Due to the success of this fundraising campaign, we are hoping to fund a further 10,000 radios to send to Burma. Find out more and donate
In Burma’s harsh media environment a number of courageous individuals work hard to break through the wall of censorship. Although millions tune into these broadcasts daily, not everybody in Burma has access to the crucial information they provide. With your help we can break the silence for many more.
A massive thank you to all who have already donated — we have raised over £30,000 already, enough to distribute nearly 3,000 radios. We now have just two days to raise enough to reach our target of getting 4,000 radios into the country by the middle of July. If you have any time at all, please help us spread the word by telling your friends and family. Here’s a nifty little tool to make it super easy.
As well as radios people on the ground need other communication tools such as walkie talkies and satellite phones. Each radio costs £12.50 and that includes batteries and getting the radios inside Burma.
They say that knowledge is power, and in the lead up to Burma’s first elections in 20 years the humble radio can play a vital role in empowering the voting public. One radio could help a family or community learn about their rights and show them the international solidarity that Burma’s military regime works so hard to silence. In collaboration with organisations on the ground, we are aiming to get radios and other communication tools distributed far and wide, for as little as possible, to reach the people and places that need it most. A radio opens up a whole world. Help the people of Burma access it
About 12 people will use each radio, so if we reach our target, 50,000 more people inside Burma will have access to independent news broadcasts. Our target is to buy 4,000 radios, 60 walkie-talkie kits and 6 satellite kits. If we raise more than our target, your donations will be spent on helping break the silence in Burma.
DON’T MISS…
To mark opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s 65th birthday the BBC broadcast a special programme about the Nobel Peace Prize winner into Burma. Listen to it now on the BBC website
I want to pay with a CAF cheque; please tell me what address to send it to. Thanks!
Awesome idea – the people I met in Burma actually knows a lot of what’s going on around the world from BBC and VOA – and a lot from the short wave radio they got!
Brilliant
I want to buy 8 and have made the appropriate donation through Justgiving and gift aided. I like the idea that gift aiding it means that our government effectively buys and additional radio or two……..
Sweet
Yes, where can we send cheques? (still too suspicious of online transactions)
Please add Paypal as a payment method for the radio’s I would like to buy one,
thanks
If you want to send a cheque with your donation you can send it to:
Supporter Care Team
Amnesty International UK Section
The Human Rights Action Centre
17 – 25 New Inn Yard
London
EC2 3EA
Add a note saying that it’s for the Burma radio campaign
Andy: We can’t currently offer a PayPal option, but it’s something we’re working on for future as we know it’s a favoured option for some people.
Great idea!
We’d like to write a small blogg post on our blogg, blogg.amnesty.no encouraging Norwegian readers to do the same. Is there any way foreign nationals can buy the radios?
Paypal? Online transactions?
Thanks, Kristin
Hi Kristin,
Anyone around the world should be able to use the online donation form – let us know if you have a problem with it from Norway. Thanks for the support!
Ace idea. Well done, verity et al
Would wind up radios be a better option? How easy is it to get new batteries once the old ones have died? More environmentally friendly too.
I have entered my card details twice and each time as I attempt to change the amount shown (£25.00) it clicks out before I have a chance to submit my form.
Shall I try sending a cheque instead? And agree with the above that hope you will be able to get Paypal payments soon
so sending out a radio is Amnesty’s idea of helping Burma? Interesting how you expect the ears to feed the brain with honest impartiality that you believe, in the end, will drive people to revolt against the corrupt government. This campaign smells of amnesty trying to promote itself by appearing to be condusive to a revolution that will never really take place until real and equal triumphant power eclipses the Junta. It is futile to provide radios to people, who for the most part will be unable to pick up the frequency or signal required in order to listen, and even then most will be unable to speak the language that these broadcasts emit. People are being conned by organisations like Amnesty and to add credence to this, radios do not cost 12.50, I can pick a unit up for less than five pounds, so I’d really like to know where the other £7.50 is going; It’s the 21st Century people, no need to be guilible anymore, question everything and more!
Jim makes a good point – why not a windup radio which doesn’t require batteries?
I also think you should answer Jase’s points asap.
my first inclination was that I would support this. however I would like to see a response to the points made by Jim and Jase first.
Jim – The groups we’re working with in Burma are deciding on the most appropriate radios for the people they’re distributing them to in each case.
