INTERNATIONAL DONORS POLICY FORUM ON MEDIA DEVELOPMENT

LONDON, 13-14 OCTOBER 2005

Co-hosted by the Open Society Foundation-Network Media Program and the UK Department for International Development

            Welcome to the website of the International Policy Forum on Media Development, from which you will be able to download all briefing papers and case studies commissioned for this event. You will also find all logistical information, including the agenda, venue locations and the list of forum participants and speakers.

           Brief background

           The media in its broadest sense has long been recognised as essential to securing democracy. In the last fifteen years, it has also been seen as an increasingly important instrument in achieving development. Donors have supported the development of media as a tool of democratisation ? and many have invested in the media as a way of communicating with the poor on policies as a diverse as rural agriculture or campaigning on HIV/AIDS. In turn, there has been a growing interest in how supporting communication through media can assist in addressing structural poverty and give voice to the poor, to the dispossessed and to minorities.

           There are, however, many contrasting views as to how best to use donor support to tackle these broad issues, as well as contrasting operational arrangements and a growing debate about how best to implement effective policies. As many donor organisations reevaluate their strategies for approaching this issues, an opportunity exists to try and focus debate on these important issues. The Open Society Institute/Foundation ? Network Media Program and UK Department for International Development (DFID) are jointly hosting a major international policy forum in London for donors who work in the field of freedom of expression, communication and media support.

          The aim of this forum is to create a better shared understanding of donors' policies in supporting media development and to identify potential for future collaboration. The forum will bring together high-level policy-makers and senior media development officers from all the major governmental and private donors. Policy-makers will address general issues and review concrete examples through specific case studies of where policies and their implementation worked successfully and where and why they did not work. Among the issues to be discussed are:

? Current policy dilemmas for donors in the field

? The political and economic sustainability of donor initiatives

? How to ensure coherent donor policies in a decentralised environment

? Approaches to implementation ? management, monitoring and impact assessment

? How support for media can sustain democracy and development policy

? The effectiveness of donor support to the media in conflict and post conflict zones

? Communication and the needs of the poor. Specific case studies that look at examples of effective donor co-operation and the implications of adopting a regional focus will be discussed.

Participants will also have an opportunity to listen to key speakers and take part in practical and focused discussions.