THE AMERICAS

New social programs have been created in Argentina thanks to the collaboration between the World Family and Radio Maria Argentina, programs which have given the local population the opportunity to receive content of great social importance.

The Hearth of the Great Family of Christ is a network of neighborhood centers focused on an integrated response to situations of social vulnerability and the problematic consumption of psychoactive substances, putting the person and their qualities first. Created in 2008, in the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, the organization today encompasses 190 neighborhood centers in 19 provinces of Argentina. Through each program broadcast by Radio Maria, the work they do for the common good is made deeper and, with every center referenced, the various “Houses of Christ” in Argentina are made known.

The “Blessings” program creates a space for reflection – in light of the beatitudes – on the communitarian strength of shared work, extending an invitation for us to rediscover the opportunities that exist in working alongside others: the variety of gazes and the encounter with stories that are interwoven in the “yes” that we assert together with our brothers and sisters. Additionally, the program aims to provide formation for the volunteers of Mary’s Work throughout the area of charitable efforts to accompany women with at-risk pregnancies and their young children, families with food difficulties, and young persons in vulnerable contexts. It combines efforts to ensure that each of our brothers and sisters can find shelter, a plate of food and a family to welcome them so that, together, they can achieve a more dignified life. The program offers testimonials and experiences, a place to meet one another and grow in service and fellowship.

Radio Maria Ecuador, with the collaboration of local organizations and agencies as well as the support of the World Family, has initiated a “Teacher at Home” program.

Broadcast on Sunday evenings, it is hosted by the Faith and Joy Radio Institute (Istituto Radiofonico Fe y Alegría – IRFEYAL), which was established by the Jesuits in Ecuador in 1974.

Radio Maria transmits weekly educational lessons to give those following the program the opportunity to educate themselves and thus complete their schooling. In Ecuador, Radio Maria is present in all of the country’s regions, so these weekly lectures are very helpful in achieving its educational goal.

Radio Maria Bolivia, with the support of the World Family, has produced several healththemed programs. In particular, it has launched a program on “Our Mental Health,” focused on raising awareness among the country’s population and providing useful tools – from a Catholic-Christian approach – to address problems related to the mental health of the general population.

Created by Jorge Dájer, a recognized clinical psychologist, the program encourages listeners to reflect on mental health issues, explaining behaviors that often arise from mental illness, whether mild or severe. This information can help prevent harmful behaviors that stem from mental health problems.

Another of our noteworthy programs is called “Symphony of Inclusion.” It aims at raising awareness about visual health care and the problems that can result from various eye ailments.

The program, a collaborative effort between RM Bolivia and the San Ignazio de Zalles Foundation, teaches its audience about every stage of the many ocular conditions, with explanations from medical experts on the subject. Its goal is to convey to listeners the necessary information about eye problems affecting people in every stage of life so that serious diseases can be prevented and to provide counseling in difficult cases.

In 2022, Radio Maria Uruguay, with the support of local organizations and the World Family, started several socially beneficial programs. These are a few of them:

“Our Roots,” directed by Dr. Pedro Gaudiano, is a weekly program that first aired in April of 2022. It presents interviews with people from different socioeconomic and ecclesial backgrounds: bishops, priests, consecrated men and women of different charism, lay persons, youth and adults, professionals, and couples. All of them shared the roots of their faith journeys and their encounter with Jesus as well as their service to the Church and Uruguayan society. The program aims at helping listeners seek and find their roots in God and at promoting service to society and the Church in people’s daily lives.

There were many important issues in Uruguayan society to discuss in 2022. Without a doubt, the most important was the bill to legalize euthanasia in the country. RM Uruguay started a special program that was very helpful in forming the awareness of all listeners. It featured two doctors specializing in palliative care and a congressman who, as a practicing Catholic, staunchly opposed the bill’s passage so the practice of euthanasia would not be advanced in Uruguay. It was an emotional program, widely followed, that defended the supreme value of life.

Thanks to support offered by the World Family, Radio Maria Ukraine was born in Kiev in 2010. It is a good example of a station that unites and strengthens the population’s sense of belonging. With 15 repeaters located throughout the country, RM Ukraine has become –especially since the beginning of the conflict with Russia – an element of hope and comfort for millions of people. In many cities, the radio is the only means of receiving information, getting news from other places and having a few moments of relief. Despite countless logistical and technical difficulties, the station has never stopped broadcasting from its headquarters, and has even implemented new small mobile studios wherever possible.