Jase – Our aim with this campaign isn’t to start a revolt, but ensure access to free information on issues such as human rights, education and health care. The groups we’re working with have requested that we support this project and the suggested donation amount covers everything involved in supplying the radios. At the moment we believe 8 different ethnic minority languages are being catered for by external broadcasters and this is ever-expanding to ensure full access.
Hope that answers some of your questions
Sorry, I will only contribute for wind-up radios.
Another thought – maybe the groups you ‘are working with’ are taking a little cut too; ‘everything involved in supplying radios’ is a catch-all phrase IMO, after all the groups may require an array of posh new Range Rover 4×4’s to deliver them to these remote areas.
Are Amnesty staff being naive?
Anne, sorry my intention was not to sway people away from donating or contributing to Amnesty’s cause – the organisation’s intentions are clearly wholesome and good in so far as supporting people to eliminate their plight and or suppression from corrupt repressive governments. I am merely questioning the way organisations operate and in spite of the 21st century opening every eyeball and earhole in the western hemisphere, charitable organisations frequently tend to behave as though supporters of causes, like myself and countless others, will suddenly leap into action when presented with a picture of a freedom fighter’s photo and a date of her iminent birthday. This is not the way 21st century people ought to be approached by organisations like Amnesty, rather a break down of the radio frequencies and the signal footprint coverage and the languages of the radio stations that are broadcasting would add weight to justificating a donation, people are not stupid we want facts about where our donations are going, relying on a prestigous name such as Amnesty International no loger carries the weight it once did becuase corruption is rife everywhere. My advice to Amnesty is treat your supporters as though they are living in the 21st century and are armed with more if not equal information as you have, informing me it’s someone’s birthday and displaying a picture is not the way to do things, you are watsing web space that could easily be loaded with quick facts about why radios are needed and the coverage.
furthermore, it is not right to say your intention is not start a revolt – reasoning that serves a purpose with the strength of a conviction such as starting a revolt is entirely justified with a regeme like Burma, stop sitting on the fence like the last century. people are fed up with politically correct intentions, we want results!! Perhaps configure the radios to block frequencies from all governement owned stations, thereby saving the ears from being contaminated and polluted by lies evil diatrabs. As an organisation, Amnesty ought to have evolved considerably by now and no longer sit by just ambly gathering donations for issues and then distributing these without any real intention or purpose. This is not what the 21st century individual wants, it is time for action didn’t somebody once say “act like a person of thought and think like a person of action!!” but Amnesty seems to be doing the opposit, which was fine in the 20th century but not anymore, do what it takes in order to get things done!
I do understand what people are saying about corruption and that some charities dont always have a good record of getting the money to where it can do the most good. However,on balance,I’m going to run the risk of this being a helpful and successful campaign.
I feel that you have not aswered conclusivley the points raised by Jim & Jade
and would like further nknowledge about the groups you are dealing with
I have read some comments on this subject and am dismayed by some of the ill informed remarks made ie jamming broadcast from goverment stations this is just censorship in reverse
I appreciate the idea for the radios but it sounds like an ill thought out campaign to me.
Regards
Alex
Good idea. The mere fact of doing something should generate some publicity here as well if Amnesty want to do that.
There is a need for a lot of international pressure this time around. Aung San Suu Kyi will probably get 95% of the vote – again – if the people can resist intimidation, and they need to know that there is a lot of support for change coming from outside the country.
This is a most worthy cause. Great idea to use Aung San Suu Kyi’s 65th birthday as a stimulus for this solicitation. I do not mind at all if some of my donation goes into people’s pockets [given some of my taxes support the UK's involvement in illegal wars and greatly enhance the coffers of military hardware companies, as well as the absurd waste of money on Trident]. I only wish I could help deliver these radios!
This scheme puts the Burmese people in further jeopardy as those that are caught with these radios will be tortured even more, and how foolish to supply battery operated devices..what they need is a wind up device, that can be hidden from the authorities..Amnesty have not thought this one through..
Sunnie De Pass
Wind up radios would be much better.
I’m afraid I can only participate if you offer PayPal. Please make this method of payment available as soon as possible.
Brilliant idea.
Please make paypal a payment option. Paypal is used by so many and you will be able to reach lots more people of we can pay this way
Love to Burma <3
The safety and security of the people and communities we work with, and on behalf of, is always our primary concern. Throughout the life of this project risks are always being thoroughly assessed and managed by both Amnesty and our partners on the ground.
