Development Communication, has been alternatively defined as a type of marketing

and public opinion research that is used specifically to develop effective communication
or as the use of communication to promote social development. It refers to the practice of
systematically applying the processes, strategies, and principles of communication to
bring about positive social change. As most providers of "communication development"
research use proprietary approaches that cannot be elaborated upon without revealing
proprietary trade secrets, the remainder of this article describes the latter definition. [1]
The practice of development communication can be traced back to efforts undertaken in
various parts of the world during the 1940s, but the widespread application of the concept
came about because of the problems that arose in the aftermath of World War II . The
rise of the communication sciences in the 1950s saw a recognition of the field as an
academic discipline, with Daniel Lerner, Wilbur Schramm, and Everett Rogers being the
earliest influential advocates. The term "Development Communication" was first coined
in 1972 by Nora C. Quebral, who defines the field as

"the art and science of human communication linked to a society's planned transformation
from a state of poverty to one of dynamic socio-economic growth that makes for greater
equity and the larger unfolding of individual potential." [2]

The theory and practice of development communication continues to evolve today, with
different approaches and perspectives unique to the varied development contexts the
field has grown in.[3]

Development communication is characterized by conceptual flexibility and diversity of

communication techniques used to address the problem. Some approaches in the “tool
kit” of the field include: information dissemination and education, behavior change,
social marketing, social mobilization, media advocacy, communication for social change,
and participatory development communication.

Introduction to Development Communication: Its Philosophy and Approach

Published: 21 July 2009Posted in: Development Communication

By Fr. Cornelio Lagerwey, MSC

Founder of the CFA Media Group
(From the book, Monographs on Development Communication, published by the
Communication Foundation for Asia: Manila, 1990)

The rationale behind development communication is to place communication and media

technology in the service of development.
What is development? What is behind this concept? Development is usually expressed in
economic terms such as employment rates, per capita income and gross national product.
However, experience tells us that economic growth statistics alone do not constitute
development.

Development is a total approach. It does not only involve economic programs. The
development of people is the main focus of this total approach.

In any strategy or program of development, people are the target. The needs of the people
predicate the delivery of development, whether it be in the form of values education,
skills development, livelihood assistance, human settlements, just to name a few.

The heightened awareness of the government, church authority and social development
agencies of the many problems that plague contemporary society has brought into focus
the ineffectiveness of many well-intentioned development projects. The success of a large
majority of planned development programs depends on the preparation of the target
group of such programs.

For any real development to happen, there must be an inner change of people to be
willing to participate and be involved in matters that affect their very lives. People cannot
be manipulated or coerced to develop themselves. The impetus and desire for
development must come from within themselves.

But how do we get people into action? Education is the key, communication the tool.

The purpose of communication, as a tool, is getting people’s involvement through

education. Both formal and non-formal education involves processes of communication.
This systematic process occurs over a certain period of time in which the people are
informed, instructed and inspired to participate and be involved.

As a tool, communication should be used for service. In the Philippines, however, the
amount set aside for this information service is usually just enough to do some “image-
building” which hardly reaches the people for whom the services are intended. It may
enhance the image of the Department of Health, Agriculture or Land Reform, but it does
not educate or benefit the millions these Departments are supposed to serve.

Example: I’d like to tell a simple story back in the 60’s when the miracle rice was
discovered. That time, Secretary Rafael Salas and I went to Los Ba?os to find out what this
miracle rice was all about. We went from a doctor in biology, to a doctor in physiology, to
so many other learned people sitting around the table, all rice experts from different
nations, to find out about miracle rice, etc. I got a few mimeographed papers with some
data on miracle rice. Then I said: “Yeah, but what is miracle rice?” I stayed to interview
the staff members for a couple of days.
Then I began to ask myself, if miracle rice is intended for farmers, what will happen
between the knowledge of the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) and the farmer
in the field; between the knowledge on one side and the ignorance on the other side, and
how to bridge this; how to transform this knowledge and make communication a tool to
help the farmer develop himself? This was the birth of the “Ang Tao” magazine. Without
it, miracle rice would have remained an item in the daily papers or an image on the
television screen.

I have nothing against image-building on television. I, for one, understand Secretary

Bengzon when I hear him on television talking about generics. But when I think about
the common tao, for whose benefit the generics law is intended, then we have the same
gap today between the generics law and the tao as we had between the miracle rice and
the tao. There is an enormous gap between the aim which is good, and the people for
whom it is intended.

What government wants and what non-government organizations want is for people to
be involved. If people get involved, it means they understand. When they do, we reach
the goal of our service. Many people want instant involvement which is never possible.
That is where the process of communication comes in.

Communication is not only advertisements, propaganda, entertainment, public relations

and image building. It is an instrument of servicing the needs of the people to attain
development.

The science which uses communication to change and motivate people through
education and inspiration towards development is development communication or
simply, DEVCOM.

DEVCOM brings about a planned growth intended to promote human development,

reducing, if not eradicating poverty, unemployment and other social inequalities. It is
engaged not only in mere reporting of facts or opinions, but also in teaching the people
and leading them to action. It imparts and shares ideas to nurture and cultivate the
proper attitudes, skills and values that are needed to develop. In short, DEVCOM is a
communication science that assists developmental goals.

DEVCOM was born out of the need of people to be informed and educated. Social
inequalities, such as landlords oppressing tenants and poverty, became the focus of
political campaign platforms. After the elections, the people were left ignorant of the
developments affecting them. Most of them were not informed of the issues that concern
them. The result was severe poverty for most and affluence for the few. To counteract the
inequality, many resorted to force. Such was the cycle of events that never benefited the
people. DEVCOM is meant to break the wall of ignorance, thus, breaking the bonds of
poverty and oppression.
Often, we in CFA are asked why we are in the communication service. Many say that
providing livelihood to eradicate poverty or community organizing to build self-reliance
among the depressed communities are better ways of serving the needs of these groups.

Our answer: for any true development to happen, there must be an inner change of
people, for example from stagnation or opposition, to one of involvement and support.
People cannot be manipulated or coerced to grow and develop. The impetus and desire
for development must come from within themselves.

But how can this happen? Or putting it in another way: Why does this not happen? Is it
because the process through which these programs have been developed and
implemented is not democratic, not participatory in nature?

A failure to understand this process and its concomitant instrument of development

communication can be very costly, like in India at the end of the sixties. The government,
in its efforts to control the population growth, received substantial assistance from AID
and the World Bank. A team of consultants and technicians was sent to study the
situation. Millions were spent. A program was recommended. The recommendations
were reviewed, the project was set up and implemented. Health and family planning
clinics were established throughout the country. More millions were spent. Just one
problem: the women for whom the clinics were intended did not come in. The
government had to entice them with, for example, transistorized radios. The program
failed. Human rights were violated. Indira Gandhi lost the next elections. What was
wrong? The failure to get the involvement of the women through the process of
development communication. The government wanted instant involvement. People,
however, are not coffee!

And so what happens? From the point of view of the government or the NGO, an
ineffective program is tantamount to budgetary loss. On the side of the low-level income
groups to whom these programs are targeted, it means lost self-worth, dehumanization.
Anyone who is keen enough can sense this feeling of the poor being displaced, of being at
the mercy of political and economic forces. They perceive that they do not have a handle
on what is happening to them. They do not feel that they are the subjects of the
development programs. With their characteristic meekness in front of the affluent and
the influential, it is not hasty to conclude that they paradoxically see themselves as
objects of the programs geared towards their development.

The science which uses communication to educate, change and motivate people’s
attitudes and values leading to developmental goals is development communication or
DEVCOM. This, however, costs money.

In the Philippines, as in other developing countries like India, the budget set aside for
communication is usually just enough to do some public relations or image-building for
the government or the agency concerned. The practice hardly reaches the people for
whom the information services are intended. It is cheaper to have a picture and an article
in the papers or a spot on radio or television than to make the common people
understand fully the issues that affect their way of life. This superficial use of media is
more often a deterrent to development than its instrument since it excludes participation
from the target audience, the people.

And so DEVCOM was born. The CFA Media Group among others saw the dire need to
supply the people with adequate background knowledge for them to make the proper
decisions on matters affecting their lives. DEVCOM was meant to tear down the wall of
ignorance and so break the bonds of poverty and oppression. In contrast with those who
wanted to counteract the inequality with force.

To understand the issues that affect their way of life, there was a need to provide a
communication tool. A tool that would do more than image building, more than saying
how good a government department performs! A tool that will get the people involved in
their own life and destiny. A revolutionary use of communication: the use of
communication for development, for people power.

Many institutions, including non-government agencies, have begun to recognize

DEVCOM’s importance, values and usefulness. Many have adapted it in their school
services.

In our history we have developed the CFA’s methodology of the 5 I’s. The first I is
INFORM.

Experience tells us that to inform people through research and study is needed to
understand a subject well enough that one can express and communicate it in the level of
people’s understanding, aware of their socio-cultural background, and the language they
use. This way, the people become part of initiating the program since they are the subject
of development, not the object.

To get the people involved, it is not enough that they are informed about the issue and
understand what it is about. They also have to know how it works and this is instruction.
For this to be understood, illustrations, pictures, drawings and other graphic aids are
needed. We call these I’s: INFORM and INSTRUCT.

The main objective of communication is people’s involvement and participation. To

achieve this, people are not only in need to be informed about the issue and instructed on
how it works but they also have to be motivated to do it. This is the third I or
INSPIRATION. This is the heart and core of all good communication. This is why dramas
and inspiring stories are used in comics, radio and television While the first two I’s appeal
more to the mind, the third I stimulates the heart and the will.
To inspire and motivate people towards involvement is not done only once. It needs to be
repeated, for motivation can only come when a continuous sending of persuasive
impulses is made. This is the fourth I or INSIST. INSISTENCE removes all the remaining
reservations and doubtful feelings to make way for the fifth I, which is INVOLVEMENT.
The objective of all communication is to get people involved.

As believers in development communication, we must achieve a consensus in order to

improve DEVCOM’s service to the developmental needs of the people. By informing
people, DEVCOM tells them where they are and what they are and where they are going.
By instructing, DEVCOM provides people the means to go where they want to go. By
inspiring, DEVCOM motivates people to move and act. By insisting, DEVCOM reminds
people to sustain their actions. By involving, DEVCOM gives back self confidence and
human dignity in order that the total liberation of people can be achieved.

How can organizations generate and maximize people’s participation in development?

How can government and non-government organizations work together in educating the
grassroots about their needs to improve their lives? We could apply the 5 I’s: inform each
other of our concerns and priorities; instruct each other on how we can achieve
collaboration and cooperation to compliment and synchronize our development
programs; inspire each other by mutually sharing our expertise and talents; insist that all
development programs must serve the people and so get involved with each other.

DEVCOM comes to a full circle when it begins to serve not only the recipients of
development but also us who sought to help by giving us a deeper understanding and
appreciation of the plight of the less privileged majority.

Involvement will be the effect on the many marginalized Filipinos when we employ a
participatory tool such as DEVCOM, in the total making of development projects, from
conceptualization to implementation, even evaluation.

My dear friends, DEVCOM, as a science, is a science of HOPE, expressing belief in the

silent majority.

People are made to the image of GOD and redeemed by Christ. So let us continue to work
for their liberation through DEVCOM, because DEVCOM is people-communication,
DEVCOM is people power.

About CFA

The Communication Foundation for Asia is a pioneer in development communication. It

was established in 1973 as a non-stock, non-profit organization, but its origins go way
back to 1960, when the Social Communications Center was born with the publication of
the Philippine Catholic Digest. Both organizations were founded by the Dutch
missionary, Fr Cornelio Lagerwey, MSC, in collaboration with his mission partner Genaro
V. Ong and other lay Filipino communicators. Together they pursued a mission of media
production and training for the spiritual upliftment and empowerment of people.

The Communication Foundation for Asia has evolved into a multi-media center with
almost 100 staff, working on video documentaries and TV programs, producing regular
educational and religious publications for distribution to around three hundred thousand
student subscribers nationwide, conducting training workshops on communication skills
and media education, and organizing media events such as film festivals, peace
communication camps, environmental forums and traveling photo exhibits.

THE CFA VISION

The Integral Development of people through innovative learning processes using media
technology and other forms of communication.

MISSION STATEMENT
To harness the power of communication in order to promote Christian values and
empower people in need towards social transformation.

Source:

http://cfamedia.org/main/?p=2449