Radio For European Citizens
Press Officers Seminar, Workshop No. 1 "Communicating beyond borders and cultures"
Brussels, 27th January 2009
Dear Ms King, Mr Delfosse, Mr Hélin,
Dear Members, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Year 2009 is going to give a historical opportunity for EESC for the inclusion of European citizens into the debate on the European Union, and also for enhancing participatory democracy, thus making preparations for the European Parliamentary elections.
Since the accession of 2006 this is going to be the first election of the EU27. All EU institutions are going to be reformed. Although EESC is not such an institution, it is continuously working as an advisory body. The members of EESC can stand for local, regional, country and EU-level interests on behalf of organized civil society.
The citizens of the European Union have to face a lot of major challenges, such as the global financial crisis, often resulting lay-offs and impoverishment for the citizens. The difference between the rich and the poor is almost unbearable. The starvation and poverty of children, dismissals, homelessness cannot be considered as rare phenomena nowadays – all of these occur in large numbers indeed, especially in the former socialist countries.
The positive and beneficial effect of the EU is not experienced at all, or in a disadvantageous way – and this is true especially for the ones living in the rural areas. The priority of the internal market compared to the interest of the citizens cause really significant problems for them (the forced privatization of publics services, a huge number of dismissals and the rising costs of services) and makes them disappointed.
The recent termination of gas service has led to demonstrations, and we do not know exactly how many people were feeling cold and what damages resulted from it.
The media controlled by the governments of certain member states provide unreal or fragmented information to the citizens. In many countries the democratic requirements of the European Union often exist only in a written, not in a living form. What kind of changes can we live with in such a situation? Why is it important to improve and utilize intercultural dialogue as a tool for the dialogue between individuals and institutions?
The EU’s population, i.e. almost 500 million people differ from one another in their mother tongue, religion, lifestyle, political opinion and culture as well. What can be their common interest? To create a worthy human life. And in order to do so the mutual acknowledgement and respect of each other is essential. It is also necessary for the creation of a worthy human life to influence political will with the recognition and fine-tuning of individual and public interests.
What tools are available for decision making on the individuals’ level?
What percentage of the population of 500 million has Internet access? How many so-called public radio and television provide real information – necessary for decision making – for their citizens and the migrants living here? What is the number of illiterate or functionally illiterate people living in our societies? What is the number of children who do not attend school? For how many people do their religious requirements prohibit to get into contact with others?
Is it enough if we apply intercultural dialogue only via the Internet? Or do we have to contribute to the creation of a sectoral cultural common language and toolbar for the policies influencing EU citizens (healthcare, agriculture, education, security, foreign affairs) over the recognition of classical cultures?
How can we promote the right for information by encouraging intercultural dialogue? Do we need the general and sectoral handbooks of European cultures in order to promote the integration of all those who are living and working here (as EESC recommended it )? What should we do in order to reach that the citizens not only formally, but in reality participate in the forming of political will? What should we do to have a greater democracy in Europe?
We have to provide information, information and information for everybody living here, and also equal opportunities to get access to this information!
The more information we provide, the more democracy we have.
And what kind of information should we provide? Manipulated or real? Whose responsibility is to provide manipulation-free information? It is a responsibility of all of us. Why should we go back to the radio? “Roosevelt was famous for using radio and Kennedy for his use of television. Obama … used the internet as the central platform of his campaign.” Is it true that we can reach everybody living in the EU via the Internet – although everybody should have the same rights, for the access of information as well ? In a former opinion EESC proposed the establishment of a public radio or television channel, especially for the one, who – through no fault of theirs – are isolated from information. The number of such people is on the increase. Ethical or civil control is also needed, so that no concern could manipulate the listener or the viewer. So that nothing like this – mentioned in a campaign – could occur: the politician also has to be sold, just like washing powder.
Radio, that is affordable nearly everybody is suitable not only for delivering information, but also for teaching and deepening people’s knowledge, thus by joining local radios with an EU-radio we could provide continuous ‘circulation’ among the institutions and the citizens of the EU. The members of EESC could directly participate in this work as intermediators of local and EU interests.
Education and information through the radio is having an increasingly important role nowadays, because the local or national conflicts of minorities, the loss of workplaces and that of the use of the mother tongue cannot be solved with one-sided or little information. If the individual, the voter feels that his everyday life is oppressed with severe, unsolved conflicts as a result of his nationality, religion, political opinion or – let’s say – the lack of gas, then he will not consider the European Parliamentary elections – i.e. the direct exercising of democracy – as a meaningful and effective tool for solving his conflicts and everyday subsistence problems.
We trust that the Radio for European Citizens was created to broadcast the voices of ordinary people living in different parts of the European Union. We believe that when discussing the global economy, health care, climate change, agriculture and other important topics, the most valuable perspectives come from the people themselves. We hope that there will be a space for all those who would like to share their experiences, stories and opinions, which will bring European people closer together.
The motto of the Radio for European Citizens is ‘Back to the radio!’, which represents a return to a time when the human voice and community opinion really mattered. It would be good if the interviews were based on the idea to better inform ourselves, understand the world we live in, and therefore each other.
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