One World Media

History

One World Broadcasting Trust, based in Britain, was established in 1987 to promote greater understanding between the developed and developing countries of the world through effective use of media. To this end, the Trust seeks to raise awareness of global human rights, social and development issues – from poverty and debt to education, good governance and freedom of expression. By its unique set of activities, the Trust stimulates a greater understanding of the developing world, helping us to see the signs of positive progress as well as the problems still to be overcome.

Purpose

Most media coverage on the developing world tends to focus on natural or man-made disasters to which the public often responds generously with donations for immediate aid relief. However the opportunity for educating the general public on the wider issues of long-term development, planning, recovery and sustainable growth is often overlooked.

Not many Western broadcast journalists have first-hand experience in covering issues affecting the developing world, which directly correlates with the decline in international factual non-news television over the past few years documented by the 3WE (a coalition of international development and environment charities, lobbying for sustained, high quality and imaginative coverage of international issues on UK television). The media all over the world has been inclined to concentrate (and continues to do so) on covering parochial issues, and it is the task of the Trust to encourage media, not only in the UK, but increasingly overseas to address this shortcoming.

Means

The Trust aims to achieve its objectives in a variety of ways, including:

• Giving prestigious Awards to outstanding radio and television documentaries, print and new media as well as overseas community development projects, among others, all covering the developing world.

• Supporting overseas broadcasters from the developing world, who are committed to positive change in their countries, by facilitating a fellowship programme in the UK to enable exposure and exchange of information on the latest developments and thinking in the UK and international media scene.

• Facilitating the production of high quality documentaries by UK film students on critical issues affecting the developing world through the provision of bursaries to enable over seas travel. In recent years this has expanded to the provision of bursaries to overseas students from India to travel to the UK to make a documentary.

• Promoting partnerships between broadcasters, voluntary organisations and experts in the fields of human rights and development, government departments and non-governmental organisations.

• Promoting research to motivate a wide range of independent producers and broadcasters in Europe and further a field to produce more programmes on issues such as the advancement of human rights, peace and security and international development and the relationship between developed and developing countries, and in new formats such as new media, that appeal to a wider and younger audience.

• Initiating co-operation and exchange of information among broadcasters. The Trust shares office space with its sister organisation One World International Foundation, and the International Broadcasting Trust (IBT), with whom it collaborates with on an ongoing basis.

At a time of increased instability and divided communities around the world, improving understanding, raising awareness of and promoting universal human rights and development has never been more important. By a range of key partnership activities, the Trust encourages a responsible and lucid coverage of the developing world.

External links

• Official site