We understand that many of you would like more specific details about how the radios will be supplied, however, if we were to publish information about the individuals and groups we’re working with it would expose them to a heightened risk.
The radios will be bought by the people transporting them, at a location convenient and safe for them. It is important the people we are working with are not put at risk so we are trusting the judgment of our contacts on the ground to source in the safest possible way.
It’s also important to reiterate that owning a radio in Burma is not a crime and the project intends to strengthen and empower people in their own efforts and initiatives to promote and protect human rights in their own locations.
Hopefully you will all understand the reasons we cannot be more specific in response to some of your questions and we really hope that you will choose to donate as such a simple thing could make such a difference to the life of someone living in the remotest areas of Burma.
Also, massive thanks to those that have already donated – we’ve manged to raise over £7,500 already.
Great idea – we shall send cheque for two radios when we’re back home on Monday 21st.
I don’t believe sending radios to Burmese people will change the political situations in Burma.
Thanks for helping out though.
Bought one, hope everything goes well for your campaign
Can’t wind up radio’s be sent? Batteries are just going to end up as landfill !!!!
On a note of social and environmental justice, people in rural Burma almost certainly cause less environmental damage than even the most well meaning British person. Buying them a radio will do more good for the world than harm. If you’re that concerned, get rid of anything battery powered from your own home, you need it less than they do.
Another vote for wind-up and/or solar-powered radios – how do you expect these people living in the middle of nowhere to keep buying new batteries? If you’re providing a resource that people can’t sustain by their own means in the medium to long term, how can it facilitate real change?
Also discarded batteries are a major environmental problem. Apart from being wasteful like anything disposable, they contain highly toxic substances. One small battery (AA/AAA) can contaminate 10,000 litres of water. And we all know that issues like land an water contamination tend to affect the poorest people most. Human rights and environmental justice can’t be separated.
I think this radios idea is fantastic but it’s not been properly thought through.
Great idea but I also feel wind up radios would be a much more useful resource. I would willingly donate extra for a wind-up one. Good luck!
Chris
A pleasure to try to help some of the people in Burma. It’s easy to be critical but there but for an accident of birth …..
A pleasure to try to help some of the people in Burma. It’s easy to be critical but there but for an accident of birth …..
Jean
What a brilliant action, the best thing you could spend £12.50 on today!
This is a fabulous idea that we should all get behind. The people of Burma have been starved of information about their rights for far too long, and having acess to information not only helps them claim their human rights but could also be a life-saving in case of a natural or man-made disaster.
Those worried about the environmental impacts of radios – if you’re using a computer, laptop or mobile phone to acces the internet and read this, you’re already doing more damage to the environment than a radio will cause. Most of us reading this have lives of relative luxury; surely we don’t begrudge our Burmese counterparts a few batteries?
Hi everyone, I am an aid worker (not associated with Amnesty) currently living and working in neighboring Cambodia – there are some similarities between the two countries situations so I wanted to add some comment. Amnesty here is working in the best possible way, helping groups on the ground in Burma. It is right that such groups lead change, and they are the ones best placed to deliver it. Fiona has pointed out that the radios will be bought within the country (I can imagine that trying to import them would be very difficult, risky and lengthy!) – in the provincial town that I live in it is difficult to buy anything but a quite basic radio – wind-up radios are available but it would be highly conspicuous trying to buy them in any kind of quantity. Environmental and natural resource awareness is a key part of my work, but I feel it is just not a practical concern in this case. Amnesty is right to prioritise the safety of those groups it is supporting, the consequences of being found to be engaged in activism in Burma can be very severe, I for one don’t wish to have anyone’s blood on my hands. I can attest to the power of radio from my experiences here in Cambodia, despite the fact that here even the remotest villages are awash with televisions (car battery powered), everywhere you go you hear radios – and in the remote villages I visit I never cease to be amazed at the impact of health and public service broadcasting. I remember going to one village and being amazed at the knowledge of water-bourne illnesses of one wiry old gentleman, learnt from the radio. I really think this is a great initiative being supported by Amnesty – it gets two thumbs up from me anyway!
This is a great idea and totally in keeping with Amnesty’s MO – however, some of the contributors to this comments section don’t seem to have much of an idea of how AI operates.
The best way for AI to get results is to be pacifist and non-political – if they are seen in any way to be promoting any particular political bias or encouraging violence then any government/junta can point the finger and ruin AI’s credibility. They have to be seen to be impartially promoting human rights.
