http://www.tve.org/earthreport/archive/doc.cfm?aid=1372

Through its initial broadcast on BBC World TV to an estimated 275 million households - and pick up by other transmitters like ATEI (Spain and Latin America), Doordashan (India), and China Environment and Education TV - it will help create a dialogue and raise the profile of issues relating to information and communication technologies in relation to the Millennium Development Goals, to a global audience.

The initiative includes Cyber Summit Debate - Broadcast Live Worldwide and on the Web. A distinguished panel, including representatives from government, the communications industry, civil society, and the UN debated issues emerging from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The one-hour long debate was broadcast live on the Internet on 11 December 2003 and received emails from viewers worldwide with questions to the TV moderator. The debate was also broadcast "as live" on 13th December on BBC World Earth Report at 0810, 1210 and 2010 hrs GMT to 275 million homes and one million hotels in 200 countries and territories. It seeks to enlighten policy-makers and the public internationally about the realities and complexities of ICTs in a global context, so as to realise the potential of environmentally sound development and the efforts to improve lives and raise the status of poor and disadvantaged groups.

In addition, in the fortnight before the debate, the BBC showed 'Communicating for Change', two 30-minute Earth Report documentaries (each involving five separate stories from the world over) on ICT for development, especially prepared to raise global awareness of the Summit.

A collaborative project with UNDP's Asia Pacific Development Information Programme, Communicating For Change builds on the success of 'Earth Report-Hands On' - the Television Trust for the Environment's award-winning series, which has reached millions of people worldwide and attracted thousands of letters, e-mails, and faxes from individuals, policy-makers, development workers, entrepreneurs and communities; anxious for empowering information to improve livelihoods and safeguard the environment.

Background and Summary

"Recent developments in the fields of communications and information technology are indeed revolutionary in nature. Information and knowledge are expanding in quantity and accessibility. In many fields future decision-makers will be presented with new tools for development. In fields such as agriculture, health, education and human resources and environmental management or transport or business development, the consequences could be quite revolutionary. Communications and information technology have enormous potential especially for developing countries and in furthering sustainable development," Kofi Annan.

Since 1997 when Kofi Annan made this statement, information and communications technology (ICT) have become recognised as one of the 'development' tools of the 21st century.

'Communicating For Change' is in line with Kofi Annan's belief in the need to establish ICT's as a significant issue on world economic and environmental agendas’ and the projects’ foundations are rooted within the principles enshrined at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 'Communicating For Change' demonstrates how ICTs are indispensable tools in the fight against world poverty and how they provide developing nations with an unprecedented opportunity to meet the key concerns of human development - poverty eradication, healthcare, education, human resources, environmental management and economic development.

Importantly, 'Communicating For Change' is a collaborative project and forms part of the strategic ICT initiatives for Poverty Alleviation as developed by UNDP's Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP). APDIP and TVE maximised the impact and reach of the project by involving other UNDP regional and international partners, and NGOs like Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG).

Depending on the region, broadcast in different time slots on a five times a week cycle on BBC World Television to 275 million households world-wide.

Goal
To contribute to the alleviation of poverty and the creation of sustainable environmental practice by creating a multi-media package that helps reinforce the importance of ICTs as a key issue on world political, economic and environmental agendas to inspire positive development practice for those whose future development depends on empowering information.

Purpose
To educate policy-makers and the public internationally about the realities and complexities of ICTs in a global context, so as to realise the potential of environmentally sound development to improve lives and raise the status of poor and disadvantaged groups.

Target Audiences

Decision- and policy-makers (ie. representatives of government, bilateral donors, and corporate sector) world-wide via: TVE's Earth Report strand on BBC World TV reaches 275 million households and hotels through direct to home broadcast and cable and terrestrial relay; other global satellite services like, CNN; and terrestrial stations such as ATEI (Spain and Latin America), TV Cultura in Brazil, CEETV in China, YTN in Korea, Channel 13 in the Philippines; SABC (South Africa), Bangla TV (Bangladesh), and Doordashan (India); broadcasters in East Africa, Nigeria, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Papua new Guinea; and world-wide radio services through relayers like One World On Line as well as on broadcasters in Brazil, Venezuela, ATEI (Spain and Latin America), East Africa, Pakistan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, PNG and Nigeria.

Extension agencies (ie. NGOs, community groups, government agencies, academic and research institutions) and potential entrepreneurs in rural and urban communities via: BBC World TV and other global satellite services, national broadcasters world-wide, and radio services through TVE's network of video resource centres and relayers like One World On Line.

