- Western Sydney University
Institute for Culture and Society (ICS)
Parramatta South Campus, Building EM
Sydney NSW 2150 (Australia)
Valentina Baú
Western Sydney University, Institute for Culture and Society, Faculty Member
- Community Media, Reconciliation, Peace and Conflict Studies, Communication for Development, Development communication, Participatory Media, and 48 moreAfrica, Participatory Communication, Communication for Social Change, International Development, Media Studies, Communication Theory, Sustainable Development, Media Development, United Nations, Participatory Research, Information/Communication Technologies and Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Community-Based Participatory Research, Media for Development, Health Communication, Peace Studies, Social Change, Narrative Research, Narrative Methods, Qualitative Methods, Media Anthropology, Participatory Video, Conflict, Violence, Peace Journalism, Conflicts and Media, Communication for Peacebuilding, Development Studies, Peacebuilding, Alternative Media, Citizen engagement, Participatory Photography, Communication for development, communication for social change, conflict and peace studies, Communication for peace, peace education, The role of informatin and communication technology in community development, Participatory Development Communication, Media, communications, and technology for community development, civic engagement and political action, Media, Peace and Violences, Qualitative Research, Arts-Based Research, Western Sydney, Community Development & Conflict Resolution, Technology for Community Development, Diasporic media, Communicating with Communities (Cwc), Refugees and Forced Migration Studies, Displacement, and Social cohesionedit
- I am a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Culture and Society at Western Sydney University. I conduct researc... moreI am a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Culture and Society at Western Sydney University. I conduct research on the application of Communication for Development in Peacebuilding with a focus on realities affected by violent conflict and displacement. I explore and evaluate new communication for development approaches that employ different media and communication channels to contribute to social change and sustainable peace in the aftermath of (or during) violence. I also look at the application of communication for development for citizen engagement and youth participation in governance and peacebuilding. My more recent work has begun to explore the use of Communication for Development in the context of crisis response interventions, with the aim of developing new frameworks that can link the implementation of applied research with the production of theoretical knowledge, whose translation can inform practice. I collaborate with UN agencies and international NGOs on different projects related to Communication for Development and media for peace.
My PhD has looked at the ways in which participatory media can be used as story-telling tools to share experiences of war among hostile communities in the aftermath of a civil war, and how sharing stories through the media can facilitate healing and reconciliation. As part of my doctorate project, I worked on the evaluation of two participatory media activities implemented in Kenya in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence. I assessed the impact of these projects in relation to ethnic reconciliation between and among communities in specific areas of the Rift Valley, where I spent three months interviewing both victims and perpetrators of the 2007/2008 conflict who have been in contact with these media productions.
Throughout my academic career I have conducted evaluations for Mercy Corps, Search for Common Ground, FilmAid Kenya, UNICEF and UNHCR on the use of participatory communication, participatory art and edutainment for conflict transformation and peacebuilding, communicating with communities and humanitarian communication. I have also facilitated participatory media projects with young people and marginalised groups. I am always keen to explore new opportunities for collaboration with international development and humanitarian actors around the world.
I am currently Chief Investigator on an Australia Research Council Discovery Award on 'Development Communication, Media and Peace in Protracted Displacement'. This three year project (2022-2024) investigates the use of media and communication from humanitarian organisations in promoting peace and social cohesion among young refugees living in camps; the aim is to develop a new a approach that brings together C4D and CwC in complex settings of protracted encampment.
Prior to the start of my academic career, I worked as an international development professional for various non-governmental organisations, government departments and the United Nations, both in Head Offices and in Country Offices in African settings.
I have convened the following courses at UNSW School of the Arts & Media:
- Communication in Action (BMedia PR & Advertising);
- Media Design for Change (BMedia PR & Advertising | BA Development Studies);
- Critical Reflections on PR and Advertising (Master of Public Relations & Advertising);
- Media Portfolio (BMedia Communication & Journalism | BMedia PR & Advertising);
- Social Innovation and Engagement (BMedia PR & Advertising).
Previously, I taught on the following undergraduate subjects:
- Geographies of Development (Macquarie University, Department of Environment and Human Geography, Development Studies area)
- International Communication Campaigns (Macquarie University, Centre for International Communication)
- The Anthropology of International Aid (Macquarie University, Department of Anthropology)
- Geographies of Global Change (Macquarie University, Department of Environment and Human Geography, Development Studies area)
- Media, Mediation and Power (University of Technology Sydney, Department of Social and Political Change)
- Investigating Media, Reflective Practices (University of Technology Sydney, Department of Social and Political Change)
- Media and Everyday Life (University of New South Wales, School of the Arts & Media).
I give guest-lectures on various topics related to Communication for Social Change.edit
This research note introduces the experience of using 'timelines' as a visual research method during online interviewing. It does so through a series of questions and answers that guide the reader through an exploration, understanding of... more
This research note introduces the experience of using 'timelines' as a visual research method during online interviewing. It does so through a series of questions and answers that guide the reader through an exploration, understanding of and reflection on the method. This qualitative approach was used while conducting research on the influence that participation in a Reality TV show had on its finalists, and on the opportunities and life choices that were afforded to participants after the end of the show. The reader is encouraged to draw links between their own work as a qualitative researcher and the possibilities that this method can offer either in filling gaps or in expanding their current endeavour. Ultimately, the 'quality' of the answers we find in our qualitative work is illustrative of the way we choose to ask our questions.
Research Interests:
Organisation-centric approaches in development communication and public relations that privilege the organisation can restrict communication to organisational mandates and goals. Organisation-centric approaches can reflect a modernist... more
Organisation-centric approaches in development communication and
public relations that privilege the organisation can restrict
communication to organisational mandates and goals. Organisation-centric approaches can reflect a modernist view of development or communication and have been critiqued for favouring technocratic development rather than serving marginalised groups. Currently, scholars in development communication and public relations place greater emphasis on publics or community participation and the
processual nature of communication to overcome adverse
organisational influence and propose better solutions. This article recognises theoretical advances in development communication and public relations and adopts the Collaborative Communication Approach, integrating current concepts from these two fields. The Collaborative Communication Approach facilitates an examination of communication in development in relation to five elements of power, context, participation, agency, and profession. This article shows how the five elements prove useful in addressing communication challenges in development through primary research and offers eight distinct categories to advance practice.
public relations that privilege the organisation can restrict
communication to organisational mandates and goals. Organisation-centric approaches can reflect a modernist view of development or communication and have been critiqued for favouring technocratic development rather than serving marginalised groups. Currently, scholars in development communication and public relations place greater emphasis on publics or community participation and the
processual nature of communication to overcome adverse
organisational influence and propose better solutions. This article recognises theoretical advances in development communication and public relations and adopts the Collaborative Communication Approach, integrating current concepts from these two fields. The Collaborative Communication Approach facilitates an examination of communication in development in relation to five elements of power, context, participation, agency, and profession. This article shows how the five elements prove useful in addressing communication challenges in development through primary research and offers eight distinct categories to advance practice.
Research Interests:
This article analyses the role that Reality TV can play in the lives of young participants, when a programme is designed as a strategic intervention to achieve change. With roots in Communication for Development notions, this study brings... more
This article analyses the role that Reality TV can play in the lives of young participants, when a programme is designed as a strategic intervention to achieve change. With roots in Communication for Development notions, this study brings together different theoretical fields to illustrate how media can be created with the intent of enhancing young people’s awareness of the important role they can play in society through targeted activities that occur during media production. The experience of the young contestants from The President TV show, broadcast in the Palestinian Territories in 2013 and 2015, is examined. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with some of the finalists of the show; information gathered has been analysed in the light of a framework that brings together media participation and civic engagement. Findings show how the format and structure of the programme has enhanced participants’ understanding of the social, political and economic spheres of a conflict-affected reality, contributing to their engagement with peace-oriented civic practices long after the end of the show.
Research Interests: Media Studies, Community Development, Development communication, Palestine, Youth Civic Engagement, and 15 moreCommunication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Civic Engagement, Reality TV, Communication for Social Change, Participation and Civic Engagement, Communication for Development and Social Change, Media, communications, and technology for community development, civic engagement and political action, Participatory Development Communication, Information and Communication Technology for Development and Education (ICTE), Development Communication, Youth Development and Civic Engagement, Youth empowerment and civic engagement, Communications for Development (C4D), and Peacebuilding and Development
This case study discusses an experience of conducting visual research with participants online. As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, researchers have been forced to re-think their data collection methods, and to adapt these in... more
This case study discusses an experience of conducting visual research with participants online. As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, researchers have been forced to re-think their data collection methods, and to adapt these in order to achieve meaningful virtual interaction with respondents. Activities that relied on the researcher’s facilitation of more practical processes that aimed to be participatory in nature, and involved, in particular, the use of visual methods, have all of a sudden become more challenging to implement. The case presented here shows how the visual research method of timeline drawing has been modified into a virtual format, where participants work with the researcher on a flexible online template in order to build a sequence of events that are significant to them in relation to the research focus. While a degree of participation does become lost in this process, as the actual “drawing” is handed over to the researcher, this method’s adaptation shows how online digital technology can serve an important role in enabling visual research conducted during remote fieldwork. This case study is based on the experience of conducting research to understand the effect of the Palestinian Reality TV show The President on its participants.
