World Radio Day

February 13 is World Radio Day, which celebrates the radio as a way of educating people, providing information, and promoting freedom of expression acrossculturesThe theme chosen this year is "Youth and Radio" calling for greater social inclusion of the generation under 30 years old, which accounts for more than half of the worlds population

World Radio Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011 as aday to remember the unique power of radio to touch lives and bring people together across every corner of the globe.From news and public debate to music and entertainment, radio continues to inform, captivate and inspire us in a way that no other medium can.

It reaches more people in more places than any other medium. Its a bridge of communication for remote communities, developing regions and vulnerable populations, sometimes with no other connection to the outside world. Perhaps no other platform can have the real-time reach between people and across cultures.

Each year the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) celebrates World Radio Day by planning activities with broadcasters, organizations and communities around the world.

About World Radio Day Despite being over 100 years old, the radio is one of the most popular ways to exchange information, provide social interchange, and educate people all over the world It has been used to help people, including youth, to engage in discussions on topics that affect them.

It can save lives during natural or human-made disasters, and it gives journalists a platform to report facts and tell their stories. The first World Radio Day was officially celebrated in 2012.

On this occasion, UNESCO calls for greater social inclusion of the generation under 30 years old, which accounts for more than half of the worlds population, and underlines the power of radio to contribute to this objective.

Young women and men are not sufficiently represented in the media -- an exclusion that often reflects a wider social, economic and democratic exclusion. Young producers and broadcasters are still rare. Too few programmes are devoted to or designed by young people. This deficit explains the many stereotypes concerning young people circulating in the media and over the airwaves.

Radio provides the means for change.It is a vector of cohesion, education and culture.It is a platform for exchange, where young people may find their place and express themselves.It is often through young people (citizen journalists or freelancers) that the international press are able to cover current affairs in sensitive or dangerous regions. Many have risked their lives in the service of information and the radio. Supporting them better by giving them greater voice, we can air innovative ideas and new viewpoints and renew collective energies. This is the goal of World Radio Day in 2015, reflecting UNESCOs efforts to counter all forms of discrimination.Ideas, events, resources and additional information can be found on the World Radio Day 2015 website.