“Importance of Effective Communication”

in the context of social development

Civil Society Resource Centre CSRC

Friday 16th October 2009
Presented by: Sohail M Ali

Thursday 1st October

2009 1
Com-
muni-
cation
 There is no universal formula
capable of addressing all
situations

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 Communication for development and
social change initiatives should be
based on,
respond and adapt to,
the cultural, social, political and
economic context.

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 Communication that underpins and leads to
successful and sustainable development places
the people who are most affected at the
centre of the discussions, debates,
choices and decisions
needed to guide their own development.

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 In the 21st century,
humanity holds within its grasp some of
the most powerful technologies
ever invented.

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 Modern communication tools have
enabled us to make
the world a smaller place

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 Providing us
gateways to knowledge
and
pathways to information.

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 Communication for development and social change is
more than satellite television, community radio,
mobile phones, ICTs, and the Internet. Certainly, it
can call on all these resources. However, at its heart it
is about individuals and about employing the most
appropriate methods and tools to empower those
individuals to set their own agendas and achieve their
own defined goals.

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 Often, development projects and programmes
have stalled, reversed or even failed
for want of simple communication
discourse with the recipients

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 It is unthinkable that an engineer would
build a road in Europe or construct a bridge in North America
without discussion and interaction
with
the end-users

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 Every day, donors defy logic
by planning grand visions
without once consulting with those
who will live with the decisions.

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 It is a socio-cultural process of
dialogue, information-sharing, building mutual understanding,
agreeing to collective action and amplifying
the voice of people to influence policies that affect their lives.

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 Communication for Development is
“a social process,
designed to seek a common understanding
among all the participants of a development
initiative

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Communication is viewed as a social process that
is not just confined to
the media or to messages.

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 Seven keys
1. Improve access to knowledge and information
2. Foster effective management and coordination (through bottom-up planning)

3. Address equity issues through networking

4. Encourage changes in behaviour and life-styles, mote the
sustainable use of natural resources
5. Increase awareness and community mobilization
6. Solve multiple conflicts

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 Challenges for the Future
Communication for sustainable development has been facing new
challenges in the last decade, as a consequence of globalization,
media liberalization, rapid economic and social change, and the
emergence of new information and communication technologies.
Liberalization has led not only to greater media freedom, but also to
the emergence of an increasingly consumer-led and urban-centered
communication infrastructure, which is less and less interested in
the concerns of the poor and rural people. Women and other
vulnerable groups continue to experience marginalization, and lack
of access to communication resources of all kinds.

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 Thank you very much
sohailmuhammadali@gmail.com

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