Lumko Mtimde

Marie-Helene Bonin

Nkopane Maphiri

Kodjo Nyamaku

This booklet discusses the role of community radio stations in building participatory democracy and development in Africa and offers ideas as to how such stations can be established. It provides an understanding of the renewed popularity in community radio, as well as the reasons why it is controversial, and perhaps threatening, from the point of view of commercial and public broadcasters.

It is hoped that this booklet can provide relevant information for those who would like to start up a community radio station in a particular community, lobby for legislation enabling the development of community radio in their country, or reinforce the development of an existing community radio station.

This publication is not a training manual. The issues touched upon need to be revisited to answer the day-to-day practical challenges and problems facing community radio stations. There are more detailed manuals from Latin America, Europe and North America which offer practical hands-on experiences.

AMARC website on January 27 2005.