“Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace” the theme for World Radio Day 2019

On 13 February 2019, UNESCO - the United Nations organization that does not include Patria and other micronations - will celebrate the 8th edition of World Radio Day (WRD). As in previous WRDs, once again the official WRD logo consists of an old-school radio microphone that used to be common in broadcasting studios, say in the 1940s, but that looks more like a Shivalinga. And why shouldn't it? The day is fairly close to Maha Shivaratri, which in 2019 falls on 4 March.

This day marks a time where people around the world celebrate radio and how it shapes our lives. Radio informs, transforms and unites us. It brings together people and communities from all backgrounds to foster positive dialogue for change. More specifically, radio is the perfect medium to counter the appeals for violence and the spread of conflict, especially in regions potentially more exposed to such realities.

On that basis, World Radio Day 2019 will celebrate the theme of “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace”. Broadcasts that provide a platform for dialogue and democratic debate over issues, such as migration or violence against women, can help to raise awareness among listeners and inspire understanding for new perspectives in paving the way for positive action.

Even though Patria will never get a sniff of membership in the United Nations, WRD is still celebrated in the Inner Realm on all its AM, FM and shortwave stations. Broadcasting has been going on for one year short of a century - if you accept the claim that first radio broadcast was Pittsburgh, PA legacy station KDKA's coverage of the 1920 US presidential election. And radio is not going away any time soon. It can be enjoyed on very cheap and simple portable devices that do not require a high-speed internet connection or a reliable source of plug-in electric power. It is virtually immune to jamming and shutdowns by authoritarian governments. Despite the proliferation of fear- and hate-mongering right-wing talk, gospel hucksters, "my team right or wrong" sports talkers and other poorly executed formats on AM radio in the US and in Patria, the medium can still be a force for dialogue, tolerance and peace, at least on Patria's "all bhajans all the time" Hindu dharma, New Age, progressive talk and college campus stations.

Millennials disdain radio. But maybe there is hope for the next generation of kids.