Youth in Mesoamerica produce radio messages about safe migration
Why is making radio still important in our region? This is one of the questions with which the Mesoamerica Program personnel initiate the communication workshops they have been imparting in the region since this past April. Adolescents quickly raise their hands to share, among other reasons, the importance this channel still has in many of their communities as well as the important technological advances that augment the possibilities and platforms to produce and diffuse these type of messages.
Not long after that, they are writing scripts, recording their voices, and even editing and composing their own radio messages, that mostly focus on recognizing and preventing crimes such as trafficking in persons and smuggling, promoting the rights of migrants, and calling for a pacific coexistence.
“I am now in love of making radio. I want to keep making it because I also discovered that it is a channel to educate and help people” said Alexandra, one of the youth participants in El Salvador. On the other hand, in San Marcos, Guatemala, Gabriel affirmed that he decided to assist to the workshop because “as youth we must continuously learn to have the tools to build a better future for all”.
The ages of the participants range from 11 to 20 years old, and are mostly composed of youth leaders that have some experience in organization and human rights advocacy in their communities.
“We facilitate awareness-raising and empowerment process from the community, helping youth opinions in migration to be heard. Yet, the ambition to work in projects as such already exist in the youth of the region. Many of them have experienced closely the risks and consequences of irregular migration. They have much to say and can easily identify with the messages we promote through our InformArte en Movimiento Campaign” assured Alexandra Bonnie, regional coordinator of the Mesoamerica Program.
To date, workshops have been carried out in 6 of the 7 countries in the region, and have left as a result 18 radio podcasts. The podcasts produced by the participants will be diffused in different local and regional radio stations, but can also be heard online right now (in spanish only).