Research Interests:
Unlike previous studies conducted through content analysis of media reporting on migrants, this article adds to the literature of media coverage on migration through the presentation of interviews carried out with organisations directly... more
Unlike previous studies conducted through content analysis of media reporting on migrants, this article adds to the literature of media coverage on migration through the presentation of interviews carried out with organisations directly involved in influencing and shaping that media content. Most importantly, unlike previous research in this field, it does so by focusing specifically on the representation of refugee children and adolescents. Key informant interviews have been conducted with press officers/communication managers from six of the main organisations working on the migration response in Italy. These include the following: Oxfam, InterSos, Médecins Sans Frontières, Emergency, IOM (International Organization for Migration) and UNICEF. Not only do the findings aid in understanding the consequences that the present media coverage has on refugee children and adolescents, but they also introduce a lens that is useful in offering a more helpful representation of these groups. Ultimately, the ideas presented allow us to consider ways in which this representation can be reframed, with a vision towards a broader social change.
Research Interests: Journalism, Media, Asylum seekers, Refugees, Role of media in social change, and 9 moreMedia Representation, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors, Asylum Seekers and Refugees, Role of NGOs in poverty reduction, Refugee and migrant children, Media coverage of humanitarian issues, Refugees Issues, Immigrant/refugee Narratives, and Portraying refugees in the media
This article presents the reflections of the former activists who started and led the initial years of the ‘anti-capitalist’ struggle of Indymedia, as an alternative media platform in Australia. Through the interview analysis, the... more
This article presents the reflections of the former activists who started and led the initial years of the ‘anti-capitalist’ struggle of Indymedia, as an alternative media platform in Australia. Through the interview analysis, the challenges experienced by the collective have been clustered into four themes: decentralization of the network; open publishing; social and political context; and the rise of commercial social media. The inquisitive process presented provides an understanding on the downturn of Indymedia and what this has left to contemporary online networks. In the end, additional reflections are offered that not only provide significant insights into both the rise and fall of the Indymedia network in Australia, but are also crucial for considering the opportunities and threats for online activist movements in the new social media landscape.
Research Interests:
This article examines African Internet users’ experience of online freedom to assess levels of trust and mistrust of the Internet in Africa. Internet users’ perception of the protection or denial of their rights online—such as freedom of... more
This article examines African Internet users’ experience of online freedom to assess levels of trust and mistrust of the Internet in Africa. Internet users’ perception of the protection or denial of their rights online—such as freedom of expression, privacy, and safety and security—in selected African countries is examined here as an outcome of constraining or enabling Internet policy and regulatory frameworks. Demand-side survey data collected via nationally representative ICT access and use surveys in 2017 is analyzed within the context of the Internet ecosystem as it plays out at the national level in three sub-Saharan African countries: Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. Findings are contextualized within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the role that the Internet plays in contributing to the growth of a country when relevant policies are formulated in a way that addresses users’ needs while safeguarding their rights.
Research Interests:
This paper provides an overview of the communication practices that UN agencies working on the migration response in Italy have adopted in their work with newly arrived unaccompanied migrant children. These include IOM, UNICEF and UNHCR.... more
This paper provides an overview of the communication practices that UN agencies working on the migration response in Italy have adopted in their work with newly arrived unaccompanied migrant children. These include IOM, UNICEF and UNHCR. The aim is to present the different objectives and methodologies of each agency's intervention under an overall framework. This is built both around the agencies' respective areas of technical expertise and their commitment towards the principles expounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which are applied here in the context of refugee and migrant foreign minors. Recommendations on how to strengthen these practices are offered.
Research Interests:
LINK TO PUBLICATION: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756841/obo-9780199756841-0251.xml?rskey=tGvWeu&result=161 As a result of its interdisciplinarity, that of peacebuilding and communication is an... more
LINK TO PUBLICATION: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756841/obo-9780199756841-0251.xml?rskey=tGvWeu&result=161
As a result of its interdisciplinarity, that of peacebuilding and communication is an exceptionally diverse field, which encompasses many stimulating and creative subfields. Differences and similarities between them are grounded in the combination of theoretical frameworks that are adopted, and which become the backbone for both research and practice. Some of these areas are still emerging scholarships, with a need to integrate more consistently existing practical experiences with conceptual models developed through exploratory methods. The applied nature of peacebuilding and communication makes the grey literature in this field, comprising nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) reports and publications from other nonacademic actors, also noteworthy. Research in this area borrows from media studies, development studies, peace and conflict studies, sociology, psychology, and technology studies. With such diversity in mind, the sections want to be representative of the exciting landscape that this field embodies.
As a result of its interdisciplinarity, that of peacebuilding and communication is an exceptionally diverse field, which encompasses many stimulating and creative subfields. Differences and similarities between them are grounded in the combination of theoretical frameworks that are adopted, and which become the backbone for both research and practice. Some of these areas are still emerging scholarships, with a need to integrate more consistently existing practical experiences with conceptual models developed through exploratory methods. The applied nature of peacebuilding and communication makes the grey literature in this field, comprising nongovernmental organizations’ (NGO) reports and publications from other nonacademic actors, also noteworthy. Research in this area borrows from media studies, development studies, peace and conflict studies, sociology, psychology, and technology studies. With such diversity in mind, the sections want to be representative of the exciting landscape that this field embodies.
Research Interests: Communication, Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Development communication, Peace Journalism, and 13 moreConflict Transformation, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Peace & Conflict Studies, Sustainable Peacebuilding, Peacebuilding, Peace Communication, Communication for Social Change, Communication for Development and Social Change, Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies, Communication for development, communication for social change, Peacebuilding and Development, and Peace and Media
The year 2019 marked the 20th anniversary of Indymedia. The last two decades have seen revolutionary moments in the field of alternative media, both from a historical and technological dimension. Indymedia has been one of the key players... more
The year 2019 marked the 20th anniversary of Indymedia. The last two decades have seen revolutionary moments in the field of alternative media, both from a historical and technological dimension. Indymedia has been one of the key players in this landscape, and reflecting on its experience 20 years later, is useful to try and unpack the factors that have shaped its journey.
Research Interests:
This case study discusses an inquiry conducted with adolescents living in an internally displaced people’s camp in the Philippines. It provides an in-depth illustration of the course of action that was followed to undertake research on... more
This case study discusses an inquiry conducted with adolescents living in an internally displaced people’s camp in the Philippines. It provides an in-depth illustration of the course of action that was followed to undertake research on the experience of a participatory art and media project, and offers insights on the process adopted to develop the theoretical framework that was used to analyze participants’ interviews. With the aim of identifying the outcomes of United Nations Children’s Fund Art for Development program on at-risk adolescents living in an internally displaced people camp near the city of Zamboanga, more specifically, this case study considers how notions from participatory art practice, communication for development, peacebuilding, and adolescents’ engagement in humanitarian response have been useful in the research and analysis process to gain an understanding of the experience that the program participants had and of their way of expressing themselves through art.
Research Interests:
With a focus on entertainment education, this article sheds light on the effects of radio drama in addressing conflict over land governance. The discussion is built around the broadcast of Bush Wahala radio series during the recent land... more
With a focus on entertainment education, this article sheds light on the effects of radio drama in addressing conflict over land governance. The discussion is built around the broadcast of Bush Wahala radio series during the recent land acquisition process that has taken place in Sierra Leone. Through the analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted by the author with rural farmers affected by this issue, on the one hand, this work generates reflections on the role of radio drama in providing listeners with alternative options to the use of violence and confrontation with the authorities in order to claim land rights; on the other hand, it represents an important contribution to the literature of edutainment in contexts of conflict, with a specific focus on the increasingly complex issue of land grabbing in the developing world.
Research Interests: Development communication, Community Based Natural Resources Management, Radio, Entertainment Education, Information/Communication Technologies and Development, and 22 moreSierra Leone, Edutainment, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Peace & Conflict Studies, Peace Education, Sustainable Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Peace and Conflict, Radio Drama, Land Grabbing, conflict and peace studies, Communication for peace, peace education, The Role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Achieving Sustainable Socio-Economic Development (e-Commerce, e-Business & e-Government), Communication for development, communication for social change, Land Acquisition, Edutainment in Promoting Behavior Change, Media, communications, and technology for community development, civic engagement and political action, Participatory Development Communication, Development Communications, Information and Communication Technology for Development and Education (ICTE), Development Communication, and Communications for Development (C4D)
LINK TO ARTICLE: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0196859918784972 Even after resettling in a new country, the trauma and resentment caused by the conflict experienced in their homeland are passed on from generation to generation... more
LINK TO ARTICLE: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0196859918784972
Even after resettling in a new country, the trauma and resentment caused by the conflict experienced in their homeland are passed on from generation to generation among diaspora communities. One of the factors that perpetuate the conflict in their new reality is the ethnic separation that continues to be upheld and reinforced, from parents to children. This article discusses the experience of a participatory photography project that brought together young people from the Congolese, Rwandan, Burundian, and Ugandan communities living in Sydney (Australia), whose lives are still impacted by the legacy of the conflicts that have been ravaging the African Great Lakes region. This initiative, which wanted to provide a space to encourage communication between different groups and enable the promotion of peace between communities starting from the youth, is analyzed here, and reflections are offered on the use of this method with diaspora groups.
