Bilingual Radio: Indigenous raise their Voices
For many centuries the indigenous people in Peru have been oppressed. This oppression still persists today, especially in education and in the media. This is where the radio project of PUKLLASUNCHIS comes into play.
Children produce bilingual and intercultural radio programmes and thereby are actively included in the school lessons, and have the opportunity to engage with indigenous knowledge and culture. The radio project facilitates the intercultural and bilingual approach for the teachers. The children’s self-confidence is increased and they strengthen their native language and engage with their cultural background. In the sub project, indigenous women are taught to be “communication leaders” and produce multilingual and intercultural radio programmes.
The radio programmes are broadcasted on local and regional radios and give the children, women and indigenous communities a voice in the media. The project provides a key to equality in the education system and makes the voices of the women and the indigenous knowledge heard. The radio programmes are collected by PUKLLASUNCHIS and applied by educational institutes as intercultural teaching material. The project supports a democratisation process that is essential for the Peruvian society.
Raúl Chiappe Pio
Director PUKLLASUNCHIS, Peru
„Pukllasunchis is a term from the Quechua language. It means “let’s play” and expresses what has guided our institution from the very beginning: The importance of play in learning processes, socialisation and personal development. It encourages us to be present and to engage physically, mentally and emotionally with the people we work with and for. We associate play with joy, connection and happiness. We strive for a conscious and engaged coexistence with diversity that emphasises human dignity and our relationship with nature, both personally and in the community.“
