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WORLD CONGRESS ON

COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
Lessons, Challenges, and the Way Forward

The first World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD) took place in Rome, Italy, on October 25–27, 2006. The main goal of the WCCD was to position and promote the field of Communication for Development in the overall agenda of development and international cooperation. The final report of all the proceedings (352 pages) is now available by writing to Chris Morry at cmorry@comminit.com to request a copy of this important document.

Brian Walmark, Manager of the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute, was invited to participate in this gathering and join the panel on Indigenous People. 

The first World Congress on Communication for Development sought to provide the evidence and make the arguments for placing Communication for Development much closer to the center of development policy and practice. The Congress did so by creating a space for practitioners, academicians, and decision makers to come together formally and informally to review impact data, share experiences on processes and approaches, listen to stories, learn from new research, and strengthen the networks that will carry the work of the Congress beyond Rome. The presentations and discussions underlined the importance of Communication for Development and distinguished it from communication per se for an influential audience not steeped in the lessons and experiences of the field.

The United Nations defines Communication for Development as a process that “allows communities to speak out, express their aspirations and concerns, and participate in the decisions that relate to their development” (General Assembly resolution 51/172, article 6). This definition contrasts sharply with the tendency to associate the word “communication” with concepts such as dissemination, information, messages, media, and persuasion. The term “Communication for Development” encompasses these concepts but embraces a much broader vision. While it certainly draws on many years of experience developing methods to facilitate dialogue, investigate risks and opportunities, compare perceptions, and define priorities for messages and information, it is also and most fundamentally a social process to involve people in their own development.

Indigenous Peoples (Pg 107)

In this very powerful, special session, speakers from the floor and on the panel contributed in equal parts. There was widespread recognition that communication is not just value added but intrinsic to the survival and development of indigenous peoples. It was also agreed that it is essential that indigenous communities establish and own their communication systems and determine their own way forward. Several participants stressed the right to manage their own communication systems in their own languages and cultures, and the right to participate in research, monitoring, and reporting on the media. The discussion also covered how globalization and climate change are damaging traditional, successful forms of communication used by indigenous peoples. Below are some of the
contributions:

“We need air, we need mountains, we need communication. We are among the poorest of the poor, mainly because of lack of communication, and information. [Without communication] we don’t learn about changes, we don’t learn about HIV/AIDS, information doesn’t get to us.”
—IGNACIO PROFIL, ONPIA, ARGENTINA

“Consultation has to be ongoing, meaningful, and sustainable; too many projects are project-driven and have an end date. Communication tools have to be put in the hands of the people, and they have to have the freedom to make mistakes. It is important to look for consultants who come from indigenous communities.”
—BRIAN WALMARK, KO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, CANADA

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Programme of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (2005–15) will be part of the foundation for a proactive dialogue and action in the field of Communication for Development:

1. To promote the right to communication of indigenous peoples as an essential component of self-determined development, based on the principles of respect, equality, and nondiscrimination, especially in places such as Africa, where this right has been denied
    
2. To promote Communication for Development approaches and practices from indigenous peoples’ perspectives, strengthen the capacities controlling and managing communication processes, and ensure participation of indigenous women
    
3. To disseminate widely and implement effectively the UN Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples and the Program of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (2005–15) and to use them as the framework for a rights-based approach for indigenous peoples’ self-determined development
    
4. To mainstream Communication for Development into the agenda of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, as well as into national communication and development policies
    
5. To establish normative and regulatory frameworks and policies and provide adequate resources, to realize the right to communication of indigenous peoples for their own development