New campaigning hub Channel 16 is named after the broadcast frequency of an international distress signal, Channel 16 creates a new frontline for responding to global crises; it is a campaigning platform that allows grassroots activists, bloggers, and campaigners who are concerned about humanitarian issues to gain an international audience.

Via Channel 16, people can not only see reports from the epicentre of humanitarian emergencies and crises but also can comment on and submit their own reports and learn what actions they can take to help. Channel 16 is an independent platform but it depends on the submissions of bloggers and interaction by its users to increase content and build awareness.

The crisis in the DR Congo is often called the ‘forgotten conflict’ yet it is a war that has killed an estimated 5 million people. What Channel 16 does is to provide a space where this conflict and the problems arising from it can be discussed openly. DR Congo rarely features in the mainstream media, and when it does the view is limited. Channel 16 not only increases awareness of the issues affecting the country, but it is from the perspective of those affected. This alternative view includes everything from independent bloggers to arts and culture.