The International Children’s Day of Broadcasting (ICDB)

As the children take over the airwaves today (yesterday) and broadcast to us different kinds of programs on their International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, I think we need to take full charge in nurturing our future generations with the required educational capacity and with much needed information requirements and knowledge ingredients more especially by emphasizing at all cost, on the need to build up the love-hate culture for education which should strongly underpin growth processes, stages and sustainability of cultural values, private-public policy governance systems and we need to foster for investment education.

This day was specifically designed by UNICEF around 1991 with an overriding objective to inspire and to trigger much-needed interests within the broadbased society so that most of our broadcasters across the global create awareness space with specific role to children issues and programs.

Each year, hundred thousands of broadcasters globally participate in this remarkable day, celebrating it in ways so unique and quite special as children do enjoy themselves in taking up the airwaves. With children’s interest gaining momentum around 2009, the celebration was moved to the first Sunday in March.

The composition of both television and radio plays such a huge role in raising of the much needed information and awareness of local, regional and global issues in varying interests across the board.

Though UNICEF still encourages broadcasters to open up their respective airwaves to youth and children throughout the year, as the ICDB passages from being just one day show-up to an all-encompassing initiative to include more young people in the media development.

DZIWA Science and Technology Trust ( DSaT) has expressed the need to sensitize communities across the country on the benefits of Intellectual Property (IP) for socio-economic development.

DSaT Executive Director Veronica Mwaba said Intellectual Property was a tool for wealth creation towards socio-economic development.

The World Intellectual Property Organisation ( WIPO) refers to IP as creations of inventions, literally artistic works, designs and symbols, names and images used in business.

Ms Mwaba noted the need for new knowledge embedded in innovation to solve real world problems to be protected.

"Access to modern technology by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) should be increased and supported by all key stakeholders and national governments in the Least Developing Countries.

"Agenda 2030 is a call to all governments to end poverty in all its forms everywhere," she said.

Ms Mwaba added that the United Nations Sustainable Development (SDG) Goal number 3 was linked to promote the well-being for all ages.

She said that Goal number 9 further highlighted the significance of industry, innovation and infrastructure development as key to all governments.

Ms Mwaba said IP said was an asset that required a multi-sectoral approach to be demystified for society to see its benefits.

" Researchers should take advantage of the current National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy that was recently launched by Higher Education Minister Dr.

Brian Mushimba.

" The policy now incorporates key facets of innovation that were excluded in the 1996 National Science and Technology Policy," she said.

Ms Mwaba further noted that Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zambia remained among the least innovative nations in the world.

She said research showed that there was little knowledge about IP in LDCs including Zambia.

She therefore stated that the enhanced knowledge on IP issues and enforcement of laws motivated inventors to make positive contributions to the growth of the economy in wealth creation.

She said enhanced public awareness is key for IP and Innovation to be developed strategically at national level and be market oriented.

" Accordingly, there is need for government to play a major role to facilitate research activities that match with increased resource allocation. Linkages with key stakeholders should be strong and sustained for Zambia’s prosperity," Ms Mwaba said.