Media & Policy Center: Dale Bell and Harry Wiland Inducted Into Global Ashoka Fellowship

Ashoka: Innovators for the Public elects award-winning co-founders of the "Media & Policy Center Foundation" for ground-breaking work in using media as the cornerstone for social change

ARLINGTON, VA (November 14, 2006) — Between them, Dale Bell and Harry Wiland have won an Oscar, five Emmys, one Peabody, and numerous other awards for their movie and TV productions. They've now taken documentary filmmaking to the next level through their Media & Policy Center Foundation. The Foundation's first project, And Thou Shalt Honor, addressed the overwhelming issue of eldercare in this country, and their second venture, Edens Lost and Found, tackles quality of life issues for American cities. But the films go far beyond the reach of the usual documentary, adding town hall meetings, local coalitions, continuing series of PBS broadcasts, and massive community outreach to accomplish real social change in critical areas.

For their vision in finding creative and effective ways to inspire citizen action through the power of media, Wiland and Bell are among the 18 social entrepreneurs from the United States, Canada and Mexico who will be inducted into an international fellowship by "Ashoka: Innovators for the Public" at a special ceremony on November 14, 2006, at the Google campus in Mountain View, California. Once elected, Fellows benefit from being part of the Ashoka fellowship for life.

Bell and Wiland see a change in the way people relate to citizen sector organizations and government institutions, a new spirit of cooperation among neighbors, community leaders, elected officials, and government agencies. Looking through their documentary filmmakers' lens, they see people from disparate backgrounds and political leanings joining forces to find solutions to social problems, taking action where government has failed, and finding encouragement and help from their neighbors. Community innovators are fueling institutional change, uniting in a common cause, and they document this resurgence of citizen-based initiatives so others may emulate it.

"How do you make one seed grow?" muses Bell. "How to you take one idea — like sustainable environments — and get audiences to take action by trickling down and bubbling up the message, encompassing as many different groups in the process?"

The answer has been what they call "media that matters," their multi-tiered media and outreach model, which is designed to generate dialogue and an exchange of information that will spur dramatic citizen-driven social change. They use public television, locally and nationally, as a catalyst for civic engagement. Through personal and community stories that may never be portrayed by other media, they help citizens in every community understand and address the issues that confront them.

The two long-time friends and business partners co-founded the Media & Policy Center Foundation to use the media to "turn viewers into doers" by showing what individual citizens and small groups can achieve, and by giving people the tools they need to be effective agents of change in their communities. The first program, And Thou Shalt Honor, grew out of both men's personal experience as caregivers to their elderly parents. The two-hour documentary was supplemented by 58 national partners, 1500 community coalitions, a companion book with a foreword by Rossalyn Carter , nine regional town hall meetings, a national PBS town hall meeting, and a PBS series. Their second venture, Edens Lost & Found, tackles environmental issues and their impact on life in American cities. Both use the documentaries as the "rock in the water" while outreach efforts provide the "ripple effect" that results in positive social change.

"Social marketing requires a vision," says Wiland. "It cannot rely simply on the production of a single television program, or a series, or the publication of a well-researched book. Our media model requires that we be comprehensive, universal and scaleable. The PBS programming is the tip of our iceberg."

Headquartered in Arlington, Va., Ashoka elects leading social entrepreneurs to an international Fellowship of their peers, providing significant financial support and an array of pro-bono professional services, primarily through three strategic partnerships: McKinsey & Company, Hill & Knowlton, Inc. and the International Senior Lawyers Project. Additional support is available from Ashoka for Fellow-initiated collaborations and exchange visits.

"Ashoka is working to elevate and strengthen the "citizen sector" around the world," says Ashoka founder Bill Drayton in announcing this year's Fellows. "We admire the qualities traditionally associated with leading business entrepreneurs — vision, innovation, determination and long-term commitment — and we look for those entrepreneurs who are committed to systemic social change in their fields. Ashoka Fellows are recognized for their innovative solutions to some of society's most pressing social problems."

Ashoka Fellows work in six broad fields: learning/youth development, the environment, health, human rights, economic development and civic participation. Selection criteria include the social impact of the idea, demonstrated creativity in problem solving, the newness of the idea and the entrepreneurial quality of the founder.

Ashoka: Innovators for the Public is a global community of social entrepreneurs who deliver innovative solutions to social problems. To build this citizen sector community, Ashoka identifies and supports leading social entrepreneurs, creates opportunities for collaboration, and builds systems and institutions that facilitate high impact social solutions. In the 25 years since its founding, Ashoka has provided start-up financing, professional support services, and connection to a global peer network for more than 1800 leading social entrepreneurs in over 60 countries. Ashoka's global fellowship is privately financed by individuals, venture networks, foundations, and leading business entrepreneurs.

November 14, 2006
CONTACT:
Lyn Chamness McGee
703-527-8300 ext. 305

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