Called Digits4Change, the series profiles successful stories and initiatives where ICTs are helping generate higher incomes, deliver education and healthcare to remote communities, and open up new opportunities for the poor and other disadvantaged groups.

The series is produced by TVE Asia Pacific, a regional leader in using television and video in communicating development issues in the region. It is supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Oxfam Novib.

The first set of six (6 x 5 mins) Digits4Change stories is from Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Pakistan (2 stories). All were filmed during 2005 using internationally credentialed local crews, directed or briefed by TVE Asia Pacific.

These stories will be formally launched during Asia Media Summit 2006, the foremost annual gathering of broadcast industry leaders in the region.

Together with the Global Knowledge Partnership, TVE Asia Pacific is organising a day-long pre-Summit workshop on 28 May 2006 on ‘ICTs for prosperity: potential and challenges for broadcasters’. This will discuss some practical aspects of how broadcasters can pursue digital opportunities to create a better, healthier and safer world.

TVE Asia Pacific is also a co-sponsor of the overall Asia Media Summit.

The Ditgits4Change stories were executive produced by Nalaka Gunawardene and Manori Wijesekera. Yohan Abeynaike was the Assistant Producer. They were post-produced at Video Image (Pvt) Limited in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Click here for short summaries of each Digits4Change story.

Several stories came from IDRC’s Pan Asia Networking (PAN) programme, which has played a pioneering role in introducing, popularising and promoting the tools of ICT in the Asia Pacific. While PAN partners co-operated in researching and filming, the stories in this series are produced on an editorially independent basis.

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003- 2005 raised the profile of ICT for development (ICT4D) at local, national, regional and global levels. Before and after the summit, media and development professionals have profiled various examples of ICTs in action.

“There is much unfinished business for ICTs,” says TVE Asia Pacific CEO Nalaka Gunawardene. “Tens of millions of Asians still need to move out of poverty and improve how they live and work. They must also find their own voice in the global village – and join the planetary conversation.”

Digits4Change will be chronicling that process, one inspiring story at a time. TVE Asia Pacific plans to film more new stories every year.

Digits4Change films are produced to international broadcast standards, and are available free of licensing fee to broadcast, educational and civil society groups in any part of the world. TVE Asia Pacific will only charge the cost of duplication and dispatch (normally via courier or secure airmail).

VHS and DVD copies may be ordered directly from TVE Asia Pacific’s online e-shop at http://www.tveap.org/shopping/search.php

The series is also available in broadcast formats of Betacam SP, DVCam and MiniDV (in PAL standard). Please contact TVE Asia Pacific Distribution for costs and terms: