International (MNN) ― Trans World Radio is now in parnership with the Association of Evangelical Relief and Development Organizations, or AERDO. The coalition is made up of believers engaged in relief and development work.
TWR also participates in the AERDO HIV/AIDS Alliance, a group that pursues collaborative involvement in HIV/AIDS projects around the world. TWR's global coordinator for HIV/AIDS ministry initiatives Tom Watkins says the partnership is a natural fit, citing their 2004 response to the tsunami as an example. "We were able to come in with radio and be able to coordinate some of those efforts with the relief and development organizations to have an immediate communication strategy there. Secondarily, you also have the long-term effects of just the whole trauma situation that will go beyond the immediate relief efforts."
In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, physical needs were overwhelming, but sharing information about where relief efforts were taking place was hampered by the loss of infrastructure. When TWR partnered with Link Care Center, a ministry committed to providing restoration and compassionate care worldwide, they were able to quickly disseminate crucial information about relief supplies.
The spiritual needs soon became evident, so TWR also worked with fellow associate AERDO member International Bible Society, using portions of When Your Whole World Changes in special programming for tsunami survivors. Watkins says their team created a series of radio programs that offered practical, biblical ways to process stages of trauma.
Often, TWR broadcasts messages of hope during crisis, and these messages find an open door to the heart, says Watkins. "It is also a time in life when people are very much questioning 'Who is God? How can He be relevant to my life?' It's also an opportunity to bring in evangelistic messages at a time when people are feeling extremely needy and questioning. Their foundation's been shaken."
Most recently, TWR has come alongside Kerus Global Education to produce a radio drama program offering a character-based prevention strategy promoting abstinence and fidelity. Kerus and TWR are working with local churches and faith-based organizations to train local leaders to facilitate faith-based listening groups targeting children and families.
It's a concentration of effort. Watkins explains the thought behind the association: "TWR's desire is not to just throw out seed to the wind, so to speak, but rather to team up with people who are on the ground, experienced, and who have strong relationships with the local church. In everything we do, we want to assist the church."
