Colombia, in South America, is less known to many in India. Many people from South America, possessing Indian features, can easily pass off as Indians. South American Languages are not easily understood in India. In Colombia, Spanish is spoken. The people are extremely friendly. Maria, my friend and colleague in the Worldview International Foundation ( she is a Vice-President ) is a perfect example of a very friendly beautiful Colombian.
Colombia is in the north of South America, northern tip of which is open to the Caribbean Sea.
I have not visited Colombia. My interest in Colombia, its people and culture grew after hearing my friend Professor Everett Rogers. When a Colombian Educational Project was awarded the UNESCO/IPDC Prize, I became more interested in Colombia.
The Colombian Educational Project, which became internationally famous, is called Radio Sutatenza. Sutatenza, an unknown village in the high mountains called Sutatenza, had a small parish, and the people were rearing sheep for their living. A priest named Father Salcedo, bought one Radio Transmitter from the Army Disposals, and started broadcasting religious broadcasts in the Frequency Modulation, which was suitable for the topography of Sutetanza. The inhabitants of Sutatenza got bored with the religious broadcasts, and requested the Father to give them some knowledge of sheep rearing, marketing and the like. Father Salcedo realised his mistake, and modified the broadcasts timings and contents, which were made more broad based. The people wanted to preserve the contents of the broadcasts, and were anxious to learn reading and writing. A Literacy Class was organised and a small printing press was established to print the teaching-learning materials. Thus, Radio Sutatenza became a multi-media educational enterprise, and drew the attention of UNESCO. Gradually, it became a multi-media and multi-million Dollar educational enterprise, second to none in the world. It got the UNESCO/IPDC Award for Rural Communication, not once, but successively for many years.
I have always used Sutatenza as a very good case history while teaching Rural Communication.
My friend Maria, from Colombia did not know about this Project. While talking to her about the innovative Project in her country, I had requested her to arrange for me a fellowship so that I could visit Sutatenza. She might be trying, but nothing has happened. Any help in this direction would fulfill my desire to visit Colombia and Sutatenza too.