"ActionAid’s efforts of bring together communities radio stations from different states across the country in the recent National Consultation on Community Radio held at Bhubaneswar was quite useful to discuss the best practices of community radio stations, the challenges they face and the way for
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ward. We thank Young India and Radio Namskar for partnering with us in this effort. The present publication on the best practices of the community radios in different parts of the country encapsulate the experiences and journey of the community radio stations in amplifying the voice of the marginalized communities, the change result they have achieved partnering with the communities and the larger aspirations of the community for social justice and equality. Through this publication we would like to share the learnings emerging from the practice of community radio stations. I look forward to carrying these conversations further with you dear readers, and hence I look forward to receiving your comments and feedback on this report." (Foreword)
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"The book aims to situate the cultural, social and, in some cases, transnational context of ICT appropriation and virtual connectivity so as to reposition Africans from various countries and contexts as active agents of social change. The intricacies of local ICT use and the dynamics of mobility in
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the African context enables us to better understand material cultures, relationships between people, new media and social networking. Equally explored in relation to ICTs are the social and spatial dynamics of communication, association and belonging across spaces – particularly physical borders, social boundaries and confines and possibilities informed by the habitus of bodies and practices." (Publisher description)
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"Over the past decade there has been a growing interest in participatory video, but accounts have often been celebratory and uncritical. At the same time there has been an ever-increasing multiplicity of interpretations, thus making participatory video seem ‘nebulous’ and ‘perplexing’. This
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special section seeks to develop some of the critiques developed over the past five years, by bringing together a series of provocative thought pieces. Through this special section we seek to continue to develop a critique of participatory video as both a methodology and method." (Page 401)
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"Vietnam thrives on a rich tapestry of stories across generations; personal and collective stories that form precious threads in the fabric of a diverse nation of more than 90 million people. There are valuable stories waiting to be told by Cham fisherwomen and men living in An Giang; by Hanoi stree
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t cleaners living with disabilities; by farmers growing cassava in the Quang Tri highlands. Such stories not only help us understand the diversity of this dynamic country, but can also inform important development decisions that impact the people whose stories most need to be heard [...] CARE believes that a vibrant, diverse society becomes stronger when everyone can equally contribute their voice to decisions that impact them. This is why CARE is using Community Digital Storytelling (CDST); an innovative participatory development approach that enables people to gain knowledge, build their confidence and share their concerns with others who can address them. CDST builds on the full potential of people often unheard; strengthening the wider society in the process. Through Community Digital Storytelling, community members collectively create and share stories in their own language using audio, photos and music. The resulting photo-videos are often 3-5 minutes long and in the local language. These stories are driven by the community members themselves who develop the content and decide what photos best represent the narratives they want to tell." (Page 3)
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"Prison radio is a particularly valuable contribution to the investigation of opportunities for social activism and the potential of radio for social change, able to support prisoners through their sentences and contribute to reducing re-offending. This study is the first to document the growth of U
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K prison radio, focusing on the accounts of the people involved in the formation of the Prison Radio Association (PRA). Established in 2006, the PRA was the first organisation of its kind internationally. Initially set up to network and support individual prison radio projects, it has now grown to the extent of creating and managing the world's first National Prison Radio service. This research outlines the process through which relatively small-scale media activism, based on prisoners' rights, came to be an intrinsic part of prison culture, playing a central role in institutional operations. It considers prison radio growth within the context of the economic reworking of broadcasting, prisons, and social activism in post-Thatcher Britain, acknowledging the emergence of the PRA as both a product of New Labour technologies of governance and of the counter-discursive opportunities they p6roduced. Against a backdrop of public service privatisation and media commercialisation, the development of the PRA illustrates the complex processes of working in partnership with institutions and agencies to develop a prisoner-led service. It is a story which highlights the enduring importance of social values in broadcasting, represents new opportunities for social activism, and presents radio as a powerful force for social change." (Abstract)
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"This article uses the example of a mobile mixed-media platform – a converted three-wheeled autorickshaw – in Sri Lanka in order to explore whether and how content-creation activities can enable marginalised communities to have a voice. It draws upon research into participatory content-creation
