GUWAHATI, Aug 28 - The Department of Communication & Journalism, Gauhati University in association with UNICEF (Assam), organised a three-day workshop on community radio stations as a platform to empower adolescents through behavior change communication in Assam and the North-east at IDOL, Gauhati University, recently.
Resources persons from various fields including psychiatrics from Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi, Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, experts from National Institute of Public Corporation and Child Development (NIPCEED), Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati and academicians from prestigious institutes discussed various issues and challenges of changing adolescent behavior.
They also shared their experiences for empowering adolescents through community involvement and urged to utilize the power of airwaves like Community Radio for more participatory communications.
Professor HP Sharma, Rector, GU; Dr Tushar Rane, Chief Field office UNICEF (Assam); Prof Kandarpa Das, Director IDOL; Tasheen Alam from UNICEF, Dr Abhijit Bora, Tezpur University; Dr Kamal Narayan Kalita from Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, and Dr Sunita Seshadri from NIPCCD were present in the occasion.
Dr Tushar Rane, Chief Field office UNICEF, Assam focused on the importance of organising more interactive activities on adolescent issues and commented that community media can be a useful tool for addressing adolescent issues. He called for involvement of parents and families to meet the challenges of adolescent including nutrition, education, mental health, sexual abuse, etc.
All the community radio stations of Assam, i.e., Radio Luit, Gyan Taranga and Radio Brahamaputra, shared their experiences in the workshop.
Students from Delhi University, Tezpur University, Assam University Silchar, IIT-KV, Guwahati, Asian Institute of Management and Technology (AIMT), Assam Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, Gauhati University attended the event.
A hands-on training programme on various aspects of radio production in the community radio, Radio Luit (90.8FM) was considered as one of the most exciting parts of the workshop.