Yes, the idea of wind-up radios is good and we would all prefer to buy something more environmentally friendly, but maybe in this case it just wasn’t possible to do so. And I am not naive, but when I saw the price of the radios I assumed that this included the possibly considerable costs that would be incurred getting them to remote areas – what’s the point of buying cheap radios and not being able to distribute them?
Alex is right – jamming government censorship??!! Where does that stop, then? When does the well-meaning protestor become as bad as the junta? Like it or not, we can’t go down that road, we have to be better than that. I think some of the contributors here should take a bit of time to properly read Fiona McLaren’s replies, which seem to be perfectly valid to me and have answered the questions raised.
Finally, Veronica – sometimes it does the soul good to not be quite so cynical! Why would you assume that someone in Burma is “taking a cut” of the donations? Perhaps you are involved in voluntary work or helping some group you are sympathetic to, or campaign for your local political group. Do you help yourself to the donations? I don’t think you do, or you wouldn’t be blogging here. So the people on the ground in Burma deserve to be innocent until proven guilty, surely that’s only fair?
I love this campaign – I’m buying a radio in my Dad’s name, for Father’s day.
jase, above, mentionned that radios cost less than £12.50. Fair enough…but what about the costs for flights or other transport for people involved in this? Long distance telephone calls and electricity bills for the organizations involved in running this? Wages for the person who supports/updates the website we’re all typing on? Those kind of things aren’t free.
I also think it’s great they’re leaving it up to people who actually know the situation in Burma, to decide which radio is best. I’ve never been to burma, so I have no idea if something like a wind-up radio would meet their needs.
Anyway, I’m already a monthly amnesty donor, but I wanted to say that I’m glad this activity has given me another way to get involved in supporting progress in Burma. Thank you!
As self-isolating as they are, and out of contact with reality, I think the military junta needs radios
Never ceases to amaze me the amount of unnecessary whinging people will do to try and discredit a great idea. We had NO idea what to get our father’s for Father’s Day this year and this fits the bill perfectly. Thank you Amnesty! My partner and I will be proud to write to our dads and tell them this is what we’ve done. I think they will be proud too. Carry on with the great work and please don’t be discouraged buy the resigned cynics who can’t accept a good thing when they see it. Zxxxx
This campaign seems like a great idea. My husband and I travelled to Burma in January as guests of a Burmese friend. After the trip I feel very motivated to do all I can to help raise the awareness of this forgotten country and its people and situation. The people in Burma are among the most generous and accepting people I have ever come across. They live under the most cruel and abusive government. As our friends said, for the Burmese people, on their faces they are smiling but underneath, their hearts are breaking. A gift of a radio will say “we care – there is another world where you are not forgotten.” For me it is a small way of saying thank you for the incredible welcome and hospitality we enjoyed from these amazing people.
This is a great idea. But… why not provide crank radios? Then you won’t need batteries!
I see others are already thinking this…
Thanks to Richard P and Liz for commenting. I was in two minds – would love to help but just wondering if this was the best use of my somewhat sparse cash. Views from people with experience of the country / similar challenges have convinced me. Karen
This is a simply fantastic idea. I work at the World Service of the BBC. You can call it ’soft power’ or you can call it giving people a choice. Frankly, you can call it what you like. It matters.
Wonderful and practical idea, but I would like to donate viz paypal, is there any way to do this? Good luck xx
Great idea, agree with Richard and Liz that windup radios, although ideal, are simply not feasible in this situation.
If Amnesty does at some later time decide to bring in windup radios, check out http://www.freeplayenergy.co.uk
Invented by Trevor Baylis these windup radios are very long lasting and high quality.
Best of luck for your mission and love to the people of Burma.
Please also enable donation via paypal – surely it will pay for itself as people are more likely to donate if it doesn’t require filling out forms.
Don’t forget to tell all your friends about this!
I think this is a wonderful idea. We can reach out to the people of Burma and help them to break through the censorship and fear that they endure at the hands of their oppressive and violent junta. We can help to open a window onto the world for people who can’t access the freedoms that we too often take for granted. Amnesty are commemorating Aung San Suu Kyi in a truly inspired way. She has endured imprisonment and seperation from her family for twenty long years, and the radio appeal is an inspired way to commemorate her courage and leadership, on her birthday.
