[open-government] Bangladesh: Demystifying Budget through Community Radio

[michael gurstein]

http://ansa-sar.org/2012/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=section&id=
1:publications&Itemid=96

Putting new dots to connect the remote

Demystifying Budget through Community Radio

ANSA-SAR blends the difficult budgeting process with the popular form of
indigenous
culture to make it tenderer and closer to the community people. In a
partnership with
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC), the ANSA-SAR
team has successfully completed a three days community radio programme
recording
on "Citizens' Involvement in Budget Preparation" held respectively in
Belbari, Gobratola
Union Parisad; Ranihati Union Parisad; Upazilla and Zilla Parisad of
Chapainababganj
from 31st August to 2nd September 2012. It is an initiative to launch
Community Radio
programme titled "Raising Awareness for Citizens Participation and
Engagement in
Budget Process through Community Radio". 

The combined team of BNNRC and ANSA recorded the Vox Pop of indigenous
people of Belbari, Gobartola Union Parisad. The
community radio programme recording sessions were designed to incorporate
Mass
Awareness Songs, Indigenous form of folk drama- Ghambrira, Vox Pop of the
community people and interviews of the Elected Representatives on Citizens'
involvement in Budget preparation. The lyrics of the Songs and Ghambhira
have been
well devised to convey the message on budget process and aware the community
people to participate in budgeting. The recorded programme will be aired on
the 3rd
week of September by 14 Community Radio Stations in 13 districts. 

The Community Radio programmes have designed to corroborate the issues as
follows:
. Budget Management at local level
. Monitoring and tracking of local budget management
. An overview of National budget
. Relation between National and local budget
. Community participation in local budgeting process
. Local Resource Mobilization in local level budgeting