Rural Media Development for Promoting Democracy and Human Rights in Bangladesh
Project period: December 2014 – November, 2016
Funded by: UNDEF
Bangladesh still has to go a long way to establish democracy and ensure human rights as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
In a democratic society, media is considered to be the fourth estate of the nation. It continuously plays a vital role by monitoring the policies and activities of the government, policymakers, officials and politicians. Also, it ensures people’s access to information so that they can make an informed decision, an essential ingredient of democracy in any country.
With this understanding, News Network implemented a project titled “Rural Media Development for Promoting Democracy and Human Rights in Bangladesh” in 12 remote districts of the country. The project was aimed at improving the media and civil society organisations’(CSOs) ability to report on democracy and human rights issues especially in rural areas, and thereby raising public awareness of their rights. The key activities of the project were: (i) training and sensitising rural journalists on democracy and human rights issues; (ii) reporting competition among trained journalists; (iv) media training for CSOs staff; (v) interactive meetings of trained journalists and CSOs officials and workers in project areas; (vi) web advocacy for promoting democracy and human rights; and (vii) developing network among trained journalists and CSOs.
With financial assistance from the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) the News Network addressed the project aimed at promoting democracy and human rights in project areas. Journalists and CSOs participating the programme emphasised on the need for replicating the programme in other districts of the country and form a platform to connect the beneficiaries. A total of 640 journalists and CSOs were sensitise and trained up under the project.