Great idea, but why use battery powered radios, rather than solar / wind-up which are sustainable, eco-friendly & free to run. I’d be happy to pay the extra, although a casual scan shows Amazon having a number for around £15. Not sure about how n where these are made, but please think through your procurement policy, as this also has knock on effects.
‘the radio appeal is an inspired way to commemorate Aung San Suu Kyi’s courage and leadership, on her birthday’ – couldn’t have put it better myself, Rosemary. This is a brilliant, imaginative campaign. I agree wind up radios would be great, but as someone has said – our individual environmental footprint is far worse in the UK – switch off your telly for the duration of the world cup if you’re worried, to make up for it!
I just wish all the above people with alternative suggestions would read the messages before theirs PROPERLY! Especially Fiona McClarens on WHY they can’t buy lots of wind-up radios – it would be too conspicuous!
Not sure I’m following this. The aim is to provide people with the means of obtaining information which fundamentally affects their lives and we seem to be more worried about batteries and procurement policies? I trust that Amnesty will do the right thing within the bounds of human constraints (we’re not perfect and not always right) and we have to give them the support and opportunity to do this.
Hear, hear Richard!
To be honest I probably wouldn’t have got around to donating if I hadn’t read the whining above, so at least something good came of it…
I’m with the last two contributors. A fantastic initiative and one that I will support. Well done Amnesty
Joe Donohoe
Is there such a thing as “independent news?”
In this context I guess ‘independent’ means ‘not controlled by a military junta’.
Do all the people posting here about how Amnesty should be sending wind-up radios own a wind-up radio themselves? No, didn’t think so.
Well done AI. Going to buy a radio now.
Zohor and all who are asking for paypal:
bear in mind that paypal levies a charge and that is money that I think we may all agree would be so much better placed towards helping than feeding the ebay-paypal empire who I imagine aren’t too interested in humanitarian causes…
I think this idea is incredibly simple, effective and wonderful! Let us know how it went will you, please?
Many greetings, much love, Birgit. x
I would think that what the junta fear most is the truth, and everyone knowing it. This is a war, and we need to fight it with all the effective means available. If only we could give the people of Burma the internet too.
I think people can be responsible for their own actions, as I am when I listen to my radio (all the time). Life without a radio would be so diminished for me.
But I wonder if women will have equal access to these radios.
As soon as I read about this campaign I wanted to buy a radio. Then I read several comments that made me question it. Then some other comments made me question those comments. What I have experienced is a lively debate about an issue where people have been able to express their views and I have been able to make a more balanced and educated decision as a result. This is what the people of Burma are entitiled to: access to information through a media source so they too can make informed decisions. I am definitely buying a radio. I think it is an excellent idea.
As a long time commited listener to LBC, the London based talk-radio station, I have gained a wealth of information and understanding over the years. I cannot imagine life without radio – it connects us all, is so immediate, and truly gives us a window on the world.
I agree with Richard Curtis. Those who are cynical about this project, I think you are ‘over-thinking’ this one. Trust Amnesty, and support this great opportunity to help those living under such a terrifying and repressive regime.
Thora Fox
God what a group of moaning so and so’s!!!!
Why is it that you are all worried about battieries……as one person said just get rid of them from your own hone. We have so much in the west and are so quick to condem. At least these people are trying to help!!!!
Get of the fence and do something to help instead of just winginging about if the solution is perfect!!!
Simon
Come on folks. If you’re a cynic looking to pick holes in other people’s good work, then don’t bother wasting your precious time on projects like this.
If you have zero environmental impact, then go ahead and criticise the use of batteries.
If you don’t have five minutes spare to watch the video or read the foregoing debate, then go ahead and add some negative comment about how it could be done better.
But for the rest of us, on balance, we can be pretty confident that this project is well worth a punt.
I was looking for a slot in which I could put e-mail addresses of friends and family but didn’t spot such. It would be easier than creating an e-mail message of my own about the campaign.
I have a small world-band radio -working order-that I do not use. I hope I can post it in to Amnesty Intl ( in a bubblebag)for onward sending to Burma.
If this is acceptable and anyone else out there has a small radio they do not use, then suggest send it in ??
I have a small, working, world-band radio that I do not use. I hope I can post this in to Amnesty, London for onward sending to Burma. If this is acceptable, then I suggest others with surplus radios do the same?
