"In a world that is increasingly violent, wasteful and manipulative, every effort at developing islands of integrity, wells of hope and sparks of action must be welcomed, multiplied and linked, creating synergies that can help the transformational struggle everywhere."

These words, by Malaysian civil society activist Anwar Fazal, eloquently capture the essence of the Truth Talking Project that TVE Asia Pacific implemented in 2001-2002. It is one of the largest regional media initiatives we have so far managed.

The Asia Pacific is going through an unprecedented information and media explosion. It already has the largest concentration of television viewers in the world, and has been recording the highest rates of growth for fixed and mobile telephones as well as personal computers. Some predict that the region will have the largest online population - if not the biggest Internet market - by 2010.

These developments are taking place in a region that has many disparities and inequalities. The Asia Pacific is home to the most number of poor people in the world - in fact, more than all poor people in Africa and Latin America combined. The region's poor and other underprivileged groups are missing out on the benefits of market economics and information technologies. The dominant media in the region continue to ignore issues such as sustainable human development, good governance and human rights -- or at best offer only superficial coverage. Corporate bottom-lines are replacing social safety nets; governments seem unable -- or unwilling -- to counter the march of capital and knowledge to the tune of globalisation.

Some don't readily agree that there is no alternative. We believe that civil society can and must organise itself to safeguard the shrinking public spheres and the public interest. As one contribution towards this, TVE Asia Pacific Programme has forged a regional alliance with non-profit making, civil society organisations - known as Video Resource Centres or VRCs. They are strategically positioned to work with television broadcasters and non-broadcast groups such as schools, universities, citizens' groups and civil society organisations. VRCs disseminate factual audio visual material that are either produced locally, or adapted to suit local needs. They are autonomous organisations who engage in public awareness, education, advocacy, training and research activities on a wide spectrum of issues related to sustainable development and social justice. TVEAP plugs into their existing local and regional networks and thereby accesses tens of millions of people in these countries.

The Truth Talking Project built on this existing partner network, experiences and capabilities. The project strengthened VRCs and other civil society organisations (CSOs) to access the electronic and new media in disseminating information and in articulating the needs and concerns of the poor and other marginalised groups. The Project sought to enable CSOs to use mainstream television, as well as video and the Internet, to generate public discussion and debate on issues most relevant to their own countries and communities.

With funding support coming from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Novib - Oxfam Netherlands, we were able to inspire and implement a large number of audio-visual activities - all connected in one way or another to the overall objective. What we have had are activities that were globally informed, regionally driven, but implemented nationally and locally.