# Radio Baha'i Ecuador, by Kurt Hein: Review

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-20 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Des O'Shea, Radio Baha'i Ecuador, by Kurt Hein: Review, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Radio Baha'i Ecuador, by Kurt Hein:
> 
> Review
> 
> Des O'Shea
> 
> published in CADE: Journal of Distance Education4:1
> 
> 1989
> 
> Radio Bahá'í Ecuador
> 
> Author: Kurt John Hein
> 
> Published by: George Ronald, 1988
> 
> Review by: Des O'Shea
> 
> "Projects such as Radio Bahá'í of Ecuador — born, nurtured and
> developed by a handful of `inexperts' — have been raised as a pilot
> project in the world of communications for the integral development of
> mankind, a model from which to learn" (p. 155). So states Raul Pavon, an
> Ecuadorian Bahá'í and the individual most intimately associated with the
> conception of this radio station and its moulding into a tangible
> reality.
> 
> At a time when the current crisis in communication has prompted a search
> for an alternative to the traditional model of communication, Radio
> Bahá'í, incorporating the key elements of dialogue and participation
> which theorists believe more accurately describes the communication
> process, could have a profound influence on media communications in the
> future. The crucial challenge, particularly in Third World countries, is
> to assist indigenous people to participate in the process of development
> while at the same time helping them maintain their cultural heritage.
> Radio Bahá'í, working as it does in the front line of development, has
> already gone some way towards meeting this challenge.
> 
> In Radio Bahá'í Ecuador, Kurt John Hein, who was both researcher and
> participant at Radio Bahá'í, gives a concise and inspiring description
> of this recent participatory media institution and offers media
> professionals and those involved with community development projects a
> communication model worthy of consideration. The book provides "an
> institutional expression of a set of beliefs about the nature of man,
> the nature of development, the nature of community and the nature of
> communication" (p. 133).
> 
> The philosophy of Radio Bahá'í Ecuador derives from the basic principles
> of the Bahá'í Faith, especially those relevant to the spiritual and
> material development of the individual and society:
> 
> Bahá'ís, believing in all revealed religious truth of past ages as an
> unfoldment of one divine plan, have respect for the customs and
> traditions relating to these religions and cultures. They desire to
> preserve the cultural elements that contribute to the well-being of man.
> An effort is made to acquaint people with their own history on
> earth.... Because of the Bahá'í belief in the unity of mankind, all
> people are recognized as valued members of society and play an equally
> important part in building world order. (Bahá'í International Community,
> 1973-74)
> 
> Many principles enunciated by modern communication theorists can be
> found in the world view offered by the Bahá'í Faith. The concepts of
> dialogue and participation, which are fundamental aspects of present
> communication theories, are embodied in key Bahá'í principles such as
> consultation and universal participation. Many emerging communication
> theories dovetail with Bahá'í teachings. Guided by principles such as
> the abolition of all prejudice; equal rights, opportunities and
> privileges for both men and women; the harmony of religion and science;
> and universal education and service, Radio Bahá'í is realizing its
> primary functions in releasing the potential of the indigenous
> communities and individuals.
> 
> That Radio Bahá'í has become a success is noteworthy considering the
> powerful restraints that stand in the way of any great transformation of
> existing media systems. The dominant political and economic groups using
> communication processes to assist in Third World development have, it
> seems, succeeded in creating a culture of poverty. Programming aimed at
> rural indigenous populations has had virtually no effect on social and
> economic practices. Marginal human groups have remained cut off,
> maintaining their precarious systems of internal communication. At the
> time of the UNESCO seminar on Participatory Communication in Quito in
> 1978, no projects incorporating participatory elements in their design
> had succeeded. At the seminar it was stated "that such a system could
> only be possible in a society different from that which actually
> exists."
> 
> Although conceived to provide a link between members of the large Bahá'í
> population in the Otavalo region of Ecuador, most of whom were rural
> campesinos, Radio Bahá'í expanded its focus to include the whole
> community; in so doing it has transformed this technology —
> potentially an instrument of cultural domination — into a means of
> affirming and strengthening the culture of the Quechua communities. By
> consistently trying to apply Bahá'í principles to the analysis of
> present social conditions, Radio Bahá'í has created a highly effective
> development institution with a special framework and philosophy of
> social change, development, and education.
> 
> Broadcasting on medium and short wave in the Ecuadorian Highlands, Radio
> Bahá'í serves primarily the indigenous Quechua communities within a
> 50-mile radius of Otavalo. It addresses the needs and reflects the
> interests of its audience. The station tries to promote education,
> deliver social services, and disseminate basic development information.
> The key to Radio Bahá'í's identity is its fundamental commitment to
> promote and maintain traditional indigenous culture. As a voice for the
> community, the station allows for the exchange of information and
> announcements and the sharing of news about important activities and
> events in the region. Both formal and informal evaluations conducted in
> the community indicate that listeners perceive Radio Bahá'í as "their"
> station. This has greatly assisted in the restoration of a sense of
> confidence and dignity regarding Quechua culture and has helped
> counteract any attempts to limit the capacities of indigenous people. In
> its support of traditional art forms, Andean music, and the Quechuan
> language, Radio Bahá'í has greatly encouraged elements of culture that
> had been in decline.
