University of Queensland presented an idea for a Clearing House on development communication. The overall objective of the project is to collect, review, and select landmark publications, papers, articles and audiovisual material that have shaped the field of Development Communication since its beginning. This collection of Spanish, French and English material will form the core literature for the discipline. It will span the early application of mass media in development programmes to current initiatives aimed at introducing Internet-based technologies to developing communities. The core literature collection will be designed to support research, training and practice of Development Communication within the academic community, public and private sectors, and non-governmental organizations of developing and developed countries.
La Ond@ Rural: Radio, New ICTs and Rural Development was a regional working group held in Quito, Ecuador from 20–22 April 2004 organized by the FAO, in cooperation with the Latin American Association for Radio Education (ALER – Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).
In the workshop's final document, the 89 participants from 20 countries recognized the expanding role of information and communication in rural development initiatives. However, they emphasized that: “in order to be really useful, information has to be available in appropriate languages and formats and to be distributed via channels and media that are appropriate for and available to rural people”. Broadcast radio was singled out as a particularly powerful tool for closing the digital divide, especially in rural areas.
The workshop focused on three main themes: i) public policy and practices in rural broadcasting and telecommunication; ii) content for rural development, and iii) training, including both the training needs of rural communities in ICT use and the use of ICTs as a support for more traditional training initiatives.
In addition to a number of specific recommendations related to the above themes, the declaration calls for the creation of the Latin American Initiative on Communication for Rural Development, to be known as La Ond@ Rural. Envisaged as an inter-institutional platform, this initiative will work with existing regional and national networks, training centres, research institutes and governments to focus attention on the specific information and communication needs of rural communities in the region. [email protected]
The World Bank, FAO and the Communication Initiative presented a proposal for the organization of the First World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD), an event made possible through the financial support of the Italian Government.
The rationale for such an initiative, which intends to provide a forum where practitioners (from UN agencies, NGOs and other development organizations), academicians (including universities, training institutions, research centres) and decision-makers (intended in its broadest sense, i.e. policy-makers, donors, highest level of development organizations, UN and bilateral) would meet to “demonstrate and promote the centrality of Communication for Development in meeting today's development challenges”. Among the main objectives of the Congress are the exchange of knowledge and experiences, proving the effectiveness of Communication for Development (i.e. its value-added) and create a common platform to build a broader alliance.
The UN System Network on Rural Development and Food Security is a global partnership approach towards tackling rural development challenges at the country level.
Established in 1997 by the UN Administrative Committee on Coordination (today UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination), it brings together key actors for the achievement of the shared goals of “food for all” and rural poverty reduction.
Comprising 20 UN organizations, the UN System Network is an interagency mechanism for follow-up to the World Food Summit (1996) and World Food Summit (2002) and supports the International Land Coalition. The Network Secretariat is managed by FAO, in close collaboration with IFAD and WFP.
The UN System Network aims to:
The dynamic core of the UN System Network consists of national thematic groups working on rural development and food security issues. Each group defines its themes and agenda according to the different needs and priorities at the national level. By the end of 2002, more than 80 such groups had been established around the world.
http://www.rdfs.net/news/news_en.htm
Information and Communication for Development (ICD) in support of Rural Livelihoods is a five-year collaborative Programme between DFID, FAO and the World Bank with the objective of improving rural livelihoods through policy and practice for information and communication systems, in developing and transitional countries and international development agencies. The programme will begin in early 2005.
