Equal Access International

Our Mission

EAI helps communities around the world drive sustainable and transformative change
through our proven participatory media, technology, and outreach model. By designing
solutions with communities, our programming is locally-owned and culturally resonant. We
build communication ecosystems that take root and thrive, create platforms that elevate
marginalized voices, and build locally-led movements that shift power, inspire normative
change and promote creative, positive, and innovative solutions to social issues.

By putting people’s authentic stories and dreams at the center of our programs, communities and entire societies change their stories from disempowerment and marginalization to empowerment and possibility. Ronni Goldfarb
EAI Founder and Board member

Our History: Pioneers of Human-Centered International Development

In 2000, Ronni Goldfarb had a vision. With the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and a deep belief in the power of the individual to affect change, she and a small team launched Equal Access International (EAI). EAI was born out of a commitment to fostering human development and authentic empowerment through universal human rights principles – listening, empathy, respect, dignity, learning, innovation, and storytelling.

Funding from the Ford and UN Foundations made it possible to launch the organization’s flagship programs. They addressed HIV/AIDS prevention and women’s empowerment in Nepal. EAI’s pioneering work combining social and behavior change communications (SBCC) and community engagement earned us the prestigious Tech Award in 2003 for the breakthrough solution in Nepal, confirmation that our approach was innovative and poised for scale.

Under Ronni’s leadership, EAI expanded in and across ten countries in Asia and Africa. The organization worked to empower women and girls and prevent violence against them. We supported educating millions of marginalized youth with life skills and livelihoods training and advancing pioneering peacebuilding in some of the most challenging regions of the world.

In 2014, EAI launched the world’s first Hausa-language free to air 24/7 satellite TV channel produced by and for northern Nigerians. AREWA24 (www.arewa24.com) provides programming that empowers young people, educates children, supports women and girls, promotes peacebuilding, and celebrates the diverse culture and history of northern Nigeria. In 2017, AREWA24 became fully privatized, secured private investment, and has been operating independently on earned revenues ever since.

Awards: EAI has received numerous awards, including the NASDAQ Technology Award at The Tech Museum for Innovation in San Jose, California; a One World Media Award for the Voices Project addressing the nexus between violence against women and HIV/AIDS, and the prestigious Microsoft Education award at the Tech Museum for Innovation for our global work in 2016.

In 2018, EAI was poised for its next significant expansion. At this peak, Mr. Byron W. Radcliffe took over as the President & CEO to lead EAI into its next phase of growth, with Ronni maintaining her dedication by serving on the Board of Directors. To ensure that EAI continued to be competitive and influential in the field of international development, we moved our headquarters from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. We also refreshed our branding and relaunched our digital presence. After 18 years, the organization’s broadcast audience reach had surpassed 200 million people, with over 75 million regular viewers and listeners, and more than 118,000 people directly engaged in community activities through high-impact programs. We expanded and scaled our work in West and East Africa and the Philippines.

In 2022, Mr. Graham Couturier took over as the organization’s third President & CEO to develop and lead the organization’s three-year strategic plan (2023-2025). Under Graham’s leadership, EAI now implements our effective SBCC-informed resilience, positive youth development (PYD), women and girls’ empowerment, and peacebuilding activities across 10 countries, helping communities transform together toward a path of peace and stability. In addition to SBCC, our core methodologies include empowering and sustaining community-led violence prevention mechanisms, including ecosystem-based messaging hubs, early warning, early response systems, family-centered gender-based violence prevention strategies, broadcast media ventures, people-to-people peacebuilding structures, and grassroots youth and women-led entrepreneurship and dialogue activities.

For me terrorism is caused by bad governance...youth unemployment is one of the main factors pushing young people towards radicalization. Solutions are to promote dialogue and resolve conflicts.