Method and practice in participatory radio: Rural radio forums in Malawi

Abstract

Participatory development entails the active engagement of the citizenry in the production, sharing and utilisation of relevant knowledge towards improving their livelihoods. For much of the developing nations, especially in Southern Africa, without access to electricity, telephones, internet and television, radio is the only reliable, affordable, pervasive and extensive avenue for information and knowledge exchange that the majority of poor citizens can afford. Sampling a participatory radio project from Malawi, this paper critiques the depth of radio as a strategy for promoting community participation in development policy formulation and implementation. The paper argues that radio is a reliable tool for strengthening democratic values when employed as a tool for engaging marginalised communities to frame out their development aspirations, as this creates a sense of pride and ownership in development interventions.