The Drum Beat 67 - The BBC World Service Trust

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THE BBC WORLD SERVICE TRUST - using media to promote learning and development.
BBC WST Website.

1. The Trust acts to mobilise the media as a catalyst for change drawing on the expertise of the BBC to promote development and to build media expertise in developing countries. What follows are a number of examples of projects the Trust has undertaken since its inception. Overview

For a regular update of the Trust's activities contact: Sophia@toumazis.demon.co.uk

EDUCATION
Contact: Karen.merkel@bbc.co.uk
More details on Education Initiatives

2. Sexwise - Many millions of people still lack basic information, education and support concerning their sexual and reproductive health. 23 million people in Africa are infected with AIDS or HIV - this health issue is one of the focus points of phase 3 of the Sexwise project. Through books, radio and the internet, Sexwise provides accurate information about sexual health and development and practical means of seeking advice and support through links with the International Planned Parenthood Federation. Sexwise website.

3. Tobacco on Trial - the world's governments look set to take concerted action against tobacco. Negotiations start Oct. 2000 on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control - a legally binding international treaty pioneered by the World Health Organisation. 4 countries - Hungary, India, Malawi and the USA - were chosen to explore the world of tobacco. They represent the current state of a global industry that employs 30 million people in the making of a product which has serious health implications world-wide. In the 1st of the series Magenta Devine interviews tobacco farmers, farm workers, children working on the farms, aid workers and government officials. Tobacco on Trial website

4. "I have a right to . . ." - series of radio programmes will leave listeners with an enhanced awareness of their own rights, an increased understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and up-to-date picture of human rights issues in their region. They will engage listeners as individuals by focusing on ordinary people who describe how they have advanced human rights and made something happen. There will be seminars and panel discussions in 5 countries to raise the debate nationally. "I have a right to..." website

5. Children's Radio Service in Refugee Camps - For children living in refugee camps, these radio programmes will draw from the children's cultural experiences and aim to enrich their lives and, through them, the lives of their parents.

6. History of Africa from an African Perspective - 25 programmes will be produced for the Africa Service. This major broadcasting initiative will redress the more Euro-centric analysis of Africa's past, giving due prominence to the contribution Africa has made to human history. A website will be created to serve as a permanent educational resource making available the BBC's archive of material on Africa.

TRAINING
Contacts: charles.fletcher@bbc.co.uk or simon.derry@bbc.co.uk
More details on Training Initiatives

7. BBC Schools of Journalism in the Balkans & Eastern Europe - World Service Training has Schools of Journalism in Ekaterinburg, Russia; Bucharest, Romania; and Sarajevo, Bosnia. These Schools run 10-week foundation courses in television and radio journalism, shorter courses in radio and television production, journalism skills and short seminars on topics such as commercial management and Online journalism. All the above are equipped with digital editing facilities for both radio and television, studios for both disciplines and networked computer systems with Internet access. A 4th school - the European Centre for Broadcast Journalism - will open in 2001.

8. Other training projects are in Somalia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Angola, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Belarus.

HEALTH
Contact: roy.head@bbc.co.uk
More details on Health Initiatives

9. A New Collaborative Approach to World Health - Co-production has begun with local broadcasters in a number of countries using a strategy that brings them together with local Ministries of Health. The aim is to transform health programming into dynamic, entertaining media that engages audiences in matters of crucial importance to them and to tap the potential of national radio and television stations to shift attitudes. Technical and editorial capacities are also built through training.

10. "Campaign to Combat Leprosy Cures 176,000" - The campaign has focused on 5 Indian states over 1 year. The project aims to persuade people to come for treatment, and to reduce the stigma associated with the disease. 27 TV spots and 146 radio spots in 20 languages, plus 13 TV dramas and 53 radio dramas. In total, they will have been broadcast 808 times on TV and 5,545 times on radio. For media-dark areas, 2,175 song and drama performances and 5,455 video van screenings have been conducted and 150,000 posters produced. 176,000 patients have come forward for treatment. Of the 48% of the population who saw or heard the TV and radio spots, 79% recalled 1 or more messages correctly and belief that leprosy was hereditary fell from 56 to 32%.

11. Vietnam's 1st ever radio phone-in show - Developed in partnership with Radio Voice of Vietnam, this project enabled young people to ask questions, and express their feelings about reproductive health. In 12 months, some 30,000 letters and 4,000 phone calls have been received.

12. Combating Trachoma in Tanzania - helped the International Trachoma Initiative conduct a village-level campaign about the prevention of blindness. Street theatre, posters, and "health animators" - entertainers with health messages, armed with coloured flip charts, children's songs and cassette players were used. Understanding of trachoma prevention increased by 150%.

13. Nepalese Comedians Fight Leprosy - Campaign led by the 2 most famous Nepalese comedians, saturated radio and TV airwaves with spots and dramas based on comedy and music. 100,000 people reported for diagnosis, and 11,700 people were treated as a result. The level of stigma (measured in terms of people who would refuse to sit next to a patient with a leprosy deformity) fell by 25%. This highly focused approach (the broadcasts lasted just 30 days) was complemented by a weeklong outreach campaign by health workers.

DEVELOPMENT
Contacts: tim.williams@bbc.co.uk or ann.cropper@bbc.co.uk
More details on Development Initiatives

14. Foster partnerships & new programming - One of the Trust's key roles is to encourage programming on topics not traditionally covered by the local media, and to foster partnership between media organizations and sectors such as NGOs, educational establishments and the civil service.

15. Bring Romanian NGOs & Journalists closer together - This project bridges the gap between NGOs and the media in Romania by encouraging the 2 sectors to work together on joint projects.

16. Educational radio production unit - Russia - In 1999 the Trust established The Foundation for Independent Radio Broadcasting (FNR) as a self-sufficient production house for radio programmes, working with a range of broadcasters. The FNR's 7 radio programmes cover civil law; social issues; NGO sector news, environmental concerns, business, the 7-year old radio soap opera "House Seven" and PSAs for youth audiences on FM stations, which cover everything from domestic violence and health to voter literacy. The FNR has increased its weekly audiences to 25 million and has won 7 awards in its 1st year. Programmes are broadcast on 113 stations. FNR website. Contact Veronika Dmitrieva veronica@fnr.ru

17. Rruga Me Pisha radio soap opera - Dealing with issues such as domestic violence, blood feuds, institutional corruption, and land disputes, Rruga Me Pisha (Pine Street) Albania's 1st ever contemporary radio soap opera with 65% of the country are tuning in regularly to the drama.

18. Democratising the Media - Russia & Ukraine - Taking drama a step closer to real life, Russians will have the opportunity to have their own stories and problems dramatised on national radio. Russian soap opera fans will write in with their own personal stories and hear them a month later on House Seven, FNR's soap opera. This project is intended to bring the voice of the "unheard" into mainstream radio andestablish a new radio format for both countries, "Audio Diaries", giving the public direct access to radio. The diaries will be an original source of people's views and will become "Y2K - the People's Archive".

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This Drum Beat compiled by Chris Morry cmorry@comminit.com. Send items for The Drum Beat to the Editor - Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com