The changing role of public relations in development communication

This meeting was not at all what I expected it to be on the basis of the title. I mean, would you expect a presentation on 'sustainable mobility in metropolitan areas: the challenge is to make public transport, car driving, cycling and walking operate together in a rational and sustainable way.' http://www.move-forum.net/
Well, I didn't.
The second one was on development and microfinance we were told by Mr. John Halisack (phonetically) and we were shown a video on Shakti Entrepreneurs. It shows an Indian woman with a soft tone voice over telling us: I was born in a poor community, but our family had even less. My father had managed to find me a husband so I got married at the age of 17. I had 2 children and then my husband left me - I don't know why. Luckily my mother allowed me to work on her small patch of land and she now and then gave us a few rupi. But a few rupi is not the same as having food on the table. One day a woman came to our village for a meeting which I joined. She was explaining to us women how we should save 1 rupi a day, and if we need to borrow money then borrow it within your group not through a financer. Then a man came to our village. He showed a box and taught us how we could sell this and from everything sold we could keep a part ourselves. (now you are wondering what was in that box - as was I)
Every morning very early I go to other villages to sell my items. I explain to the women what germs are and that you have to wash your hands with this soap to clean them. I didn't even know what germs were till this man explained it to me. ....... "
Okay, and now we finally see what she is selling to these poor communities: Livebuoy soap, Vim, toothpaste - yes, this is Unilever in action! They proudly tell us that they now have 26.000 Shakti entrepreneurs selling their products and thereby improving their livelihoods!
But we should understand that we need to "Unite the power of market with the need of the underdeveloped".
Hmmm, I'm so not ready for this type of CSR :o(

The changing role of public relations in development communication

This meeting was not at all what I expected it to be on the basis of the title. I mean, would you expect a presentation on 'sustainable mobility in metropolitan areas: the challenge is to make public transport, car driving, cycling and walking operate together in a rational and sustainable way.' http://www.move-forum.net/
Well, I didn't.
The second one was on development and microfinance we were told by Mr. John Halisack (phonetically) and we were shown a video on Shakti Entrepreneurs. It shows an Indian woman with a soft tone voice over telling us: I was born in a poor community, but our family had even less. My father had managed to find me a husband so I got married at the age of 17. I had 2 children and then my husband left me - I don't know why. Luckily my mother allowed me to work on her small patch of land and she now and then gave us a few rupi. But a few rupi is not the same as having food on the table. One day a woman came to our village for a meeting which I joined. She was explaining to us women how we should save 1 rupi a day, and if we need to borrow money then borrow it within your group not through a financer. Then a man came to our village. He showed a box and taught us how we could sell this and from everything sold we could keep a part ourselves. (now you are wondering what was in that box - as was I)
Every morning very early I go to other villages to sell my items. I explain to the women what germs are and that you have to wash your hands with this soap to clean them. I didn't even know what germs were till this man explained it to me. .......
Okay, and now we finally see what she is selling to these poor communities: Livebuoy soap, Vim, toothpaste - yes, this is Unilever in action! They proudly tell us that they now have 26.000 Shakti entrepreneurs selling their products and thereby improving their livelihoods!
But we should understand that we need to "Unite the power of market with the need of the underdeveloped".
Hmmm, I'm so not ready for this type of CSR :o(

Telesur & Latin Americans Knowing Themselves

The Executive Director of Telesur, had had enough of Latin American television stations not tackling complex but essential social issues, but only ever wishing to attract the large audiences...
In his view the biggest problem was that 'we as Latin Americans dont know eachother'. We didnt hear their voices, we saw no images. Everything we saw was from North America, or was the North American take on our neighbours, such as Colombia, it was only about the US's focus on the drugs trade.
He found it necessary to retrieve their memories, their roots, and to create alternative television
- 'we are multi-coloured, not black and white as American television portrayed'
More importantly, it is very difficult to talk about regional integration if we dont know eachother!
He wanted to recover and retrieve their origins and journalism based on debate and pluralism.
A dream?
They need to build and shape things together on a daily bsis, following a bottom-up approach to finding solutions to the problems of marginalised populations, although they werent sure what such a society would look like, they felt it had to be done.

