Participatory communication and adult learning for rural development

by the Communication for Development Group
Extension, Education and Communication
Research, Extension and Training Division

in collaboration with Gary Coldevin

previously published in a special issue of the "Journal of International Communication" (vol.7 no. 2, 2001) on participatory communication

During the past three decades, the role of communication has undertaken a dramatic shift from a one-way, top-down transfer of messages by technicians to farmers to a social process designed to bring together both groups in a two-way sharing of information among communication equals - in short, participatory communication. "Participatory communication and adult learning for rural development", previously published in a special issue of the Journal of International Communication (Vol. 7, No. 2, 2001), traces the growth of participatory communication in FAO's field programmes and provides examples of notable successes. It concludes by noting that the current rush to apply the new internet-based information and communication technologies in rural areas would be well served by observing the hard-learned lessons from traditional and older electronic media applications.

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