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Programmes Home > DR Congo Home

June 2010

The DRC is one of the most pluralistic media environments in the world, with
more than 450 radio stations and more than 100 television stations. In Kinshasa
alone, there are 51 Congolese television stations, and surveys show that
television is the preferred source of information for Kinshasa’s 10 million
residents. With this enormous potential for TV to bring about social change,
Search for Common Ground has begun television production and training, using
different formats and innovative production-based training approaches.
The Team
The DRC is one of more than 10 countries around the world where Search for
Common Ground is producing a dramatic TV series called ‘The Team’. Based
around a fictional football team, the series handles issues of conflict and good
governance, resonating with the metaphor: “If we don’t collaborate, we won’t
score goals.” The Congolese version of The Team focuses on a female football
team, ironically named ‘The Mosquitos’ whose two characters face a struggle
with issues of sexual violence, corruption, tribalism, impunity and reconciliation,
as they try to lead the Mosquitos team to victory. The series finished its 45 day
shoot in late January, and is expected to be on air by July 2010. Watch your
screens!
Tosalel’ango (Let’s Do It) is DRC’s one and only Reality TV
program. Congolese under the age of 30 contact SFCG with a
vision of change for their community. Those with the best ideas are
selected to be on the show. Each week, cameras follow two young
‘challengers’ as the host accompanies them through ‘challenges’
related to making the change they want to see.. During the first two
seasons (28 episodes), youth addressed real life problems such as
water cuts, corruption, pollution, street children, and erosion. A survey
in November 2009 found that one out of four Kinshasa residents have heard of the program (a remarkable figure in a
saturated media environment where few programs have more than 10% of the audience), and 98% of the viewers felt that
the program had a positive impact on their lives.
SFCG is currently preparing the third season, which will also see the Tosalel’ango team leave Kinshasa and search for
‘challengers’ in at least two other provinces out of the country.
“This program is truly different from others. The
information is true and honest. Tosalel’ango serves
as a great source of inspiration for us. We now see
solutions whereby before we only saw problems.”
– Tosalel’ango viewer
TeleGouvernance Trainings and Productions Make their Mark
With support from the USAID Governing Justly and Democratically program, SFCG has partnered with TV stations in four
cities: Bukavu, Kisangani, Mbuji-Mayi and Matadi. In each city, SFCG’s Television and Governance trainer selected the most
influential station, and organized a series of trainings and co productions aimed at increasing the role of the TV station in
local governance. Nine months later, the TV stations have produced 67 television programs using formats including
roundtables, interviews, man-on-the-street interviews, and investigative reporting. SFCG’s added value has been twofold: the
training reinforced the journalists’ technical skills about how to handle different formats; and it gave guiding principles and
practical examples about what governance means, and how TV journalists can contribute to promoting transparency, and
fighting corruption and impunity. A snap survey of 157 people in Bukavu showed that 61% of the population know of the
TeleGouvernance programs on Vision Shala, SFCG’s local partner, and 74% said that the programs were markedly richer
than other TV programs, notably in the pertinence of the subjects, the educational value and the technical quality. Trainer
Gedeon Engwanda analysed the impact of the TeleGouvernance project on the stations themselves, and found that all four
had revised their program schedules to include more subjects around governance, had implemented tighter controls against
bribery and partisanship in their editorial coverage , and had improved their relationship with local authorities through the
enhanced credibility that the TeleGouvernance programs brought to the stations.
