Sense of Belonging, A: Community Radio and Civil Society

This book examines the role that community radio plays in building an effective civil society. It explores the value of community radio and highlights the importance of the community radio sector for the consolidation of local government, the growth of democracy, and the rebuilding of civil society.

The book is based on case studies and learning from some of ABC Ulwazi's community radio projects. ABC Ulwazi is a radio training and production house with the aim to strengthen the community radio sector in South Africa and to promote the development of radio as a tool for development and education.

A Sense of Belonging covers the following:

• Community radio - the book shows how community radio has been encouraged and protected by a democratic government and demonstrates how effective community radio can be in the service of society.
• Civil Society - the book takes a close look at what civil society is, and how exactly it relates to community radio and the public sphere.
• The Public Sphere - the public sphere is made up of the newspapers, the broadcasting sector, conferences where non-governmental organisations (NGOs) exchange ideas, local public meetings, and debates. These are the channels where citizens can exchange ideas. The book takes a look at how community radio contributes to this debate.

The book is designed for community radio station managers, community radio station board members, and trustees, as well as for representatives from NGOs and government think tanks.

The book includes the following chapters:

• Chapter 1 Signing on
• Chapter 2 The value of community radio
• Chapter 3 Community radio and democracy
• Chapter 4 Community radio, human rights and civil society
• Chapter 5 Frequently asked questions
• Chapter 6 Signing off
• References / Useful websites

To access this publication in PDF format, click here, go to the Published Works section, and below the title find a link to download the book.