My Voice On Radio: Amplifying Community Voices Across Borders

The My Voice On Radio (MVOR) project celebrates the enduring power of radio to connect people, nurture creativity, and strengthen communities. Organised by John Coster, Founder of the Parallel Lives Network, this new initiative brings together young people and women from India, the United Kingdom, and across the global network through a series of linked events between January and March 2026.

At the heart of MVOR is a collaboration with Snehalaya, a respected charity based in Ahmednagar, India, founded by Girish Kulkarni. Snehalaya’s community radio station, Radio Nagar, broadcasts in the local Marathi language and has become a trusted voice in the region. In January 2026, it celebrates its fifteenth anniversary. As part of this milestone, John Coster will lead a series of media sessions with pupils from Snehalaya’s school, helping them to create original radio content about their lives, communities, and aspirations.

That content will take centre stage one month later on World Radio Day 2026, celebrated on Friday 13 February. Radio Nagar will broadcast the programmes created by each class, sharing the young voices of Ahmednagar with their community and beyond. Selected pieces will also be broadcast on community radio stations in Leicester, continuing the long-standing link between the Parallel Lives Network and media partners in the United Kingdom.

To mark World Radio Day, John Coster and Dr Rob Watson will also record a special edition of their Spotlight on Arts podcast for Soar Sound Radio (online and DAB), exploring the role of radio in education, cross-cultural storytelling, and civic participation.

The final event in the MVOR series takes place on International Women’s Day 2026, Sunday 8 March. Radio Nagar will broadcast programmes created by Snehalaya staff, highlighting the impact of women’s voices in community radio and the transformative effect of participation for young girls who took part in World Radio Day.

Women from across the Parallel Lives Network—in Haiti, Nigeria, Kenya, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia—will also contribute their own recordings or host local radio events under the My Voice On Radio banner.

MVOR is designed not just as a celebration of radio, but as an investment in the next generation of community storytellers. By connecting voices across continents, it will strengthen the Parallel Lives Network’s mission to promote understanding through shared experience, dialogue, and creativity.