SFCG Brings Conflict Sensitivity into Humanitarian Interventions
SFCG is launching a partnership with UNICEF as part of an important stabilization and reintegration project known as
Programme of Expanded Assistance to Returnees (PEAR) Plus. Search for Common Ground will be helping UNICEF and
other international NGOs (IRC, Oxfam GB, Coopi and AVSI) to integrate a conflict sensitive and peacebuilding approach
into the reconstruction effort in the eastern DRC. The project targets water, sanitation, education and infrastructure, in order
to rebuild regions devastated by the war. SFCG’s role stems from an important study that SFCG conducted last year on the
conflict sensitivity of humanitarian interventions in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri. The study found a deep mistrust between
local actors and the humanitarian community, and that humanitarians generally sidestepped important conflicts in the
communities where they worked. SFCG will accompany this project by reinforcing NGO capacities, building a strong
relationship between humanitarian groups and radio stations, and integrating innovative and participative SFCG activities
into the target areas. The full report is available in French at http://www.alnap.org/pool/files/french-fullword-final.pdf. The
summary is available in both English and French: http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/drcongo/pdf/
English_SummaryCover_Final.pdf , http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/drcongo/pdf/French_SummaryCover_Final.pdf.
SFCG Combats Sexual Violence
Sexual and gender-based violence continues to be a gaping wound for the Democratic Republic of Congo as the nation looks
towards a more peaceful and democratic future. This violence has not abated, and perpetrators include military, armed
groups as well as civilians. Between January and September 2009, the United Nations recorded more than 7,500 cases of
rape in North and South Kivu, which was more than the total of recorded cases for all of 2008. SFCG responds to this crisis
with an approach that emphasizes prevention through awareness raising – a complement to the multiple reactive strategies
aimed at caring for survivors of many other national and international organizations in DRC.
Snapshot on SFCG’s media audience
In late 2009 SFCG undertook quantitative and qualitative surveys amongst nearly 3,000 people in nine cities
around the country to judge the impact of its media and governance work around the country as well as
perceptions of governance by citizens. Here are some of the findings :
- The public’s understanding of government action has increased in general, but Decentralization is a
source of confusion. Whereas in the baseline 16% stated to be informed of government’s actions, now
that figure has risen to 44%. The percentage of those feeling “well informed” about good governance
has increased from 59% to 64%. However, those feeling “well informed” about decentralization has
decreased from 51% to 48%.
- There are increased opportunities for dialogue, but this is accompanied by skepticism about whether
government acts upon citizen’s viewpoints. A large and increasing majority of Congolese feel their
viewpoints are not taken into account by the government, rising from 70% to 79%. But still, 42% feel that
there are frameworks for population to interact with authorities, up from 28% in the baseline.
- Media has become more inclusive. Whereas only 16% felt that their voices were heard in the local radio
broadcasts during the baseline survey, now 43% feel that their voices are included either “often” or
“sometimes”.
- Audiences of SFCG Radio programs are generally high, with nearly all programs reaching between 20%
and 50% of the cities where they are broadcast.
- SFCG’s programs are considered impartial and unique. 76% considered that the programs produced were
impartial, and 55% felt that SFCG’s programs gave information that are not available anywhere else.
Singing Compassion
SFCG supported a Synergy of engaged artists in Bukavu in December 2009 to produce and distribute a landmark collaboration
aimed at promoting compassion for rape survivors in DRC. The program brought together well-known artists from Bukavu who each
brought in their ‘flavour’ of music, with socially-engaged lyrics in 5 languages. “We are with you, we will stand by you,” sang the
refrain – a simple but poignant message in a culture where rape survivors often find rejection rather than compassion by their
husbands and family members.
Mobile Cinema
SFCG is launching the second phase of its Mobile Cinema project, which projects and discusses the film ‘Fighting the Silence’
produced by IF Productions, with support from
Amnesty International and UNHCR. Af ter
reaching approximately 400,000 persons since
September 2008, SFCG is launching a second
phase, with a closer collaboration with local
partners through local coalitions against sexual
violence (Commission Territoriales de Lutte Contre
les Violences Sexuelles). A second focus will be
on working closely with the police and the army
in North and South Kivu, with the aim of reaching
a “critical mass” of security force personnel to
combat sexual violence. A second phase will see
Mobile Cinema activities in North and South Kivu,
and will include a ‘prevention’ working group,
br inging toget her local communi cator s
(journalists, musicians, actors, etc) to enable them
to grasp the messages arising from the important
body of research around the causes of SGBV.
