Equal Access: making Digital Broadcast work for development.

SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT of the Digital Broadcast Initiative (DBI) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) and the United Nations Foundation (UNF) in August 2001, Equal Access has strived to provide critically needed information and education to poor communities in the developing world. DBI provides access to locally produced, high-quality information on topics that assist communities in advancing their own social and economic development efforts. Starting with a focus on HIV/AIDS and gender issues, including violence against women, DBI broadens the impact of development activities towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In coordination with UNDP, Equal Access' flexible, replicable and scalable Project Methodology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Platform for DBI is available at country and regional levels, to provide vital information, education and leadership training to even the most remote rural communities through satellite and FM radio technology.

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Since then, a number of UN agencies, as well as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and private foundations, have supported the DBI implementation in Nepal (pilot country), Afghanistan and Cambodia. Additionally, small-scale activities have been undertaken in India, the Lao People's Democratic Republic and Tajikistan. Through these, Equal Access shares its core expertise, in:

* Content creation -- developing innovative "needs-driven" programming that is culturally appropriate and incorporates feedback directly from audiences.

* Information dissemination -- implementing scalable solutions that reach mass audiences, provide training or information resources and are able to reach underserved/remote populations.

* Community engagement -- integrating communications with on-the-ground development initiatives to maximize impact through capacity-building, discussion groups, facilitated learning, interactive feedback and evaluation.

DBI, a vibrant regional communications platform, over the last four years, has been used by international development agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), content producers and grassroots communities to achieve positive social change for millions of underserved people in Asia. While the strong cross-cutting focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and women's and girls' empowerment has continued, DBI has expanded to educate communities on the role of law and justice in societies, human rights, landmine awareness and agricultural information, etc. And, importantly, six of the eight MDGs are being significantly addressed through creative radio programming and community outreach activities:

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: on livelihoods, agriculture, animal husbandry, practical business skills.

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education: on teachers' training, early childhood development, basic education and "Welcome to School" campaigns.

Goal 3: promote gender equality and empower women: on women's rights, anti-trafficking of girls, combating domestic violence, girls' education, anti-forced and/or early marriage, sexual and reproductive health and life skills.

Goal 5: Improve maternal health: on basic health education, maternal health, sexual and reproductive health, including links with service providers.

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases: on HIV/AIDS prevention, other health education, including links with service providers.

Goal 8: Develop a partnership for global development: many of the programmes are supported by a consortium of institutional donors, development agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

Partnership is one of the Digital Broadcast Initiative's greatest success stories. Over the last four years, DBI has proven to be an exemplary model of the MDG on "partnerships for development". It has engaged a broad range of UN agencies and other multilateral and bilateral organizations, major foundations, NGOs, community-based organizations, government ministries, universities and private donors in shared development goals. UNFIP recognized the potential of DBI in 2001 and was instrumental in working with UNDP and Equal Access to develop the UNF seed grant that catalyzed project implementation. Since that time, UNFIP and UNF have worked cooperatively with Equal Access to present and recommend the project to a range of public and private partners and donors. Both exhibited pivotal leadership in assisting Equal Access to bring DBI to scale through partnerships and inter-agency collaborations.

Perhaps most encouraging is the natural growth of partnerships and the utilization of DBI by diverse organizations. The number of high-profile partner organizations that are collaborating with one another and with communities as a result of this project is truly remarkable. Because of the focus on local capacity-building, a further asset has been created. In each country of operation there is now a strong consortium of local radio producers, technical satellite experts and community facilitation leaders that travel inter-regionally to provide training and build local capacity in additional countries. This has fostered a vibrant south-south commitment to using the media to achieve social development gains.

It is rare to find a project with a broad vision and strength of strategy to attract as many diverse partners as the UNDP/Equal Access Digital Broadcast Initiative. All partners work towards common objectives and derive benefits from participation. It should be noted that because of the "Content Advisory Group" and the "Interactive Feedback Loop" methodologies, DBI has been particularly well integrated with its community beneficiaries on the ground. Indeed, by recording voices from the field and surveying listening groups, communities are partners in requesting, creating and refining the information and education that best suit them in improving their lives.

Through direct implementation and at national and international conferences, DBI has played a strong advocacy role in using media and innovative ICT solutions to address a range of MDGs. At a time when UN agencies and Governments are increasingly focused on the Millennium Development targets, this project has successfully developed a range of methodologies and best practices that allow Governments and international development agencies to maximize social change at the grass-roots level.