They have been asked to advise on setting up a similar television network fro Africa, but they refused. They can share the experience they had, but they cannot and woudl not do it for another region. Each has to do their own. Their way.

http://www.telesurtv.net

Calling Ramos Horta, Nobel Prize winner...

One of the panelists on Communication for More Effective Development was Ramos Horta!!
Prime Minister, East Timor and 1996 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Everyone on the street has his mobile number, and recentely received SMSs from people in rural communities asking him to send them phone credit.

He didn’t know what that meant exactly, and asked his advisors whether they knew.

They advised him that it was possible to send other people credit so that they can utilise their mobile telephones. Recognising that the tools are available, but that people are too poor to make use of the tools, every time Ramos Horta receives such a ‘cry for help’, he passes the message to his advisors and they send the person in question the required funds.

He did admit that he gives his phone number to everyone and anyone now, and his experience is purely positive, receiving positive and constructive messages of support. Should he however fail to deliver on his promises as prime minister, he supposes the messages might become less positive, and he might switch numbers.. :)

Stand and session on Health in times of Poverty

Yes, all the boxes with publications and goodies arrived (although thanks to DHL much of our publications were in a horribly damaged state again). Thanks to the friendly help of my ‘friend’ Achillo, we even found our stand with the 2 additional (very small) tables in place.
visitors! The publications go over the counter as warm rolls :o)
Many familiar faces and lots of networking going on.
Due to lack of sockets (so no charging of battery) and the wireless network not being available all through the building, only able to post to blog now. This is part one, not very condensed but hey, it gives a good feel of what was happening in that session: Health in timOur stand is not located in the central area, but as always – I say proudly – we attract loads of interested es of poverty.
There was a professor/researcher on (health/development) communication, minister of health from Botswana etc. The panel raised issues around health communication and one claimed development is an industry; in order to influence it we have to be part of it.
Other issues raised and comments made:
A stronger cadre – properly schooled in mass media and communication - on the ground in Africa is needed.
We need to focus on strengthening the capacity to provide appropriate skills for research. Also we need to create capacity to monitor the government’s policy.
Policy making is always important, if information is not adequately provided to the constituency it poses a risk.
The important aspect is the decentralised approach for development communications, where developing officers relate directly with the community. You have to identify your audience to be able to target them correctly.
I don’t use the word health but the term disease to talk to a policy maker, because that is what he will understand. What changed in health and communication; we have new tools, new medication, there is progress. And there are old tools that start to work better, tools that show the link between communication and behaviour. We know so much more now about why people are doing things; as a field health communications has improved.
Don’t think it is the technology that made the biggest change to health communication, what changed more is what we know about behaviour and in what way to communicate. Make a distinction between communication and behaviour.
Assumption is that policy makers need information: but what kind of information do you need, and why should you get it. What kind of evidence do you need? Do you need economical of political evidence? I can give it to you as I’m a researcher, but you need to tell me what you want. Gives example of UNESCO rural radio project in India, that had clear outcomes and was proven successful, but UNESCO left and the government didn’t do anything with it. So what do they need?
Seems like policy makers do not feel there’s a problem with health communication or obtaining information, so it must be that we (NGOs, health specialists, researchers, media) feel there’s a gap.
Lot of policy makers understand media but have no clue on communication or communication for development. It’s all about the language and on how to bring the message about. Do not solely focus on policy makers, but also on others in the field – although the field is fragmented. Begin with the community, they specify what they need.
Still 3 to 4 % of babies is born with HIV/AIDS, even though Botswana has free prenatal care. So we asked to change the law; when a pregnant woman goes for check-up the man is obliged to join. If she checks positive the man is obliged to have a test. It is hoped that this will bring about the message clearly.
Sometimes all it may need is to ask a communication specialist to help out. Like the 8.5 million euro for a programme to promote abstinence; you don’t need the money, just say ‘don’t have sex’ and it is understood.
We tend not to use the language of the constituency. Maybe we use too much figures and proof, maybe we need to connect more emotionally. We should not throw numbers at them, we should connect in the best sense, the shared sense of emotions.

Till later ….

