Jamaica benefitting in media and ICT from UNESCO

Luke Douglas

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

COMMUNITY radio stations and multimedia centres are among the projects undertaken in Jamaica by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and have given urban and rural communities greater access to information.

The success of these activities in Jamaica has led the way in UNESCO establishing similar projects elsewhere in the Caribbean, the agency's officials told editors and reporters during the Observer's Monday Exchange.

The radio stations established with the assistance of UNESCO include Roots FM at the charity organisation Mustard Seed Communities in Kingston, JET FM -- the station of the Jeffrey Town Farmers Cooperative in St Mary, and a station which serves the inmate population at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre and the South Camp Rehabilitation Centre in Kingston.

The prison radio network, which is operated by the inmates themselves, provides information on rehabilitation and education, UNESCO's director for the Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean Dr Kwame Boafo said. He noted that similar prison radio stations have since been established in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.

JET FM is providing information to farmers about farming techniques and markets, he disclosed. Also established with UNESCO help is a container project in Palmer's Cross in Clarendon at which so-called youth-at-risk are trained in marketable multimedia skills.

"Jamaicans are very ingenious and inventive," Dr Boafo said, noting the information and communication technology equipment have been placed in unconventional locations, such as in wheelbarrows.

Dr Boafo also disclosed that an information literacy initiative was successfully implemented, and that UNESCO is in discussion with the Ministry of Education and the Jamaica Library Service for its expansion.

The information literacy initiative aims to help persons understand "the message behind the message" in media broadcasts.

UNESCO is also working with the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication at the University of the West Indies to introduce online courses in community media and journalism.

The agency also supports and initiates activities to mark World Press Freedom day in May each year.