From Listeners to Leaders: The Impact of Kurdish Radio Programs
The Kurdish people are characterized by diverse ethnicities and dialects. [photo courtesy of pexels.com]
The Kurds are recognized as the world's largest ethnic group without a distinct homeland. Most live in Kurdistan, a loosely defined region spanning parts of Iraq, Türkiye, Syria, and Iran, but it’s not internationally recognized. Kurds have a unique cultural heritage that traces its roots back to nomadic and semi-nomadic ways of life.
It is believed that there are between 25 million and 30 million Kurds worldwide, although sources differ. Historical tensions, including oppression by past regimes and conflicts with neighboring countries, have shaped their situation. Despite these challenges, the Kurds are determined to maintain their identity as they struggle for autonomy.
TWR (also known as Trans World Radio) and New Life Radio have teamed up to provide the Kurdish community with access to biblical media content. New Life Radio, a Christian FM network in the Middle East, consists of one radio station with towers in nine or 10 locations. It broadcasts programs in Arabic as well as various Kurdish dialects, with a particular emphasis on Kurdish Sorani.
The Kurdish people are characterized by diverse ethnicities and dialects, so content must be tailored to suit each dialect and cultural region. For instance, Kurdish Sorani in northern Iraq differs from Kurdish Kurmanji in Türkiye. 
In 2020, New Life Radio had a need for more Sorani content. Fortunately, TWR had a substantial number of 15-minute Sorani programs in ERF Medien’s program library in Germany. ERF Medien, a national partner of TWR, coordinated the production and willingly offered its content to TWR and its partners for use. God was paving the way for a new chapter to begin.
Of the content provided by TWR, New Life Radio currently airs only Women of Hope, finding the program most suitable for its format. New Life Radio primarily focuses on live radio, featuring talk shows and engaging programs in which the audience participates through games and conversations.
The New Life Radio team prioritizes addressing listeners' questions and creates Bible-based programs based on those queries. After a visit to their office, Nathan Anderson, TWR’s ministry director for North Africa, reflected, “It was encouraging to see how much emphasis they place on everyone having a phone and being available around the clock to answer questions, phone calls or texts that come in from their audience.”
TWR’s goal is to expand its collaboration with New Life Radio by creating live content. Together, they are considering the development of a new series of Sorani programs suitable for different seasons of the year.
During a visit to northern Iraq, Anderson met an Iraqi-Arab couple who had just joined the New Life Radio team to coordinate the Kurdish ministry. The couple shared with him that they came to faith through TWR programs, along with other staff members. Their engagement in radio ministry is a direct response to the transformative influence of radio in their lives.
“It’s neat to see how they have a burden to utilize radio, and I really believe that a lot of that is because they were introduced to Christ through the radio,” Anderson said. “It’s wonderful to see their stories come full circle.”
Anderson is committed to exploring the complexities of Kurdish people groups to communicate with them more effectively through media. The cooperation between TWR and New Life Radio stands as a beacon of hope in a region where radio plays a pivotal role in shaping spiritual narratives.
Image: (middle, right) Kurdish child wearing Kurdish clothes. [Image courtesy of unsplash.com]
