This work is a preliminary version of a larger publication to be released by the beginning of 2007. Yet in an overview, it is intended to introduce readers to an innovative media for development approach originally developed and implemented by the brazilian organization ANDI – Comunication and Rights.

The text is organized as follows. Section 1 presents a brief description of the historical background to ANDI’s foundation. Section 2 discusses at light speed the main tenets of its mission: news, rights, and children. The limits and possibilities of news media and their potential contributions to strengthen democracy and foster development are explored in some detail in Section 3. ANDI’s media for development approach is presented in Section 4, where strategies are highlighted by examples of actions and accomplishments so far. Section 5 presents a particularly relevant result: the replication of ANDI’s approach through ANDI’s Brazil and Latin America Networks.

Development agencies, private donors, governmental partners and many other contributors, without whose collaboration the story being told here would not have been so successful, must be thanked for understanding the pivotal role the news media can play in bringing about social change and fostering democracy. They are all listed in page 43.

ANDI is also grateful to all Network agencies, in Brazil and throughout Latin America, for providing information and data used in the text and, most importantly, for their commitment to forward the mission uniting us all: to contribute to strengthen a journalistic culture that protects and helps promote the rights of children and adolescents.

The professional and personal efforts of all those involved in the making of this publication are also appreciated.

Views and analyses presented here, including errors and omissions, are ANDI’s sole responsibility and do not necessarily represent those of its supporters or partners.