Poor and disadvantaged groups, especially women and indigenous peoples via: television broadcasts in national and vernacular languages on local and national terrestrial television services; radio broadcasts; video exhibits via video resource centres, extension bodies and NGOs/CBOs; and print packs.

Students (in formal and non-formal education) via: teachers viewing the programmes on BBC World and other transmitters.

The general public world-wide via: all of the media previously mentioned.

In sum, a three-tiered strategy to reach the afore-mentioned target audiences will be implemented:

• via direct to home broadcast on BBC World TV;
• via cable and terrestrial relay of BBC World, and
• via TVEs Video Resource Centre partners to non-broadcast multiplier groups.

The Partners
Television Trust for the Environment (TVE): Since its foundation, TVE (www.tve.org) has produced and co-produced more than 1,000 hours of programming about environment and development, distributed over 75,000 programmes, and set up a global network of 57 partner organisations known as Video Resource Centres (VRCs), to promote South-South audio-visual exchange and local distribution and production. It also partners with UNDP on the Equator Initiative. 'Hands On' was developed in direct response to the numerous requests to TVE for videos featuring practical 'Hands On' projects.

Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG): Founded by the economist and author of 'Small is Beautiful', EF Schumacher, ITDG (www.itdg.org) has long believed that information and influence are key objectives in achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty. With 5,000 specialised enquiries a year - many of which have been catalysed by mass media coverage - 'Hands On' has added to ITDG's existing evidence that there is a very real demand in the South for practical information that individuals, communities, and small-scale enterprises can act upon to reduce their vulnerability.

Video Resource Centres (VRCs): The Video Resource Centres (http://www.tve.org/resources.html) are TVE's partners in countries other than Western Europe, North America, Japan, and Korea where seven out of ten of the world's TV households are located. They share TVE's commitment to mobilising public opinion through the audio-visual media. Some are TV producers and distributors; others environment and development civil society organisations. VRCs supply local TV stations with programmes in national and lingua franca languages on a cost recovery basis in local currency.

TVE and UNDP-APDIP will hold joint copyright of all materials produced under this project.

Programe Structure and Outputs

The multi-media package includes the following components:

• An 'as live' panel debate held at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva and broadcast on TVE's Earth Report programme on BBC World TV;
• An opening video to the debate setting up the key issues and introducing the audience to a range of ICT stories from around the globe in order to place ICTs within the ‘human development’ and the millennium development goals;
• A video news release distributed during WSIS to all the major news channels - incorporating the main findings from APDIP's 'Promoting ICT for Human Development: Realizing the Millennium Development Goals' research project;

• 'Hands On-Earth Report' programmes covering stories on ICTs clearly linked to the MDGs from around the globe titled 'Communicating for Change';

• A CD-ROM release containing all materials produced under this project;

• Back Up information, web pages and enquiries service providing the viewer with links to projects featured and 'how to' tips for those who want to implement any of the ideas. To-date, the programmes have secured more than 2,000 written responses and 35,000 plus hits per programme: ICT in practice.

The outputs comprise:

'DIGITAL DIVIDE - OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT?' - One 'Earth Report' special debate recorded at WSIS in Geneva with invited key thinkers to look at the progress of ICTs in combating the digital divide, meeting the MDGs, and delivering knowledge - perhaps the most important factor determining the standard of living - more than land, than tools, than labour”, 1999 World Development Report;

A CONTEXT SETTER - One up to ten minute debate opener using a combination of new and existing footage providing an overview of the issues relating to ICTs touching on the economic, environmental, social, cultural, and political ramifications of the current situation as well as at the key challenges facing the different stakeholders;

A VIDEO NEWS RELEASE - One x five minute video news release with up to ten minutes of B-roll for release to 15 major news corporations. Content may reflect trends drawn from the findings of APDIP research but footage will be drawn from global ICT examples. Most effective would be to find one strong ICT story that shows how important these technologies are to marginalised and poor communities;

INFORMATION AND BACK UP- A dedicated 'Hands On' technical enquiry service run by ITDG in collaboration with APDIP and TVE, which will produce and distribute information leaflets giving details about the issues and technologies featured in every programme. The information will be available by post or e-mail and the service promoted via on-air announcements, programme credits and the 'Hands On' web pages;

HANDS ON WEB - Web pages updated every week carrying back up information on each programme and featuring the full script of the TV series while also providing guidance on how to obtain further information linked to APDIP and other relevant websites.

For more information, please contact :

James George Chacko
Programme Specialist
Access and Partnerships Development
Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme
Email: james@apdip.net