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[|Alliance of Civilizations Media Literacy Clearinghouse] UN-Alliance of Civilizations Media Literacy Education Clearinghouse is a participatory global repository of information, resources, and good practices relevant to Media Literacy Education, Media Education Policy and Youth Media.

Develop your proposal here.

=**Proposal #1**=
 * South Korea, Hong Kong, US, Canada**

ABSTRACT
We would like to develop a uniform media literacy curriculum, tailored to the needs of particular nations, that can be implemented cross-nationally, incorporating diverse cultural values. Our goal is to create a truly global media literacy curriculum. One of the core goals is to figure out what the needs of various countries are and develop curricular materials to support each nation's values and priorities.

**PROPOSAL**
In the spirit of globalization we feel that a media literacy model which can be implemented, to borrow a term from Switzerland, “glo-locally” (global and locally) is essential. No matter what country you are living in, what type of government that country has, and whether or not the media is government run or commercial, all media messages are constructed. Thus, it is essential to teach children and young adults all over the world to think critically about the messages they are receiving thought the media. The reason we believe that a global media literacy education is essential is to make sure that all students are able to receive true media literacy training. If the curriculum is uniform, all students will be able to critically analyze media not only in their home country but media sources they might have access to that was produced by another country. Giving all students the same media analysis skills is a step in making sure the citizens of tomorrow are responsible, critical thinkers who are all well equipped to live in a media saturated world. Our overarching goal is to empower students everywhere.

What is the best design for a global media literacy education curriculum and how can it be implemented?
 * MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION**

Funding received for this project will be spent on the following - Gathering data about all countries’ cultures and current media literacy program development. In addition, the type of broadcasting (government or commercial)system they utilize must be taken into account in any global MLE program. -The subsequent development of a global MLE curriculum that all teachers will be able to implement in their classroom. -Learning about what is the best way promote and implement our global curriculum.
 * HOW FUNDING WILL BE SPENT**

No two countries in this world are the same and all are at different stages in development. Researches involved in this project are aware of the vast difference in both culture and beliefs of the people this MLE curriculum will apply to. Our goal is to design a curriculum that is universal yet adaptable and expandable. The MLE program designed will be able to be implemented in poverty stricken regions of third world countries as well as the most privileged areas of first world countries.
 * PRELIMINARY THOUGHTS ON DESIGN**

(Proposal #1 By: Alex, Yangzi, Denise, and Christian)

India, Egypt, Turkey, Ghana, Morocco, Mexico** We would like to propose a conception of MLE that takes into account the so-called "peripheral" countries and our priorities and values. We have the need to address our rural and urban populations and their encounters with mass media, popular culture and technology. Academics in our various nations will define MLE in our cultural contexts and we will search for common ground. This research money could support more 3rd world faculty to participate in developing media literacy education.
 * Proposal #2

This project will be focused on regional explorations of media literacy, highlighting a number of key concerns, including: How do we achieve basic literacy first, before media? Is there a non-western version of media literacy? How does it differ from western values and western concepts of literacy? Is simply acknowledging that media in our various countries and regions is diverse a good enough first step? How do we define "critical"? Do we have the space to challenge authority?

We propose that the money in this award would be spent generating an effective and appropriate tool for measuring these various concepts, both in terms of existing regional scholarship and practices, and for the purpose of generating new ideas.

Period meetings would be held between the various participants with the goal of coming to some sort of consensus as to our definitions and goals. However, we are quick to point out that a "universal" concept of media literacy is NOT our goal. While we might find many commonalities, our goal is to create a plan that can be effectively implemented in many locations, accounting for cultural differences.

=**Proposal #3**=
 * Finland, Switzerland, South Africa, Argentina, UK**

To find common ground and curricula on a global scale, we first must start to develop elements, or building blocks, toward a universal curriculum. We recognize that:

1) no one-size-fits-all solution or curriculum exists today. 2) limited research is available on the types of curriculum that might succeed on a global scale. 3) civic engagement is a goal of critical importance to any media literacy curriculum.

Our research project will make a contribution on these multiple fronts. Our research will explore what we consider one critical element of media literacy in all countries: How to engage and amplify local, community voices through a state's public broadcasting systems. We believe engaging local voices in the community holds great potential to shape political agendas in the capital, while also increasing the political efficacy of distant or marginalized groups. Therefore, we propose qualitative and quantitative research on how engaging public broadcasting systems with local community media would increase political efficacy among particular target groups (youth, adults in local communities) in particular regional communities.

Our coalition's research methods will involve pre- and post-studies on political attitudes and actions in our project communities. The implementation of the media project (that is, the local-state media engagement) will serve as the treatment designed to increase political efficacy, and our funding will go toward the implementation of these programs. The results of the study will contribute to the field of media literacy and the Alliance of Civilizations Media Literacy Clearinghouse by offering a valuable practice to implement in communities worldwide; that is, how to connect media participation on a community level with broader civic participation (political efficacy).

Our research will take aim at the second element of the Global Media Literacy curriculum advanced by the Salzburg Academy. The second element calls for students (but we would like to broaden the scope to all citizens, or "student of the media of any age") understand "the vital importance of media in building and supporting civil society and their creating and supporting media as an essential exercise of global citizenship." We agree with the Academy. No global curriculum would be complete without citizenship at its core, and our research of political efficacy through community-state media partnerships will explore a small but important way to bring to life this tenet of media literacy in communities worldwide.

Our coalition represents a diverse global cross-section of media systems, technological development and infrastructure for media literacy education. For example, nations in Southern Africa lack a basic infrastructure for media literacy education, as well as other educational problems afflicting the developing world. Developed nations in our coalition enjoy advanced MLE or media competency programs. We will scale and implement each research project to fit the unique stage of development of each participating country and community. As a case example to demonstrate this balance, we will implement and research a radio listening club in Zambia between villagers and the national broadcasting system, measuring the political efficacy instilled by this program designed to amplify local voices and concerns. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, where media education (and broadcasting, for that matter) is more advanced and developed, we would take a similar approach designed around our "glo-local" curricular goals. Swiss TV and radio is controlled by large public broadcasting agencies regionally based in German, French, and Italian speaking areas and Swiss citizens have access that many Zambians do not; therefore, implementing a radio listening club here would be outdated, ineffective, and difficult due to the different languages. Swiss researchers might instead hold and conduct research on media production workshops in which documentary-making skills are taught with the goal of producing final projects to be aired on Swiss public television. Researchers would then measure levels of civic engagement, determining if development of production skills and work toward collaboration with public television did, in fact, increase political efficacy.

The international diversity of our coalition is intentional and an important step toward a flexible global media literacy curriculum. By making the connection between media production and media literacy, this would be a contribution to scholarship on civic engagement.

By: Dave, Molly, Jonathan, Colleen, Stacey