Crossing continents to make a better world

As our managing director, Brenda Leonard makes her way north to Geneva, Switzerland to represent Bush Radio at the International Development Cooperation Meeting on Gender and Media and The First General Assembly of the Global Alliance on Media and Gender another group of intrepid travellers are heading south to Cape Town.

Bush Radio is again pleased to host members of its Northern Ireland partner – Public Acheivement.

From PA’s press release:

Four young people are heading off to Cape Town, South Africa tomorrow to work with Bush Radio – a youth run community radio station. They are part of a United Youth programme run by youth organisation Public Achievement for unemployed young people from across Belfast.

During their 10 day trip they will help to organise the “Media Kidocracy Konference” for children and young people from around Cape Town, and they will work at Bush Radio – including being interviewed on radio and making their own programme.

Craig Murray, Shanti Mawhinney, Sarah Louise Duffy and Aoibhinn Di Torí are all participants in pilots of the “United Youth” programme which is part of the NI Executive’s good relations programme administered through the Department of Employment and Learning. The group will be accompanied by project Coordinator Chiara Cariddi.

Paul Smyth, CEO of Public Achievement said “We are delighted to be sending this group to Bush Radio. This relationship is about exposing our young people to some of the best community radio practitioners in the world as well as learning about the history of South Africa and the challenges it still faces. We believe it will be a lifechanging experience for the group – and will help them to better understand diversity and the relationship between people and communities across the world”.

Read the full press (click here)

Action! Filming in progress

French journalist Sophie Massieu, her guide dog; Pongo and director, Olivia Buffi and crew were at Bush Radio to film a segment for a new documentary series called “Through your eyes”. Sophie is undertaking a journey with people from all around the world and trying to capture their feelings and heritage.

Also last week Paul Smyth of Public Acheivement posted a short film on his visit to Bush Radio on YouTube. Read the story of his visit.

Making changes from South to North and back again

Some of the Bush Radio team with Paul and Stephen

Bush Radio is honoured this week to be visited by Chief Executive of Public Achievement, Paul Smyth and Where is My Public Servant (WIMPS) coach, Stephen Johnston.

They are in South Africa for two reasons; to strengthen the relationship with Bush Radio and to attend a research project discussion in Cape Town.

Paul Smyth said that when he visited Bush Radio 12 years ago it challenged and changed the way he views youth work and and was one of the seeds that led to the creation of WIMPS 4 years later.

click here – LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH PAUL AND STEPHEN ON THE MORNING CRUISE – click here

Paul explained that the research project that they are involved in will look at different organisations around the world and how they work with young people in ways that encourage young people to change political systems.

Seven organisations are part of the research in SA and they are drawn from Northern Ireland, South Africa and the United States.

WIMPS is an organisation that tries to make politics more accessible to young people, it’s about trying to make young people use their voices and make politicians accountable for their actions.

Stephen added that the work done by Bush Radio is fantastic and that it is essential to stretch this kind of work to Northern Ireland.

Thank you from #CapeTown to Belfast

Below is a short video recording we put together to thank the Friends of Public Acheivement for putting together a fundraiser for us in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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