Even after resettling in a new country, the trauma and resentment caused by the conflict experienced in their homeland are passed on from generation to generation among diaspora communities. One of the factors that perpetuate the conflict in their new reality is the ethnic separation that continues to be upheld and reinforced, from parents to children. This article discusses the experience of a participatory photography project that brought together young people from the Congolese, Rwandan, Burundian, and Ugandan communities living in Sydney (Australia), whose lives are still impacted by the legacy of the conflicts that have been ravaging the African Great Lakes region. This initiative, which wanted to provide a space to encourage communication between different groups and enable the promotion of peace between communities starting from the youth, is analyzed here, and reflections are offered on the use of this method with diaspora groups.
Research Interests: Media Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Photography, Participatory Media, Diasporas, and 16 moreConflict, African Diaspora Studies, Community Media, African Diaspora, Photovoice, Participatory Photography, Peace, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Participatory Communication, Peace and Conflict, Diasporic media, Sydney, Youth and Media, Western Sydney, and Communication and media Studies
LINK TO ACCESS ARTICLE: https://doi.org/10.1080/02500167.2018.1443484 This article presents insights on a participatory theatre initiative implemented in Kenya, with the aim of understanding the changes that were initiated towards the... more
LINK TO ACCESS ARTICLE: https://doi.org/10.1080/02500167.2018.1443484
This article presents insights on a participatory theatre initiative implemented in Kenya, with the aim of understanding the changes that were initiated towards the re-establishment of peace between communities. The project was carried out in the aftermath of the post-election violence that took place in the country between 2007 and 2008. Amani People’s Theatre organised a number of theatre-based activities adopting a participatory approach, which ensured the involvement of community members from different tribes. Participants used the plays to re-enact the events, experienced during the conflict and the issues that still affected their communities as a result of those events, and worked together on finding solutions. The article begins with a literature review on Theatre for Development and its progress towards a more participatory approach. This is followed by an introduction of the project and the context in which it took place. The study design and Theory of Change developed for the analysis are then presented, opening the path to a discussion of the findings generated through that framework. Lastly, final reflections bring to light a number of issues that must be considered when working with participatory theatre in peace interventions.
This article presents insights on a participatory theatre initiative implemented in Kenya, with the aim of understanding the changes that were initiated towards the re-establishment of peace between communities. The project was carried out in the aftermath of the post-election violence that took place in the country between 2007 and 2008. Amani People’s Theatre organised a number of theatre-based activities adopting a participatory approach, which ensured the involvement of community members from different tribes. Participants used the plays to re-enact the events, experienced during the conflict and the issues that still affected their communities as a result of those events, and worked together on finding solutions. The article begins with a literature review on Theatre for Development and its progress towards a more participatory approach. This is followed by an introduction of the project and the context in which it took place. The study design and Theory of Change developed for the analysis are then presented, opening the path to a discussion of the findings generated through that framework. Lastly, final reflections bring to light a number of issues that must be considered when working with participatory theatre in peace interventions.
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Development communication, Community Media, Communication for Development, and 15 moreCommunication for Sustainable Development, Kenya, Peace Education, Theatre, Sustainable Peacebuilding, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Participatory Theatre, Peace and Conflict, conflict and peace studies, Communication for peace, peace education, Communication for development, communication for social change, Participatory Art, Participatory Development Communication, Peace and Media, and Participatory Arts
This paper explores the potential that involving communities in media production has in post-conflict countries to foster healing and reconciliation. The trauma caused by intense violence on individuals and their communities is severe. In... more
This paper explores the potential that involving communities in media production has in post-conflict countries to foster healing and reconciliation. The trauma caused by intense violence on individuals and their communities is severe. In this context, communication is important to help people make sense of their realities and engage in a dialogue, both within their social network and with other communities. By either directly or indirectly involving people in the production process, individuals are given the opportunity to tell their stories and express their feelings. At the same time, those who are exposed to these types of productions can gain understanding of others' experiences. All these elements enable individuals to begin healing. This is discussed through a review of four case studies involving different types of media projects and communication designs carried out in Sierra Leone in the aftermath of the civil war.
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Sierra Leone, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, and 9 moreReconciliation, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, War trauma and PTSD, Communication and social change, development, mass media and society, information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development, Healing, Communication for development, communication for social change, and Peace and Reconciliation
Despite the large number of communication strategies aimed at addressing issues specific to people living in refugee camps, no communication effort has targeted integration between refugees and host communities from a development... more
Despite the large number of communication strategies aimed at addressing issues specific to people living in refugee camps, no communication effort has targeted integration between refugees and host communities from a development perspective. As a result, there is a substantial lack of research on how Development Communication can be applied to this context. In the communication literature, research on Intercultural Communication predominates this field.
This article moves away from this conceptual framework and builds a case for the role of Development Communication in establishing durable social bonds between refugees and host communities, whose benefits are seen to expand to broader areas.
This article moves away from this conceptual framework and builds a case for the role of Development Communication in establishing durable social bonds between refugees and host communities, whose benefits are seen to expand to broader areas.
Research Interests: Development Studies, International Development, Conflict, Development communication, Information/Communication Technologies and Development, and 10 moreHumanitarian Intervention, Refugee Resettlement, Forced Migration, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Refugee Camps, Refugees, Peacebuilding, Integration, and UNHCR
Within a framework of Communication for Development in Peacebuilding, this article sheds light on the use of art forms such as puppetry and photography as communication channels among youth affected by conflict and displacement. The study... more
Within a framework of Communication for Development in Peacebuilding, this article sheds light on the use of art forms such as puppetry and photography as communication channels among youth affected by conflict and displacement. The study presented here evaluates UNICEF Art for Development programme, which was carried out with adolescents living in transitory sites in the city of Zamboanga in 2015. Rather than focusing on the therapeutic effect of the activities, this investigation looks at their ability to provide adolescents living in the context of community-based conflict—such as that of a displaced people’s camp—with a safe space to participate and collaborate in art and media production to express themselves and communicate with one another.
Research Interests: Participatory Media, Puppetry, Community Engagement & Participation, Community Development, Development communication, and 13 moreCommunity Development & Conflict Resolution, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Communication for Development, Adolescent, Photovoice, Puppetry as an Art Form, Participatory Photography, Peacebuilding, Participatory Communication, Humanitarian communication, Participatory Development Communication, Peacebuilding and Development, and Community Identity & Conflict
The application of Communication for Development (C4D) in conflict prevention, conflict reduction and post-conflict reconstruction interventions is a relatively new field. International organisations that have begun to adopt new... more
The application of Communication for Development (C4D) in conflict prevention, conflict reduction and post-conflict reconstruction interventions is a relatively new field. International organisations that have begun to adopt new communication & media designs in their peace work are progressively offering a credible baseline to engage in the assessment of this practice. In this paper, I offer a short compendium of the evaluation frameworks I have developed through my empirical research on the impact of Communication for Development in Peacebuilding; this is presented alongside a number of reflections and followed by concluding considerations on the state of the field.
Research Interests: Program Evaluation, Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Development communication, Media, and 9 moreCommunication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Adolescent, Participatory Video, Reconciliation, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Participatory Art, and Participatory Arts
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the new qualitative method of “Narratives of Change” to evaluate a project’s impact. This new methodology arises from a combination of the most significant change technique with a... more
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the new qualitative method of “Narratives of Change” to evaluate a project’s impact. This new methodology arises from a combination of the most significant change technique with a narrative analysis approach, and it is suitable for community development interventions.
Design/methodology/approach – Narrative approaches are seldom used in programme evaluation. However, depending on the nature and context of a project, it might be useful to offer a space for people to tell their story. Asking people to recognise change by recounting the passage from their previous to their present situation can help the researcher grasp particular concepts that may otherwise not be visible. At the same time, while the analysis of in-depth interviews can be difficult and time consuming, the method introduced here simplifies this process by offering a tool that allows the researcher to extrapolate semantic fragments from long interviews and facilitates the identification of prototypical characters in each narration.
Findings – After offering a theoretical discussion that introduces this technique, its practical illustration and the example presented in this paper show how this method represents a useful instrument for participants’ stories analysis in qualitative project evaluations aimed at identifying change. Originality/value – This paper introduced a new qualitative method to carry out a programme evaluation using narrative analysis.
Design/methodology/approach – Narrative approaches are seldom used in programme evaluation. However, depending on the nature and context of a project, it might be useful to offer a space for people to tell their story. Asking people to recognise change by recounting the passage from their previous to their present situation can help the researcher grasp particular concepts that may otherwise not be visible. At the same time, while the analysis of in-depth interviews can be difficult and time consuming, the method introduced here simplifies this process by offering a tool that allows the researcher to extrapolate semantic fragments from long interviews and facilitates the identification of prototypical characters in each narration.
