements that give the information and content to community radio.

AIDC Volunteer, Monde Nqulwana says there was a belief that there was going to be engagement between the NCRF and the CBOs. “We felt strongly that we should be part of the BGM even if we were not going to have voting powers”, said Nqulwana.

He added that this was not a platform to do it but they still wanted to engage the sector.

The meeting was reconvened after an intensive meeting between NCRF and the group, and the elections went ahead for the new NCRF Board. The newly elected Chairman of the Board, Sonnyboy Masingi says he does not believe that the Mindblast was communicated properly as the NGO and CBO representatives wanted to influence the resolution of the BGM, not understanding that it is a constitutional structure, and open for members only.

According to Masingi, the community-based organisations may have a wrong perception regarding the structure of the community radio body.

Thabang Pushoyabone, Radio Riverside Station manager and a newly elected board member feels that the CBOs wanted to be more involved in the programme of the NCRF BGM than the programme of the Mindblast.

Pushoyabone defended Radio Riverside which was hosting the conference by saying “there is a consultation, the station looks at programming by considering CBOs”.

Meanwhile Basil Jacobs, Radio Franschhoek’s Station Manager does agree that community involvement is poor in his area. ”In my year of being station manager I have experienced that it’s very difficult to get the community actively involved in radio. We have created a platform where NGOs and CBOs can partner with us however it has been challenging to maintain partnerships. WHY? WHO? WHEN?” asked the irate Jacobs.

Radio Zibonele’s Phetho Ntaba, says they have a very good working relationship with the NGOs and CBOs. She said they generate their content around these organisations. She also added that their mandate as a community radio station is to make sure that they target issues of community interest.

According to the NCRF Chairperson, the matter is not resolved and they are planning a special meeting in February 2010.

Nqulwana says the CBOs are skeptical that they will reach a solution. According to Nqulwana the CBOs are scared that the community media will be swallowed by mainstream media.

Young people tackle the media

Media Kidocracy Konference 2009 Bush Radio in association with the Children’s Radio Education Workshop (CREW) project is in the final stages of planning its 10th annual Media Kidocracy Konference (MKK).

The conference will take place from the 14th – 18th of December 2009 at St. Agnes Primary School in Woodstock.

A delegate at the first conference 10 years ago

Youth between the ages of 12 and 18 will get together to explore issues that are pertinent to themselves and their peers as well as use different forms of media to develop a media campaign that will create social awareness.

Topics will include: citizenship, child labour, substance abuse, language and culture, gender-based violence and pollution.

These will be explored through various media such as dance and/or drama, online and/or print, radio, T.V. and photography.

Through these media, they can critically appraise where they are now in life and how their current behaviour will help or hinder them achieve the future they want.

Background on MKK

As part of a growing need for youth participation in the decision-making process and policy formulation around children’s broadcasting, Bush Radio initiated a conference which would tackle these issues and also feed into this debate.

The Kidocracy (Kid-democracy) name was created for the event to denote a form of society characterized by social equality and acceptance of young people with representation for and by young people.

The Media Kidocracy Konference aims to establish critical awareness and understandings amongst young people by exposing youth to information and experiences that will enable them to identify issues they feel are relevant as well as explore the role of the media in creating an understanding of the social issue.

MKK also assists participants in devising strategies for addressing the social issues by using the media as a tool to help resolve and address these issues.

Corporates or individulas  interested in sponsorship opportunites around the event should contact Brenda Leonard.

Justice after three years

Late one Friday afternoon in November 2006 a Bush Radio listener brought a battered and terrified Jonas Majila to our studios in Salt River.

The listener brought Majila to the station because he knew of the work Bush Radio does in communities and hoped that we would be able to get Majila’s story heard in Cape Town.

Bush Radio’s Adrian Louw and Brenda Leonard took Majila into the production studio and asked for permission to record what had happened to him, as well as take photographs of his injuries. They spent almost two hours going over his version of the events that had transpired.

The story as it appears on the Bush Radio News blog

Former trainee news editor Nadia Samie was then tasked with following up the matter with the police spokespeople as well as the local refugee forum. This eventually led to a Bush Radio News exclusive article.

A few months later the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) requested a copy of the photographs taken of Majila to show the extent of his injuries. Adrian Louw was also requested to submit a signed affidavit confirming that he had taken the photographs and that the content had not be altered in any way.

Towards the latter part of 2007, Adrian Louw received his first summons to testify. After several postponements and delays in the trial, Louw finally testified on the 16th October 2009.

The two police officers where found guilty of assault and sentenced yesterday. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY