To counteract the paradigms of development, growth, power, wealth, work and freedom embedded into the current public policies, research and teaching programmes, we need to consider the political and economic power asymmetries, the corporations-oriented public policies, the effect of megaprojects associated with increased pollution, corruption, consumerism and the appropriation of thoughts and bodies as commodities for sale.
Building social meanings beyond marketed technologies, creating new forms of individual and collective identities, imply the development of critical thinking in view of the essential conditions for the quality of life (education, security, health care, food, shelter, clothing) and a warning against “development projects” related to pollution, corruption, consumerism and the appropriation of thoughts and bodies as products put up for sale.
To counteract public policies segmented programmes, mass media headlines and reduced academic formats, which try to solve isolated problems without addressing the general phenomenon, the ecosystemic approach defines and deal with them deep inside the “boiling pot”, where they emerge, in terms of the boundaries, structures, techno-economic paradigms, support groups and rules of legitimation.
This means an expansion of concepts and ideas in view of an ecosystem approach, taking into account four dimensions of being-in-the-world (intimate, interactive, social and biophysical), since they combine, as donors and recipients, to generate the events (deficits or assets), to deal with the consequences (desired or undesirable) and to contribute to change (potential achievements).
Ref.: PILON, A. F., Developing an Ecosystemic Approach to Live Better in a Better World: A Global Voice for Humanity Survival in the 21st Century, Herald of the International Academy of Science (Health & Ecology), Moscow, 1, 2014: 12-15 [on line]: http://www.heraldrsias.ru/download/articles/02_Pilon.pdf
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21st century Africa and Communication for Development
I strongly agree with you [Robert Agunga] that C4D is both an accademy and a profession. It is unfortunate that in the 21st Century Africa we are still failing to include C4D in our curriculars. As a Community Health Worker I came across C4D in a workshop. Although the expert barely touched the essentials on C4D, I have since then read extensively and schooled myself in C4D. I must say here that my skills are yeilding tremedous benefit to my community. I see more and more behaviour change in my community as a result of my work.
I hope in the years ahead you will be able to collaborate with other institutions in Africa to start even a diploma program . C4D is a must if Africa has to rise from the current quagmire of politico-social and economic chaos which has given rise to increase health crisis.
Like you said, I am staying tuned.
What is communication for development?
To respond to this issue I wrote a paper titled: Communication for development: A personal experience with implications for development policy. It was published in the journal: Agricultural Education and Extension. September 29, 2012, Vol. 18, No. 5, pp: 509 - 524. I urge colleagues to take a look at it if they have not already and to react to it. I will particularly like to hear what Caroline has to say about it. My initial effort at conceptualizing C4D came with my textbook, Developing the Third World: A Communication Approach (Nova Science Publishers, 1997). This book is under revision, of cause, as I have learnt so much since then. I was also invited by Harvard International Review (2000) to present my view of C4D. Colleagues are welcome to take a look at it was well. Also, I have close to a 100 journal articles out there examining C4D from alternative viewpoints. I have also formed an organization called "ExtensionAfrica" to look at the link between extension and C4D. Finally and furtunately, my dream to experiment with C4D through action research is becoming a reality as I have received a USAID grant to experiment with C4D in Pakistan, including establishing a post-graduate Master's degre program at one of the universities. My point is that C4D as an academy and a profession, has to be conceptualized, field tested and its impact evaluated. It is a comprehensive concept. The Pakistan project is a three-year experiment. Hopefully, there is much we can learn from it. Stay tuned.
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