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Afghanistan is a “radio culture.” Well before the civil war began in 1979, Afghans in their villages listened to radio, especially music, as a primary form of entertainment and source of information. Under the Taliban regime, people were forbidden to listen to music. News and information were tightly controlled, and communities were isolated.
Today, USAID is working with the Afghan people and international organizations to rebuild communications and journalistic capacity. The goal is to inform and unite Afghanistan's people to help produce a peaceful, stable, and viable political transition and administration.
USAID:
- Distributed more than 30,000 radios that enable Afghans to hear special broadcast bulletins concerning food distribution, security, healthcare, and other information relevant to displaced people.
- Provided Radio Afghanistan with satellite equipment and access to short-wave transmitters to extend Radio Kabul to the entire country.
- Is spending $1.1 million to train and equip local Afghan journalists to report on political, social and economic issues, instead of merely reporting government meetings.
- Spent over $1 million to train and equip 134 state radio journalists in the use of digital radio equipment, station management, and modern media practices. Fifteen radio stations have been provided with digital equipment.
- Is assisting in the creation of an office of public information for the Afghan Government.
- Is spending $1.4 million to provide managerial, technical and financial support to establish up to 16 independent local FM radio stations dedicated to sharing and jointly creating information programming across Afghanistan.
- Is supporting the training of 16 Afghan women filmmakers, who will produce a documentary describing the lives of women throughout the country, featuring interviews with 200 women, including 100 who participated in the Emergency Loya Jirga.
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