Findings – After offering a theoretical discussion that introduces this technique, its practical illustration and the example presented in this paper show how this method represents a useful instrument for participants’ stories analysis in qualitative project evaluations aimed at identifying change. Originality/value – This paper introduced a new qualitative method to carry out a programme evaluation using narrative analysis.
Research Interests:
By unearthing the connections between the literatures on participatory communication and civic engagement with the reality of postconflict peace, this article demonstrates how a communication for development (C4D) approach to engaging... more
By unearthing the connections between the literatures on participatory communication and civic engagement with the reality of postconflict peace, this article demonstrates how a communication for development (C4D) approach to engaging citizens in peacebuilding contributes to strengthening the reconstruction process at the end of the violence, while engendering a bottom up process based on dialogue and inclusivity. After offering a brief overview of the peacebuilding contexts, this article presents a theoretical discussion that brings to the surface not only the role of C4D in facilitating citizens participation in government decision making, but also its significance in creating an inclusive peacebuilding process that starts from the community. At the same time, this discussion begins to shed light on the relationship between communication for development and participatory governance.
[CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE TO ACCESS THE PAPER]
[CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE TO ACCESS THE PAPER]
Research Interests: Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Post-Conflict State Building, Sustainable Peacebuilding, and 10 morePeacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Citizen engagement, Participatory Communication, Participatory governance, Communication for development, communication for social change, Post Conflict Development, Media, communications, and technology for community development, civic engagement and political action, Participatory Development Communication, and Peacebuilding and Development
From the debated Modernisation paradigm all the way to the participatory and inclusive approaches for social change, development communication research has given rise to a stimulating scholarly discussion that has introduced both... more
From the debated Modernisation paradigm all the way to the participatory and inclusive approaches for social change, development communication research has given rise to a stimulating scholarly discussion that has introduced both theoretical and evidence-based claims, which are contributing constructively to the evolvement of this discipline. By addressing a number of points that have been raised as evidence of a decline in communication research, this article discusses how development communication research has followed a parallel but different path from other areas of communication research and has slowly but successfully made an important contribution to the field of communication.
Research Interests:
This article highlights the key areas in which Communication for Development (C4D) can play a role in the aftermath of conflict, with a focus both at the community and at the national level. It provides an overview of the literature that... more
This article highlights the key areas in which Communication for Development (C4D) can play a role in the aftermath of conflict, with a focus both at the community and at the national level. It provides an overview of the literature that has begun to discuss C4D in the light of peace creation. It identifies research directions that aid to shed light on the effectiveness of C4D interventions targeting issues that are specific to post-conflict environments. It recognises its strengths when working in conjunction with broader peacebuilding programmes. Finally, it introduces a new Theory of Change (ToC) framework that is helpful in assessing the role of C4D in the achievement of sustainable peace after violence.
Research Interests: Social Change, Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Community Development, Conflict, and 10 moreDevelopment communication, Post-conflict Reconstruction and Development, Sustainable Development, ICT4D, ICT for Development, Communication for Development, Peace Education, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, and Peace and Conflicts Studies
This article begins with a literature review of Participatory Photography (PP) that highlights how this tool has been mostly implemented for action research, advocacy, and public health purposes. It shows how scholars have only quite... more
This article begins with a literature review of Participatory Photography (PP) that highlights how this tool has been mostly implemented for action research, advocacy, and public health purposes. It shows how scholars have only quite recently begun to recognise its ability to generate change among PP participants. This is followed by a description of the project that was carried out in Kenya, including its background, objectives and daily activities related to peacebuilding. Offering insight into crucial aspects of this work, examples of the photographs taken by participants and related stories are presented. The conclusion is preceded by reflections on the effectiveness, limitations and potential risks involved in carrying out PP projects in post-conflict settings.
HOW TO ACCESS THIS ARTICLE
This article is available through the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development site at:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15423166.2015.1050798
You can also send the author a private message.
HOW TO ACCESS THIS ARTICLE
This article is available through the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development site at:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15423166.2015.1050798
You can also send the author a private message.
Research Interests: Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Development communication, Communication for Development, and 8 moreReconciliation, Participatory Photography, Peace, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Post-Conflict Reconciliation, Peace and Reconciliation, and Technology for Community Development
Communication plays an important role in social change processes in a society. Since communication is the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people, effective communication in development must include both top down and bottom up... more
Communication plays an important role in social change processes in a society. Since communication is the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people, effective communication in development must include both top down and bottom up approaches in message exchange. That is, it should not only communicate what powerful elites want to say, but also facilitate a better understanding of what the people want in order to improve their own lives. While mass media is still widely used in disseminating messages about development, what is less understood is how effective participatory communication practices can be integrated in community development projects to give people a greater voice. How can participatory practices be initiated and sustained and what are some of the tools that can aid effective participation? This article discusses viable ways in which participatory media may be included to enable communities to gain ownership of projects by voicing their own ideas and concerns. It also considers implications for development practitioners who choose to employ participatory communication technologies to improve, facilitate, and optimise local community engagement.
Research Interests:
This paper draws on the experience of conducting participatory video in the Rift Valley of Kenya after the 2007–2008 post-election crisis, when the country underwent a period of intense ethnic violence. By linking development... more
This paper draws on the experience of conducting participatory video in the Rift Valley of Kenya after the 2007–2008 post-election crisis, when the country underwent a period of intense ethnic violence. By linking development communication to conflict transformation theory, this article offers a framework that highlights the impact that communication for social change can have in post-conflict settings through the use of participatory media. It shows how this type of media productions can contribute to re-establishing relationships and creating a shared understanding of the conflict, while building the view of an interconnected future among opposing groups. In this case study, I illustrate how a collection of participatory videos became a peacebuilding tool for the youth in the Rift Valley. Through the information gathered from the interviews with young victims and perpetrators of the Kenya Post-election Violence, I discuss how both the filming and the screening of these films have opened a dialogue between different groups and contributed to processes of social change.
TO ACCESS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE CLICK ON THE OXFORDJOURNALS LINK ABOVE THIS ABSTRACT. THANK YOU.
TO ACCESS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE CLICK ON THE OXFORDJOURNALS LINK ABOVE THIS ABSTRACT. THANK YOU.
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Conflict Transformation, Communication for Development, Participatory Video, and 9 morePeace Education, Reconciliation, Peacebuilding, Peace Communication, Communication for Social Change, Participatory Communication, Conflict and Peace studies, conflict and peace studies, Communication for peace, peace education, and Communication for development, communication for social change
"By bringing together literatures of Communication for Development and Conflict Transformation, this paper provides a theoretical illustration of the impact of participatory video as a tool for overcoming hostility among groups, as well... more
"By bringing together literatures of Communication for Development and Conflict Transformation, this paper provides a theoretical illustration of the impact of participatory video as a tool for overcoming hostility among groups, as well as for healing and re-connecting communities that have endured loss and suffering as a consequence of civil war and inter-communal violence. This is accompanied by a number of practical experiences of projects implemented by organizations on the ground.
This type of scenario, often characterized by a lack of dialogue among groups, has been recognized to be fertile ground for the setting up of community media, where people are given the means for self-expression. In particular, video productions created through participatory methodology can be effective tools for dealing with the hostility and grief that linger after a civil war, as they provide those channels of communication that are needed for effective development interventions aimed at community healing."
This type of scenario, often characterized by a lack of dialogue among groups, has been recognized to be fertile ground for the setting up of community media, where people are given the means for self-expression. In particular, video productions created through participatory methodology can be effective tools for dealing with the hostility and grief that linger after a civil war, as they provide those channels of communication that are needed for effective development interventions aimed at community healing."
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Communication for Development, Participatory Video, Reconciliation, and 5 morePeacebuilding, Peace Communication, conflict and peace studies, Communication for peace, peace education, Communication for development, communication for social change, and Participatory Development Communication
In societies that are emerging from conflict, it is important to focus on the identification and the creation of tools that allow for nonviolent resolutions of the tensions that were aroused as a consequence of the violence. This article... more
In societies that are emerging from conflict, it is important to focus on the identification and the creation of tools that allow for nonviolent resolutions of the tensions that were aroused as a consequence of the violence. This article contributes to that project by offering reflections on the importance of a dialogic truth in the process of reconciliation within and between communities. This is addressed, in particular, through the exploration of a space where the views of both victims and perpetrators are considered and expressed through stories that are intended to affect both individuals and the community. The discussion brings together notions of social healing, theories of conflict transformation, and experiences of reconciliation, with a particular focus on the African context.
Research Interests:
All development issues have gender implications. Such implications occur in both public and private sphere. Much of the writing on gender and development has not addressed communication issues directly, while those in the communication... more
All development issues have gender implications. Such implications occur in both public and private sphere. Much of the writing on gender and development has not addressed communication issues directly, while those in the communication sector have often examined communication in narrower contexts: for example, how communication strategies might be used to address issues that have a direct impact on women (i.e. health), how message design processes might include women’s participation, and so on (Einsiedel 1996).
