2002/03 development of Zimbabwe as documented in RBO's Archive
		That is what RBO did — between 1993 and 2000 — before the situation in Zimbabwe forced a freeze on all operations

For the first time a global & regular access was provided to: Voices from Africa

RBO’s audio-magazines were offered for subscription in English & German versions
thereby providing access to the continent with stories beyond the headlines for:

Each audio-cassette contained programme modules in which African journalists addressed issues of culture, gender, development and politics, from their own perspective.


The Radio Bridge Overseas Trust

was a non-governmental, non-profit media organisation based in Harare, Zimbabwe. RBO was the medium through which a South-North, South-South dialogue had begun to be achieved, with RBO acting as the "bridge" between various cultures of the two hemispheres.

RBO’s programmes offered more than a look at the day’s headlines. They furnished a mixture of serious and light-hearted reflections on and about Africa and its people. They also provided a context and so deepend the audience’s understanding of Southern societies, empowering these cultures to express themselves.

Since its inception in 1993, RBO has received a great deal of national and international attention. At the 1994 "National Journalistic and Media Awards", hosted by REUTERS Zimbabwe, RBO received the First Prize in the category of "Radio Producer - Information & Education". RBO added the "1994 Global Award for Media Excellence" as "Best Radio Programme" of that year to its growing list of recommendations. In 1996, RBO was selected to send one of its storytellers to participate in an African-European media-symposium in Vienna / Austria. As an invited "Worldwide Project of EXPO 2000", RBO received a Gold Medal at the World Exposition in Hannover / Germany.


The RBO Programmes

There were two principles that distinguished RBO’s programming: the first was the emphasis that was given to the viewpoint of the ‘layperson’. RBO correspondents took their microphones to the grassroots, the roadsides and the dancehalls of the continent for a new understanding of ‘informed perspective’.

The second feature of RBO programming was the role the authors played in their stories. Indeed, they were not encouraged to remove themselves from these stories, but acknowledged their response. While RBO was a non-aligned organisation we thought it was fair that the audience understood that RBO authors were active parts of their environment. It was this philosophy that drove RBO to mobilise some of the most outspoken journalists in Africa as storytellers who would often use phrases such as "... in my society ...", "... was my friend ..." or, ".... and I was afraid ...".


RBO’s stories were meant to:

> suggest portraits of multidimensional, dynamic African communities
> enlighten audiences with endogenous responses to familiar issues of our time in unfamiliar contexts
> and document the response of the collective identity that is prompted when heritage is confronted

Participate: RBO-Manual for "Voices from the South" — with audio-stories for download ... more Mitmachen: RBO-Anleitung für "Stimmen des Südens" — mit Audio-Geschichten zum Herunterladen ... mehr GET YOUR OWN SELECTION FROM RBO’s AUDIO ARCHIVE You may select from RBO's archive up to 20 stories as your own collection, and you will receive them as mp3-dubs on your own CD-Rom. For conditions visit RBO's MULTIMEDIA-SHOP CONTINUE WITH MORE RBO-DETAILS DEUTSCHE VERSION           WHERE YOU CAME FROM ZURÜCK WOHER SIE KAMEN           HOME OF KJS