Bush Radio 89.5 FM will be providing coverage of the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to various radio stations and other media organisations in South Africa and around the world for the duration of the conference (28 November – 9 December 2011) in Durban.
You will be able to access updates, audio, video and pictures via the Bushradionews platform or by following us on Twitter and searching here #COP17.
For the past three months, we have been running our climate change – COP17 campaign, which consists of community dialogues, training for broadcasters and running a news desk during COP17.
In the past two weeks (7 – 18 November) our offices have reverberated with the words COP17 and climate change – training and equipping broadcasters to demystify the issues of climate change and COP17, and enabling them to engage in debates at their stations.
Participants getting to grips with the issues
Bush Radio, in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, developed a training course which brought together radio journalists from throughout South Africa. With the training, the broadcasters will be able to highlight the issues of climate change and translate these issues to their various communities in a clear and efficient way. In order to acheive this, briefings were held with various stakeholders in the area of climate change – these included the public, scientists, activists, civil society, politicians, international broadcasters and the United Nations. The course also upgraded their production and journalism skills.
The BBC's Steve Martin engaging the group on the importance of community media
What some of the participants felt about the training:
“The workshop has opened my mind by giving me a better understanding of climate change and COP17. I feel like a new encyclopaedia filled with more knowledge than Google”. – Tashneem Abrahams – VOC
Team building through dance
“The two weeks of being in Cape Town has really flown by quickly. The staff at Bush Radio has been very friendly, but most of all, the entire workshop has been great and the facilitator was great too. Thank you so much to everyone who has made this possible.” –Xolelwa Mvumvu – Motheo FM
“Having been part of this 2 weeks climate change workshop has been a great experience. Meeting up with journalists from other provinces and having fun while learning was definitely the cherry on top.” – Bongani Gina – uMgungundlovu Community Radio KZN
Since before 1993, Bush Radio has been training those interested in media. It is often said, that it is hard to go to any broadcasting facility without running into someone who has come via Bush Radio.
News has always been an important part of our trainees’ development and Bush Radio 89.5 FM is looking for 3 volunteer recruits for its newsroom. You do not need a formal qualification to apply but should fulfill the criteria listed below.
Are you…
Curious, adventurous, always looking for a story, willing to hunt down a source, hungry to learn, energetic, able to speak, write and read in English & Afrikaans/Xhosa, willing to explore new frontiers in media?
Would you like to…
Record sound, conduct interviews, compile bulletins, read bulletins, take pictures, record video, cover events, test your skills LIVE to a listening and online audience of over 375 000 people, build your career and profile?
************
If your answer to the above is yes, the a volunteer news trainee position in the Bush Radio newsroom is for you.
You will be required full-time and to work shifts(06h00 – 14h00 and 10h00 –18h00 –including weekend and public holiday shifts.)
You will not receive payment! This is a volunteer internship at Africa’s leading community radio station. Training allowance of R 1500 only – non negotiable
Shortlisted candidates will be put through a combination written test (for computer skills, language, general knowledge) and a voice test.
Send a detailed CV (with a minimum of 2 character references) and motivation letter to feedback@bushradio.co.za
Application deadline: 23 November 2011 @ 12h00
Bush Radio reserves the right not to make an appointment – Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted – No correspondence will be entered into
Bush Radio will also be flighting the features produced as part of a successful co-production by the station and the German international broadcaster; Deutsche Welle (DW) in August 2011. These programmes were made available to all radio stations in South Africa and are still available for free download.
During this week you can catch the following interviews:
This year marks the 17th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP17), which takes place annually, highlighting the significance of “climate change”. Bush Radio supported by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung is hosting a series of consultative meetings with civil society organisations to discuss their plans for COP17 and how Bush Radio could assist with publicising and broadcasting the planned events and activities.
A drama demonstrating the effects of climate change
On Monday, 14th November 2011, Bush Radio, in partnership with Sub-Council 9 in Khayelitsha and Radio Zibonele, hosted a public meeting on COP17, at the Thusong Multi-purpose Centre, to discuss the issues of climate change and its impact on communities.
Sheryl Ozinsky getting the crowd debating
The audience getting into the debate
Guest speakers included Sheryl Ozinsky from the City of Cape Town’sClimate Smart, who informed the audience about various information regarding “Climate Change” and Misha Teasdale from Greenpop, who showed the individuals how they should plant trees.
The audience also gave input on the features Bush Radio is producing as part of its training course for journalists for COP17
Greenpop's Misha Teasdale getting down to some explaining
The event included lots of fun and laughter and ended with the guests receiving lunch and a tree as a gift to take home for them to plant in their own communities.
Getting it grounded - Misha Teasdale planting with members of the Khayelitsha community
Join Bush Radio and Radio Zibonele in Khayelitsha as we discuss; What is climate change? What is all the fuss about? How you can get involved. This is a first of a series of public dialogues by Bush Radio 89.5FM leading up to the COP17 conference.
We have been really grateful to all the people who have given and shared goodwill with us to help keep the station going. The support has been amazing, from Aunty Val who dropped off sugar and tea, to singers Lira and Thandiswa Mazwai who recorded messages of support for us.
Appeals have also gone international; former interns have donated and our friends at Public Acheivement* in Northern Ireland have put together a screening of the Academy Award winning film Tsotsi this Sunday the 6th November 2011.
* Public Achievement is Northern Ireland’s leading youth-focussed civic education organisation, and over the last 9 years they have been a partner with Bush Radio in a variety of projects including a youth project addressing violence as experienced by young people.
At least one radio producer from each province of South Africa is included in the training with four coming from Western Cape stations. “The stations included in the training are mix of urban, peri-urban and rural stations,” says Brenda Leonard, the managing director of Bush Radio.
This training is taking place from the 24th October 2011 to the 4th November 2011, and will form part of a broader project called “Upgrading the technical and radio production skills of women in community radio to produce features and documentaries on women in science and engineering” that is funded by the UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC). This activity falls within the framework of UNESCO contribution towards strengthening free, independent media and developing human capacity.
It is hoped that the project will not only benefit the women, but those radio stations they represent, and the broader community they broadcast too, as the skills attained during the training will improve the overall quality and content of each station.
Quanita Kamaar from Voice of the Cape said, “Participating in the training programme has enabled me to develop my skills and share what I have gained with the rest of the community.”
Another participant, Granny Makhinya from Phalaborwa FM, ended off by saying, “The training has given me the opportunity to develop my technical capabilities.”
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