Menu Expand
Communication for Another Development

Communication for Another Development

Wendy Quarry | Ricardo Ramirez

(2009)

Additional Information

Book Details

Abstract

This lively book argues that in the development process, communication is everything. The authors, world experts in this field as teachers, practitioners and theorists, argue that Communication for Development is a creative and innovative way of thinking that can permeate the overall approach to any development initiative. They illustrate their argument with vivid case studies and tools for the reader, drawing on the stories of individual project leaders who have championed development for communication, and using a range of situations to show the different possibilities in various contexts. Free from jargon, and keeping a close look at how development is actually being implemented at ground level, this book is an important contribution to development studies not just for students but also for development practitioners and policy makers.
'Personal funny and entertaining, this book provides a better insight into the value, potential - and ultimately hugely frustrating practice - of using communication to listen rather than tell than any I’ve come across for a very long time. Anyone interested in development will learn much from this book. Those working or interested in using communication in development could usefully place it on their required reading list.' James Deane, BBC World Service Trust 'Quarry and Ramirez have written a highly readable, information-packed, lucid book on the challenges and successes of communication for international social change. Drawing from their extensive expertise, they patiently dissect the lessons from numerous programs showing how grassroots communication contributes to sustainable change.' Silvio Waisbord 'This should become required reading for communication for development practitioners. This highly personal reflection by two experienced advocates of participatory communication lays bare the reasons why we are so often frustrated with the outcomes of our work, while showing clearly the opportunities for creative support of empowering development from good deployment of communication processes. The stories from their own and others’ professional experience demonstrate the power of narrative in bringing us face to face with our preconceptions and misunderstanding.' Chris Garforth, Reading University
Wendy Quarry and Ricardo Ramirez are both independent consultant practitioners in Communication for Development, they have worked together on field projects, evaluations and publications over the last years, and they have been involved in relevant academia and development circles. Ricardo Ramírez was born and raised in Mexico and is now based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. His consulting and research work includes communication planning, participatory evaluation and capacity development. Ricardo began his career in agricultural sciences that he followed with demonstration farm projects in South America. His graphic design and illustration skills led to a focus on participatory learning and media. He then switched to the field of adult education and community development. His doctoral work focused on how rural and remote communities harness information and communication technology. He has worked with the Communication for Development group at FAO, Rome, with non-governmental organizations, and with consulting firms. For two years he was professor in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph where remains as adjunct. The writing of this book has helped him reflect on the rare conditions under which international development achieves its goals, in contrast with the many achievements that people demonstrate in the absence of aid. Wendy Quarry began her work as a communication specialist with an apprenticeship to the radio school movement in Latin America. Before that she had been a broadcaster in radio and television in Montreal. In 1981 she accepted a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to learn to adapt her Canadian communication experience to a development context. She joined the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1982 as a communication specialist on the Bangladesh program. Later she and her family moved with CIDA to Ghana, West Africa and from there took a secondment to the World Bank in New Delhi. This was followed by a return to CIDA in Pakistan where she stayed for four years. After leaving CIDA in 1994 she became an independent consultant in communication, evaluation and capacity building working for governments, NGOs, the private sector and a variety of donors. In 2004 she and her husband moved to Kabul for two years where she worked with Afghan NGOs funded by Novib. Now back in Canada she lives in Ottawa and continues to consult in communication. She has a great deal of experience working in the grey zone.

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction 1
About this book 2
1 | Communication for Development: setting the scene 4
A field known by many names 6
A bit of history 8
Entering the field: which door to choose? 9
So much communication and so little understanding 11
Context matters: no one-size-fits-all 15
Enough messages, more listening 17
Unpacking the debate 18
Turning decades of advocacy work on its head 20
PART ONE | What we know 23
2 | The meaning of ‘another’ development 25
Paul’s briefcase 26
Speaking ‘another’ 27
What does Another Development look like? 30
Listeners lost ground to the tellers 33
3 | Planners and searchers: two ways of doing development 35
Communication is not the same as telling 35
Planners and searchers 37
Searchers listen; planners tell 40
Left-side, right-side thinking 42
Did we forget the media? 43
4 | Why communicators can’t communicate 46
I work in communication, but not the kind you think 46
I fix cars, I make posters, I produce videos 48
Right-brainers in a left-brain world 51
PART TWO | What we learned 55
5 | Working in the grey zone 57
All that was left was a two-way car radio 58
Orchid collections 61
Three coordinates for navigation 62
A primer on communication functions 65
Working in the grey zone in Mozambique: an illustration of the coordinates 66
6 | Early champions: uncovering principles 70
The Fogo Process: a prize orchid 71
Don Snowden: champion 76
Gaston Roberge: champion 78
Alex Sim: champion 82
Manuel Calvelo-Rios: champion 84
7 | New activists: principles that travel 88
Drishti: activist video champions 89
Alex and Wilna Quarmyne: activist community radio champions 93
Minou Fuglesang: an activist champion who does not mince words 96
Brian Beaton: activist Internet champion 99
A common focus 101
8 | The forgotten context 103
Organizations are half the methodology 104
Remote Aboriginal communities responding to history 105
Rat Park: the context leads to addiction 106
HIV/AIDS communication recognizes context 108
Media policy shapes context 110
Context drives functions 112
Listening to the context 113
PART THREE | What we can do differently 115
9 | Training and negotiating in the grey zone 117
Training and negotiating 118
Negotiating the zone of the possible 124
Listening to the context: a promising example from Central America 129
10 | Searching and listening: good communication, good development 134
In and out of the grey zone 135
Non-kinetic activity 136
Social media, a sense of hope 137
A global paradox 139
Implications for relocating our field 140
Postscript: Cultivating common sense on the farm 142
References 144
Index 151