"This article reflects experiences and results from an environmental education and communication strategy (EECS) as part of a Lao-German development project of Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) over a 10-year period from 2011 to 2021. The article is divided into four parts. First
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, an overview of the project context and the media landscape in Laos is provided. Next, the conceptual framework of the communication strategy at the GIZ policy and project management level is presented. Subsequently, major features of the wide variety of environmental education and communication media productions and educational materials are highlighted. Another chapter summarizes the results of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys related to environmental awareness. Finally, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and impact assessment results conclude lessons that can be learned from the project’s communication strategy." (Abstract)
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"The Agenda 2030 strives for a transformative approach that requires a broad shift in values, norms, beliefs, attitudes and practices towards more sustainable societies. In this debate on sustainable development, environmental communication and learning processes are driving forces for success. Crit
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eria and options for decisions regarding sustainable practices are a result of public discourse and transparently communicated and learned alternatives. Therefore, environmental education and communication (EEC) plays a key role in the achievement of the SDGs, particularly Goal 4 Education, Goal 11 Cities, Goal 13 Climate Change, and Goal 15 Ecosystems. In this context, the communication and learning objectives are as ambitious as the SDGs. Loss of biodiversity, degradation of ecosystems, or climate change challenges cannot be understood without assessing the complex interactions between ecological, social and economic factors." (Page 6)
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"This Guide offers advice about the role, relevance and use of communication for implementing Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) systems at the national level. It provides an overview of communication considerations, approaches and methods for the different phases of ABS implementation. Establishing A
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BS policies, regulations, institutions and mechanisms is a process of social change. Well-designed communication strategies will help you manage the change effectively, and efficiently." (Introduction)
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"[...] communication is rarely integrated in development cooperation programs as a strategic tool. For this reason an Interest Group on Strategic Communication for Sustainable Development was established. The group, with GTZ Rioplus in the lead, comprises members of GTZ, other German development coo
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peration agencies, and IUCN-CEC. This paper presents the final results of the Interest Group’s work and will be presented at the World Congress on Communication for Sustainable Development (WCCD), organized by the World Bank and FAO in 2006. [...] The manual is envisioned as a tool for policymakers and planners to obtain an overview of the issues involved. GTZ Rioplus and the Interest Group hope that this tool will quickly and convincingly show how strategic communication can become an integrated component of policies, strategies and projects, and thereby help ensure that adequate human and fi nancial resources are allocated to this end. Strategic communication, in the context of this paper, is understood as a dynamic process, integrated in a large-scale initiative that comprises multi-disciplinary and social marketing, non-formal education and public participation, thrives on acting people, aims at the innovative and sustainable change of practices, behaviors and lifestyles, guides communication processes and media interventions within and among social groups, and is a pre-requisite and a tool for change at the same time." (Foreword)
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"Viele autoritäre Regime fürchten den unkontrollierten Informationsfluss, gerade weil er gemeinsames Handeln ermöglicht und ihre Herrschaft gefährden könnte. Auch manche Kulturkritiker würden gerne Informationen kanalisieren, um einen Kulturimperialismus abzuwehren, bei dem sich ihrer Ansicht
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nach die stärksten Vermarkter im internationalen Mediengeschäft mit ihrer Weltsicht durchsetzen oder die mächtigen Kolonialsprachen die lokalen Sprachen verdrängen würden. Die meisten Menschen wollen sich nicht bevormunden lassen, auch nicht in wohlmeinender Absicht. Bei importierten Seifenopern im Fernsehen zeigen sie sich zum Beispiel durchaus in der Lage, sich ihren eigenen Reim auf das Angebot zu machen und es für ihr Umfeld zu interpretieren. Das bedeutet umgekehrt, dass wer eine bestimmte Botschaft über Grenzen hinweg in die Köpfe bekommen will, mit ganz anderen als den beabsichtigten Ergebnissen rechnen muss." (Editorial)
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"Listet die Profile von 21 in der Medien- und Journalistenförderung tätigen Institutionen auf, vom BMZ bis zum Solidaritätsfonds Demokratische Medien in der Welt. Außerdem sind die folgenden Veröffentlichungen beigefügt: Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage "Förderung der Medien
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in Entwicklungsländern" (2002); Bärbel Roeben: Medienförderung (2002); Michael Krzeminski: Medien in der Entwicklungspolitik: alte Paradigmen und neue Perspektiven (1999); Manfred Oepen: Deutsche Medienförderung im Abseits (1995)." (commbox)
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"This reader is envisioned as a resource for policy-makers and project planners, providing an overview of Environmental Communication as a management tool for initiatives geared towards environmental sustainability. The authors hope that their articles will convincingly show why and how Environmenta
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l Communication should become an integral component of policies and projects, and thereby help ensure that adequate human and financial resources are allocated to this end. The idea for this book was born at an international workshop on "Communicating the Environment" organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) in Bonn, Germany in late 1996." (Preface, page 5)
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"Regarding the use of traditional communication for development, a holistic view and not just an isolated study of one or another medium or tradition is thus essential. Such an approach is the subject of a field of research and study which would be called ethnocommunication. Ethocommunication is "th
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e description and study of communication means, communication structures and communication processses in cultural units" (Eilers, 1986). After the study and description of different traditional means of communication available in a given society or culture, it is important to analyze their use and their relationships with each other as well as within the life of a community. Who and what determines the communication processes of the people concerned? Here, of course, the social structure comes to mind immediately. Such a structure definitely will be an important element, as it will determine where the different communicators and recipients are to be placed within the respective society. The social structure also gives the different communication processes their weight and importance, or their irrelevance, within that society. The importance of such social structures and of such networks of communication has been described in more general terms already. In addition, however, the importance of the value structure of a society must be considered and studied, especially in relation to traditional means of communication and communication for development in general [...] At this point, we also must ask what we mean by development. We definitely do not define development as transfer of technology or technological information only. More importantly, awareness of a peoples' own culture, society, expectations, and needs should be emphasized. In addition, the awareness of a given people of themselves and of the possibilities and alternatives they have within the existing framework of action, and how they are constrained by material and human resources, should be increased. Instead of being directed or dominated by urban-centered local or foreign "change agents," and by approaches resulting from concern with political power or prestige, people everywhere need to become aware of their indigenous values which have always been flexibly related to changes, but which have also given their lives a firm foundation and coherence, often for centuries. They should also become aware of their own existing communication media and networks, and should be assisted in building on them communication alternatives for development.
The Christian churches, especially in Latin America, are going through an experience which have made them aware that it is not the institutionalized church or parish which moves people and makes them live their faith, but small Christian communities. Small groups of people coming together, reading the Bible, and discussing their daily life situation in the light of the scriptures are becoming a driving force, and they apparently have released new powers and talents among average and even poor people. Something similar is needed in all communication for development. The ethnocommunication approach thus seems to be one way to study how communication "means," structures and processes input in daily life by taking not only the social but also the value structures of a society into careful consideration. On the other hand, ethnocommunication should not be regarded as merely another method for selling goods or ideas, but to better make people understand their own situations and opportunities and, going on from there, help them decide if and how they want to develop new ways of dealing with contemporary challenges and opportunities." (Pages 304-307)
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