Many studies in the 1980s, some focusing on communication issues, documented women’s continued marginalisation and deteriorating status as a result of development. Anecdotes abound of unsuccessful projects whose planners have failed to consult with women and hence worsened their situation in the process (Steeves 2000).
Although it still remains debatable whether the objectives of some gender and media development interventions are always attainable (Kamal 2007), this paper seeks to highlight that communication can in reality be an invaluable tool in raising awareness of and ultimately challenging gendered power structures. What needs to be recognised are the limitations that media can have when employed as a merely technical channel of communication. In order to utilise the media at their full potential, their use needs to be effectively incorporated within the planning of development interventions. This requires an examination of gender communication patterns within a community and an investigation of the issues that can be successfully tackled through media projects.
Through an overview of the debate around gender and communication, and the presentation of case studies that offer examples and insights on media interventions in the context of gender, this paper shows the different impact that media can have on the social construction of gender.
Many studies in the 1980s, some focusing on communication issues, documented women’s continued marginalisation and deteriorating status as a result of development. Anecdotes abound of unsuccessful projects whose planners have failed to consult with women and hence worsened their situation in the process (Steeves 2000).
Although it still remains debatable whether the objectives of some gender and media development interventions are always attainable (Kamal 2007), this paper seeks to highlight that communication can in reality be an invaluable tool in raising awareness of and ultimately challenging gendered power structures. What needs to be recognised are the limitations that media can have when employed as a merely technical channel of communication. In order to utilise the media at their full potential, their use needs to be effectively incorporated within the planning of development interventions. This requires an examination of gender communication patterns within a community and an investigation of the issues that can be successfully tackled through media projects.
Through an overview of the debate around gender and communication, and the presentation of case studies that offer examples and insights on media interventions in the context of gender, this paper shows the different impact that media can have on the social construction of gender.
Research Interests:
[THIS ARTICLE CAN BE ACCESSED FOR FREE THROUGH THE 'Global Media Journal – African Edition' site at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5789/4-1-10] The end of the twentieth century saw an adverse escalation in armed conflicts. A characteristic of... more
[THIS ARTICLE CAN BE ACCESSED FOR FREE THROUGH THE 'Global Media Journal – African Edition' site at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5789/4-1-10]
The end of the twentieth century saw an adverse escalation in armed conflicts. A characteristic of this increase was that whilst the majority of wars that took place before the 1990s were fought between states, conflicts progressively begun to take place within countries. The doctrines of the major world powers no longer seemed to determine the ideologies and objectives of warring groups and, almost as a new war strategy, combatants started to target civilians rather than fighting sections in order to achieve their objectives. Atrocities began to be the statements that publicised political positions. In countries that were rich in natural resources, such as diamonds, the political goals of wars were often linked to the complex logics of resource appropriation (Bangura, 2004).
Rather than providing an account of the events that shaped the unfolding of the civil war in Sierra Leone, this paper focuses on the analysis of the role that the media played in elaborating the perception of those events, both at a national and international level. A theoretical examination of the impact of the conflict’s media coverage - which has been explored and reviewed by authors such as Khan (1998) and Shaw (2006) - is conducted and its effect of the war explained.
The growth of the Sierra Leonean press is discussed and its limitations reviewed, examining both the financial and legislative constraints that characterised it, some of which deriving from the colonial period. The role of the media is then evaluated in relation to the internal influence that ‘biased’ journalism had on the shaping of the war, and how it impacted the fighting. Finally, an example of the Western media coverage of the conflict is also reviewed in light of the theories that illustrate the way the African region is often regarded as an uncivilised and hopeless continent, where little can be done by the developed world to put an end to violence.
The end of the twentieth century saw an adverse escalation in armed conflicts. A characteristic of this increase was that whilst the majority of wars that took place before the 1990s were fought between states, conflicts progressively begun to take place within countries. The doctrines of the major world powers no longer seemed to determine the ideologies and objectives of warring groups and, almost as a new war strategy, combatants started to target civilians rather than fighting sections in order to achieve their objectives. Atrocities began to be the statements that publicised political positions. In countries that were rich in natural resources, such as diamonds, the political goals of wars were often linked to the complex logics of resource appropriation (Bangura, 2004).
Rather than providing an account of the events that shaped the unfolding of the civil war in Sierra Leone, this paper focuses on the analysis of the role that the media played in elaborating the perception of those events, both at a national and international level. A theoretical examination of the impact of the conflict’s media coverage - which has been explored and reviewed by authors such as Khan (1998) and Shaw (2006) - is conducted and its effect of the war explained.
The growth of the Sierra Leonean press is discussed and its limitations reviewed, examining both the financial and legislative constraints that characterised it, some of which deriving from the colonial period. The role of the media is then evaluated in relation to the internal influence that ‘biased’ journalism had on the shaping of the war, and how it impacted the fighting. Finally, an example of the Western media coverage of the conflict is also reviewed in light of the theories that illustrate the way the African region is often regarded as an uncivilised and hopeless continent, where little can be done by the developed world to put an end to violence.
Research Interests:
This entry advances theoretical reflections in the area of digital media access and citizen engagement and participation through digital communications. Specifically, it seeks to provide a framework to investigate the relationship between... more
This entry advances theoretical reflections in the area of digital media access and citizen engagement and participation through digital communications. Specifically, it seeks to provide a framework to investigate the relationship between social development, civic and political participation, and access to digital media in countries where rights such as freedom of speech and information are not always upheld by governments. The authors observe that improving access to digital media in a country by providing good quality, low-cost Internet service and IT literacy, does not unquestioningly facilitate a country’s development when those media are subjected to government control. The issue this raises, in contrast, is that improved digital media access may result in increased control and restriction of freedoms in cases where telecommunications and Internet infrastructures are under government control.
Research Interests:
A new approach to the use of Media and Communication in contexts of conflict has been emerging in recent years. Known in the humanitarian field as Communicating with Communities (CwC), it aims to address the short-term complexities and... more
A new approach to the use of Media and Communication in contexts of conflict has been emerging in recent years. Known in the humanitarian field as Communicating with Communities (CwC), it aims to address the short-term complexities and issues that arise in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, and seeks ways to provide a rapid response to emergencies through the use of the media. CwC can be crucial in preventing further conflict, as the element of communication provides the opportunity for participation and feedback that is needed to strengthen relationships, trust and dialogue. This chapter explores the recent literature on CwC, which still largely belongs to the grey sphere. It brings together reflections, approaches and practical experiences from both researchers and organisations working in humanitarian settings. It discusses the implications and the potential that its adoption brings to international aid. Lastly, it highlights the significance that this communication approach has in connection with journalism.
Research Interests:
Through the application of participatory approaches to video-making in the aftermath of a conflict, a process of appropriation of video technology occurs within communities who want to tell their own story. The possibility of using video... more
Through the application of participatory approaches to video-making in the aftermath of a conflict, a process of appropriation of video technology occurs within communities who want to tell their own story. The possibility of using video to facilitate communication between enemy groups, victims and perpetrators, can open the path towards social change and sustainable peace.
In contrast with theories of technological determinism, rather than lessen- ing human agency, technology here empowers people by offering a channel for dialogue. A participatory approach also allows for flexibility in the use of the medium; this prevents the product from being defined by its own technology’s structure. Within this context, technology is neither to be viewed as an external element that is forced upon a group, nor as a value-free asset as it is still being regarded in certain practices, but as a new tool that allows communities affected by conflict to take ownership of their own development through communication.
Firstly, this chapter introduces the concept of participatory communication, explaining how communication theory has evolved from a two-step information flow to the recognition of a process of dialogue that takes place between sender and receiver. This section is then followed by an illustration of the relationship between technology and social change, with a presentation of the main theories that were developed in this area. This is accompanied by a discussion that questions these approaches and puts forward an alternative view of how communication technologies can bring about new communication practices that lead to social change in local communities, particularly through the application of a participatory approach to media productions. Views from some of the main authors on the use of the medium of video in this context are also offered.
This theoretical discussion forms the preamble to the analysis of a participatory video project implemented in the Rift Valley of Kenya in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence. The inquiry I have conducted through my field research demonstrates how participants in the Valley have actively engaged with the technology, recognising its potential for communication and its actual impact. It also brings to light the perception that participants had of their video-production activities and subsequent screenings as a contribution towards the achievement of sustainable peace in their communities. Despite the wide scholarly debate surrounding the notions of participation and technology that has made both terms the object of a large number of different frameworks, the presentation of the findings arising from the interviews I carried out with those who were directly involved in the participatory media productions in Kenya show how a more focused approach can be utilised in contexts of peacebuilding and social change at the community level. This chapter demonstrates how the introduction of a new communication technology within a social system that was fractured by violence, can establish a new form of dialogue and lay the foundations for sustainable social change when the participation of its members becomes a key component of the media content creation process.
In contrast with theories of technological determinism, rather than lessen- ing human agency, technology here empowers people by offering a channel for dialogue. A participatory approach also allows for flexibility in the use of the medium; this prevents the product from being defined by its own technology’s structure. Within this context, technology is neither to be viewed as an external element that is forced upon a group, nor as a value-free asset as it is still being regarded in certain practices, but as a new tool that allows communities affected by conflict to take ownership of their own development through communication.
