The GLOBAL PUBLIC MEDIA PROJECT (GPMP) at American University focuses on the role of online citizen media or public media in expanding the forces of civil society and the public sphere in countries around the world. GPMP investigates public media initiatives in diverse cultural and social contexts in order to identify their impact on the capacity of civil society networks to advance social reform and social change. Within developing countries and non-democratic societies, in particular, the project explores how independent public media initiatives in cyberspace enrich the local and national public spheres with new forms of information and knowledge with impact on traditional media and local and national public policy. GPMP undertakes original international research and promotes collaboration with partners globally. The project publishes new knowledge relevant to the research community, to international policymaking, and to online citizen media initiatives worldwide that seek to learn from international best practices across cultures and societies. This project is funded through American University in Washington, DC. seed funding for GPMP was provided by American University's Center for Social Media through the Future of Public Media project, funded by the Ford Foundation.