Opening Plenaries - Min of Environment

Another of the more engaging plenary speeches yesterday was made by 'His Excellency' Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, Minister of the Environment of Italy. His passion and worry for the global state of the environment and its impact on sustainable development brought a refreshing focus to the more general references to sustainable development overall. He pointed out the alarm that the WWF sounded 1 day before the conference, and thought the timing was significant since the general public's perception of the gravity of the situation is unfortunately very low - we risk the
depletion of resources of the planet by 2050..

Awareness communication is often done in the form of adverts on TV, which is not always the most effective means to changing the approaches of economic decision makers and involving populations and communities in choices that are made.

International organisartions play a key role in his opinion, to assist to integrate policies and to move away from the technical analysis that dominates this field. He also noted that although UNEP exists, it is recognised that a wider committment is required. Effective communication is essential to realise this.
An example given is that of the Himalayas – together with the Amazone, one of most delicate areas in the planet - where climate change is clearly visible. The visible threat that environmental experts recognise is not then related to awareness of citizens, MPs, governments and decision makers. Communication, supported by ICTs can then greatly assist to extend awareness, improve available resources, use resources in a more useful way, as in many occasions, the use of resources are not always monitored and assessed in terms of results.

He challenged us all to move away from investing resources to fight immigration, from Africa for example, but rather to use the resources to fight some of the causes of immigration like desertification etc. There again Communication is required to let explain the interrelationships betweeb environmental factors taht controbute to societal issues that affect us. If we cant explain what is happening and why, if we dont use the technologies that exist, and assist emerging countries to know and address the challenges, we wont reach 'the balance of the planet'..

A passsionate call for international organisations to rise to the occasion and do what we can?

Opening Plenaries - Jacques Diouf - DG FAO

Today was the opening of the conference - for a first timer in the FAO building, its easy to be impressed with the large conference rooms, the portraits of weighty looking men on the walls, surely former FAO headmen...
The Director-General Jacques Diouf welcomed participants and reminded us that the core business of FAO isnt only Food, but also Sharing Knowledge. Among many comments on the role of communication in development, and the potential with ICTs, Mr Diouf said that we should not lose sight of fact that technology is at best a facilitator and tool, and real communication and real development are socially and culturally based – that the is message more important than technology that is used to convey it.

Digital technologies are shrinking the world and creating a global market place, a revolution similar to the industrial revolution back in its day. However, the digital era celebrates the power of mind, ideas and creativity whereas the industrial revolution partly substituted the capacities of man by machines.

He also encouraged us not to forget fundamental role which more traditional media play in promoting development – rural radio, programmes produced with audience participation and broadcast in local language that stimulate dialogues and debates. It is imperative for populations to put their own fingerprints on their development concerns. Folk theatre, puppets, song & dance, traditional art should not be forgotten.

Looking towards the future – we need to seek best ways to harness the potential of new ICTs, we need creativity and imagination to bridge the digital divide.

No one can deny that the world is changing rapidly. Our job together here is to find ways to ensure that those changes and the momentous advances best serve the process of sustainable development .
FAO has distributed seeds for farmers to sow. Just as important today is the mission that brought us together – planting among the world’s poor the seeds of hope

Going to Rome

Contrary to popular belief that we are going to Bella Roma for pizze, vino, o coloseo, and exciting trips on mopeds..

...we will actually be locked into seperate thematic sessions, capturing information that is relevant for IICD and its partners, and will be sharing our insights with y'all!

For the programme of the event, look at this PDF http://www.devcomm.org/worldbank/vpr/pdf/Main_box/Agenda.pdf

If there is anything *you* want us to pay particular attention to, do let us know!

Watch this space...

Just testing

Hello and welcome.
Just a test to see if I still remember how it works.
Cheers,
Judith

The World Congress on Communication for Development

Rome, Italy
October 25-27, 2006

The first World Congress on Communication for Development will focus on demonstrating that communication for development is an essential ingredient for meeting today’s most pressing development challenges and, as such, should be more fully integrated in development policy and practice.

This 3-day Congress will bring together communication professionals engaged in development initiatives, policymakers, development practitioners, donor and civil society organization representatives, community representatives, and academics from around the world to share experiences and best practices in this growing field. Discussions and presentations will focus on what works, what doesn’t, and how communication for development contributes to better development effectiveness.

Source: http://www.devcomm-congress.org/worldbank/macro/2.asp