Media for Sustainable Development - India
In 2003, the Centre for Alternative Agricultural Media (CAAM) initiated an effort to make the media aware of grassroots efforts in villages throughout India. Media visits to small villages whose citizens have participated in sustainable development programmes are meant to facilitate the media's increased focus on positive efforts carried out in rural areas, to the end of inspiring further sustainable development initiatives.
Communication Strategies
The central programme strategy is informing the media - through visits to particular villages - about the details of successful sustainable development efforts. The visits are designed to enable the media to see progress with their own eyes, to hear from organisers about how that progress was achieved, and to hear testimonials of programme success from beneficiaries who would not otherwise have a chance to communicate their stories. CAAM hopes that broad media dissemination of these success stories will inspire other villages to move toward self-reliance.
The first event of the newly developed programme took place in July 2003. Harogerige Hogona Banni (Come, let us visit Harogeri) presented the different stages of sustainable development in Harogeri to journalists of Hubli and Dharwad, Karnataka State. The event took place in the hillocks of Harogeri, a village in Dharwad district of Karnataka. Harogeri gudda (hillock of Harogeri) facilitated an interaction session between its people and the media.
The programme began at 'Preethi Kuteera', a traditional hut put up by the villagers themselves. First, a CAAM representative introduced the media to the featured programme, Transfer of Technology for Sustainable Development. She explained that the Dharwad-based NGO BAIF Institute for Rural Development has been working in 22 villages including Harogeri, using participatory activities to reach the poorest of the poor. A BAIF representative then detailed the project, which is designed to help people understand their natural resources and to enhance them. He said, "The people have formed self-help groups (sanghas) and gram vikas samithis while the Sarvodaya Mahasangha which is a federation of all gram vikas samithis caters to the entire cluster of 22 villages....People here have adopted many developmental practices, thus improved their lives. Whatever has been done, it is because of the determination and hard work of the people, BAIF through the project boosted their morale and facilitated this growth in them." The representative cited financial statistics from particular self-help groups to back up his claims.
The event also featured villagers telling the media about their participation in the project. A farmer from Surashettikoppa said, "We are no more dependent on anyone. I have only one acre land from which I thought I can't make my livelihood. After working with the project I realised that one acre is enough for a family to survive, if we utilise it properly. With the guidance of BAIF I have opted for tree based farming, which has become good for me. I am no more scared of drought." Another project beneficiary said, "People used to ignore me and had kept me at a distance since I am a widow. But with the help of the project and BAIF, now I am involved in...activities like tailoring and have joined a sangha. This has helped me come forward both socially and economically. Now fellow residents invite me and treat equivalent to others."
Then the media were shown land-based activities, techniques of tree-based farming, soil and water conservation structures, sericulture, and a check dam constructed by the people through shramadan (voluntary work) in the fields around the hillock. After the field visit, there was a brief discussion session.
Additional visits to villages throughout India will be organised.
The first event of the newly developed programme took place in July 2003. Harogerige Hogona Banni (Come, let us visit Harogeri) presented the different stages of sustainable development in Harogeri to journalists of Hubli and Dharwad, Karnataka State. The event took place in the hillocks of Harogeri, a village in Dharwad district of Karnataka. Harogeri gudda (hillock of Harogeri) facilitated an interaction session between its people and the media.
The programme began at 'Preethi Kuteera', a traditional hut put up by the villagers themselves. First, a CAAM representative introduced the media to the featured programme, Transfer of Technology for Sustainable Development. She explained that the Dharwad-based NGO BAIF Institute for Rural Development has been working in 22 villages including Harogeri, using participatory activities to reach the poorest of the poor. A BAIF representative then detailed the project, which is designed to help people understand their natural resources and to enhance them. He said, "The people have formed self-help groups (sanghas) and gram vikas samithis while the Sarvodaya Mahasangha which is a federation of all gram vikas samithis caters to the entire cluster of 22 villages....People here have adopted many developmental practices, thus improved their lives. Whatever has been done, it is because of the determination and hard work of the people, BAIF through the project boosted their morale and facilitated this growth in them." The representative cited financial statistics from particular self-help groups to back up his claims.
The event also featured villagers telling the media about their participation in the project. A farmer from Surashettikoppa said, "We are no more dependent on anyone. I have only one acre land from which I thought I can't make my livelihood. After working with the project I realised that one acre is enough for a family to survive, if we utilise it properly. With the guidance of BAIF I have opted for tree based farming, which has become good for me. I am no more scared of drought." Another project beneficiary said, "People used to ignore me and had kept me at a distance since I am a widow. But with the help of the project and BAIF, now I am involved in...activities like tailoring and have joined a sangha. This has helped me come forward both socially and economically. Now fellow residents invite me and treat equivalent to others."
Then the media were shown land-based activities, techniques of tree-based farming, soil and water conservation structures, sericulture, and a check dam constructed by the people through shramadan (voluntary work) in the fields around the hillock. After the field visit, there was a brief discussion session.
Additional visits to villages throughout India will be organised.
Development Issues
Sustainable Development, Media, Community Participation, Economic Development.
Key Points
Organisers say that, due to their lack of knowledge about the details of community-based sustainable development activities, the media has not been able to cover this dimension of development.
Sources
Press release forwarded to CAAM-Net on July 10 2003; and Project page on CAAM site.
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