Live and Love - Getting to the
Youth
Most Congolese youth under the age of 25 have grown up with conflict and instability around them. Sexual violence has
become almost commonplace, and many believe that war coupled with poverty and social instability has fomented negative
and violent gender relations amongst youth. Live and Love (Uishe na Upende) is the name of the newest of SFCG’s radio
programs, aimed helping youth between 15 and 25 years old talk seriously about their sexuality, their relationships, and how
to avoid the risks of violence and exploitation. Produced by Justin Marius, 23, the program uses a magazine format to go into
communities and record frank conversations between young boys and girls. Subjects include the role of money and gifts in
relationships, early marriage, parents’ attitudes towards youths’ relationships, pornography, and how to raise culturally taboo
subjects. Focus groups with young people revealed that the tone and subject matter resonated; many said these subjects were
on their mind but they were unable to talk about them.
Audio and Video Spots
Over the last six months, SFCG produced 10 audio spots and 5 video spots, working with the Goma-based arts
collective Yole! Africa on the videos. The radio spots, in Swahili, were produced by SFCG to reinforce a series of important
messages about SGBV, related to the illegality of ‘amiable arrangement’ of rape cases, the importance of legally registering
all children, including those born of rape , and the importance of seeking medical attention within 72 hours of an attack. The
video messages aim to put a twist on prejudices and stereotypes, highlighting that we often discriminate against rape
survivors even though, just as in a traffic accident, the victim is clearly not at fault.
Fighting Impunity
The rule of law and the fight against impunity remain amongst the biggest challenges in the reconstruction of the DRC. SFCG
continues to work with security forces, notably the Congolese army through the innovative ‘Tomorrow is a New Day’ project in
five provinces. The project empowers leaders within army brigades and battalions with interactive and participatory tools to
sensitise their units on human rights and civilian protection messages using audio sketches, image boxes, participatory theatre,
and mobile cinema screenings. The units also organize joint activities with the civilians around them, targeting the parts of the
surrounding community with whom relationships are the most negative.
Activities often include athletic matches, cultural
activities, joint work projects, and public meetings.. In recent months, this project has expanded to Ituri and North Katanga, in
addition to reaching tens of thousands of soldiers in North and South Kivu and Kinshasa. An added component to this project
is a new radio program aimed at highlighting the positive steps underway in the fight against impunity. Called ‘The Road to
Justice’, this program covers special military and civilian courts, interviewing magistrates, victims, community members and
human rights activists. The program aims to influence, gradually, the overwhelming distrust that the population feel towards the
civilian and military justice system. Most mainstream media coverage highlights the exactions and crimes committed, the cases
of criminals escaping prison and the like; SFCG seeks to report factually and accurately on concrete steps being taken to
combat impunity, be so that Congolese may also be aware of the slow but steady progress underway.
Mopila Goes to Jail!
The latest edition of the famous “Mopila”
taxi driver comic book series sees Mopila
getting himself arrested, caught up in helping
a sexual violence victim, and helping a
courageous young policewoman. Already, more
than 90,000 copies of “Mopila on Justice Avenue”
have been produced in French, Swahili and Lingala, and
are being distributed around the country. The 24-page comic
book shows both positive and negative police characters, and
includes a mixture of SFCG’s famous radio drama characters from
its Mopila series, as well as from its “Tomorrow is a New Day’ and
“My Neighbour is my Brother” radio drama series. Pre-tests
revealed that the messages led to concrete learning and positive
shifts in attitudes amongst a diverse audience ranging from police
officers and magistrates to ordinary youth and market women. The
comic book will soon be available for download at the SFCG website, and hard copies are available
at SFCG's offices in Kinshasa, Bukavu and Goma.
Search for Common Ground en RDC
Kinshasa:
numéro 5 de l'avenue Bandoma dans le Quartier GB
Commune de Ngaliema
Kinshasa, DRC
Référence : arrêt 7 maisons sur l'avenue de l'OUA
Bukavu:
#4 Avenue Kalehe
Commune d'Ibanda
Bukavu, DRC
email: rdc@sfcg.org
Ph: +243 812411375
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