Development is a communicative process. Communication tools are vital for the political dialogue and awareness rising required to bring about social and institutional reforms. Providing access to information is a core function of development cooperation, alongside boosting participation. If vulnerable segments of the population are better informed, they can claim their rights more consistently and use state services more purposefully to pull themselves out of poverty. Information access for all is also a core criterion for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the international community has adopted in recent times.

Communication for Development plays a vital role in promoting human development. It prioritizes communication systems and processes that enable people to deliberate and speak out on issues important to their own well-being. Its role in empowerment processes helps distinguish Communication for Development from other forms of communication, for example, corporate and internal communications, and makes it an essential part of programmes aimed at achieving the SDGs and other development priorities in an equitable and sustainable manner. It not only helps to achieve the organization’s mandate and objectives but also promotes the core tenets of rights, equality and equity.

Communication for development entails the following four approaches: (i) behaviour change communication; (ii) communication for social change; (iii) communication for advocacy; and (iv) strengthening an enabling media and communications environment. It helps to reinforce many of the core principles that underpin the common United Nations approach to development at the country level, including adherence to a human rights-based approach, national ownership, gender equality and development effectiveness.

Overcoming the challenge of building knowledge societies entails bridging the gaps as well as eradicating exclusion and inequity. It is long understood that media has a special role to play to strengthening the participation of marginalized and vulnerable people in decision making processes. They can also be used to address child health issues, empower adolescents, improve livelihoods and even fight epidemics. That is why it has constantly sought to expand the role of communications in deliberations on development issues.

Strengthening an enabling media and communications environment emphasizes that strengthening communication capacities, including professional and institutional infrastructure, is necessary to enable: (i) a free, independent and pluralist media that serves the public interest; (ii)broad public access to a variety of communication media and channels, including community media; (iii) a non-discriminating regulatory environment for the broadcasting sector; (iv) media accountability systems; and (v)freedom of expression in which all groups are able to voice opinion and participate in development debates and decision-making processes.

Such an initiative is invaluable because journalists and the news media in most developing countries are not yet very interested in covering development issues; and consequently, the training of journalists specialized in the reporting of development communication has never been done on a sustainable manner. IMS has internalizes the urgent need to reverse this tendency by sensitizing and training journalists to take up development reporting. Taking view of this, IMS will organize a national Media Conclave for sensitizing media on communication for development.

• OBJECTIVES:

• Inviting media educators of Universities and Institutions to provide them the platform for inclusion of communication for development and development communications as subjects in their regular course curriculum.

• Mainstream media professionals/practitioners and communication experts to prepare inclusive roadmap to carry out the programme at the grass-roots level.

• Enhance coverage of positive developmental stories and good practices of development in media (print and electronics).

• Providing a platform to orient various stakeholders of development.

• Explore new technologies and best practices for rural development

• OUTCOMES:

• Inclusion of communication for development and development communications as subjects in Universities and other academic institutions as integral part of course curriculum

• Media will be sensitized on the importance of development communication in the progress of India

• Increase in participatory processes that actively engage the poorest groups and accelerate effective responses to development challenges

• Increased participation of media in development decisions, debates and decision-making processes.

SUB-THEMES

• Social Media and Cultural Concerns
• Cyber World – Security and Regulations
• Media, Climate Change and Environmental Studies
• Media, Information and Communication Literacy
• Information Technology, E-governance and Development
• Emerging Role of Media in Healthcare, Immunization and Nutrition
• Role of Media in Child Protection and Child Rights
• Role of Media in Water, Hygiene and Sanitation
• Media in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Relief
• Media in Grassroots Governance
• New Media and Sustainable Development
• Media Education, Technology and Society
• Community and Alternative Media
• Media Activism and Advocacy
• Issues of Gender, Development and Media
• Collaborative Development of News Products
• Collaborative Development of News Products