Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS)

The Pacific Island Association of Non – Governmental Organisations (PIANGO’s) capacity in strengthening Non Governmental Organisations effectiveness to promote good governance related activities through media advocacy has boosted through the assistance provided by AUSAID. The assistance significantly enhances PIANGO’s leadership position in providing and coordinating media assistance to Pacific NGOs and civil societies. The assistance directly influences with the Strategic Focus goals of PIANGO strategic plan of 2006 – 2010. This includes Goal One which insisted on equitable and universal access to relevant and timely information on issues and concerns to NGOs and civil societies in the Pacific and Goal Three which involves strengthening PIANGO’s key relationship between the Public and the Media.

Objective

The overall goal of the PIANGO/PACMAS project is to support better governance in the Pacific region with a purpose to contribute to the development of a diverse, independent and professional Pacific Media system that informs all the people of the pacific and give them a voice in the public life at local, national and regional level.

Beneficiaries

The initial beneficiaries will be PIANGO and its members. They will be involved into identifying training needs, developing a suitable training program and participating in the resulting program. Incorporating media training into PIANGO’s capacity development program will strengthen its own institutional capacity. Furthermore, a pool of qualified regional trainers will benefit through acquiring new trainers’ skills and expanding into a new area.

Without being over-ambitious this assistance will benefit a larger public. In well established media environments the triangle of political, media and public agenda is always functional in the media, not just in mainstream media. Media has become a platform for making all voices heard and generating public debate. In the Pacific this is not yet the case. A clear understanding of the role of the media in governance and the knowledge of how to use the media effectively to advocate governance will empower the regional CSOs. Their stronger presence in the media will make the third group heard more widely and contribute significantly to the plurality of information. Hence, citizens will be enabled to make informed choices based on a range of information.

Regional PACMAS Training 2009

The 2009 PACMAS Training will be held in Fiji from the 16 - 20 March 2009.