This project is based on the full participation of young people in all stages of radio and video production. Participants are recruited from active youth groups that are currently working with UNICEF and who have demonstrated organisational skills, have articulated an interest in the media and education, and have implemented projects for social development in their community. Through interactive workshop and training activities, participating youth determine the format and content of the programmes. UNICEF then provides radio and video production training and production support, with a goal of enabling youth groups to create their own programmes and broadcast them to their community.

The programmes focus on a wide range of issues that are relevant to youth, such as HIV/AIDS, hygiene, immunisation, female genital mutilation, cholera, children's rights, and peace and reconciliation. The programmes provide information while portraying issues in a local context and drawing attention to misconceptions that community members might have. Young participants venture into their communities to interview prominent citizens to highlight what people think and why they make the choices they do about a wide range of issues. The programmes are designed to prompt dialogue to the end of resolving issues at the local level.

As of this writing 20 youth groups are producing programmes on a regular basis. In 2003 each youth group production team will make a number of productions and distribute them, with community and broadcaster support, to 48 communities throughout Somalia.

Youth.

In the pilot stages of this project, a coordinator worked with a local producer to support three youth groups from northern Somalia. Twelve programmes were produced.

Youth producers claim that they do not see their work as a source of income but, rather, as a way to make their voices heard and to benefit their communities.

In Somalia, youth groups have been created to meet many social, economic, and environmental demands. In some cases, the groups have developed because youth wanted to form sports teams; in others, they wanted to develop skills and support their communities through development work. UNICEF provides training to members of these youth groups to mobilise communities for polio vaccination, to raise awareness about female genital mutilation, and to conduct other activities. UNICEF hopes thereby to achieve its goals by drawing on the talents of local youth as agents of change.

Organisers explain that radio remains an important tool for communication in Somalia. Every day at 5:30PM, they say, activity stops and crowds gather around the radio to hear the BBC Somali service on the short wave transmitter. As an oral culture, Somalis have built a broadcasting community that spans the country and is even popular among Somalis overseas through Internet streaming. Poetry, drama, songs and other traditional forms of expression provide news and entertainment and foster debate.