Firstly, this chapter introduces the concept of participatory communication, explaining how communication theory has evolved from a two-step information flow to the recognition of a process of dialogue that takes place between sender and receiver. This section is then followed by an illustration of the relationship between technology and social change, with a presentation of the main theories that were developed in this area. This is accompanied by a discussion that questions these approaches and puts forward an alternative view of how communication technologies can bring about new communication practices that lead to social change in local communities, particularly through the application of a participatory approach to media productions. Views from some of the main authors on the use of the medium of video in this context are also offered.
This theoretical discussion forms the preamble to the analysis of a participatory video project implemented in the Rift Valley of Kenya in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence. The inquiry I have conducted through my field research demonstrates how participants in the Valley have actively engaged with the technology, recognising its potential for communication and its actual impact. It also brings to light the perception that participants had of their video-production activities and subsequent screenings as a contribution towards the achievement of sustainable peace in their communities. Despite the wide scholarly debate surrounding the notions of participation and technology that has made both terms the object of a large number of different frameworks, the presentation of the findings arising from the interviews I carried out with those who were directly involved in the participatory media productions in Kenya show how a more focused approach can be utilised in contexts of peacebuilding and social change at the community level. This chapter demonstrates how the introduction of a new communication technology within a social system that was fractured by violence, can establish a new form of dialogue and lay the foundations for sustainable social change when the participation of its members becomes a key component of the media content creation process.
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Community Development, Development communication, Social Study of Information & Communication Technology, and 7 moreICT4D, Communication for Development, Participatory Video, Communication for Social Change, Post Conflict Peacebuilding, Communication for development, communication for social change, and Peacebuilding and Development
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Conflict Transformation, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, and 12 moreParticipatory Video, Photovoice, Theatre for Development, Reconciliation, Participatory Photography, Peacebuilding, Peace Communication, Participatory Theatre, Conflict and Peace studies, conflict and peace studies, Communication for peace, peace education, Communication for development, communication for social change, and Participatory Development Communication
This brief provides practical recommendations for how universities and community-based organisations can join forces to implement creative arts projects with CALD groups, with the integration of evaluative research components aiming at... more
This brief provides practical recommendations for how universities and community-based organisations can join forces to implement creative arts projects with CALD groups, with the integration of evaluative research components aiming at enhancing the lives of the people of Western Sydney.
Research Interests:
This report is the first stage of the larger process of gathering and documenting grassroots creative work with communities in Western Sydney. As a publication, it also begins to bring together a body of evidence that details the various... more
This report is the first stage of the larger process of gathering and documenting grassroots creative work with communities in Western Sydney. As a publication, it also begins to bring together a body of evidence that details the various activities, methodologies, and creative approaches adopted by the organisations involved, and their use of media, communication and creative expression with Western Sydney’s CALD communities.
Research Interests:
This report documents the results of a series of workshops organised by the Institute of Global Development at UNSW as part of a project initiated by the Research for Development Impact (RDI) network. Approximately 30 participants –... more
This report documents the results of a series of workshops organised by the Institute of Global Development at UNSW as part of a project initiated by the Research for Development Impact (RDI) network. Approximately 30 participants – mainly academic researchers, although some also with extensive experience in development practice – took part in three workshops, during which six research projects were presented as case studies to stimulate a discussion on how research can lead to development impacts. Some key elements emerging from the discussions are presented in this report.
Research Interests:
The third C4D Roundtable held in Australia took place in June 2019. Once again, a group of researchers from Australian universities and practitioners from both not-for-profit and private organisations came together to share knowledge and... more
The third C4D Roundtable held in Australia took place in June 2019. Once again, a group of researchers from Australian universities and practitioners from both not-for-profit and private organisations came together to share knowledge and experience on the study and practice of Communication for Development. This Roundtable was organised as a side-event to the RDI (Research for Development and Impact) Network Conference, held at La Trobe University on 12th-13th June.
The focus of this year Roundtable, in particular, was to review and discuss the different uses of the media and communication in ‘leading inclusive development’. Within this framework, participants shared their experience in either implementing or investigating media and communication interventions designed to engage citizens (in general) or disadvantaged and marginalised groups (more specifically) in participating in having a voice on issues that affect them.
The focus of this year Roundtable, in particular, was to review and discuss the different uses of the media and communication in ‘leading inclusive development’. Within this framework, participants shared their experience in either implementing or investigating media and communication interventions designed to engage citizens (in general) or disadvantaged and marginalised groups (more specifically) in participating in having a voice on issues that affect them.
Research Interests: Community Development, Development communication, ICT in Education, Community Media, ICT4D, and 8 moreICT for Development, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Communication for Social Change, Media for Development, Community and Citizens Media, Community participation and engagement, and Technology for Community Development
In June 2017, a group of researchers from Australian universities and practitioners from different not-for-profit organisations came together to share knowledge and experience in the study and practice of Communication for Development... more
In June 2017, a group of researchers from Australian universities and practitioners from different not-for-profit organisations came together to share knowledge and experience in the study and practice of Communication for Development (C4D). This Roundtable was organised as a side-event to the RDI (Research for Development Impact) Network Conference, held at the University of Sydney on 13th-14th June. The aim was to strengthen the value of C4D research and practice by facilitating connections between practitioners and researchers on C4D-related research projects. The focus of this Roundtable was to review and discuss the different uses of the media in ‘communicating for development’. This specific area of C4D is also known as ‘media for development’. Within this framework, both practitioners and researchers shared their experiences in either using or studying particular media channels or media productions designed to address development issues both in the Global South and in Australia.
Research Interests: Community Development, Development communication, Community Media, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, and 5 moreTheatre for Development, Communication for Social Change, Media for Development, Community and Citizens Media, and Technology for Community Development
In June 2015 a group of academic researchers from Australian universities and practitioners from Australian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) came together to discuss the use of communication for development (C4D) in their present and... more
In June 2015 a group of academic researchers from Australian universities and practitioners from Australian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) came together to discuss the use of communication for development (C4D) in their present and future work. The seminar was organised by Valentina Baú (University on New South Wales) and Tait Brimacombe (La Trobe University) as a pre-conference to the ACFID (Australian Council for International Development) University Network Conference, held in Melbourne on 4th-5th June. The aim was to provide a platform for international development actors involved or interested in communication for development to share experiences, lessons learned and recommendations that could contribute to an improved practice. With the additional aim of strengthening the value of the practice, the event wanted to facilitate connections between practitioners and researchers on C4D-related research projects.
This report details the proceedings of this event, including participants presentations, projects and topics discussed. A list of Australia-based international development practitioners and researchers is also provided.
This report details the proceedings of this event, including participants presentations, projects and topics discussed. A list of Australia-based international development practitioners and researchers is also provided.
Research Interests: Participatory Media, International Development, Development communication, Information/Communication Technologies and Development, Communication for Development, and 3 moreParticipatory Video, Communication for Social Change, and Information and Communication Technology for Development and Education (ICTE)
Kakuma refugee camp is located in Turkana county, Northwestern region of Kenya. Established in 1992, it is home to approximately 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers from countries including Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic... more
Kakuma refugee camp is located in Turkana county, Northwestern region of Kenya. Established in 1992, it is home to approximately 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers from countries including Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other nationalities include Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.
A number of humanitarian agencies operate in the camp under the coordination of UNHCR. Despite the many challenges of life in Kakuma, the camp has an interesting media and communication landscape, and young people are able to participate in a number of engaging activities involving different platforms.
LINK TO BLOG: https://hcpb.org.uk/index.php/2023/04/28/leveraging-media-and-communication-to-engage-young-people-in-kakuma-refugee-camp/
A number of humanitarian agencies operate in the camp under the coordination of UNHCR. Despite the many challenges of life in Kakuma, the camp has an interesting media and communication landscape, and young people are able to participate in a number of engaging activities involving different platforms.
LINK TO BLOG: https://hcpb.org.uk/index.php/2023/04/28/leveraging-media-and-communication-to-engage-young-people-in-kakuma-refugee-camp/
Research Interests:
The narrative of refugee children and adolescents has been almost absent from the Italian media since the start of the migratory flows that have been crossing the Mediterranean. While these groups feature erratically in journalist... more
The narrative of refugee children and adolescents has been almost absent from the Italian media since the start of the migratory flows that have been crossing the Mediterranean. While these groups feature erratically in journalist reporting, media attention typically revolves around geo-political facts related to the areas of origin of minors, the hardship of their journeys, and crime-related news, particularly in relation to adolescents. Stories of refugee children and adolescents are seldom heard in the media, leaving them unknown to the public and forming a representation that alternates a frame of victimhood to one of poverty-related delinquency. This research-based article presents the views of some of the main inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations working on the migrant humanitarian response in Italy. Their experience, knowledge, and suggestions on journalist media coverage of refugee children and adolescents have been gathered and offered here through a series of critical points. This article also wants to be a useful resource to organisations involved in similar work and especially to media outlets, for a reflection on their present and future effort in communicating about refugee children and adolescents.
