PeaceMedia

Internews’ radio program about Aceh’s rehabilitation and reconstruction marked its one year anniversary in March of this year, and is fast approaching its 300th broadcast of vital information to a population still reeling from the South Asian tsunami.

Peuneugah Aceh (News from Aceh in Acehnese) has an estimated daily audience of one million listeners. The program has recently been focusing on the progress of the August 2005 peace agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the separatist movement known as GAM.

Peuneugah Aceh has quickly become an authoritative media voice in Aceh. The team of Acehnese and Javanese journalists is regularly called upon by national and international bodies to help inform Acehnese about the pivotal regional elections coming to Aceh in August; many feel that the success of the peace process depends upon free, fair and peaceful local elections, the first in which GAM can participate as candidates.

The Peuneugah Aceh program and production facilities have served as a training ground for Aceh’s radio journalists; reporters from throughout the province contribute voice reports on what is happening in their region, and less experienced journalists spend time working side-by-side with the Peuneugah Aceh crew during one month internships. The production studio and its contents will be donated to a local NGO in Aceh later this year, so that the facilities can be used for producing vital information for Acehnese listeners for years to come.

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