Archive - Sep 1, 2008
A Better Life Through Reality TV?
Afghanistan’s economy is getting a boost from a very unlikely source — Reality TV. In a new show called “Fikr wa Talash," or “Dream and Achieve,” Afghan entrepreneurs propose new business ideas to a panel of local business leaders, who award winners with up to $20,000. According to the International Herald Tribune, the show is wildly popular, and its creators hope that its success will help foster entrepreneurial growth all over Afghanistan.
Not only could the show popularize entrepreneurial spirit in one of the world's poorest countries, but it also shows promise for promoting gender equality. Two of the top five finalists in “Fikr wa Talash” are women entrepreneurs — a new concept in a country that only permitted women to work seven years ago.
It will be interesting to see if the viewing power of Reality TV, a traditionally tawdry genre in the U.S., can be successfully harnessed for social and economic benefit elsewhere.
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