• Media 4 Development

Media 4 Development

BAAG’s 3 year programme to support public awareness across the EU of overseas development programmes and funding. 

 

On this page you’ll find information about the project events, news updates and reports and resources from BAAG and the project partners.

BAAG are proud to be a member of the Media4Development project, funded by the European Union.  From January 2015-December 2017 we will join our partners in a series of events, trainings, reports and campaigns to raise the awareness of the EU public, particularly those in New Member States, of the value and importance of development assistance.

The project will focus on support to development journalism in five New Member States (NMS). It will also provide opportunities for policy makers from those same countries to discuss the challenges and benefits of development assistance, so that their governments may effectively contribute to efforts to tackle global poverty and inequality.

Whilst the British and Irish public can make more informed decisions about the importance of overseas development assistance, this is not the case in all European countries. Western EU countries have enjoyed a history of robust media coverage of global issues and of the benefits (and challenges) of development aid.  In the five NMS countries supported by the Media4Development programmes, national media outlets have fewer opportunities and resources to inform their public of these issues. Consequently, public support in NMS for development assistance is lower.  In the 2014 Eurobarometer report on EU citizens’ views on development, cooperation and aid, whilst 56% of Irish respondents felt it was very important to help people in developing countries, only 17% of Estonian respondents stated this. Whilst 59% of British respondents said they knew a little about how their national development aid is spent, only 33% of Latvians did.  When the public are better informed, they are more empowered: 68% of Irish respondents agreed that individuals can play a role in tackling global poverty – 71% of Estonians said the opposite. Without public support, the challenges to address these issues are even greater.

The project is funded by the EU, in support of the European Year of Development and beyond.  

2015 is a special year as the Millennium Development Goals reach their deadline and the negotiations for the post-2015 framework will take place. As the first ever European Year dealing with the EU's ‘external action’, the European Year for Development 2015 will provide an unparalleled opportunity to engage with citizens, to showcase the EU's commitment to eradicating poverty worldwide.

Public support in New Member States for development assistance is lower.

Media4Development is delivered by a consortium of organisations from five new EU member states - Estonia (Mondo and Estonian Public Broadcasting Company), Czech Republic (People in Need), Slovakia (MVRO), Latvia (Green Liberty), Lithuania (House of Europe) - and two NGOs from old member states: VIKES (Finland) and BAAG (UK/Ireland).

Resources

  • Provincial Women’s Networks Perspectives and Recommendations for Intra-Afghan Negotiations

    Following the historic National Consultative Peace Jirga, which endorsed the release of the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners, all milestones for beginning the Intra-Afghan negotiations are achieved. Now no side has any excuse for delaying the negotiations. We, the members of Provincial Women’s Network from 15 provinces of Afghanistan, would like to encourage both the government and the Taliban to respect the call of Jirga delegates for beginning the negotiations as soon as possible...

    PDF icon Provincial Women's Networks Perspectives and Recommendations.pdf

News

Videos

BAAG launches 'My Liver is Bleeding' exhibition at LSE

Audio

Kings Conflict & Development Studies Conference, opening session
BAAG's Director speaks on the post-2015 development agenda at Kings College London, March 2015