JAIF Support for Information and Media
Background
Effective information dissemination and awareness raising continue to play an important role in facilitating ASEAN integration and community building. Indeed, information, along with media, lies at the core of promoting and fostering ASEAN’s identity building. Since the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015, it has played an important role more than ever to synergise efforts across various sectors under the three pillars of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), towards realising a rules-based, people-oriented, and people-centred ASEAN Community.
Source: ASEAN’s vision is captured in its overarching, inclusive message of “ASEAN: A Community of Opportunities for All.”
Guided by the ASEAN Strategic Plan for Information and Media 2016-2025, the ASEAN’s information sector strives to: 1) support other community pillars and sectors with their communication needs; 2) advocate the policies and initiatives implemented by ASEAN; and 3) sensitise ASEAN people to the benefits of ASEAN’s development. The sector also takes into account the ASEAN Communication Master Plan (ACMP)1, which provides a framework to communicate messages about the organisation, development, and vision of ASEAN and the ASEAN Community.
In 2016, at the first ASEAN-Japan Senior Official Meeting Responsible for Information (SOMRI+J) held in the Philippines, Japan and ASEAN further forged the partnership through the ASEAN-Japan Cooperation Initiative for Broadcasting and Television. Through this Initiative, Japan and ASEAN embarked on six projects2 by taking into account the current technological evolution and cultural and social characteristics of the region.
Areas of Support and
Key Contributions
Various projects funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) have been implemented in support of the key strategies of the ASEAN Strategic Plan for Information and Media 2016-2025. The following are the key achievements of the JAIF-funded projects conducted to date.
JAIF Flagship Project under Information and Media
Japan has a long history of cooperation with ASEAN, both bilateral and multilateral including the support for television broadcasting. JAIF financed two “Capacity Building of ASEAN TV Broadcasters through Documentary Program Production on ASEAN-Japan Cooperation” projects. These projects were committed to the two-fold objectives of enhancing the capacities of ASEAN national broadcasting stations and raising awareness about ASEAN and Japan-ASEAN cooperation.
Oudon Oundala, cameraman, Lao National Television (LNTV)
For Oudon, despite the language barrier, he learned new shooting techniques from NHK experts. “Working with the NHK experts, it is different from my normal work,” he added. The cameraman also recounted the visit they had in Japan and how they were able to visit NHK’s studio and learn about its technology for documentary production.
Spending three days to shoot at the Second Friendship Bridge in Savannakhet, one of the East-West Economic routes, just to get the right kind of natural sunset lighting was one experience that the production crew fondly remembered together. It instilled in them what it meant to produce quality products, which can be on par with international standards. More importantly, it strengthened their teamwork, which the production crew recognised as vital to produce high-quality products.
Documentary production is not new to the LNTV production crew. They have several years of experience behind them. Yet, all agreed that the project made them better practitioners of their respective fields. They hope to be a part of more international media cooperation projects and acknowledge its role in promoting media exchanges and fostering stronger ASEAN awareness and friendship, including ASEAN’s friendship with Japan.
Read more on his story in Beneficiaries’ Voice.
1ACMP I 2014-2017 and ACMP II 2018-2025; ACMP I was supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
2 The six projects contributed to the ASEAN-Japan Initiative for Broadcasting and Television in 2016-2017) are (i) the 2nd ASEAN-Japan Television Festival; (ii) Documentary of ASEAN-Japan Partnership in Disaster Management and Cultural Exchange(both were under the category of “Promotion of cooperation in media and broadcasting”); (iii) ASEAN-Japan Workshop to Promote Authorized Online Distribution of Broadcasting Content (iv) Capacity Building of ASEAN TV Broadcasters through Documentary Program Production on ASEAN-Japan Cooperation (Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of ASEAN) (both were under the category of capacity building and human resource development); (v) ASEAN-Japan Media Information Literacy for the Youth, and (vi) ASEAN-Japan Workshop on Next Generation Broadcasting Systems (both were under the category of “Promotion of media networking, including new media”).
