Improving forest communication for people and forests
24 February 2016, Pampanga, Philippines
Effective communication can not only raise awareness on forests but also bring about real change, according to a session organized at Asia-Pacific Forestry Week by the Asia-Pacific Forest Communicators Network (APFCN), with the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) and FAO.
Using role play, participants at the session learned about different kinds of communication approaches including participatory development communication, a technique which enables local communities to identify their own development needs and the specific actions that could help improve their livelihoods.
In another section, Al Jazeera anchor Veronica Pedrosa addressed how to work more effectively with TV journalists.
Kai Lintunen, Communication Manager for the Finnish Forest Association, presented the challenges and opportunities of communicating effectively about forestry in a fast changing world. Ingwald Gschwandtl, Director, Forestry, Environment and Water Management of Austria's Federal Ministry of Agriculture, also discussed their experience of working as part of the FAO-UNECE Europe Forest Communicators Network, which included a review of forest communications for European Forest Week and EXPO.
A talkshow-style section, “Ask Dr. Comms”, invited participants to outline their own communication challenges to a panel of experts from the regional forest communicators networks.
Advice and solutions were provided by Gschwandtl (FAO-UNECE Europe Forest Communicators Network), Kay Montgomery (Africa Forest Communicators Network), Caroline Liou (Asia-Pacific Forest Communicators Network), Patricia Sfeir (Mediterranean and Near East Forest Communicators Network), Raul Perez Albrecht (Latin America and the Caribbean Forest Communicators Network) and Maria De Cristofaro, FAO Forestry Communications and Outreach Officer.
Presentations
People, forests and their stories, Veronica Pedrosa
UNECE-FAO Forest Communicators Network, Ingwald Gschwandtl
