Every year on February 13th, the world celebrates radio as a voice of freedom and human connection, a day proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2011 and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012.
We in the Syrian Future Movement see this day as a reminder of the founding of United Nations Radio in 1946. We also see it as a profound reflection on the essence of radio as a bridge that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries, reaching the depths of the human spirit in remote areas and forgotten communities.
Its value lies in its ability to awaken consciences, foster deep democratic dialogue, and spread knowledge like a light dispelling the darkness of ignorance, while supporting cultural diversity as a key to peace and tolerance.
We also see radio as a philosophical tool as much as a technological one—inexpensive yet powerful—that shapes societal awareness and reshapes social bonds in a world increasingly characterized by alienation.
The Syrian Future Movement, in its 2026 celebration under UNESCO’s official theme, “Radio and Artificial Intelligence: AI as a Tool, Not a Voice,” emphasizes the necessity of investing in artificial intelligence as a means to support radio creativity, while preserving the human voice as the essence of trust and authentic communication. We also affirm that this theme opens philosophical avenues for reflection on how to integrate technology with the human spirit, so that innovation becomes a tool for promoting ethical transparency and responsibility in an era where artificial intelligence threatens to erase human identity.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its firm stance on the role of radio in rebuilding national bonds, as embodied in its previous statement of February 13, 2025, entitled “World Radio Day,” published on the official website of the Syrian Future Movement. In that statement, we affirmed radio as a tool for national dialogue and tolerance, and called for overcoming the legacy of media repression under the Assad regime. It came at an early transitional stage, while the 2026 celebration comes amidst tangible progress, such as the launch of the new Damascus Radio station. This reflects the enduring depth of our national vision, which sees the media as a mirror of the Syrian revolutionary spirit and the temporal evolution towards building a modern and sustainable media landscape.
The Syrian Future Movement sees in this slogan a model for the role of free media in reconnecting peoples with the international system and modern values, far removed from the backward axes to which the Assad regime has subjugated Syria. This has led to its isolation from the currents of global development and its immersion in the depths of obscurantism and dependency.
We also believe that this isolation was an assault on the collective spirit, as radio under tyranny was transformed into a tool of lies and disinformation, instead of being a voice of truth and reflection.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for the reconstruction of Syrian radio as a platform for national dialogue and tolerance, inspired by the principles of UNESCO and the United Nations. This platform will serve as a bridge connecting a new Syria to the modern world, empowering Syrian youth to utilize technologies such as artificial intelligence to reach remote areas, promoting education as a reflective process, and rebuilding societal trust as the foundation for spiritual revival. This will transcend the era of Assad, which deprived Syrians of opportunities to participate in the digital and humanistic age.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that celebrating World Radio Day represents a reflective step towards a modern, free, and pluralistic Syria, where radio becomes a voice for all Syrians, strengthening national unity as a spiritual bond, promoting sustainable peace as a philosophical process, and opening the doors of technological innovation to future generations as a path to collective liberation.
The Syrian Future Movement calls upon all Syrians and the international community to support this profound vision for the future, to build a Syria worthy of its rich history and actively participating in the modern world, upholding the values of the United Nations and the principles of freedom and innovation as the foundations of human progress. We call on emerging Syrian radio stations to adopt artificial intelligence tools with ethical responsibility, to enhance access to marginalized communities and support educational and cultural programs that rebuild the Syrian social fabric.
