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group picture
ACTION PLAN:
Media for Development: Context,
Purpose and Desired outcomes
1. Summary and
conclusion:
Vision:
“We believe it is necessary to use our power to leverage our networks to
explore engagement with public and private broadcasters, governments, educators
and corporations to deliver sustainable development messages.”
Points of Action:
1) To share
best practice around desired outcomes in engagement of public and private
broadcasters.
2) To monitor
content in Community media on issues of sustainable development
3) To undertake a
baseline study on the role and relationship between media and sustainable
development.
4) Present findings
and set up stakeholder meeting at the AMARC 8 Conference in November 2002.
5) To submit an
immediate funding proposal to employ a project co-ordinator to oversee the
baseline study.
Outcomes:
Formation of the: Media for Sustainable Development Forum
The long term
desired outcomes include:
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Change in Content
and Curriculum development |
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Development of
training toolkit for SD |
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Increased use of
the media to disseminate SD information |
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Private sector
support |
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Increased
awareness of communication as a human right |
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Inclusion of
community media in any new broadcasting legislation. |
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Expanding
membership of the Forum. |
Partners:
AMARC, FEMNET, PANOS Institute of Southern Africa, APC, Open Society of Southern
Africa, Oneworld.net Africa, South African Broadcasting Corporation, MISA, The
Vatican Project and Stakeholder Forum.
2. Full write-up of
the action plan
Initial Context:
The idea of a ‘Media for Development’ action plan was coined during PrepCom 3 in
New York. During a meeting between a small group of community media
professionals it was observed that there was as yet no real or coherent
representation of the media as a stakeholder group and its role in tackling
issues of sustainable development.
This began a
process of inviting and dialoguing with a number of representatives from across
the sector in order further identify agencies and individuals that would be
interested in participating in a multi-stakeholder dialogue around the issue of
the media and sustainable development.
Purpose:
The purpose of the IC was to produce measurable, clear and owned plans of
collaborative action. The specific focus for the group was identified and
defined during the three days of negotiation, a process that was facilitated and
designed by an independent facilitator and the IC team.
Desired outcomes:
While various ideas and points of potential action had been identified prior to
the IC the group worked and dialogued and to deliver a collectively owned and
desired action plan.
The result from a
culmination of three days of intense negotiation was that the Media for
Sustainable Development Forum was born.
Day 1 - Processes
and Outputs
After the opening
plenary sessions the group spent the first part of the afternoon getting to know
each other and sharing information on themselves and their organisations. This
process was facilitated by an independent facilitator Alex Villar-Hauser and was
assisted by Ruth Grier from Stakeholder Forum who was responsible for bringing
the group together. After documenting their expectations and purpose for being
at the IC (transcript available on request). The group worked for the second
part of the afternoon to identify the following areas for potential action.
Initial input regarding potential workshop
areas, Day 1
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Leveraging our
networks to explore engagement with public and private broadcasters,
governments and corporations to deliver sustainable development messages |
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Advocacy to drive
governments to support community media initiatives |
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Engaging with
Implementation Conference Action Groups to disseminate messages through the
media |
These three areas
were supported by a general statement with regard to the sustainable development
agenda:
“We
believe it is necessary to use the power to leverage our networks to explore
engagement with public and private broadcasters, governments, educators and
corporations to deliver sustainable development messages.”
Day 2 – Process and outputs
The group began the
day by evaluating the three possible outcome areas and deciding which one they
would be able to commit to and develop. The purpose from the previous day was
modified and the following wording agreed,
“To
involve our identified Stakeholders to increase their active commitment in
sustainable development media content.”
This purpose was
then strengthened by a negotiated group commitment:
“For
ourselves we need the commitment to learn and share with each other, know about
each other and our organisations and take ownership for the process we have
initiated.”
The following areas
were then addressed and documented:
Our Vision
A society that is:
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Empowered through
access to all information relevant to sustainable development.
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Able to assert
its rightful place and meet its obligations by participating in
decision-making processes at all appropriate levels of consultation. That
addresses its needs AND enhances the lives of all its citizens. |
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Affecting a
change in patterns of behaviour so as to achieve sustainable development |
Our Mission
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To create
partnerships to maximise the work being done by individual stakeholders |
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To promote
sustainable development content that is:
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Relevant * Accurate *Diverse *Up to-date
By using our
tools and knowledge management process |
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To lobby the
advertising industry to take sustainable development in to account and take a
responsible approach to advertising content |
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To deploy our
existing/new resources - commitment – guidance AND in ongoing consultative
dialogue with its key stakeholders ensuring that sustainable development
content reaches and impacts those that will benefit positively from it |
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To raise
awareness amongst civil society communities policy makers of the right to
information and participation |
Our Values
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A people driven
approach to development |
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Democracy that
values participation and inclusion of all voices |
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Enhancement of
life |
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Diversity |
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Truth – objective
& honest |
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To work against
free- market driven development |
How do we engage our organisations?
