The Freeplay Foundation Wins Prestigious Swedish Award

Niamey, Niger, 13 June 2002: Radios for the Consolidation of Peace (RCP), a programme implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the government of Niger and the Freeplay Foundation, has won a major Swedish sustainability award. The Partnership for Sustainable Cities Award was presented by His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden, on World Environment Day (5 June).

The RCP programme, launched in 2001, offers people in Niger the opportunity to exchange illicit weapons for wind-up and solar radios. In the project, Lifeline radios first were reconditioned and repaired by Nigerien women ex-offenders who developed new technical skills as part of their rehabilitation and integration back into Niger society. Then, through the Rural Radio Network (RURANET), villages and communities will be informed about the initiative to collect and destroy illegal weapons. Distribution and exchange of the radios will begin as soon as the on-going phase of sensitisation concerning the participatory mechanism is completed.

The President of Niger, Mamadou Tandja, said, "The prestigious award given by the King of Sweden to the executive director of the Freeplay Foundation is a manifestation of the attention given by the international community to the peace consolidation efforts of the government of Niger with the precious support of UNDP. It is a recognition of the pertinence of the noble objectives of the Radios for the Consolidation of Peace project initiated in my country. On this happy occasion I should like to reiterate our firm commitment to this approach and, as I underlined on September 20, 2000 in the Agadez (Flame of Peace) ceremony, whose objective is the rekindling of hope in the future of those women and men victims of blind violence."

The UNDP resident representative in Niger, Mr Steven A Ursino, said that in the framework of this alliance, Radios for the Consolidation of Peace is yet another example of the will of Niger's leaders to strengthen by concrete actions, good governance initiatives at every level of Nigerien society. "One cannot combat poverty with arms which only serve to worsen the living conditions of the poorest communities," said Mr Ursino. "The UNDP/Freeplay Foundation alliance with the National Commission for the Control and Collection of Illicit Small Arms supports a dynamic process in Niger that focuses on the priority of priorities-poverty reduction."

The awards ceremony was a commemoration of the 30 years since the milestone conference that the first United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UN HABITAT) held in Stockholm in 1972. Awards were given to urban development projects that demonstrated the most innovative ways to ensure sustainable urban development. RCP was chosen as the lead project offering the best enabling technology and on the premise that cities will be safer if guns are removed from rural areas first.

Accepting the award on behalf of the partnership was Kristine Pearson, the executive director of the Freeplay Foundation. The Foundation donated nearly 12,500 Freeplay wind-up radios to the Niger government for distribution in regions most affected by illicit arms proliferation. The radios, with wind-up and solar charging technologies that do not require electricity or batteries, are proving ideal in creating sustainable information access.

"We believe this initiative will help promote peace and stability in Niger," said Ms Pearson. "The Freeplay Foundation is pleased to contribute and to work with Niger's vibrant network of community radio stations. Freeplay radios enable vital peace, education, civic and health information to be accessed by all, including women and children, the groups that historically can least afford to buy batteries."

Mr El Hadj Ado Abdou, member of the National Commission for the Control and Collection of Illicit Arms said, "This Award is the result of the interest of the partners in development related to the commitments taken by Niger to consolidate definite peace in the country. The National Commission and its representatives at the regional and district level will do their best to ensure the total success of the initiative."

View UNDP Scandinavia's article on the RCP project at http://www.undp.se