Media and Development - RNW - Radio Netherlands Worldwide

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