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Old City, New Dreams

Country

Afghanistan

Programme Summary

This radio drama has been created by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Afghan Education Projects (AEP) to address rapidly expanding urban populations in Afghanistan. "Old City, New Dreams" aims to engage with urban migrants who face problems such as unemployment, high cost of living, lack of infrastructure, and inadequate service provision.

Communication Strategies

This initiative draws on "edutaining" radio programming to share information about the socio-economic and political issues specific to life in an urban environment, modelling positive coping strategies for dealing with urban-based problems. Broadcast in Dari and Pashto on the BBC World Service Afghan Stream, "Old City, New Dreams" aims to engage urban dwellers by focusing on content that is based on their needs and that reflects the reality of their lives.

Development Issues

Migration.

Key Points

According to the BBC, Afghanistan is witnessing a rapid rural to urban migration, particularly among younger generations. Kabul, for example, is a city built for 300,000; however, even conservative estimates put the current population of the capital at 3 million. Furthermore, despite an increasingly diverse media environment, very few programmes designed for youth offer more than music and news. BBC also explains that, despite a significant rise in access to television in urban areas, 80% of urban dwellers still listen to the radio. Radio also remains the main source of news and information.

Established by the BBC World Service Trust (WST) in 1994, AEP works to provide practical information to refugees and internally displaced people, as well as to the rural population of Afghanistan. Run by Afghans for Afghans, this media-for-development project provides a range of informative and educational programming for audiences of all ages.

Partners

BBC World Service Trust

Contact

Shirazuddin Siddiqi
Director, Afghan Education Projects (AEP)
BBC World Service Trust

House #271
1st St.
Qalai Najara
Next to New Zarif Pharmacy
Khair Khana

Kabul
Afghanistan
Tel: 0093 202400495
Fax: 0093 70278093

Source

BBC WST website, accessed March 5 2009.


Placed on the Communication Initiative site March 05 2009
Last Updated March 05 2009



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Well achieved

I hope this Old City, New Dreams is a success and beneficial to Afghan people. Good luck

Afghan Radio Series

The BBC World Trust has done wonderful work here and in other coutnrie. For those of us contemplating additional productions in this area, they represent a tremdously helpful resource.

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