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What |
When |
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Process notes |
Friday Aug 30th
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Report back
according to organisation and practice
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Identify
options for action |
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Look at
possible linkages to ongoing projects |
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Identify
possible funds. |
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End of Aug/
start Sept |
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Use other
internal communication systems |
September |
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Source relevant
information from the organisation and feed into the project hub/centre. |
Sept/Oct |
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Feedback to the
group on success |
End of
September |
Getting Voice and
Stakeholder contact at AMARC 8 – end of Nov 02
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Action |
By when |
Who |
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Elect a
Co-ordinator |
26th
Aug |
Ruth or other |
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Place Action
plan AMARC 8 Agenda |
2nd
Sept |
Lettie |
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How to get into
AMARC 8 Agenda through Africa Platform |
15th
Sept |
AMARC |
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Need for a pre
and post AMAC 8 Plan |
17th
Oct |
All |
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Analysis of the
plan by key SH |
31st
Oct |
All |
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Introduction of
plan at AMARC 8 |
24-31st
Nov |
All
AMARC |
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Follow up |
Dec -Jan 2003 |
All |
Baseline work –
leading to Nov 2002 - AMARC 8 Conference.
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What |
Who |
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Who is doing
what in CM? What are the main concerns and focus?
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Identify best
practices with a sustainable development focus |
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All
Stakeholders (SH)
Co-ordinator to
collate |
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Content (and
quality) of SD messages in CM. With either regional or national focus –
suggested regions are Southern Africa and Central America. |
MISA
Co-ordinator
Pronatura |
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Who uses the CM
to disseminate SD information or conduct campaigns? How? - use the IC
Database? – Use IC database. |
Stakeholder
Forum
Co-ordinator |
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How do they see
or understand CM and SD? - descriptions, understanding etc – use IC
database – Use IC database |
Stakeholder
Forum
Co-ordinator |
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Questionnaire
design and distribution |
APC,
List-server, Co-ordinator |
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To write and
submit funding proposal |
Pronatura,
AMARC: All to comment |
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Which training
institutions (Media, NGO’s, Universities etc) have incorporated development
communications into their programmes? (regional/national focus) – seek out
APC and research already done. – Distribute questions in a questionnaire? |
AMARC
OSF
APC
SAMTRAIN
Radio 4
Development
Co-ordinator |
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What do the
media watchers watch – role of SD? Global focus |
PANOS Institute |
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Mapping the
materials and disseminating |
Co-ordinator |
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Invitation to
governments and other SH to AMARC 8 |
AMARC
Stakeholder
Forum |
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Organisation of
a Multi-stakeholder Dialogue at the AMARC 8 Conference. |
AMARC
Stakeholder
Forum |
To do this we need:
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What |
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Funding!
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Researcher(s):
One project leader; Volunteers? |
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Resources:
Office space, Computer; create a list server |
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A System:
Network, Internet, knowledge management. |
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Questionnaire
design and dissemination: use IC database |
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Commitment
and regular contact between the group. |
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The List of
Stakeholders to contact:
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All 9 LA21
groups |
Researchers |
Different
government departments |
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Community
groups |
Private Sector |
Regulators |
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Community media
groups |
Training
institutions |
Private Sector |
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Mainstream
Media |
International
organisations |
Funding
Partners |
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Funding
Partners |
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NGOs and
Networks |
Desired outcomes:
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Change in
Content |
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Curriculum
development |
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Development of
training toolkit for SD |
|
Increased use
of the media to disseminate SD information |
|
Private sector
support |
|
Increased
awareness of communication as a human right |
|
Inclusion of
community media in any new broadcasting legislation. |
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Expanding
membership of the Forum. |
Key texts to
explore the role of Media for sustainable development:
MIMO; The Charter
for African Broadcasters; The Highway Africa Charter; APC Charter on Internet
Rights; Windhoek Declaration
Identified areas of
action:
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Share best
practice re. desired outcomes in engagement of public and private broadcasters
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Monitor content
on Community and sustainable development |
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Training and
Duplication of communication to increase capacity at all levels re: content |
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Impact assessment |
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Media Audit |
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Write a clear
short statement re relationship between media and sustainable development. |
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Present findings
and engage more people at the AMARC 8 conference. |
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Set up
stakeholder meeting with those who do not usually attend via Stakeholder
Forum. |
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Map fully the
full list of stakeholders. |
Day 3 – Process and outcomes
The third day was
spent solidifying and finalising key areas of action and divisions of
responsibilities. The roles of the various groups were discussed and the role of
Agenda 21 in inspiring stakeholders to become partners in delivering sustainable
development agendas.
Ideas and
commitments:
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Channel Africa |
Become a
platform for content distribution for sustainable development. |
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Pronatura |
How to
integrate media in specific projects and issues. |
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MISA |
My time to this
action group. Access to our information, resources and expertise. Space to
work in our public space. |
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Panos |
Research,
commitment and the support of Panos. |
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AMARC |
A driving
force, leadership and research and resources. |
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Femnet |
Support and
commitment |
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APC |
Skills,
research and support |
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OSF |
Funding
information, support and ideas. |
Action beyond
November:
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Re-engage
partnerships in driving content on issues of sustainable development |
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Advocacy for
community media in Africa |
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Offer a service
to other groups at the Implementation Conference to engage with the media |
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Leverage this
group to start engaging other stakeholders including governments and
corporations in sustainable development issue and the media. |
The Role of
Stakeholder Forum:
This has yet to
formally evolve. Areas of engagement include facilitation in dialogues,
harnessing of media contacts and content and general supportive role in
fundraising and profile raising. This relationship will undoubtedly evolve and
strengthen as the group gains momentum.
The four driving
organisations are:
PRONATURA, AMARC, PANOS and FEMNET
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