<incom> World Congress on Comms. for Development

[Steve Cisler]

This document, the Rome consensus, was sent to me by
one of the 700+ attendees.

Steve

The World Congress on Communication for Development 
Rome, Italy – October 25-27, 2006 
FINAL DRAFT 
 
 
The Rome Consensus 
 
Communication for Development 
 
A Major Pillar for Development and Change 
 
 
Communication is essential to human, social and
economic development.  At the heart of communication 
for development is participation and ownership by
communities and individuals most affected by poverty 
and other development issues.  There is a large and
growing body of evidence demonstrating the value of 
communication for development.   
 
Some provisional examples are: 
 
 In India rural radio forums engaging farmers resulted
in significant productivity gains [Neurath: 
Date – Mody] 
 
 There have been significant reductions in female
genital cutting in Senegal attributed to 
participation communication strategies [  ] 
 
 In Uganda a national and local communication process
related to the corruption of centrally 
allocated public funds for education at the local
level in schools resulted in a very significant 
decrease in the level of funds that did not reach that
local level – from 80%  “lost” to only 20% 
lost [World Bank Institute: date] 
     
 Communication programmes are linked to significant
reductions in Acute Respiratory Infection in 
Cambodia [BBC World Service Trust: Date] 
 
 Use of mobile phones and other communication
techniques for farmers to obtain information on 
market prices in Tanzania resulted in farmers
increasing the price per ton they receive for rice 
from US$100 per ton to US$600. A $200,000 investment
resulted in US$1.8 million of gross 
income. [   ] 
 
 
Development Challenges 
 
In the year 2006, it is estimated that 1.3 billion
people world-wide still live in absolute poverty. Even

though many countries have experienced considerable
economic development, far too many remain worse 
off in economic and social terms. 
 
Nelson Mandela reminds us that “Poverty is not natural
- it is man-made and it can be overcome and 
eradicated by the actions of human beings”.  
 
People’s rights to equality and to communicate are
protected and advanced in the Universal Declaration on

Human Rights.   
 
 1
Related to poverty and rights there are other very
considerable and related challenges. These are
delineated 
in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are
often the benchmark for decision-making in civil 
society, national governments and the international
development community. 
 
Achieving improved progress on these issues requires
addressing some very sensitive and difficult 
challenges: respect for cultural diversity, self
determination of people, economic pressures,
environment, 
gender relations and political dynamics amongst
others. 
 
These factors often complicate and threaten the
success of overall development efforts in local,
national 
and international arenas. It is the people related
issues that are the focus for communication for 
development. 
 
Communication for Development  
 
Communication for Development is a social process
based on dialogue using a broad range of tools and 
methods. It is also about seeking change at different
levels including listening, building trust, sharing 
knowledge and skills, building policies, debating and
learning for sustained and meaningful change.  It is 
not public relations or corporate communication. 
 
Strategic Requirements 
 
That development organisations place a much higher
priority on the essential elements of communication 
for development process as shown by research and
practice: 
 
 The right and possibility for people to participate
in the decision making processes that affect their 
lives 
 
 Creating opportunities for the sharing of knowledge
of skills. 
 
 Ensuring that people have access to communication
tools so that they can themselves 
communicate within their communities and with the
people making the decisions that affect them 
– for example community radio and other community
media 
 
 The process of dialogue, debate and engagement that
builds public policies that are relevant, 
helpful and which have committed constituencies
willing to implement them – for example on 
responding to preserving the environment.  
 
 Recognising and harnessing the communication trends
that are taking place at local, national and 
international levels for improved development action –
from new media regulations and ICT 
trends to popular and traditional music. 
 
 Adopting an approach that is contextualised within
cultures.    
 
 Related to all of the above a priority on supporting
the people most affected by the development 
issues in their communities and countries to have
their say, to voice their perspectives and to 
contribute and act on their ideas for improving their
situation – for example indigenous people and 
people living with HIV/AIDS 
 
In order to be more effective in gaining improved
progress on poverty and the other MDGs the 
communication for development processes just outlined
are required in greater scale and at more depth.   
 
Long Term Foundation  
 
These processes are not just about increasing the
effectiveness of overall development efforts. They are

also about creating sustainable social and economic
processes. In particular: 
 
 2
 Strengthening Citizenship and Good Governance  
 Deepening the communication links and processes
within communities and societies 
 
Those are essential pillars for any development issue.
   
 
Recommendations 
 
Based on the arguments above, in order to make much
more significant progress on the very difficult 
development challenges that we all face we recommend
that policy makers and funders do the following: 
 
1. Overall national development policies should
include specific communication for development 
components. 
 
2. Development organisations should include
communication for development as a central element at 
the inception of programmes. 
      
3. Strengthen the communication for development
capacity within countries and organisations at all 
levels. This includes: people in their communities;
communication for development specialists and 
other staff including through the further development
of training courses and academic 
programmes.  
 
4. Expand the level of financial investment to ensure
adequate, coordinated, financing of the core 
elements of communication for development as outlined
under Strategic Requirements above. 
This includes budget line[s] for development
communication.   
   
5. Adoption and implement of policies and legislation
that provide an enabling environment for 
communication for development – including free and
pluralistic media, the right to information 
and to communicate. 
 
6. Development communication programmes should be
required to identify and include appropriate 
monitoring and evaluation indicators and methodologies
throughout the process   
 
7. Strengthen partnerships and networks at
international, national and local levels to advance 
communication for development and improve development
outcomes 
 
8. Move towards a rights based approach to
communication for development 
 
Conclusion: 
 
As Nelson Mandela highlighted it is people that make
the difference. Communication is about people. 
Communication for development is essential to make the
difference happen.      
 
 
The Participants 
Word Congress on Communication for Development 
Rome. Italy  
October 27, 2006 
 


 
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