Community radio is beginning to take root across Asia, but most grassroots Buddhist communities are in a comparative disadvantaged situation as compared to other religious groups in this field.

If concerted capacity building is not undertaken within Buddhist communities in Asia, community radio itself could become a threat to survival of Buddhist communities, especially in poor rural areas.

Thus, it is important that a well structured community radio training (capacity building) program is introduced in Buddhist countries where community radio is taking shape – such as Sri Lanka, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. There is also a need to build capacity within minority Buddhist communities in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal as well.

LCN is working with a well-known Buddhist NGO in Cambodia to set up Asia’s first Buddhist Development Communication Community Radio. Both the Cambodian government and UNESCO have expressed its support for the idea. If all goes well we plan to launch the radio in mid-2015.

It is envisaged that we use the community radio training curriculum and resource material developed for UNESCO by LCN convenor Dr Kalinga Seneviratne. 

Lotus Communication Network is glad to present its first 'Lotus Song' sung in Sinhalese by Udani Pabasara Liyanage and music by Sri Lankan group Metta. Lyrics by Dharsana Ashoka Kumar. The song titled 'True Frienddship' is based on the Sigalavada Sutra - Buddha's advice to young Sigala - on how to cultivate good friends. 

Link to Song Clip

With air travel becoming cheaper and with the middle class increasing in numbers there is much scope to develop cultural tourism between Buddhist countries of Asia. LCN is exploring ways of promoting cultural tourism within Buddhist Asia by producing a regional cultural tourism guidebook and an electronic database. 

In addition, in collaboration with the Yunus Centre at AIT in Bangkok LCN will seek to develop community cultural tourism projects with a social business focus in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan and India.

LCN is currently looking for a funding agency to fund two pilot projects in Pollonnaruwa in Sri Lanka and Bagan in Myanmar or Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Lotus Communication Network partnered the Delhi-based International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) in organising the 1st Asian Buddhist Media Conclave in New Delhi on 27 and 28 August, 2018. The Conclave titled 'Mindful Communication for Conflict Avoidance and Sustainable Development' is an idea initiated by LCN in association with IBC. The Conclave was funded by the Indian Government and supported by the Vivekananda International Foundation - Delhi based Hindu Think Tank - and held at their auditorium. Our idea was to bring together Buddhist media practitioners and communication scholars from across Asia to discuss and plan common communication platforms and training programs to create a stronger Buddhist voice in Asia. It is a process that would take a few years to build and we had a very encouraging start in Delhi.  Major recommendations of the Conclave was to introduce a regional mindful communication for sustainable development training program; iptv regional Buddhist TV channel and a Nalanda (arts) Festival.  IBC and LCN will be working on building on these initiatives in coming months.

Buddhistdoor article on the Conclave

Lotus Communication Network is working with a leading university in Thailand to develop a journalism training program for the Asian region under the title of “Mindful Communication for Sustainable Development”. 

This project will use Buddhist principles and communication theories to redefine Development Communications in Asia. We hope to get UNESCO endorsement for the project. 

We plan to launch the project in mid-2015.