Media News South Africa

Using the media to build peace

The 2006 Media Kidocracy Konference, a partnership programme between Robben Island Museum and Bush Radio on Robben Island, aims to encourage children between 12 - 18 years to become involved in the media and talk about the issues that affect their lives. The theme for this year's conference, which takes place 6 - 10 December 2006, is conflict and peace building.

The partnership will use the legacy of Robben Island, the lessons learnt by ex political prisoners and the objective of the education department - "Creating life-long lessons for a Human Rights Culture" - to will allow the young people the opportunity to workshop how to use the media as a peace-building tool in a creative way.

A highlight of previous conferences has been the International Children and Youth Radio Manifesto, which was accepted at a UN sitting in 2004. The manifesto was drawn up by the young conference participants.

To coincide with the seventh annual Kidocracy Konference, Bush Radio's Children's Radio Education Workshop (CREW) project turns 10 this year. The CREW Project (made up of three groups: tots, kids and teens) has its own radio programmes on Bush Radio every Saturday morning. At the conference, CREW members will act as hosts and mini-facilitators to their young colleagues from within the region, as well as from as far afield as Canada and Cambodia.

Bush Radio's breakfast presenter Victor J will also host his show, It's All Good, live from the island for the duration of the conference.

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