This presentation from the United Nations (UN) Children's Fund (UNICEF) focuses on the relationship of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the UNICEF mission of "A World Fit for Children". It lists the requirements for meeting the MDGs related to children and the subsequent implications for the practice of communication for development.
Children require, according to this document, 'quick impact initiatives' to reduce poverty, increased long-term initiatives rooted in a human rights-based approach, and special attention to the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach children. The document demonstrates statistics, via a graph, that show numbers of children that could be affected by improved sanitation and improved access to a water source, access to adequate nutrition for under-five-year-olds, and access to primary education, among other statistics. The four distinct areas of focus of communication for development (C4D) are listed as: 1) policy advocacy; 2) community mobilisation; 3) behaviour and social change communication; and 4) media outreach with new forms of media. The document demonstrates diagrammatically UNICEF's C4D framework.
The principles and shifts in C4D, from UNICEF's perspective, are listed as:
- From messages to dialogue;
- From focusing on individual behaviour to focusing on collective social change;
- From problems to appreciation; and
- From expert-driven solutions to community-driven solutions.
The contributions to policy advocacy of C4D are demonstrated through the Unite For Children, Unite Against AIDS campaign, which focuses on partnering with governments, UN agencies, and stakeholders, including youth. Its child-focused framework of the 4P's includes: providing paediatric treatment, preventing infection, focusing on youth, and protecting children with AIDS.
Social mobilisation aspects of C4D are demonstrated by a map (from 2005) of 3,313 community mobilisers in Uttar Pradesh, India, who are working at the village level on polio eradication.
Behaviour change C4D is demonstrated as avian influenza campaigning to "report, wash, cook, separate", actions for prevention, control, and containment of the epidemic. The results evaluation of a television awareness campaign show a likelihood of more than 80% of those surveyed taking preventative action.
C4D for social change in Ethiopia is highlighted by the programme of Anti-AIDS clubs, numbering 8,000 active clubs in Ethiopia. Youth dialogue results are shown to focus on urban mapping of high risk areas, like sex bars, youth patrolling of areas where rape occurs, and a youth proposal to the government to provide sex workers with condoms. C4D in Ethiopia amplifies youth voices through radio drama on issues raised in youth dialogue, radio on current affairs by and for youth, Radio Ethiopia as a broadcast partner, and a youth newspaper by and for youth. The Tostan programme for abandonment of female genital cutting is described as a large scale social transformation led by community members using participatory communication.
Children's participation in C4D includes participation in the website Voices of Youth, where 15-24 year olds from 180 countries hold dialogues and peer educate. Materials such as the Meena and Sara materials for girl child rights stem from South Asian participation and intend to impart life skills through print, peer-facilitated discussion in Meena clubs, and films.
The Unite for Children, Unite for Peace campaign launched with FIFA focuses on the power of sports to generate interest, contribution, and special initiatives to prevent abuse and conflict.
The document concludes that multiple communication strategies create a favourable environment and accelerate expansion of development programmes to achieve the MDGS.
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