Research Interests: Media Studies, Journalism, International Migration, Asylum seekers, Refugees, and 9 moreMedia Representation, Italian migration, Displacement, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors, Asylum Seekers and Refugees, Unaccompanied asylum seeking children, Italian Media Landscape, Ethical Journalism, and media coverage of migrants and refugees
I bambini e gli adolescenti rifugiati sono quasi sempre assenti dai media italiani, sin dall'inizio dei flussi migratori che continuano ad attraversare il Mediterraneo. Anche quando questi gruppi sono presenti, sporadicamente, nei... more
I bambini e gli adolescenti rifugiati sono quasi sempre assenti dai media italiani, sin dall'inizio dei flussi migratori che continuano ad attraversare il Mediterraneo. Anche quando questi gruppi sono presenti, sporadicamente, nei reportage dei giornalisti, i media tendono a focalizzarsi su fatti geopolitici relativi alle aree di provenienza, alle difficoltà dei loro viaggi e alle notizie inerenti al crimine, soprattutto quando si tratta di adolescenti. Le storie riguardanti minori rifugiati sono raramente ascoltate dai media, e di conseguenza per lo più sconosciute al pubblico, con una rappresentazione che alterna un quadro di vittimismo o delinquenza legata alla povertà. Questo articolo analizza le opinioni di alcune delle principali organizzazioni intergovernative e non governative che lavorano sulla risposta umanitaria dei migranti in Italia. Le loro esperienze, le competenze e i suggerimenti per una copertura mediatica adeguata sui minori rifugiati sono state raccolte e qui presentate attraverso una serie di punti critici. Questo articolo vuole anche essere una risorsa utile per le organizzazioni coinvolte in questa area di lavoro, incoraggiando giornalisti, organizzazioni umanitarie, ed altri enti a riflettere su come ridefinire la loro copertura mediatica sul tema.
Continua a leggere qui: https://openmigration.org/idee/ridefinire-limmagine-dei-bambini-e-degli-adolescenti-rifugiati-nei-media-impressioni-dal-fronte-italiano/
Continua a leggere qui: https://openmigration.org/idee/ridefinire-limmagine-dei-bambini-e-degli-adolescenti-rifugiati-nei-media-impressioni-dal-fronte-italiano/
Research Interests:
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.gsdmagazine.org/covid-19-and-conflict-communicating-for-peace-during-a-global-health-crisis/ A peacebuilding approach must be integrated into all NGOs’, UN agencies’ and even local organisations’... more
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.gsdmagazine.org/covid-19-and-conflict-communicating-for-peace-during-a-global-health-crisis/
A peacebuilding approach must be integrated into all NGOs’, UN agencies’ and even local organisations’ interventions, so that the Covid-19 response remains conflict-sensitive and more likely to succeed as a result. Within this scenario, media and communication channels must be adapted to perform the critical task of promoting health messages whilst continuing to communicate for peace.
A peacebuilding approach must be integrated into all NGOs’, UN agencies’ and even local organisations’ interventions, so that the Covid-19 response remains conflict-sensitive and more likely to succeed as a result. Within this scenario, media and communication channels must be adapted to perform the critical task of promoting health messages whilst continuing to communicate for peace.
Research Interests:
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/articles/communicating-communities-during-conflict/?location=&theme=conflict-prevention-early-warning At times of crises, establishing effective communication with the population is... more
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.peaceinsight.org/en/articles/communicating-communities-during-conflict/?location=&theme=conflict-prevention-early-warning
At times of crises, establishing effective communication with the population is crucial in order to ensure that aid delivery meets the actual needs of those affected. Through the use of the media and other channels, humanitarian organisations and local communities can engage in a communication exchange that allows them to both convey and receive information as part of a two-way process. This approach, which is increasingly being adopted in humanitarian work, asks us to re-think ‘communication’ and to expand our view on what we regard as ‘media’.
At times of crises, establishing effective communication with the population is crucial in order to ensure that aid delivery meets the actual needs of those affected. Through the use of the media and other channels, humanitarian organisations and local communities can engage in a communication exchange that allows them to both convey and receive information as part of a two-way process. This approach, which is increasingly being adopted in humanitarian work, asks us to re-think ‘communication’ and to expand our view on what we regard as ‘media’.
Research Interests: Information/Communication Technologies and Development, Humanitarian Intervention, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Humanitarian Emergency Aid, and 5 moreCommunication for Social Change, Humanitarian advocacy and humanitarian communication, Humanitarian communication, Communication for development, communication for social change, and Communicating with Communities (Cwc)
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE- https://cnxus.org/resource/using-participatory-photography-for-peace-a-short-guide-for-practitioners/ Photography is a powerful medium to unite people and communities around shared images and experiences. Yet... more
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE- https://cnxus.org/resource/using-participatory-photography-for-peace-a-short-guide-for-practitioners/
Photography is a powerful medium to unite people and communities around shared images and experiences. Yet despite the large number of initiatives that employ the media as tools for peacebuilding, few address issues of conflict through the use of photographs. Here I begin to fill that gap, introducing a new project design for practitioners to employ participatory photography in peacebuilding work.
Photography is a powerful medium to unite people and communities around shared images and experiences. Yet despite the large number of initiatives that employ the media as tools for peacebuilding, few address issues of conflict through the use of photographs. Here I begin to fill that gap, introducing a new project design for practitioners to employ participatory photography in peacebuilding work.
Research Interests: Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Community Development, Development communication, and 10 moreCommunication for Development, Reconciliation, Participatory Photography, Peace, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Peace and Reconciliation, Post conflict, Reconstruction, Peace building and Transitional Justice, Post Conflict Development, and Technology for Community Development
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have represented a crucial framework in international development since their establishment in the year 2000. However, their focus on gender has been mostly restricted to issues of health and... more
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have represented a crucial framework in international development since their establishment in the year 2000. However, their focus on gender has been mostly restricted to issues of health and literacy.
From 2001, shortly after the establishment of the MDGs and their launch at the global level, the course of conflicts has begun to take a catastrophic direction. The under-representation of women and their lack of voice in processes of peacebuilding and reconstruction in the aftermath of conflict is deeply concerning. Gender-based inequalities in education, health and political representation around the world are still persistent. One of the questions that have been raised in the post-2015 debate is not only whether or not a goal on gender is realistic, but how effectively we can continue to mainstream gender issues into broader policies.
Media and communication have an important and active role to play when it comes to promoting gender equality and communicating women’s rights. Yet, their impact is often neglected, with little resources being allocated to their use. This is also clearly marked through their absence from the MDG framework. media and communication channels should be developed through accurate research on the context they are being applied to, considering its cultural, social, political and technological environment. This is particularly important in post-conflict realities, where the need for accurate information and for the dissemination of a message of peace is central.
From 2001, shortly after the establishment of the MDGs and their launch at the global level, the course of conflicts has begun to take a catastrophic direction. The under-representation of women and their lack of voice in processes of peacebuilding and reconstruction in the aftermath of conflict is deeply concerning. Gender-based inequalities in education, health and political representation around the world are still persistent. One of the questions that have been raised in the post-2015 debate is not only whether or not a goal on gender is realistic, but how effectively we can continue to mainstream gender issues into broader policies.
Media and communication have an important and active role to play when it comes to promoting gender equality and communicating women’s rights. Yet, their impact is often neglected, with little resources being allocated to their use. This is also clearly marked through their absence from the MDG framework. media and communication channels should be developed through accurate research on the context they are being applied to, considering its cultural, social, political and technological environment. This is particularly important in post-conflict realities, where the need for accurate information and for the dissemination of a message of peace is central.
Research Interests: Media Studies, Gender and Development, Communication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Gender and Peacebuilding, and 7 morePeacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Peace and Conflict, Mdgs Goals, Communication for development, communication for social change, Peace and Conflicts Studies, and Post-2015 Development Agenda
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://cnxus.org/resource/evaluating-the-impact-of-participatory-media-for-conflict-transformation/ When planning peacebuilding interventions, the direct role that different communication channels can play in... more
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://cnxus.org/resource/evaluating-the-impact-of-participatory-media-for-conflict-transformation/
When planning peacebuilding interventions, the direct role that different communication channels can play in transforming conflict and achieving social change is seldom acknowledged. Here, I want to introduce a framework for both researchers and practitioners, which highlights the potential of Communication for Social Change (CSC) in post-conflict settings through the use of participatory media. The study from which I have developed this framework is based on the experience of a participatory video (PV) project conducted in the Rift Valley of Kenya after the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence (PEV), when the country underwent a period of intense ethnic violence.
What I present here shows how these types of media productions can contribute to re-establishing relationships and creating a shared understanding of the conflict, while building a vision of an interconnected future among opposing groups. It also brings to light the link between CSC and conflict transformation theory. This is useful for those involved in peacebuilding work to begin to recognise the important role that CFS can play in this field. In addition, I propose a practical model that peacebuilding organisation can keep in mind when incorporating participatory communication in their programming.
