Posts by Jon Hargreaves
Umoja FM – North Kivu
Torn apart by 20 years of brutal and bloody conflict, North Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the most violence-stricken parts of the world. In a region with huge economic potential, many armed groups without specific goals regularly engage in fighting – with devastating consequences for the local populations.…
Read MorePeace centre for Kenya’s troubled Tana River
HCR and Canadian-based Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention, are about to set up a “Peace Centre” in the conflicted east Kenyan region of Tana Delta. The centre will be established in the town of Garsen and will serve as a hub to analyse misinformation and rumours, as well as disseminate reliable information and messages…
Read MoreA new voice of hope in DR Congo
In eastern DR Congo’s conflicted province of North Kivu, HCR has been working with partners to establish a new community radio station, Umoja (Unity) FM. One of the architects of the project is Member of Parliament Albert Baliesima Kadukima who has great hopes for this station….
Read MoreA Critical year for Tana FM in the run up to Kenya’s elections
With recent warnings from Kenya’s electoral commission that a rise in ethnically charged “hate speech” threatens Kenya’s elections in 2017, the team at HCR partner station, Tana FM, know they have an important role – to promote peace. Elections in the past have led to violence, particularly in Tana River County. Next month, some 22.4 million…
Read MoreAmplifying Voices in Sierra Leone
It is nearly 3 months since their country was declared Ebola-free and Sierra Leoneans are yearning for a return to normality. But for many, life still remains far from normal, as communities emerge from trauma, where many still face social stigma, persistent health problems and don’t trust the health system. Added to this, an estimated…
Read MoreAustralian University honours HCR Founder
Dr. Ross James shows workshop participants in Pakistan his shoes, saying, “If you want to change communities you need to get your shoes dirty.” HCR’s Founder, Dr. Ross James has been nominated for a Curtin University Global Impact Award for ‘outstanding contributions that have enriched the welfare of humanity on an international scale’. The award, which…
Read MoreTana FM prepares communities for El Nino
As the Kenyan Meteorological office warns coastal areas in Kenya of the high risk of flooding due to El Niño, newly founded HCR partner station Tana FM , is playing its part to get communities prepared. Having gone on the air with the first test broadcasts only in May this year, Alex Stout and Jon…
Read MoreA new voice for peace in Eastern Kenya’s troubled Tana River County
Since the nineteenth century, eastern Kenya’s Tana River county has often been the scene of violent conflict, largely between two ethnic groups, the dominant Orma, who are nomadic cattle-herders and the Pokomo, who are farmers. Many of the disputes have been over land use and access to water, however the intensity of these conflicts has…
Read MoreVIDEO DIARY: Peacebuilding in Kenya
Broadcast journalist Alex Williams has joined HCR UK’s Alex Stout to develop a community-centred radio station in Eastern Kenya’s troubled Tana River County. Here’s his latest video diary.
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