"This book brings together significant scholarly contributions on communication issues by researchers working across the region. It aims to create better understanding of what affects the communication and information flow in smaller nations and how these impact on national development, governance a
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nd the creation of more cohesive societies. The value of such a book lies in the comparison it enables between different regions and countries at different levels of development. The work of the contributing authors provides glimpses of the prevalent issues and perspectives without necessarily providing a definitive picture of this diverse region. The editors hope this book will draw out significant relational possibilities by bringing together scholarly writing on communication issues and highlighting the perspectives of Pacific scholars and media practitioners, thus contributing to the knowledge base in Pacific Media Studies." (Publisher description)
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"Visual anthropology has proved to offer fruitful methods of research and representation to applied projects of social intervention. Through a series of case studies based on applied visual anthropological work in a range of contexts (health and medicine, tourism and heritage, social development, co
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nflict and disaster relief, community filmmaking and empowerment, and industry) this volume examines both the range contexts in which applied visual anthropology is engaged, and the methodological and theoretical issues it raises." (Publisher description)
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"Participatory Video can contribute to changing the balance of power both within a group and between the group and wider society; it can give space for groups to generate their own knowledge and to facilitate communication with other groups and institutions. To achieve this potential, facilitators a
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nd other project workers need to consider how this transfer of power is managed, and how their own power in the situation can affect the process so that inclusion of socially excluded participants is truly transformative, rather than superficial. All stakeholders need to think about how a project can be rnanipulated to support vested interests and agendas that control rather than empower, as well as about the approach that is needed if they are genuinely cornmitted to hearing frorn socially excluded groups." (Conclusion, page 190)
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"Recognising that PV projects have their pitfalls, the authors call on facilitators of PV to require knowledge and experience of personal and group development processes and to be sensible to the challenges and issues facing vulnerable and marginalized people. Lack of transparency and follow-up, and
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broken or unreasonable promises will foster disillusionment. The authors argue that PV is a powerful means of documenting local people's experiences, needs and hopes from their own perspective. It initiates a process of analysis and change that celebrates local knowledge and practice, while also stimulating local and regional creativity. The authors emphasise the importance of granting all community members equal access to the process, so that all voices are expressed and heard. An outline of the PV process offered by the authors includes: participants are taught how to use the video equipment through games and exercises; using PRA tools and PV techniques, facilitators help the group to identify and analyse important community issues; short video messages are directed and filmed by the participants; footage is shown to the wider community at daily screenings; a dynamic process of community-led learning, sharing and exchange is set in motion; complete films can be used to promote awareness of the various groups; this process helps strengthen both horizontal and vertical communication. The authors recognise that possible bottlenecks include: limited recognition of the value of PV by home organisation, staff, and funders; empowerment and participation of target group may not be the aim of the organisation and/or funder; the organisation may be unaware of the importance of participatory forms of communication; lack of equipment or technical problems; lack of time and skill to edit footage and implement the pilot project; lack of (facilitation) skills to implement the PV pilot project; being lost when training is over or the handbook does not offer adequate guidance; limited budget for equipment or for spending necessary time on PV." (ELDIS)
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"This brief report has been prepared as a guideline to participants and those they work with to help them put participatory video into practice and deepen their application of rights-based strategies in their work. It traces through the process of the workshop held in Hargeisa, from 2 until 9 Decemb
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er 2006. Samuel Musyoki of the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, was the lead facilitator of the workshop. Thus much of this material draws from his work. Technical video use and exercises draw from Insights into Participatory Video, A Handbook for the Field, Nick and Chris Lunch, Insight, 2006, and Video for Change; a practical guide for activists, Witness, 2000. The facilitation tools also draw from a whole range of Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) principles and methods. PLA refers to ways of working with people through active and direct involvement for facilitating sharing, learning, discovering and action. PLA methods start from the belief that people know and are capable of identifying and sharing issues (life situations), analyzing and learning from their analysis and thus developing strategies and action for addressing the situations. They use visual methods, interactive processes and group learning; put emphasis on enabling people to speak up and out; and are committed to generating knowledge for action (rather than simply for understanding)." (Pages 4-5)
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"This study examines the empowerment effects of film and video among participants of various nonformal education programmes. It provides recommendations for changes in the legal system as well as in the use of video in development co-operation." (Cat. IKO 2004)
"Indigenous knowledge and local initiatives are usually documented and disseminated by outsiders, who make their own interpretations in the process. Participatory Video (PV) provides an opportunity for rural people to document their own knowledge and experiences and to express their wants and hopes
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from their own perspectives. The process of PV The process of PV is, in essence, extremely simple, and the equipment required is increasingly widely available and affordable. This is the way the process works: The rural people rapidly learn how to use video equipment through games and exercises facilitated by outsiders; The facilitators help local groups to identify and analyze important issues in their community and to plan how to show this on video; The video messages are directed and filmed by the local groups; The footage is shown to the wider community at daily screenings, setting in motion a dynamic exchange of ideas and perceptions." (Page 1)
