World Radio Day celebrated in Afghanistan
13 February Kabul – UNESCO Kabul Office along with the Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA), Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) celebrated World Radio Day in Kabul. Radio professionals and stakeholders, journalists’ associations, the media and officials of the Afghan government and the international community gathered to celebrate the first World Radio Day in Afghanistan.
The message of the Afghan President H.E. Mr. Hamid Karzai was read by the Director-General of Afghanistan’s National Radio and Television. In his message, Mr. President called the radio as a handy and important tool accessible both for literate and non-literates who constitute the majority of the Afghan population.
H.E. Mr. Sayed Makhdum Raheen, the Minister of Information and Culture highlighted the role of radio in Afghanistan as the sole means of communication that has had wide coverage across the country. “We believe that the role of radio is very unique in Afghanistan and the sole public communication tool from early 20th century up to the 1970s” Mr. Raheen said.
Representing UNESCO, Mr. Edgar Sharuk, delivered the message from UNESCO’s Director-General in which the radio is described as “a medium that has transformed the way we communicate and that remains at the forefront of the 21st century”.
Radio professionals from BBC and Radio Arakozia also addressed the event and called upon for more attention to the radio and other communications tools in the country. The achievement of the media sector in past decade was called as one of the most valuable successes that the Afghan government and the Afghan people have achieved.
In December 2012, the United Nation’s General Assembly endorsed UNESCO’s proposition to announce 13 February as World Radio Day, and Afghanistan was one of the first countries to celebrate the event.
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