Week Four : Children's Day of Broadcasting

Thai children and youths singing a song about HID/AIDS at Radio Thailand for International Children's Day of Broadcasting


International Children’s Day of Broadcasting
December 10, 2006
By : Bruce


Bangkok - Ten year-old Ton’s smile and excitement catches the attention of everyone at Radio Thailand as he presents his radio program on “The truth of living with HIV” in the mock-up broadcasting studio.

Ton is HIV infected and now lives in an orphanage and he does not know where his parents are. He feels sad and scared about his future, but he says “I live life day by day. I like to read comic books and play football with my friends.”

The Public Relations Department together with the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) organized this year’s International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, which falls on December 10 of each year. Their aims are to promote children’s rights in expressing their thoughts through various media especially television and radio.

The event gave young participants who are both HIV positive and negative the chance to learn more about the virus by sharing their experiences and understanding of what HIV/AIDS is, and how people become and do not become infected.

Children and youth wrote, produced and presented their radio programs about the day’s theme live on-air on FM 99.25 and AM 891 as children and adults throughout the Kingdom tuned in to listen to this special broadcast all day.

Other activities included singing songs, painting and discussing various topics related to HIV prevention and living with AIDS. Before the day drew to a close, the children sang a final song about how people can hold hands, hug and be friends with HIV positive children without risking their health.


Ms. Chantima Choeysa-Nguan, Public Relations Department Director explained“Unicef called on broadcasters worldwide to offer children in each country the opportunity to raise awareness about children in the country and give them a chance to participate in media programs in both television and radio.”

"The objectives of this event which were “to give out public information that can save children’s lives and to showcase the lives and talents of HIV positive children and give them the opportunity to demonstrate that HIV children are still normal human beings and they should not be excluded from their friends,” Ms. Chantima further elaborated.

__________________________________________________

RADIO VERSION

[International Children’s Day of Broadcasting ] National/EVE/Dec.10



Sounds of hope resonated through Radio Thailand as Thai youths, all wearing green T-shirts, sang songs to raise awareness about this year’s theme “Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS” on UNICEF’s International Children’s Day of Broadcasting.

Bangkok is one of many cities around the world celebrating this day with various activities to help both HIV positive and negative children learn how they can live together.

A poster says in Thai “You will not get AIDS by touching, sharing the same cup or using the same toilet with HIV positive people!”


Various booths were set up with information and educational activities, including a mock-up studio booth for children to broadcast their own radio programs.


The Public Relations Department Director, Ms. Chantima Choeysa-Nguan, says she hopes all participants had the opportunity to express their opinions, while children affected by HIV could express their insights through radio broadcasting.


This day was launched fifteen years ago and encourages broadcasters to focus their programming on children’s rights.

Bruce
Radio Thailand News