Radio Australia Today Editorial

UNICEF Childrens Day of Broadcasting. And Bob.

27 February 2009

This Sunday children right around the world are getting their chance  to have their say on radio and television through a new UNICEF program.

UNICEF has had a pretty hard time of it since its formation more than half a century ago. UNICEF used to stand for the UN Childrens Emergency fund, but now it is just the UN Children’s Fund, because, as former UNICEF ambassador Peter Ustinov told the world famously in the 1970s, the emergency is always there.

Empowering children is more than just providing a stable environment, food and housing. It must also be about having a voice. That’s what the Childrens’ International Day of Broadcasting is all about. 

We are part of it this year. This week we spoke with children from the Pacific, Cambodia, an indigenous Australian school and America. These chats were put together into a special that will be broadcast this week on Radio Australia, and across the world on our affiliates.

The star of the show is Bob. He’s a Tongan-Australian who came in the studio like the 8-year old naughty boy that he is, and took over. He was a scream. For example, we asked all the guests what was the most important thing in the world to them:

The aboriginal kids said ‘family’.

The Cambodian kids said ‘family’.

Adora from the U.S. said ‘family’.

The kids from  Fiji said ‘family’.

Bob answered: ‘family’ and ME.

You’ve got love the Bobster.

If you get a chance to hear the program, it’ll be broadcast this Sunday at 6.30am Suva time and again at 6.30pm Cambodian time.

I think you’ll love Bob and all the others. And while you’re at it, do what you can to try to give kids a voice this Sunday. Ask them what they think of things. And listen to them. It doesn’t happen as much as it should, and it wll make a difference, believe me.

                            – Phil