YOUNG CAMBODIAN CATHOLICS BROADCASTING RADIO PROGRAM

Posted: 5th March 2005

Ms. Kunthea, a member of the Radio team

Phnom Penh (C.S.C.): The Catholic Church in Cambodia has recently entered the area of radio communications. Father Omer Giraldo, director of the Catholic Social Communications (C.S.C.), National Office, told C.S.C. reporters about the importance of this moment since it is the first time that the Church in Cambodia is using radio phonic means in the fulfillment of its Mission”. “Given the high rate of illiteracy in Cambodia, we consider radio as one of the most important and effective ways to spread the Good News to many Cambodians”, said father Giraldo.

On December 4, 2004, a team of young Cambodian Catholics started the broadcasting of a weekly program called “Modern Youth” through the Family Radio Station of the FABC, a Protestant FM radio station broadcasting on the 99.5 MHz in Phnom Penh city, capital of Cambodia. “Modern Youth” is 15-minute Radio program that is being broadcasted twice every Saturday at 1:30 PM and 8:30 PM. The purpose of this program is to help young people to build self-reliance, equity in society, constructive moral principles and a peaceful environment.

Catholic Radio team

The C.S.C. started the conformation and training of a team of Radio Production at the end of the year 2003. “One year later we can taste the progress of this group of young Cambodian Catholics through broadcasting of this first radio program”, commented Mrs. Ling Lebrun, a protestant Christian radio trainer who has been guiding the radio team with her husband, Mr. Jean-Luc Lebrun. This project is being done in cooperation with other Christian denominations. The Bishop of Phnom Penh, Msgr. Emile Destombes manifested his joy for this accomplished wish. “We must learn from our protestant brothers and sisters who have a good experience in the use of different means of communication to spread Gospel values, as is the case of the FABC radio station in Phnom Penh”, said Msgr. Emile Destombes, in a dialogue with C.S.C. reporters.

Mr. Jean-Luc Lebrun and his wife, Mrs. Ling Lebrun, as radio experts, have been giving radio training to this team of young Catholics during one complete year. Mrs. Ling Lebrun told to our reporters that as facilitator of this radio program she feels a deep satisfaction for this achievement. “I’ve been helping as a radio facilitator. My purpose is to help the youths and particularly to contribute to the communication between youth and youth”, commented Mrs. Lebrun. “I have the confidence that Cambodian young boys and girls have a lot of inner potentialities in different fields that we must help to discover and to strengthen”, said Mrs. Lebrun. “This is our Christian mission”, she insisted.

In a dialogue of C.S.C. reporters with the Catholic radio team, Ms. Hou Soktheary, director of the radio program “Modern Youth” said that “through this Radio program the Catholic Church wants to extend its contribution for the education of young Cambodian people by allowing them to express themselves about different issues of their concern”. “We are encouraging the Khmer youth to participate in our programs as a way to exercise the freedom of expression via the radio waves”, said Mrs. Soktheary. Mr. Ly Sovanna, project manager of the CSC and member of the radio team, told our reporters that the general public can download these programs from the internet already. “We put them in the website of the Catholic Church in Cambodia www.catholiccambodia.org . Though they are in Khmer language, it is possible to read a general commentary about each program in English language”, said Mr. Ly Sovanna. Further more, Ms. Hou Soktheary added that “The voice of young people is the message itself. Our society can listen to the demands of our youth”.

“We are now preparing another radio program about problems in ‘human relationships’, also relevant to Cambodian youth. This program is done in a different format. It includes phone dialogues with young people and then the advice of an expert in the matter concerned”, explained Ms. Sotheary. As a matter of fact, nowadays, many Khmer youths are receiving the strong influence of foreign ideologies both good and bad. “Our aim is to help our youth to make a good discernment so that they can avoid and fight the evils of our society”.

The group of young people working in the media apostolate at the national media center in Phnom Penh agreed that by enhancing the media project the Catholic Church looks forward to have a more visible influence in the Cambodian society. The Christian Holy Scriptures can be better known by many Cambodians, especially young people, and through the Word of God many will discover a deeper meaning in their lives.

Mr Pascal Rafaud CSC adviser

Mr. Pascal Rafaud, French national and technical adviser at the C.S.C. interviewed by our reporters, spoke about the strong influence of Radio in Cambodian society. “Using the Radio as a means of communication is more important and more effective than through a newspaper because in Cambodia there are more ‘listeners than readers’. In Cambodia the oral tradition is still very strong and the Church can make good use of this fact”. “The Radio has the advantage of having an immediate effect in the minds and hearts of people, especially if the subject is focused around them”, added Mr. Pascal Rafaud.

Mrs. Chan Samoeung, director of Family Radio (FM. 99.5 MHz) told C.S.C. that in Cambodia about 62% of the population is young people. "Before the broadcasting of this program we didn’t have a way to discover their feelings and opinions. By the broadcasting of this Catholic weekly program we realized it has been a good opportunity for a lot of young people to express themselves" said Mrs. Chan. She commented that “This program is making possible that young people become a good example for other young people. So I think this program is good for the Khmer Youth”. Mrs. Chan Samoeung suggested that more Radio programs like this should be increased for the near future.

Asked about the influence of this radio program in the assumption of Christian values among the youth, Mrs. Chan Sameoung told our reporters that it is really difficult to know the real effect, given the strong influence of bad media in the Cambodian society of today. However, through radio programs like this we can sow the seeds of Christian values. “It is encouraging to see many young people interested in giving a true direction to their personal lives and many of them from a Christian perspective”, said Mrs. Chan.

“We expect in a near future to have several teams of young people producing Radio programs based on Christian values. By this way the Church can increase its presence in the Cambodia society”, said Fr. Omer, director of the C.S.C. In the following months “Modern Youth” program will be broadcasted in several local radio stations of the main cities of Cambodia.

Article Source: C.S.C. Catholic Social Communications - Catholic Church Cambodia- By SAM RANNY