26 Rue d'Edimbourg, Ixelles 1050
1050 Belgium
Belgium
- Media
Media Diversity Institute Global (MDIG) is a sister organization of the Media Diversity Institute (MDI) based in the UK and Media Diversity Institute - Western Balkans (MDI WB) based in Serbia. The MDIG employs three staff members and has a budget of 500K EUR, with the main funding coming from the European Commission. MDI Global uses various modalities of action, including projects, knowledge exchanges, workshops, training, and seminars, to promote diversity and inclusivity in media. The organization collaborates closely with media outlets, civil society organizations, youth organizations, and academic and educational institutions.
Media Diversity Institute Global (MDIG) works to encourage accurate and nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexual identity issues in media landscapes worldwide. While our work is grounded in the principles of freedom of expression and values of diversity and inclusion, our day-to-day work focuses on cultivating practical skills to combat negative stereotypes and disinformation and improve media and information literacy.
1. The YOU(th) CARE project aims to empower and mobilize the next generation of Global Caretakers for a shared, sustainable Euro-Mediterranean future. Recognizing youth's resilience and innovative approaches, the project addresses the complexity of current global crises by integrating social, ecological, and democratic perspectives. The project’s key objectives include reinforcing active citizenship and encouraging young people to participate in building a better society. The project seeks to support young people in becoming proactive young leaders by helping them develop Global CARE Agendas. The project focuses on collaboratively designing and implementing Global Care Agendas and Actions, employing a multidimensional approach to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Incorporating a gender perspective, the project will enhance gender equity by fostering gender-responsive leadership and expanding monitoring networks within youth organizations, groups, and local communities. The YOU(th) CARE is a 40-month-long project, and it focuses on engaging young people from eight EU countries (Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Greece) and four non-EU countries (Albania, Serbia, Tunisia, and Morocco). 2. The YoCoJoin project aims to intensify efforts towards more inclusive and engaging journalism by introducing youth community reporters within local news media outlets. By doing so, this project hopes to boost both the supply of quality journalism and the demand for such services among younger generations, ultimately creating a more economically sustainable business model for local news media outlets. Over the 24 months, the seven project partners – experienced local media organizations from The Netherlands, Malta, Serbia, Hungary, Ireland, Slovenia, and Belgium will collaboratively experiment with introducing an innovative youth community journalism initiative by adapting the experiences of the coordinator, Omroep Tilburg, and teaching 20-30 local young people in each country to the journalism profession through training and mentorship. The project will also directly contribute to the professional skills development of the participating partner organizations through its planned workshops and knowledge-sharing. Finally, YoCoJoin will seek to strengthen the overall sustainability of the wider European local news media sector by providing hands-on experiences to at least 20 non-partner local media services and distributing this inclusive and engaging journalism format through an online tutorial and active networking. As a result, the sector’s potential across countries and regions with different and diverse media capabilities will be increased. 3. In an effort to respond to the marginalisation and silencing of migrant voices in the mainstream European media and information environment, Migrant Voices Matter in the European Media (MigraVoice) aims to bring migrant voices into the mainstream European media space. MigraVoice brings together 6 European organizations covering seven languages to amplify the voices, perspectives, and insights of migrants in Europe within the European media information space by promoting their active participation in producing reliable mainstream traditional and social media narratives. 4. MEDIADELCOM will develop a diagnostic tool (multiple scenario building model) for policy makers, educators, media critical bodies and institutions, as well as for media experts and journalists, which will enable the provision of holistic assessment of risks and opportunities concerning deliberative communication and consequently social cohesion in Europe. The tool will enable drawing on multiple risks and opportunity scenarios of the European media landscape at large, as well as the development of media landscapes in individual countries. Conceptual and operational variables for multiple scenarios will be created by thoroughly examining the diachronic and synchronic changes in news media ecosystems in 14 European countries with special attention to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). MEDIADELCOM hosts a podcast which focuses on deliberative communication which is the core concept of the entire research project. You can listen and subscribe to the podcast by clicking on the link below.
The Media Diversity Institute Global (MDIG) can contribute to the Anna Lindh Foundation Network through various activities. MDI Global can provide training and capacity-building workshops to enhance media diversity and promote intercultural dialogue among journalists, media professionals, and civil society organizations. We can also lead the initiatives to fight online hate speech and discrimination, enabling a more inclusive and responsible online media environment in Belgium. Additionally, collaborative projects between MDI Global and local organizations within the Anna Lindh Foundation Network can be established to develop multimedia content and awareness campaigns that promote diversity in the media and provide a platform for marginalized and minority communities in Belgium to share their stories.
We are interested in joining the Anna Lindh Foundation Network because it is a unique opportunity to collaborate with like-minded organizations and individuals committed to promoting intercultural dialogue, understanding, and cooperation across the Euro-Mediterranean region. Through this network, we want to create new partnerships and opportunities for collaboration, exchange experiences, and co-create innovative solutions to common challenges.