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MEDIP - The Bigger Picture: Getting the Message Across

Posted Date: 04/04/2010

 

Manic Magazine - 4th April 2010

 

THE BIGGER PICTURE: GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS

Media Engagement in Development Issues and Promotion (MEDIP)

 

At the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 countries promised to make the world a better place by committing to the realisation of eight goals, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These countries signed the Millennium Declaration promising to “free men, women and children from the dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty”.

In an effort to contribute towards the global fight against poverty, SOS Malta, the Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights (Hungary), the European Institute of Cyprus, Slovene Philanthropy (Slovenia), the Civil Society Development Foundation (Romania) and the Jaan Tonisson Institute (Estonia) are engaged in a project funded by the European Commission entitled Media Engagement in Development Issues and Promotion (MEDIP). The MEDIP project aims to enhance the contribution of the participating six new EU member states towards the achievement of the MDGs by raising greater awareness within these countries on poverty and development-related issues.

MEDIP’s most recent activity brought together journalists and NGO representatives from the six countries for a three-day training workshop in February in Budapest, organised by the Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights (DemNet). The first workshop was organised by the lead partner of the project, SOS Malta, in March 2009 and was held in Malta. Divided between two training workshops, the participants discussed communication strategies between NGOs and the media, as well as the interpretation of development-related issues in the framework of the MDGs. Journalists engaged in a number of highly interactive activities, including critical analyses of two documentaries and the writing of on-the-spot press releases. In addition, the workshop produced some interesting discussions in relation to the role of the media, especially within new EU member states, in raising awareness about development issues, and the MDGs in particular, this being the overall objective of the MEDIP project. The workshop also contributed towards improving their knowledge on the challenges encountered when interpreting news on the ‘Global South’. The documentaries screened at the workshop form part of a series of six documentaries produced for the MEDIP project. All six documentaries were broadcast on national television stations, and elsewhere, in all the respective participating Member States and will continue to be used as an important tool for development education.

The MEDIP project is one of many that are contributing to the achievement of the MDGs and represent a joint effort by the international community to raise awareness and seek to eradicate poverty. The challenge to combat global poverty is an issue that humanity, as a whole, must undertake and it is our responsibility as global citizens to take action and make a difference.

SOS Malta, a Maltese-registered NGO established in 1991 and working on projects in Malta and overseas, aims to help people experiencing times of crisis and empower them by providing support services and opportunities to implement development and change in their country to ensure a better quality of life. It encourages advocacy on behalf of social causes and promotes models of good care and practice. The organisation is a source of knowledge and advice about the role and contribution of volunteerism and the benefits of civic engagement.

A conference for the MEDIP project will be held at the Excelsior Hotel on 10 April 2010 starting at 08.30 and ending with a lunch at 14.00. RSVP monique.falzon@sosmalta.org.

For more information email on info@sosmalta.org.

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