Media and Development - RNW - Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Media and Development - RNW - Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Media and Development - RNW - Radio Netherlands Worldwide
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
4<br />
<strong>Media</strong> <strong>and</strong> development<br />
Introduction to the theme<br />
CHAPTER 1<br />
According to estimates, around 1 billion people are living at the margins of survival<br />
on less than US$1 a day, with 2.6 billion – 40 percent of the world’s population –<br />
living on less than US$2 a day. These people lack the basic needs for a minimum<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard of well-being <strong>and</strong> life, such as food, shelter, clothing, <strong>and</strong> safe drinking<br />
water. Even more people suffer from what can be called ‘social poverty’, the lack of<br />
access to information, education, health care, or political power. This may lead to<br />
dependency <strong>and</strong> social exclusion, a diminished capacity to participate in society or<br />
to develop meaningful connections with other people.<br />
Governments alone cannot address the challenges of development – an active <strong>and</strong><br />
vibrant involvement of citizens <strong>and</strong> civil society is required to diminish poverty, to<br />
resolve conflicts <strong>and</strong> to build peace, to ensure citizen participation in governance,<br />
<strong>and</strong> diversity within societies.<br />
<strong>Media</strong> play a fundamental <strong>and</strong><br />
nurturing role in development. They<br />
<strong>Media</strong> can inform <strong>and</strong> educate<br />
can inform <strong>and</strong> educate people –<br />
equipping them with the tools to make people – equipping them with the<br />
informed decisions <strong>and</strong> to improve<br />
tools to make informed decisions<br />
their lives. They can offer a platform for<br />
dialogue <strong>and</strong> debate, where voices are<br />
<strong>and</strong> to improve their lives.<br />
heard, ideas exchanged <strong>and</strong> opinions<br />
formed. They can help foster social<br />
cohesion <strong>and</strong> bridge gaps between<br />
different groups in society. They can support the creation of an environment for<br />
transparency <strong>and</strong> responsive governance in which accountability is promoted <strong>and</strong><br />
corruption counteracted.<br />
<strong>Media</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Development</strong> | Chapter 1 Introduction to the theme 5