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"This book examines the importance of participatory video as a catalyst for development. It shows how powerful video images have been used to promote changes in attitudes and social behaviour, helping communities identify development solutions that are within their reach. Video has been used to reac
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h policymakers, to empower women and to rescue the culture and heritage of indigenous people. As a mediation tool, the power of video has been used to resolve conflicts, achieve consensus and find common ground for collective action. This book brings together practical information on innovative experiences with the use of participatory video." (Publisher description)
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"What follows is a fascinating account of 50 experiments in empowering people— living in poor communities across the world—to seize control of their own life stories and begin to change their circumstances of poverty, discrimination and exclusion. Alfonso Gumucio spent nearly one year researchin
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g and interviewing sources for “Making Waves,” and has been actively involved in every phase of production. “Alfonso’s voice” is evident throughout this work, and it is a tribute to what makes him the ultimate communicator: he has the soul of the good poet and filmmaker that he is, combined with an unwavering sense of justice and fairness. Following the first introductory chapter—which explains the field of participatory communication for social change and how it is evolving—you will read 50 illustrations of the power of community decision-making and action. Many of the stories are about community radio. We hope you don’t find this tedious; but our research and conversations certainly suggest that community-based radio is one of the best ways to reach excluded or marginalised communities in targeted, useful ways." (Foreword by Denise Gray-Felder, page 1-2)
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"Ce qui suit, c’est un fascinant catalogue de cinquante expériences qui permirent à des résidents de communautés pauvres de par le monde de prendre le contrôle de leur histoire, et de commencer à changer les circonstances de leur pauvreté, de leur discrimination, de leur exclusion. Alfonso
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Gumucio a passé presque un an à rechercher et interroger des sources pour ce travail, et s’est impliqué dans chacune des phases de la conception. La « voix d’Alfonso » résonne dans toute cette oeuvre qui est un hommage à ce qui fait de lui le communicateur par excellence : il a l’âme du poète et du réalisateur de talent qu’il est, combinée à un sens inébranlable de la justice et de l’équité. Après le chapitre introductif sur le rôle que joue la communication participative dans le changement social et son évolution, vous pourrez lire cinquante exemples qui illustrent le pouvoir que donnent l’action et la prise de décision communautaires. La plupart d’entre eux relatent de radios communautaires. Nous espérons que vous ne trouverez pas cela fastidieux, mais nos recherches et conversations nous ont conduits à conclure que la radio communautaire représente l’un des meilleurs moyens d’atteindre les communautés exclues ou marginalisées, et ce de manière ciblée et utile." (Préface de Denise Gray-Felder, page 1-2)
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"1. Communications are central to rights-based approaches to development. This includes rights to receive information and exercise a voice, as well as freedom of information and media activity. 2. Communications and media play an important role in strengthening civil society. Civil society organisat
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ions benefit from means of networking, and opportunities to lobby or advocate on certain issues. Different methods of communicating can also influence policy decisions. 3. A strategic approach to communications will improve project success, and can provide a set of questions to assist in planning and implementation. By planning communications components of projects, and co-ordinating activities, considerable benefits can be gained. Although each initiative is different, there are generic issues to raise for all uses of communications. 4. The use of mass media such as television and radio can help fulfil a variety of development aims. Although not always appropriate, large and small mass media interventions can be considered. 5. A variety of alternative media offer a range of different options. Alternative media can give people a space to express themselves, and can provide relevant information. Examples include small-scale radio, indigenous cultural activities and drama, and e-mail discussion groups. 6. Participation and participatory approaches are a key part of good communications practice. All media give scope for some participatory input, and some can be successfully combined with other participatory methodologies." (Quick reference, page 3)
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"This exploratory study analyses the functions and implications of participatory video projects in rural development settings. The term ‘participatory video’ refers to a bundle of innovative usages of video technology which enjoy growing popularity in many corners of the world. After the first t
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rials in the late 1960s participatory video has developed into several different directions and there is no consensus of what the term actually stands for. In the current literature participatory video is closely associated to the burgeoning field of participatory approaches such as Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), even though its application goes beyond the idea of participatory research and learning in many instances. There is by no means a consistent, established way of using the tool; experience and knowledge about what good practice is differ from person to person and in the literature. This study therefore categorises the varying approaches into a typology based on a review of the relatively scarce literature on the subject. Through a conceptual distinction of different project goals, three basic kinds of participatory video are identified, i. e. therapy-, activism- and empowerment-type video. The central part of the study consists of three case studies, from Mexico, Tanzania, and Vietnam respectively. In each of these the functions and implications of participatory video use are identified. A particular focus is put on the second case study, the ‘Fisherfolks’ Project’, as the relatively biggest amount of background information has been available. A number of theories and concepts are tested on this case in order to deepen the understanding of the potentials and limitations of participatory video." (Abstract)
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"This short book describes an Oxfam video team's experience of using video as a participatory development tool in a rural community in Vietnam. The author describes the process in detail, including the day-to-day details of the team's stay in Ky Nam village, with team members, villagers and the comm
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une and district authorities' reactions. This is a critical reflection on the issues raised, how villagers' expectations were heigthened by the work but not always fulfilled, and how the nature of 'participation' is more complex than first appears. The book makes a powerful claim for the usefulness of this medium. It will be interesting reading not only for development workers with an interest in video work, but for anyone committed to participatory approaches to development." (Media development, nr. 2/1999 pages 79-80)
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