> 
> Translating the high resolves and noble principles of the Bahá'í Faith
> into a vigorously functioning radio station was not an easy task. In the
> institutions and communities of the Bahá'í Faith, decisions are reached
> through a process called "consultation." It might well be asked what is
> new about a decision-making process used by parliaments, councils,
> committees, and associations worldwide. The special feature of Bahá'í
> consultation, it seems, is the attitude, spirit, and method in which it
> is carried out. Kurt Hein describes the process:
> 
> In a spirit of unity, and after prayer, the facts of the
> matter at hand are determined and every member is encouraged to offer
> freely his thoughts and opinions. The purpose of the discussion is to
> achieve consensus, or failing that a majority view, so that action can
> be taken based upon the collective wisdom of the group. (p.
> 36)
> 
> Such consultation avoids the confrontation of monologue. Decisions are
> reached by means of dialogue when members of Bahá'í institutions
> harmoniously take counsel together and express their feelings or ideas
> in absolute freedom.
> 
> The challenge for the station licensee, the National Spiritual Assembly
> of the Bahá'ís of Ecuador, was to develop a media institution whose
> management structure reflected the Bahá'í principles of consultation
> while at the same time allowing the effective daily administration of
> the radio station's affairs. To fulfill the need for a consultative body
> on site, the Commission for Radio Bahá'í was appointed to manage the
> station, but it remained answerable to the assembly. Administering the
> daily affairs of the station was a director who sat as an executive
> officer on the commission and was responsible to both the assembly and
> the commission. These organizational components, allowing a
> non-professional body to be responsible for Radio Bahá'í, were
> unprecedented in radio.
> 
> As a participatory communication model, Radio Bahá'í has actively
> encouraged the involvement of local people in the operation of the
> station, and these people, as sources and actors, have helped establish
> the legitimacy of the station in the eyes of the community. The staff,
> most of whom are Quechuans, are drawn from the immediate area around
> Otavalo. Not all are literate, but these men and women have been trained
> to use the station's equipment and to prepare their own programs. As the
> station operates on a small budget, the staff are volunteers, receiving
> only a subsistence allowance. They have become "collaborators" in
> community service as they have become increasingly involved in training
> their counterparts not only in their own country but also in Latin
> America. Through its organization and operational methods, Radio Bahá'í
> Ecuador fulfills several of the criteria essential to the structure of a
> participatory media institution as outlined by communication
> theorists.
> 
> A high percentage of the programming is music, much of it traditional
> Andean music, reflecting the tastes and interests of the audience. Some
> of the music has been obtained from recordings of the station's annual
> traditional music festival, "Nucanchic Tono" (Our Music). Through
> cultural programs devoted to folklore, customs, traditions, festivals,
> and crafts as well as music, Radio Bahá'í has helped to highlight the
> positive aspects of local culture. In organizing an annual children's
> cultural festival it has also helped to develop in school children an
> appreciation of various Ecuadorian cultures.
> 
> The Radio Bahá'í news program is a valuable social service directed
> largely by the local people who visit the studio to broadcast
> announcements. The focus on local news, except on occasions of national
> importance, enables villagers to communicate important local events to
> one another. A typical news program will include items about lost
> children, missing identification papers, stray livestock, community
> dances, and community work parties. The news programs serve many of the
> communication needs of the audience and, because of its popularity,
> functions as an effective vehicle for the dissemination of
> development-oriented messages.
> 
> Radio Bahá'í Ecuador has been effective in reaching its primary audience
> of rural indigenous farm families because it has created a distinctive,
> attractive sound by broadcasting the voices and ideas of typical members
> of the listening audience. The goal of the successful program "Tarpupac
> Yuyay" (The Thought of the Farmer) was to answer the needs of the
> mountain farmers and herdsmen; to this end, project staff invited
> campesinos to talk about their concerns. Two project staff, a village
> woman and an elderly farmer, moderated the discussions as they were tape
> recorded; they then introduced the edited program when it was broadcast,
> incorporating answers supplied by agricultural extension experts.
> Segments of another popular program "Tulpa Muyundi" (Around the Hearth),
> which promotes the education of children and the role of women in
> community life, were also recorded in the villages. This program
> provides information on environmental health, personal hygiene,
> nutrition, and other topics.
> 
> The innovative administration, production, and programming methods of
> Radio Bahá'í have maximized audience participation in the station's
> operations. The people in the Otavalo area, who not only have access to,
> but also participate in and manage their own radio station, work to
> promote the wellbeing of their community.
> 
> As an organic institution, the radio station's successful gestation is
> not the end. The creative process is self-nourishing and will not easily
> be put in cold storage. Radio Bahá'í has continued to explore different
> ways to release the full potential of people. Similar radio stations
> have been established in Peru, Chili, Bolivia, Panama, U.S.A., and
> Liberia, and further research is being done into the replicability of
> the model. Ways are also being sought to assist local people to become
> more self-reliant, both as individuals and as members of the community.
> The station also seeks to assist listeners in decision-making processes
> and, although it is an informal educational institution, Radio Bahá'í
> Ecuador continues to investigate its potential as a tool for formal
> instruction.
> 
> Radio Bahá'í Ecuador illustrates how one people's use of modern
> communications media has helped them uplift themselves; "in the process
> and as a consequence they are extending the benefits of their efforts to
> society as a whole" (Universal House of Justice, 1983). This book is a
> valuable resource for all those involved and interested in community
> development and education.
> 
> Des O'Shea
> 
> Goose Green Radio School
> 
> (c) Copyright CADE
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views14306 views since posted 2003-10-19; last edit 2022-02-17 17:00 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../oshea_hein_radio_ecuador;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
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> — *Radio Baha'i Ecuador, by Kurt Hein: Review (Used by permission of the curator)*