Global

Putting our Public Purposes into action: Bringing the World to the UK and the UK to the World

What does this mean?

Each person coming into contact with the BBC across the world has a story to tell and we want to use our unique global reach to share those stories. We aim to support UK audiences in developing their understanding of global issues and also to represent the UK around the world.

The BBC across the world

Rollover the map below to see where we are currently working.

Serbia: The BBC World Service Trust is working with Radio Television Serbia to develop its professional capacity and strengthen its public service values.

Iran: The ZigZag project has created an interactive virtual newsroom, which supports aspiring Iranian journalists by offering training as well as a new media user space in which to practice their skills.

Iraq: The BBC has been working with the Iraqi broadcast media to develop a set of professional values for a more responsible media. The aim is to tackle a wide range of issues that undermine the media’s current capacity to investigate and report in Iraq.

Bangladesh: The BBC World Service Trust helped train local journalists to assist production of the flagship BBC discussion programme, The World Debate, recorded in capital Dhaka.

India: The BBC “Condom, Condom!” campaign in India has so far reached over 125 million people and since it began, condom purchases in India have increased by 5%.

Cambodia: A survey recording current attitudes, practices and social norms around sexual health, was conducted and analysed by a Cambodian team trained by the BBC World Service Trust.

Carribean: In 2008, the BBC delivered journalism training in the Eastern Caribbean, aiming to improve coverage of environmental issues and raise public awareness of climate change.

Sudan: We work in partnership with Sudanese media professionals and the World Service to broadcast life-saving information to 6.5 million people in Darfur, including two million people living in the region’s 85 camps for people displaced by the conflict.

Nigeria: We are working with a wide range of Nigeria partners to produce and broadcast radio drama and discussion programmes that encourage dialogue and debate about key development issues, including citizens’ social and economic rights and the provision of public services in Nigeria.

How do we do it?

The BBC World Service Trust (WST) is the BBC's international charity. It uses media and communications to reduce poverty and promote human rights, thereby enabling people to build better lives.

The STOP HIV campaign in Nigeria is an example of how the WST uses media and communications to tackle health issues.

One of the Trust's local partners is the Society for Family Health (SFH). They conduct peer-to-peer education work with groups who are highly vulnerable to HIV. They use one of WST's drama programmes called Wetin Dey to inform and stimulate discussion. Asabe Sambo works for SFH in Nigeria. Here's what she had to say about the Trust:

“BBC World Service Trust programmes are well known and we find that community members like to associate with them.

At SFH, we use every possible circumstance in the communities to get our messages across. This includes using local cinemas and slotting the Wetin Dey drama or radio programmes in between popular Hindi action movies and having a discussion with the attending youth. Some are so keen that they get up to get tested there and then.”

Find out more at bbc.co.uk/worldservicetrust