DBI has proven it could be replicated in a variety of countries and be implemented effectively at scale. The model created through the UNF/UNFIP/UNDP/Equal Access partnership has won the NASDAQ Education Award at the Tech Awards in Silicon Valley, California, which has been covered in numerous press articles and featured at the World Summit in Information Society in Geneva. Equal Access has successfully matched the UNF challenge grant, raising over $2 million in private and public funds to match the UNF contribution of $1 million, a total of $3 million in funding for the project's activities. DBI will continue to stand as a model for replication throughout the region and elsewhere in the world.

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While the formal DBI project will close on 31 July 2006, the country initiatives it launched have moved forward to achieve sustainability and long-term viability. DBI Nepal and Afghanistan, and soon Cambodia, have achieved national impact and are positioned to continue providing vital social development information and education to support positive social change for years to come. Each project builds local capacity to locate funding sources for continuing provision of valuable communications and outreach services.

DBI provides a powerful example of the synergistic capacity of innovative media programming, the cutting edge ICT solutions and direct community engagement to catalyze change at the community, national and regional levels. Based on these accomplishments, Equal Access will continue its work with UNDP and other partners to apply this model for use in developing countries to create positive change for millions of people and assist in the achievement of the MDGs. It also intends to further build on best practices and methodologies developed through DBI, to provide regional training, workshops and initiatives that focus on using the media, innovative ICT applications and community outreach strategies to promote positive social change.

This is part of a series of articles exploring the many facets of partnerships supported by the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP). In the series, some of the UN private sector and foundation partners will convey their views on how partnerships with the United Nations are being built and are achieving impact on the ground.

RELATED ARTICLE

NEPAL

On 14 April 2006, DBI marked its three years of satellite radio broadcasts in Nepal. Beginning with one flagship programme, Khura Khasra Mitha (Let's Talk Straight), and a magazine-feature pro gramme, Khojkhabar, at the commencement of broadcasts on 14 April 2003, Equal Access now broadcasts twelve different radio programmes on a channel known to the Nepalese audience as Aphnai Mato, Aphnai Bato (Our Land, Our Path). Addressing such topics as HIV/AIDS prevention, women's empowerment, peace and governance, women's rights, education, safe migration and life-skills training, the combined radio and outreach programmes reach over 9 million Nepalese. Despite trying situations in Nepal due to the escalating conflict, significant expansion of outreach through new partners and new projects has continued.

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  "I saved my best friend's life, I saved her life! I learned what
trafficking is because of the broadcasts and I knew my best friend would
be a victim because she is very beautiful. One day, I saw a man talking
to her and I ran over. I threw myself at my friend and said, 'How can
you leave me? Don't leave me here alone; I will never speak to you again
if you do. 'Well, my friend stayed. I know I saved her life.
"--Nirmala, Nepal

CAMBODIA

In 2005, only two years after the launch of the DBI pilot in Nepal, Equal Access began implementing the DBI Cambodia, with the support of USAID. The flagship Cambodia programme, "The Future is in Your Hands", will provide critical information for youth and their families about the realities of trafficking, while discussing alternative livelihood options and integrating HIV/AIDS information. With the initial launch of the project on 30 March 2006 reaching 300 communities throughout Cambodia, Equal Access looks forward to its national scale-up in the coming years.

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AFGHANISTAN

In establishing Radio Danesh (Knowledge Radio), Equal Access created Afghanistan's largest rural communications infastructure with a satellite radio channel that broadcasts 7 1/2 hours of social development programming daily, currently reaching almost 7,000 rural communities and thousands more through re-broadcasts on partner FM radio stations that have been provided with satellite receivers. Equal Access creates and broadcasts its own distance teacher training, the rule of law, health and women's empowerment programmes, and many shows that complement new or existing outreach activities.

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  "The effect of the radio--before, if someone killed someone else, the
shura decided that the sister should be given to that family, or girls
forced to be married. People do not do that now. Not completely. But
opinion has been changed a lot, it is much less. This is Radio Danesh."
--Afghanistan

  "This radio has a good effect in opening the minds of the people.
Before, people forced their daughters to get married young--now they
don't."
--a woman from Charikar, Afghanistan