In June 2012, CRSS achieved an unparalleled landmark; i.e. roughly 1,500 radio shows in humanitarian information and strategic communication for communities affected by conflict and crisis. It began in October 2009, with a 30-minute, 7 days a week humanitarian information intervention in response to the Swat crisis in partnership with Internews, USA. Given the socio-political context, it was an ambitious understanding i.e. the urgency to inform over two million IDPs of Swat through a radio programme named Sabawoon (the dawn).
The challenge was not only to keep them connected with the information highway of health, hygiene and relief centres, but also to prompt the affectees and the extended community in to critical and soul searching questions such as why did Malakand/Swat sink in religious radicalism. CRSS inter news programmes covered all aspects of the communities, and were aired through five FM/AM radio stations, keeping them informed once a day through a structured, professionally produced programme.
In 2010, flash floods in the northwestern regions disrupted life beyond imagination, destroyed homes and hearths adding to the miseries of the people who were still ruling under the consequences of the militancy.
The new situation directed the partial focus of programming from conflict to natural crisis and its consequences. It eventually expanded the spectrum of the Inter news-CRSS programming to central and southern Pakistan, which lasted until October 2011, making it the longest ever humanitarian information programme in Asia that the Internews ever supported.
Additionally, in June 2011, CRSS had launched another live, 6/days a week Strategic Communications programming from Peshawar, syndicated through FM 101, AMC Peshawar, FM 93 Kohat, D.I.Khan, Abbottabad.
In June, 2012, Sabawoon completed a year of successful live strategic communications– shows i.e. counter-radicalization in conflict-militancy-hit regions. With the support of the donors, these shows will hopefully run through June 2013.
Coincidentally, in June, 2012 CRSS partnered with USIP- to launch another project in strategic communications i.e. ¿Da Aman Awaz–- another live, syndicated 5 days/ week, Pashto language show.
One of the major objectives of this show is to revive the frank community debate on the reasons that have facilitated the rise religious militancy and radicalization of minds.
CRSS takes pride in having revived the debate about the traditional social tools of dialogue and engagement i.e. Jirga and Hujra. Both stand for a candid community dialogue forum that had for centuries served tribes and communities as dialogue and conflict resolution tool.
Unfortunately, the religious militancy that swept several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA particularly after December 2007, rendered these social tools ineffective. Fear of reprisals by socially entrenched radical militants
A steady, at times overwhelming, stream of listeners feedback i.e. thousands of phone calls during and after both shows has served as a great impetus for the CRSS radio team. This listener response also underscores the appetite for focused, structured, enlightened and thought-provoking and bold programming on socio-political issues in an environment that was until recently marked by fear and reluctance.
All phone calls / short messaging ´ SMS ´ from listeners based in various southern and northern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA are meticulously documented and are available for any body interested in scrutiny of the listenership.
CRSS is determined to use Radio as a cheap but powerful accessible-to-all medium for
Social Change
Peace
Counter-Radicalisation
Sensitization in Democratic Rights
Inclusive Security and
Tolerance
We at CRSS hope to continue the Mission i.e. promoting an informed s ocio-political Narrative to counter social conservatism and religious obscurantism.