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Proactive Disclosure

Proactive Disclosure

Mass Media Initiative

CIDA has proposed a framework for the renewal of its Canadian Partnership Branch (CPB), which is now called the Partnerships with Canadians Branch (PWCB).

New guidelines will be available on CIDA's website starting in Fall 2010. For more information, please email us at CPB-RENEWAL@acdi-cida.gc.ca or call us at 819-997-5006 or 1-800-230-6349 (toll-free).

As of July 22, 2010, with the renewal of the Canadian Partnership Branch/Partnerships with Canadians Branch, this initiative is being discontinued or regrouped under the Global Citizens Program. Details of new program mechanisms will be available on CIDA's website shortly. Note that no new proposals will be accepted but that current agreements will be honored until their scheduled end.

Program Description

The Development Information Program's (DIP) Mass Media Initiative (MMI) financially supports television, radio, print, exhibitions, and new media projects that are aimed at increasing public awareness and understanding of international development and cooperation issues among Canadian audiences, through the innovative use of mass media.

Photo taken with a camera obscura by Alex, a child worker in the streets of Ocotal in the north of Nicaragua as part of DIASOL's project designed to engage young indigenous people following hurricane Félix.

Our Objectives

International development focuses on helping people and communities in some of the poorest parts of the world access the tools necessary to obtain sustainable development, peace, and positive social change. In bringing global issues to the forefront in an increasingly dynamic and changing media environment, CIDA's Mass Media Initiative (MMI) encourages media professionals to:

raise awareness and understanding among Canadians about international development and cooperation issues;
highlight the Canadian contribution to developing countries; and
communicate why challenges faced by developing countries are important to Canadians.

Types of Media Projects that We Support Include:

television and radio documentaries/programs/series, docu-fiction films, animation, theatrical-release films, and web TV projects;
print articles and feature stories in small- and large-scale newspapers, magazines, or special inserts;
photographic and multimedia exhibitions;
new media; and
other unique or innovative communication projects.

All proposals seeking funding must be accompanied by signed undertakings from a significant Canadian broadcaster(s), web outlet(s) publisher(s), or exhibition distribution outlet(s) that will disseminate the product within Canada.

Successful Proposal Ideas:

Ethiopia

offer a progressive approach to the development issue(s) being documented and explored, with strong story emphasis;
give voice to local communities and individuals featured in the developing world and to those within the international development community;
include Canadian participation with a focus on results of the Canadian contributions;
encourage an informed and in-depth analysis of socially relevant global issues that affect us all;
bring together multiple project partners; and/or
reach the broadest Canadian audience possible through the signed commitment of Canadian broadcasting, web, publishing, and significant exhibition distribution outlets.

Need more information?

For more information about the Mass Media Initiative (MMI) and the Development Information Program (DIP):

call 819-997-1663 (National Capital Region); or
call CIDA's Public Inquiries Unit at 1-800-230-6349; or
send an e-mail to the MMI at mmi@acdi-cida.gc.ca