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activities conducted in 15 locations across India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The main findings are: the need to pay attention to context when thinking about what might be locally appropriate, relevant, and beneficial in terms of participatory content creation; the benefits that can be gained from creatively reaching out to and engaging marginalised groups and encouraging a diversity of voices; the usefulness of locally produced content for generating local debate around local issues; and the benefits of encouraging participation at all stages of content creation, so that content is locally meaningful and might lead to positive social change." (Abstract)
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"Citizens’ Voice and Accountability (CV&A) work has emerged as a priority in the international development agenda from the 1990s onwards. In their CV&A work, donors recognise the importance of context: it shapes relation to that context. However, context awareness has not proven sufficient to enab
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le donors to grapple with key challenges posed by the interaction between formal and informal institutions, the prevalence of the latter over the former in many instances, and underlying power relations and dynamics. Some examples of positive impact of CV&A interventions have emerged from the interventions analysed for this study. This is mostly at the level of positive citizen awareness, empowering certain marginalised groups, and encouraging state officials. However, within the sample analysed, such impact/effects have remained limited and isolated, and have so far proven difficult to scale up. A critical factor leading to the observed limited nature of results is related to the fact that donor expectations as to what such work can achieve are too high, and are based on misguided assumptions around the nature of voice and accountability, and the linkages between the two. There is a tension between the long-term processes of transforming state-society relations and donors’ needs/desires to produce quick results. Scaling up sustainability are also issues not currently sufficiently addressed within intervention design and implementation." (Executive summary, page v)
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"The 'Inclusion Through Media' partnership has involved many imaginative and productive collaborations between creative media professionals and young and excluded people in cities and regions of the UK and Europe. Using media as a means of working with, and empowering marginalised people in their co
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mmunities is a practice that has emerged strongly in recent years, nurtured by the extraordinary growth of digital media and the Web. These developments have enabled a participatory culture -particularly online- one in which young people are now more able to represent themselves and their concerns through digital media. This book offers first hand accounts of work across and beyond Inclusion Through Media, alongside critical analysis of many of the processes involved, and the policy issues it raises. It suggests ways in which working with media with disenfranchised groups can contribute to social cohesion and inclusion, and so points the way towards new media, youth and social policy." (Publisher description)
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"This paper intends to look at the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a communication tool instead of an object of communication. The MDGs possess the potential to make development more understandable to people at the centre of development policies: the poor, vulnerable and socially excluded. Th
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e potential to make development interventions more effective and, ultimately, to achieve the MDGs, lies in improving the capability of these people to use information about development to claim their rights and to hold authorities accountable for their commitments. Based on the available literature and international conventions, the paper will elaborate a framework for the application of communication for development in promoting the MDGs at the country level. The framework will be used to examine the Albanian experience in using the MDGs to mobilize participation around national and local development strategies. It will also highlight the contribution that communication can make in Serbia to the social inclusion of marginalized groups such as Roma, refugees, internally displaced persons and people with disabilities. The proposed framework can be used to identify gaps, opportunities and entry points in each country. It can help make the best use of the MDGs at the national level through including excluded groups in the policy debate, which will enhance transparency, accountability and responsiveness to their needs." (Abstract)
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"This Practical Guidance Note aims to demonstrate that media can play a crucial role in empowering vulnerable and marginalized groups. This can best be achieved if media support and media capacity development is directed in a way that enables the media to better respond to and reflect the informatio
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n and communication needs of these groups. This kind of media support can be called Communication for Empowerment. Communication for Empowerment is a critical driver for securing the necessary participation, ownership and accountability for achieving the MDGs. The Guidance Note explains Communication for Empowerment and its importance to poverty reduction. It identifies trends in the media, and highlights key opportunities and challenges, including the impact of liberalization and the ongoing struggle many media face in holding onto hard fought media freedoms. The Note underscores the particular importance of radio in Communication for Empowerment strategies because of its reach, accessibility to the poor and increasingly interactive character." (Abstract)
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"This book records and interprets, in a narrative form, how groups of villagers and fisherfolk in Manila (Philippines), in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu (India) and in the states of Tlaxacala, Oaxaca and Michoacan and in a suburb of Mexico City (all in Mexico) tried to bring about social change through
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what one may call "people's communication". "People's communication" is a mode of communication which depends for its efficacy on people's energies rather than on technology." (Introduction)
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