Radio Maria Kosovo was born in 2013, thanks to collaboration with the World Family. It is a radio that serves the people. The development of radio and advocacy efforts was crucial throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, broadcasting important health information. With two active frequencies covering 35% of the population, the station is especially directed towards those with little education who are living in poverty in the outskirts of the cities and the more agricultural areas. Kosovo, the poorest province of the former Yugoslavia, is now among the five least wealthy countries in Europe and has a fragile transitional economy. Always at the center of conflicts in the Balkans, Kosovo has received little foreign investment, which has resulted in slow development. The presence of a communications tool to gather and unite the population is at the heart of a path to societal, individual, and values growth.

Recently, in collaboration with the World Family, Radio Maria England was born. Debuting in October of 2020, the young station headquartered in Cambridge, with a small studio in London, has only a 22% coverage at the moment. In a multi-ethnic, modern society and a progressive nation, there is not always room to give voice to all its constituents. That is why RM England seeks to offer a programming schedule that serves the needs of so many, sometimes forgotten, groups: the elderly, the sick, foreigners, and the incarcerated. It is also trying to reach those at the “peripheries of the world” with its promotional activities and small groups of volunteers, to defend and spread values such as the peaceful coexistence among peoples, solidarity, welcome, and dialogue.

In December of 2011, in the small town of Gyumri, Radio Maria Armenia was born thanks to the support of the World Family. Today it also boasts a studio in the capital, Yerevan. From the very beginning, it was clear that its work could not be limited to just the frequency available and investments were made to offer its content to the many Armenians – about 8 million of them – living abroad. They are thus able to listen over the internet and via satellite throughout Central Europe. Armenia has always been a tormented land, but one with a strong and willing people. Through wars, poverty, genocide, and earthquakes, the people have never lost hope. RM Armenia is a tangible sign of this will and, at the same time, is an instrument for consolidating the development of the Armenian people’s identity.

For 60 years, Sweden has been a refuge for Christians from the Middle East, especially Syrians and Iraqis fleeing the hell of war in their countries.

Over the past decade, Christian immigration to Sweden has increased sharply and the city of Södertälje – described as a meeting point for Eastern Christians in general – is considered a destination for Arabic-speaking Syrian and Iraqi Christians who have fled ISIS persecution.

In 2022, Radio Mariam, with the assistance of the World Family, responded to the request of Arabic-speaking Christians by sending a mobile studio. An important goal for Radio Mariam has been to serve as a bridge between Christians in the diaspora and their loved ones who remain in the motherland, broadcasting Masses in the different denominations and portraying the strong witness and solid faith of Christians in the diaspora. Just as the Virgin Mary was present at the cross of her Son, we will be near to those peoples who have fled persecution in the Middle East.

The Christians in Jordan are part of one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Their spread dates back to the early first century – 70AD. Many of them are descendants of the first Arab Christian tribes that settled in the area.

Christians in Jordan belong to the different denominations that have taken root over the centuries.

In recent years, Jordan has been a safe destination for Christians fleeing ISIS oppression in both Iraq and Syria.

Since its inception in 2015, Radio Mariam has understood the importance and rich culture of Jordan, which was the first country to receive a mobile studio.

Christian migration has caused a sharp drop in the percentage of Christians present in the country, from 12% to 4%. Migration especially affects young persons, who tend to go to the West, fearing the arrival of the wave of Islamic extremism that hit Iraq and Syria.

In an increasingly troubled region, the Christians remaining in Jordan need to hear a Voice of Peace so, through Radio Mariam and with the help of the World Family, other useful communications materials (a computer, camera for live broadcasts, and audio equipment in addition to the 2016 mobile studio) were sent in 2022.

The Christian presence in Jordan faces great challenges and Radio Mariam is there alongside them, in the place where Jesus was baptized.

The collaboration between Radio Maria the Philippines and the World Family has created many socially beneficial programs in the Asian country. We have programs tackling civil law issues (Batas ang Katumbas) that are helpful in answering listeners’ questions about protecting the rights of the poor. Particularly important is the programming time dedicated to looking into health issues, especially during the coronavirus 2 pandemic.

Ample time is also given to the Church’s social outreach program (Oras Caritas), which provides information on the Church’s efforts that offer support to the poor and to people in need.