Young Gazans launch Facebook radio station

A group of young Gazans have launched a new radio station in the hope of reaching all corners of the globe and highlighting the Palestinian plight. Sawt al-Facebook (Voice of Facebook) is an online radio station relying on the efforts of 35 unemployed journalism and media graduates in the Gaza Strip, who contribute voluntarily to create news bulletins and educational programmes. The station's creators want it to be the voice of independent, non-partisan Palestinians - and aim to bring the issues of prisoners, refugees and Jerusalem to a global audience. Station programming includes cultural chat show Deif al-Hawa (Live Interview) with literary and intellectual figures from Palestine and elsewhere; Haretna (Our Street) which tackles Gazan youth's issues and Shaba el-Facebook (Facebook Kids) which deals with the web and latest gadgets. Sports and news bulletins are broadcast in Arabic, Hebrew, English, French and Spanish, all put together by station workers and volunteers. Director and founder Essam Abu Khalil, 22, says: "It's a youth initiative, founded in the name of youth and free, unpoliticised minds to send the Palestinian message around the globe." Abu Khalil says he's pleased that the station has gained popularity "as evidenced by the massive attention which local and international media outlets have shown in wanting to make reports." Abu Khalil is busy, he says he has appointments with people from the BBC and al-Arabiya to discuss this project. The director also revealed that Facebook will be used to provide video shows, along with audio, in the near future. "Programmes are produced by volunteers at home and broadcast from their locations by linking the researchers' personal Facebook pages to the station's main page," Abu Khalil says, adding "there are still a number of obstacles that we're trying to figure out because there's no funding." He specifically refers to the need for a studio fitted with sound equipment. Abu Khalil, who has a degree in business management and a diploma is journalism and media, said freed Palestinian prisoner Mahmoud Sarsak is among the volunteers working at the station. Sarsak presents Hekayet Aseer (A Prisoner's Tale), a special programme about prisoners. "We're beginning to feel that the idea is breaking through," Abu Khalil says, "we want to go global."