Participatory Development Communication: A West African agenda

Provides advice to researchers, community members, and development practitioners on how to improve their ability to effectively reach policy makers and promote change. Covers their roles as a communication actors, how to plan a participatory development communication strategy, and the use of communication tools.

In natural resource management research, best practice implies the participation of community members, research or development teams and other stakeholders to jointly identify research and development parameters and contribute to decision making. Ideally, the research or development process itself generates a situation of empowerment in which participants transform their vision and become able to take effective action. Used increasingly widely in resource management, this process is known as Participatory Development Communication (PDC).This book presents conceptual and methodological issues r.

What do we mean when we say participatory communication? What are the practical implications of working with participatory communication strategies in development and social change processes? What experiences exists in practice that documents that participatory communication adds value to a development project or programme? The aim of this user guide on participatory communication is to provide answers to some of these questions. Many communication practitioners and development workers face obstacles and challenges in their practical work. A participatory communication strategy offers a very specific perspective on how to articulate social processes, decision-making processes and any change process for that matter. Participatory approaches are nothing new. However, what is new is the proliferation of institutions, especially governmental but also non-governmental, that seek participatory approaches in their development initiative. This guide seeks to provide perspectives, tools and experiences regarding how to go about it with participatory communication strategies. It is conceived as a guide that hopefully can be of relevance and utility for development workers in the field. It is targeted at both at government and their officials, World Bank staff and at civil society.

Participation has been the emerging theme of debate in the field of development. However, participatory communication and the impact of setting goals for social change through participatory development have not been fully discussed in the literature. An exciting addition to this area, Participatory Communication for Social Change carefully examines the enormous potential of participation in development. With an introduction that stresses the importance of cultural identity and democratization at all levels, the volume presents theoretical perspectives in relation to policy issues and political ideologies. It also explores diverse methodological perspectives and applies this discussion to five significant case studies that articulate specific experiences in interfacing theory and practice. Each contributor focuses on the importance of participatory communication in third-world development and stimulates new thinking about the theory and reality of participation, particularly the practical realities of applying theory at grassroots levels. This volume is a thought-provoking contribution to the continuing process of understanding participation in the field of development communication. Participatory Communication for Social Change will be of primary interest to development practitioners, funding agencies, field workers, and researchers in development, development communication, and sociology.

This text identifies and explores the relevance of development communication theory. The chapters address community participation, communication and culture from specific contemporary perspectives, and raise for discussion a number of associated methodological and metatheoretical issues.