Ethnic Media Foundation

‘A different voice’ sums up what Ethnic Media Foundation is all about and what it really does. This is our calling and crusade. Ethnic Media Foundation is an organization of professional journalists from different indigenous nationalities in Nepal who collectively realize the need for an alternative media source to give equal voice to the different marginalized socio-ethnic/indigenous communities in the country. The Ethnic Media Foundation aims to fulfill this need and believes that in providing an alternative media source, our Foundation is helping to strengthen social cohesion around the nation.

The foundation is a not-for-profit organization, registered under the Company Act of Nepal which seeks to serve as a garden where the different social, ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic facets of community identity coexist and blossom spreading peace and prosperity around the country. As enthusiastic and professional journalists, we attempt to create an interdisciplinary forum where every socio-ethnic groups has the opportunity to express themselves. Our Foundation creates this space not only by providing a media outlet for communities and their members but also by developing a training centre to build capacity and skills amongst members of indigenous communities to grow our team of indigenous journalists in the country.

Vision

The vision of Ethnic Media Foundation is to become the lead media organization, be the voice and the information source of diverse socio-ethnic/indigenous, cultural, religious and linguistic groups through operating varied media outlets by a dedicated, highly skilled, thoughtful and responsible journalists from indigenous nationalities themselves.

Mission

Ethnic Media Foundation’s mission is to be the lead information hub, interdisciplinary media forum and voice for the diverse socio-ethnic/indigenous, cultural, religious and linguistic groups in Nepal. Our Foundation strives to fulfill this mission by operating varied media outlets as well as a training centre where amateur journalists can learn e basic skills and professionals can further pursue excellent investigative journalism skills.

Objectives

In order to realize its vision, Ethnic Media Foundation sets the following objectives which the Foundation feels are congenial to our overall goal of creating a just, equal and cohesive Nepalese society:-

1. Operate various media outlets solely targeting indigenous peoples, aiming to get their voices heard and to increase their access to information The media outlets we will provide include: Radio, TV, newspapers, journals, books, online news portal and documentaries.
2. Operate Indigenous Peoples’ Feature Service, a news/features syndicate that produces crisp, insightful features, opinions, investigative and well-researched news stories on various issues concerning indigenous peoples from the indigenous perspective.
3. Build the capacity of indigenous journalists through trainings, fellowship and mentoring programs in order to support indigenous, grassroots in production and publication of well-researched, in-depth and investigative stories on ethnic issues that will in turn to influence policy decisions in the country.
4. Create a one-stop reference centre on ethnic studies with a well stocked and efficiently managed library for public use.
5. Conduct research and generate and provide an outlet for alternative ideas on social, economic and political agendas to promote equality and diversity in the nation’s workforce and develop advocacy strategies to bring these ideas into a wider discourse.
6. Conduct a debate program on various socio-ethnic issues and broadcast across Nepal on Radio, TV and online, in order to create dialogue between those in power and indigenous communities who have traditionally been excluded.
7. Conduct various interaction programs through media aimed at making the Nepalese public more intellectual and knowledgeable and to raise the conscious of issues and rights and enhance the cultural understanding among the diverse socio-ethnic groups.
8. Create a forum where every socio-ethnic group is valued, respected and listened to and where every individual feels safe, tolerant and like they belong.

Our services

Ethnic Media Foundation provides the following services, all relating to the production and dissemination of alternative media:

1. Printing and publication of books, newspaper, bulletins, journals, pamphlets and more
2. Broadcasting, over air and online of radio and TV programs, documentaries, audio and video promotions and/or jingles and more.
3. Media coordination and event management for indigenous peoples organizations and individuals of all sorts of programs primarily relating to media such as, coordination of media for interaction/discussion programs, press conferences, dissemination of mass meeting and rally information, and more.

Our strategies:

1. Social inclusion and integration

   Ethnic Media Foundation strives to achieve greater social inclusion and integration through a range of cross-cultural initiatives that will enhance contact and interaction between diverse socio-ethnic groups.

2. Participation

   Ethnic Media Foundation strives to build a sense of belonging within a diverse, multi-ethnic society so that every individual who comes to the Foundation can feel involved and effective.

3. Tolerance

   Ethnic Media Foundation strives to reduce social tensions and promote tolerance and understanding through meaningful dialogue and communication.

4. Communication, information and awareness

   Ethnic Media Foundation strives to promote better communication, information and awareness through various media outlets including: publications (newspapers, magazines, journals, books etc), radio, TV, documentary, online news portals and feature services.

5. Access and opportunities

   Ethnic Media Foundation strives to create better access to information and more opportunities for individuals interested in expressing themselves through trainings, fellowships and mentoring programs.

Our belief

Ethnic Media Foundation believes that the best way to communicate a message to a specific community is to speak to them in their language and encourage community participation in the production and dissemination of that message. An alternative media source, run by and for indigenous nationalities will reduce racial tensions, improve inter-cultural, inter-racial, inter-lingual and inter-social understanding and help our society, overall grow collectively towards a peaceful and prosperous future.

Everything we do is…

To bring about better relations between individuals and different socio-ethnic groups, so that there will be more social cohesion within Nepal. Our aim is to enhance the bond between diverse socio-ethnic groups, no matter, who they are and what socio-ethnic groups they are from. We want each member of Nepal’s society to have access to information and the ability to exercise their rights and obtain fair treatment under the rule of law. We thereby want to improve lives of Nepalese citizens, particularly indigenous peoples and act as a voice for those citizens who have heretofore been voiceless.