The West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) is a trans-territorial, sub-regional radio station based in Dakar, Senegal. WADR was established in 2005 as a project of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) to among other things protect and defend the ideals of democratic and open societies by disseminating development information through a network of community radios in the West African sub-region.
The mission of WADR is the promotion and defence of the ideals of democracy, openness, mutual understanding and respect between individuals and between communities. This regional radio entity also seeks to promote peace and human security, transparency and the duty to report on governance, regional economic integration, as well as social and cultural development amongst and between the peoples of the West African region. Through its programs, the WADR seeks to provide a forum for diverse opinions to create understanding among people and between people and their governments.
WADR started by broadcasting to the Mano River Union countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia as a pilot and today it has expanded to the other countries of the region with a network of about 40 partner radios in ten West African countries and a chain of correspondents in fourteen countries in the region. WADR started by broadcasting in French and English on 94.9 FM in Dakar, via satellite on Astra 4A to sub-Saharan Africa, and streaming on www.wadr.org
Presently WADR employs staff comprising administration, support staff, producers /journalists, technicians and correspondents. The radio model is based on partnerships and co-productions. From its inception to date WADR has brought together a pool of professionals from the region to contribute to the democratic development process of West Africa through in-depth coverage of events and production of programmes on relevant issues in the region such as health; education, governance, democracy and human rights, culture and youth and gender issues. The radio has been working with regional and international organizations as well as to produce programmes to educate and increase awareness of its target population on issues that concerns their development.
In April 2017, WADR together with OSIWA and partners worked on a new strategy for the radio to cover 2018 – 2020 in which new vision and mission were identified. In order to meet this vision and mission, new goals were also identified.