Hi Ray – thanks for the suggestion of posting radios to AI to send on which clearly has the right intentions but this will not be a practical, cost effective or a secure delivery option for the recipients. As has been stated previously, the security of AIs contacts on the ground is of primary importance so they are getting the radios in a manner which is the easiest and most secure for them. Taking delivery of radios from the UK or elsewhere will not be a secure option – Hope that makes sense.
cheers
i will buy a radio for burma on my next pay day.
All the best for your work and effort.
As someone who lives in a country with more or less free media, I cannot imagine not being allowed any history, information or entertainment, other than that which my despicably self-serving rulers provide, with the sole purpose of manipulating me and my family into subservience. I also cannot hope to imagine what it would mean to someone to realise that their suffering is shared and real, and that someone the other side of the world sympathises in such a concrete way, but I imagine I’d be touched and I’d be given some hope, in a way that makes the few pounds it cost me seem utterly insignificant. I really can’t think of a better way to use £12.50.
solar batteries
http://www.siliconsolar.com/travel-solar-battery-chargers.html
PayPal have a charity option for organisational accounts which would mean they take no cut of the money donated….
Get it, understand and have donated. But…clockwork radios. How much would these cost? No worries about lack of batteries. A gift, possibly, for life. Can we do this instead?
Excellent idea. I will send you a cheque tomorrow. I am too incompetent to make payments over the internet (e-mailing is about my limit).
The wind up radio is a great idea!
I like this idea, and have donated. Those calling for windup radios should think it through. The radios are being sourced by Amnesty’s contacts on the ground. What do you think the chances are of them being able to get hold of 4,000 windup radios? I should have thought nearly impossible in Burma or Mei Sot. I also would have thought information will be given on how to use the radios, and suggestions given on frequencies to listen to when the radios are distributed.
Even if it doesn’t work out in the way the campaign intends, you have bought a poor, down trodden person a radio. They can listen to music which will cheer up their day.
I can see why a lot of people have some reservations about this, but I feel more good can come of it than harm. I say donate.
Tiresome to read all this rubbish about wind-up radios. But I hope the locals have considered (and can also source) earpieces – I suspect Myanmar right now is a place where being overheard listening to the wrong thing can be dangerous.
I’ll buy 10 – best thing I did today.
Done. (NB. Earlier someone said they had a problem entering the amount on the credit card screen – so did I. The amount is preselected at £25 on the page above where you click to donate, very confusing.)
Fiona, the one thing I must say I’m a bit wary of about campaigns like this is that there is a strong ’sell’ on buying radios (priced to include all costs, which is sensible), but there is quieter mention of other kit, and then a request for giftaid, and then a ‘thanks for donating to amnesty’. I know it must be frustrating not to treat donations as a common fund, but I do urge that funds should be kept ringfenced. I already donate to AI – what I wanted to do here, specifically, was buy 10 radios. I hope I did! Clearly AI has overheads, other campagins etc etc, but when running under a tag aline ‘buy a radio’, you need to ensure all the cash raised goes to that only.
It’s like the Modern Parents in here.
I personally would rather see the population of Burma continue to be beaten and starved than that their freedom be bought with radios that aren’t made from organically-grown muesli and hemp, whittled by the tribal womensfolk of Todmorden.
My concern about battery operated radios versus wind up radios is not born out of concern for the enviroment more of cost to the individual who recieves these radios this would be similiar to providing tractors to third world country farmers great until the fuel runs out . and then they cant afford or obtain the nescessary power to run these modern items .What is the cost of batteries in Burma, if they are anything like the U.K they are not exactly cheap. who will recieve these radios students would be my preference as they are the future leaders .why would the increase insales of wind up radios be any more conspicuos than the increase in sales of battery operated radios.And can we have a little less name calling regarding this matter this is not the sort of behaviour I expect from people who are concerned with free speach.
Regards
Alex Mckay
Please assure me that you are buying wind up radios, then I will buy one.
Bob, although your sarcasm is amusing, the main argument for wind-up radios instead of battery-powered equivalents is that AA batteries are nearly are as hard for the Burmese people to get hold of as the radios themselves.
The environmental impact of battery-powered radios in Burma is the least of our worries, but questioning whether the radios can deliver sustained use is perfectly valid, and not deserving of scorn.
This is a great campaign for a fantastic cause, that loads of people will want to give to – but why are we advised in all the campaign material that 12.50 is needed, and then given a form which only allows us to donate 25? How many people will have trustingly paid anyway without noticing? And why is there no option to give more for those who are able? This is the kind of tedious detail which risks making a campaign look unprofessional and unreliable…
No way of deleting my last comment it seems, but I’ve found the problem was the box that was ticked, so apologies, and ignore my previous comment! Good luck to all working for change and success in Burma!
