SIO ipresentation: After the "Rome Consensus"

Editor's Notes

• #5: The ComDev process: goes beyond information dissemination involves the use of participatory methods and different tools (e.g. traditional & local media, rural radio, ICTs) facilitates active participation and stakeholder dialogue is different from public relations or corporate communication Special attention to the convergence of the media and theenhancement of local capacities for planning and implementing communication processes
• #6: No matter what kind of project, it is always valuable and often essential to establish dialogue among relevant stakeholders. Dialogue is the necessary ingredient in building trust, sharing knowledge and ensuring mutual understanding. Even a project that apparently enjoys a wide consensus, such as the construction of a bridge, can have hidden obstacles and opposition that the ComDev specialist can help uncover, address, and mitigate. ComDev functions: Facilitate access to knowledge and information Promote peoples’ participation and collaborative action Strengthen peoples’ capability to share knowledge and manage horizontal communication processes Enhance mutual learning co-creation of knowledge Improve linkages and strengthen dialogue between policy makers, institutions and small farmers / local communities Bridge the gap between global information and local knowledge
• #13: Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension (OEK) Strengthening inclusive agriculture innovation systems Assist member countries in the design and implementation of ComDev policies, strategies and projects and enhance capacities of agricultural institutions, farmers and grass-roots organizations. Policy advice and technical assistance to governments, regional offices and field projects  Capacity development of national staff and institutions Documentation of activities, including case studies, guidelines, videos and publications Advocacy, training and knowledge sharing in ComDev
• #15: Results: A ComDev National Plan institutionalized within the INIAF Improved agriculture innovation and communication services Increased participation of rural people in agriculture innovation Local knowledge documented and shared Technical information validated and disseminated Improved ComDev capacities of rural actors and extension professionals Knowledge and communication training modules developed and validated with farmers TECA: - Repository of technology for small farmers - Exchange groups on technologies
• #16: Background High vulnerability to climate change and its adverse impact Agricultural performance great impact on the socio-economic development of the country, engages 74% of population Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy (2008) GoB requested technical assistance to improve capacities of its Agricultural Information Service to deliver targeted and efficient communication in rural areas (2009). TCP 2010 in collaboration with: Agricultural Information Service (AIS), Department of Agricultural Extension, Ministry of Agriculture Bangladesh; College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB); Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) The main objective of the project was to provide technical assistance to the Agriculture Information Service (AIS) under the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) to plan and implement ComDev strategies and plans, and establish a community radio in the coastal area of Amtoli, Barguna District, to serve as a pilot in the establishment of rural communication services in support of food security, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. The RCS will integrate the use of Community Rural Radio (CRR) and other community media to strengthen the linkages among research and extension services, local institutions, NGOs, and the farmers. Advantages Connecting geographically dispersed stakeholders Strengthening local communication networks Broadening participation and enabling informed decision-making Generating proactive stance and a collaborative environment Avoiding duplication and ensuring more timely information provision MAIN SERVICES PROVIDED Participatory rural communication planning Capacity development in ComDev (training workshops, study tour) Multi-stakeholder partnerships and link with local/national media Mainstreaming of ComDev in agricultural development programs
• #19: To foster the production and exchange of knowledge for the reinforcement of local capacities, CSDI has launched a series of Regional Communication Platforms. These on-line networks of peer ComDev stakeholders, aggregated on a regional basis and coordinated by local focal points, have been set up as modern hubs to support local communities of practice, working mainly at three levels of action: The platforms already in place are the following: Plataforma de comunicacion para el desarrollo de Centroamerica y Mexico (PlataCpD), hosted and facilitated by Voces Nuestras of Costa Rica, is dedicated to show how communication for development approaches can contribute to improved livelihood outcomes, in harmony with the environment; Plataforma de comunicacion y desarrollo de los pueblos indígenas (PlataIndigena) managed by CIDOB (Confederación de Pueblos Indígenas de Bolivia) of Bolivia, is dedicated to communicators, institutions, national and international bodies who are involved in communication and development activities in favour of indigenous people; Onda rural, born on the agreement among FAO, ALER (Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica) and AMARC (Asociación Mundial de Radio Comunitaria), created to introduce communication in rural development policies and programs, linking community radios with new ICTs; and Communication for development Near East (ComdevNE), which focuses on the opportunities offered by modern ICTs addressing the challenges of rural areas that lag behind in terms of connectivity. Currently in their inception phase, two more regional platforms are being supported by CSDI: Communication for Development Platform in Asia (ComDev-Asia), hosted and facilitated by the College for Development Communication (University of The Philippines, Los Baños), dedicated to the specific topics of ComDev applied to NRM, CCA and Food Security; and Communication for Development Platform in the Caribbean region (ComDev-Caribbean), hosted and facilitated by The Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication at the University of the West Indies Mona (CARIMAC) to showcase best practices in the region on ComDev for climate change adaptation in the agriculture and NRM sectors.