A View from the South - Outcomes

Outcomes of Amsterdam Conference, March 1st 2007

OWBT and TVE presented the activities which have been achieved since the first ‘MDGs in Focus ‘ conference held in March 2005 to debate public awareness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – across Europe, and worldwide.  This initial conference led to a series of practical TV programme proposals, highlighting the issues through personal and universal stories.  

These were:  

·         5 x 25' programmes for TVE's 'Life' series;

 

·         6 x 5' co-production features for MTV Europe’s ‘Element’ strand on the MDGs, aimed at reaching the 16-24 year old demographic, in their own vernacular;

 

·         A European Media award for outstanding media coverage of the MDGs administered as part of the annual One World Media Awards 2006;

                           

·         Back-up materials and extensive non-broadcast distribution to schools, colleges and other educational institutions worldwide;

 

·         A BBC Panorama Special on the MDGs: “Dead Mums Don’t Cry”;

 

·         A programme on poverty  alleviation with the working title ‘The Eradicators’ by the Dutch broadcaster/producer VPRO ;

 

·         A South African Broadcasting Corporation  (SABC) special on the MDGs through its regular youth oriented spot, Zone on Africa ;

 

·         A series of short features by TV Cultura on poverty issues and the MDGs ;

 

·         A special programme on Belgian RTBF on the Global Call to Action Against Poverty;

 

·         Special productions on the MDGs by the WDR Science and Events Divisions;

 

OWBT and TVE pointed out that, once again, it was open to collaborations and co-productions in this follow up ‘View from the South’ Project. Conference participants discussed what kinds of formats would work best as vehicles for the covering the MDGs, how best to engage audiences in them, and what opportunities were available for joining forces. 

 

Broadcasters came to the general consensus that they should build on the success of the first phase of the ‘MDGs in Focus’ project and continue to work across as many formats as possible in order to maximise viewing figures.

 

The following collaborations were proposed as being suitable for joint development by the wider group of broadcast participants. 

 

·          ‘Children of Rio – 15 years on’ – co-production / multiplatform format;

 

·          Second set of 6 x 5' co-production features for MTV Element Series focussing on climate change;

 

·          ‘Sing for the World’ - Global White Band Day/Poverty Requiem – 17 Oct 2007 – simultaneous broadcast of choirs (singing) around the world  (Oxfam campaign);

 

·          ‘Dear G8’ / ’Dear Mr President’- website with ‘video letters’ to key influential politicians sent by the public;

 

·          ‘Running on Empty’ – contrasting poverty in the developing world and the developed world told through the eyes of two young mothers (Save the Children campaign);

 

·          Personal stories around MDGs in 8 major cities of the world (Radio Netherlands);

 

·          ‘The Wall’ – comparing urban areas in the developing and developed world that use a wall to divide the wealthy from the poor. (eg. Brazil, Mexico, California, Israel);

 

·          CEO swap – a CEO of an international company (eg. Douwe Egberts, NL) spends some time in a rural village in a coffee producing area in the developing world to see how the experience will change his/her views on company policy?  What would his/her recommendations be to re-organise the village? And vice versa how would villagers re-organise the way the company operates?;

 

·          ‘Urban Mums’ – following the lives of a few young mothers living in urban areas – what food choices do they make for their children?;

 

·          ‘The Prince’s Village’ – following attempts by a feudal lord in rural northern Punjab (Pakistan) to ‘regenerate’ his local village;

 

·          ‘Failed Promises’ - holding politicians to account – exploring how the South has been let down by failure/inefficiency of Western bureaucrats;

 

·          Urban poor -  series covering increasing trends of rising populations in urban areas of developing world and its consequences;

 

·          School feeding programmes – using examples of villages which have benefited and those which have not (eg. Ghana);

 

·          ‘The Toilet’ (Kevin Watkins image) & other ‘ice pick’ moments;

 

·          ‘Running Man’ – looks at watch ‘It’s about Time’ (to start paying attention to MDGs);

 

 

Formats

 

·          Being HIV positive - Scandal of ARV drugs being largely unaffordable and unavailable in the South;

 

·          Scenario planning (docu-drama)– examining where are we going to be in 2015? good / bad scenarios. What do governments and people have to do to achieve progress in achieving the MDGs?;

 

·          Extreme Makeover – engineers going into an impoverished area in a developing country to give it a facelift (and comparable swap vice versa);

 

·          Happy Families - Environmental ‘auditor’ from a developing country visits families from developed countries who are trying to live ‘green’ lifestyle. The same families are revisted after 15 years to find out if they are still living ethically?;

 

·          Replicate successful projects. eg. take success of project in one country and apply to similar project that needs help (eg. Chad and Honduras in BBC Panorama’s Dead Mum’s Don’t Cry);

 

·          Engaging through football:

o         All no. 7 professional football players (eg. David Beckham) to promote MDGs;

o         ’Level playing field’ – all countries of the world competing for same goal against very different circumstances;

o         Inner city children’s football teams wearing shirts promoting MDGs – to be broadcast during commercial break of World Cup match.