As part of the GIZ-CPS supported project on “Cohesion Building: Promoting Respect for Diversity in Five Informal Settlements within Nairobi”, CEEC partnered with Koch FM, Mtaani Radio and Pamoja Fm for a total of 25 weekly Embracing Diversity Talk Shows per station which aired from June to November 2021. The Radio Talk Shows proved to be an appropriate medium to increase awareness and understanding on the importance of embracing diversities due to their vast coverage.
The talk show guest were project trainees and some participants of the Intergenerational Dialogue Forums drawn from Dandora, Mathare, Kawangware, Kibra and Korogocho. With guided questions, the guests engaged on the different types of diversities in their communities, myths and stereotypes surrounding those diversities and how the youth and older generation can work together to promote respect for diversity. With an estimated listenership of over 100,000 people across the 3 radio stations, the Talk Shows amplified the message of peaceful co-existence while urging the youth to resist and condemn political manipulation and use of violence in the run up to the 2022 general elections. Feedback calls from the listeners indicated an appreciation of the topics discussed which they noted were important if the communities were to co-exist peacefully. In addition, the attendance of both a youth and community leader in the talk shows ensured that both age groups had an opportunity to articulate their different needs and strengths necessary for cohesion building.