Fantastic campaign, we shall contribute £12.50 for democracy.
From reading all of the comments, it seems most that are asking for battery powered radios are actually using environmental issues as their main argument not the argument that people of Burma cant afford batteries.
The points Fiona made answered all the questions and concerns.
Managing to source 4000 windup radios in Burma does not seem very likely. I am off to buy a radio right now! Anything that can help the situation in Burma, even slightly, gets my support.
OK, I’m just about convinced on the arguments against wind-up/solar radios now. It’s a shame to be sending battery-powered radios and I am still concerned about the sustainability of these for the people who receive them, but I’ll trust that the people on the ground know more about it than I do.
A note to the people accusing us renewable energy advocates of hypocrisy – yes, I do have a wind-up radio at home, and I’ve phased out disposable batteries in favour of rechargeables. But more to the point, we’re trying to make sure our donation is something of lasting value to the people who receive it, and also that we don’t worsen one problem in our efforts to solve another! Not sure why you all have such difficulty with that outlook.
Anyway, I guess I can accept an imperfect solution on this occasion and send a radio. Thanks, Amnesty, for everything you do.
We shall contribute $12.00 for democracy.
Great idea; yes it could be tweaked but it’s happening which is the important thing. Thank god we’re not all naysayers. Keep it up AI and have a radio on me, wish I could do more to help.
In discussion with a supporter of the Break the Silence campaign I suggested that supplying a few netbooks or DX equipment could have the effect of breaking the silence without providing propaganda channels to… the CIA for example or the BBC World Service, or whoever the recipients of the radios actually end up listening to.
Since western organisations like these champion freedom of speech in Burma whilst contributing to the suppression of it at home, perhaps they should really be providing the their own propaganda tools, rather than asking for contributions toward them from you and I?
I am all in favour of breaking the silence, but judging from our own media in the UK you have to ask with what and for whom I think?
I note that this request has come from the people we all want to support. Can we not give them credit for knowing their own situation? They’ve asked for what they need. I don’t think it’s right for us to decide that they actually need something different. Yes, wind up radios are more environmentally friendly, but there is no way to import them without attracting unwelcome attention. These radios are going to be bought locally, in quantities that don’t attract suspicion. Wind up radios aren’t readily available in Burma and the few that there are, will be expensive. In an ideal world, the people of Burma would have access to wind up or solar radios, but then, in an ideal world, they wouldn’t need this campaign anyway…..
I’ve made my donation but I would like to add to the debate about windup radios. For me this is not an environmental issue but a practical one. How easy is it to buy batteries in Burma? Is there a reliable electricity supply outside of the cities (or within cities for that matter) where radios can be plugged in once the batteries fail? The ‘beauty’ of wind up radios is that they are not reliant on intermittent electricity supplies. The issue of sourcing 4000 windup radios is irrelevant – surely sourcing 4000 radios of any variety will be suspicious.
I think the comments posted here show our ignorance (and I include myself) and our need for information on the situation in Burma just as much as this project is attempting to help the Burmese get information
for your CAF cheques this is the address of AIUK
Amnesty International UK
The Human Rights Action Centre
17-25 New Inn Yard
London EC2A 3EA
I love this idea. Not just because people will be able to be more politically informed and aware of what’s going on outside their villages. In Burma, one of the worst deprivations is the lack of education, and the radios will help here, where very little else is available.
I’ve donated for one as a present for someone else – as well as for me.
Great, imaginative and thoughtful campaign. Thanks AI!
Have gladly paid for one radio. Can’t believe the absolute elitist, first world tosh posted here as excuses for not donating. Don’t want to, then don’t post. We in the first world are rich in every way – but the most important is freedom of speech. To read comments arguing or demanding other options is to induce despair at what price our own freedoms were fought for. My father fought against tyranny in WWII and a secret radio was one of the most powerful tools in the underground resistance which aided him and hundreds of others. WTF how these radios operate as long as they do the job. Leave it to the experts, those on the ground. Well one good thing has resulted from these selfish self-righteous postings – I shall now donate another radio. And FYI I am retired on a limited income – but still rich in every way compared to those who live under repressive regimes wherever in the world. In memory of my father and the longest day June 1943.