 | | | | | | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
~RS~a~RS~Trust~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~27~RS~){kind=small}
|
China: A radio vision | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I first arrived in Beijing as a student in 1980 when little on the surface had altered since the days of Mao. The streets were a sea of blue Mao jackets and bicycles, shops stocked only the most basic goods and people were still nervous of talking to foreigners. Within a year the picture had begun to change radically, as Deng Xiaoping's reforms unleashed a huge, pent-up spirit of enterprise. The last 25 years have been a roller-coaster, both for China and for me personally, as the country has experienced extremes of economic liberalisation, political repression, cultural creativity and social polarisation. From observer to participant As student, teacher and documentary-maker, I got to know the country intimately, travelling widely and making many close friends. Knowledge of Mandarin and marriage into a Chinese family gave me a close affinity with the country and its people. In recent years, with the onset of congenital sight-loss, I have become closely involved with disability issues in China and this has brought me closer to the lives of some of China's most disadvantaged people. Working freelance in the radio and TV media, I began to wonder how I could move from being an observer of Chinese life to a participant in the myriad changes taking place around me. Social extremes Economic reform has brought extremes of privilege and deprivation to a society which once prided itself on being egalitarian. While making a series of radio programmes about disability for the BBC Chinese Service, I became acutely aware of the lack of reliable information which prevents disabled and groups from improving their lives. Working closely with the BBC World Service Trust, I began to explore the possibilities of setting up a radio production and training centre for visually impaired people in China. The project we have developed, In Touch for China¸ is now in its inception phase and has received funding from the Big Lottery Fund. Working closely with partners in China, we hope that this and other projects can help raise awareness of disadvantaged groups, while helping them access the information they need to improve their lives. | LOCAL LINKS  China: Media against social marginalisation24 January, 2006 | Media Development China: Covering disability issues24 January, 2006 | Media Development BBC Chinese.comNews | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
