NEPALI YOUTH IN CANADA HOST FLAGSHIP RADIO PROGRAM
Pramod Dhakal
Ottawa, Canada (September 16, 2008) – Canada Forum for Nepal (CFFN) has launched CFFN Radio, a new audio network where listeners can access radio programs produced by or distributed by the organization. The audio programs can be downloaded or played directly from CFFN Radio’s website (http://radio.cffn.ca).
All content is also available free of charge through the iTunes Store. It is CFFN’s desire that the radio programs published online will broadcast through a radio station in Nepal so that anyone in the region, regardless of their available resources, could listen. The program content is richly educational, while remaining entertaining and inviting discussions.
CFFN Radio’s first program is called Yuba Sanchar. Directed by CFFN’s Geeta Thapa and Ben Wood, the program is run entirely by youth members of the Nepalese community from Ottawa. It focuses on topics and discussions relevant to today’s Nepalese youth, balanced by education segments, as well as entertainment segments that include music, stories, and jokes. Yuba Sanchar’s first two episodes are currently available; new episodes will air every other Thursday.
Yuba Sanchar was ceremoniously launched on August 27 by Hon. Hisila Yami, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation and a member of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal, at an interaction program hosted by CFFN. “It was a great timing for us to have Hon. Hisila Yami to launch Yuba Sanchar amidst a program of great interest and attendance following her wonderful presentation,” says Yuba Sanchar coordinator Dr. Pramod Dhakal. As Hisila Yami officially launched this program, the sound of Yuba Sanchar filled the hall. “It was an exciting and exceptional moment for Yuba and for the team members whose enduring work made this program a reality.”
Yuba Sanchar embodies everything that CFFN stands for; it connects Canada and Nepal in a meaningful way, provides a platform for discussion, involves youth participation, and innovates upon existing paradigms through creative ways of sharing ideas and utilizing emerging technologies. “Yuba was the starting point for this project, and it will always be the flagship program for CFFN Radio,” says Ben Wood, who is also the Manager and Spokesperson of the radio program.
CFFN plans to produce one more show by year’s end. Beyond airing its own content, CFFN has the ability to distribute content produced by others about Nepal, Canada, or building cooperation between the two nations. In addition to programs, CFFN Radio will be able to air specials, including audio presentations from conferences and other events.
To access CFFN Radio programs and to learn more about CFFN Radio, please visit http://radio.cffn.ca.