When planning peacebuilding interventions, the direct role that different communication channels can play in transforming conflict and achieving social change is seldom acknowledged. Here, I want to introduce a framework for both researchers and practitioners, which highlights the potential of Communication for Social Change (CSC) in post-conflict settings through the use of participatory media. The study from which I have developed this framework is based on the experience of a participatory video (PV) project conducted in the Rift Valley of Kenya after the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence (PEV), when the country underwent a period of intense ethnic violence.
What I present here shows how these types of media productions can contribute to re-establishing relationships and creating a shared understanding of the conflict, while building a vision of an interconnected future among opposing groups. It also brings to light the link between CSC and conflict transformation theory. This is useful for those involved in peacebuilding work to begin to recognise the important role that CFS can play in this field. In addition, I propose a practical model that peacebuilding organisation can keep in mind when incorporating participatory communication in their programming.
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Participatory Media, Impact Evaluation, ICT for Development, Conflict Transformation, and 10 moreCommunication for Development, Communication for Sustainable Development, Participatory Video, Social Conflicts and Media, Peace Communication, Communication for Social Change, Participatory Communication, Communication for development, communication for social change, Peace & Reconciliation, and Participatory Development Communication
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://blog.oup.com/2014/08/social-change-peace/ My research has focused on the use of participatory media in conflict-affected communities. The aim has been to demonstrate that involving community members in a... more
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://blog.oup.com/2014/08/social-change-peace/
My research has focused on the use of participatory media in conflict-affected communities. The aim has been to demonstrate that involving community members in a media production provides them with a platform to tell their story about the violence they have experienced and the causes they believe led to it.
My research has focused on the use of participatory media in conflict-affected communities. The aim has been to demonstrate that involving community members in a media production provides them with a platform to tell their story about the violence they have experienced and the causes they believe led to it.
Research Interests:
"The International Communication Association (ICA) Conference 2013 took place in London from 17th to 21st June. The London Metropole Hilton hosted almost 600 sessions, for a total of approximately 2195 presentations. All of the meeting... more
"The International Communication Association (ICA) Conference 2013 took place in London from 17th to 21st June. The London Metropole Hilton hosted almost 600 sessions, for a total of approximately 2195 presentations. All of the meeting rooms of the hotel, one of the biggest in the British capital, were booked by the ICA, which saw its largest conference happening this year, with a number of participants close to 3.000.
As a development communication researcher with a strong interest in this field of study, I decided to navigate my way around the hundreds of panels scheduled in the conference programme by attending those that I felt were closer to this discipline. Some overtly covered topics related to devcomm; others carried ideas that could be related to that field or simply touched upon development and/or experiences from the Global South. For those like me, fascinated by the use of media and communication in contexts of development, here is my ICA 2013 journey."
As a development communication researcher with a strong interest in this field of study, I decided to navigate my way around the hundreds of panels scheduled in the conference programme by attending those that I felt were closer to this discipline. Some overtly covered topics related to devcomm; others carried ideas that could be related to that field or simply touched upon development and/or experiences from the Global South. For those like me, fascinated by the use of media and communication in contexts of development, here is my ICA 2013 journey."
Research Interests: Social Movements, Communication, Development communication, Media, Communication for Development, and 5 moreCommunication for Sustainable Development, Role of media in social change, Communication for Social Change, Communication and social change, development, mass media and society, and Communication for development, communication for social change
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opensecurity/five-years-on-identity-and-kenyas-post-election-violence/ As Kenyan citizens prepare to return to the polls in March this year, Valentina Baú looks at what made the... more
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opensecurity/five-years-on-identity-and-kenyas-post-election-violence/
As Kenyan citizens prepare to return to the polls in March this year, Valentina Baú looks at what made the Rift Valley one of the hotspots of the 2007/2008 violence. Although the country is calling for harmony during and after election time, ethnic tensions may be an obstacle to peace if not adequately understood and addressed.
As Kenyan citizens prepare to return to the polls in March this year, Valentina Baú looks at what made the Rift Valley one of the hotspots of the 2007/2008 violence. Although the country is calling for harmony during and after election time, ethnic tensions may be an obstacle to peace if not adequately understood and addressed.
Research Interests: Peace and Conflict Studies, Violence, Conflict, Africa, Identity (Culture), and 14 moreIdentity politics, East Africa, Political Violence, Ethnic Conflict, Kenya, Ethnic Conflict and Civil War, Ethnicity & Ethnic Conflicts, Peacebuilding, Electoral Violence, Community Violence, Elections and electoral violence, Post Election Violence, Kenya's post-election violence, and Post-election Violence
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://www.insightonconflict.org/2013/01/peacebuilding-south-rift-valley-kenya/ Despite the apparent return to peace after the terrible events of the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence, complex pockets of conflicts... more
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: http://www.insightonconflict.org/2013/01/peacebuilding-south-rift-valley-kenya/
Despite the apparent return to peace after the terrible events of the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence, complex pockets of conflicts are now more than ever embedded in Kenya’s territory and history. Such pockets of conflict, which are formed along ethnic lines, are making some fear over the country’s stability when Kenyan citizens will be called once again to the polls in March this year. Valentina Baú investigates one such conflict in a rural area of the Kenyan Rift Valley: that of cattle rustling on the Sotik/Borabu border.
[Also reproduced on Transconflict: http://www.transconflict.com/2013/03/peace-initiatives-on-the-sotikborabu-border-in-kenya-043/]
Despite the apparent return to peace after the terrible events of the 2007/2008 Post-Election Violence, complex pockets of conflicts are now more than ever embedded in Kenya’s territory and history. Such pockets of conflict, which are formed along ethnic lines, are making some fear over the country’s stability when Kenyan citizens will be called once again to the polls in March this year. Valentina Baú investigates one such conflict in a rural area of the Kenyan Rift Valley: that of cattle rustling on the Sotik/Borabu border.
[Also reproduced on Transconflict: http://www.transconflict.com/2013/03/peace-initiatives-on-the-sotikborabu-border-in-kenya-043/]
Research Interests:
[TO CITE THIS WORK: Baú, V. (2009) Media Relations and Democracy - An analysis of communication through media relations practice and its role in liberal democratic societies, eCivicus, No.456,... more
[TO CITE THIS WORK: Baú, V. (2009) Media Relations and Democracy - An analysis of communication through media relations practice and its role in liberal democratic societies, eCivicus, No.456, http://www.civicus.org/media/Media-Relations-and-Democracy.pdf]
Whilst most academic writing on media focuses on the role that the media play in influencing society, this paper explores how media content is itself shaped by the practice of media relations, and the impact this has on society. Through a theoretical discussion reviewing different approaches to the role of the media, the meaning and purpose of the media institutions within liberal democratic societies are examined. In particular, two models are analysed in order to understand its relationship with society.
The first proposes a view of the media as constructors of our values; this makes clear their direct effect on our actions. They act as a mirror of society and can be used as a tool to understand its functioning. The second model suggests that the media do not directly affect society but they rather reflect its realities, values and norms (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, 2008).
After an introduction to the main ideas stemming from different communication models, media relations is then reviewed through a discussion of the main theories surrounding its practice. These mainly refer to the concepts of framing, information subsidies and agenda-building, which highlight the close relationship that links journalists to media relations agents.
Finally, two case studies are discussed to illustrate the impact that media relations can have when effectively practiced. The first one highlights the requirement for the media to comply with the standards of news production, and describes how Greenpeace succeeded in bringing a complex environmental issue onto the media agenda. The second makes obvious the importance that the practice of media relations has in democracy building processes through its goal of conveying specific messages via the media. In particular, this example recounts how NGOs in post-conflict Bosnia have successfully engaged civil society in processes of reconstruction and reconciliation through the use of mass media as a communication channel.
Whilst most academic writing on media focuses on the role that the media play in influencing society, this paper explores how media content is itself shaped by the practice of media relations, and the impact this has on society. Through a theoretical discussion reviewing different approaches to the role of the media, the meaning and purpose of the media institutions within liberal democratic societies are examined. In particular, two models are analysed in order to understand its relationship with society.
The first proposes a view of the media as constructors of our values; this makes clear their direct effect on our actions. They act as a mirror of society and can be used as a tool to understand its functioning. The second model suggests that the media do not directly affect society but they rather reflect its realities, values and norms (O’Shaughnessy and Stadler, 2008).
After an introduction to the main ideas stemming from different communication models, media relations is then reviewed through a discussion of the main theories surrounding its practice. These mainly refer to the concepts of framing, information subsidies and agenda-building, which highlight the close relationship that links journalists to media relations agents.
Finally, two case studies are discussed to illustrate the impact that media relations can have when effectively practiced. The first one highlights the requirement for the media to comply with the standards of news production, and describes how Greenpeace succeeded in bringing a complex environmental issue onto the media agenda. The second makes obvious the importance that the practice of media relations has in democracy building processes through its goal of conveying specific messages via the media. In particular, this example recounts how NGOs in post-conflict Bosnia have successfully engaged civil society in processes of reconstruction and reconciliation through the use of mass media as a communication channel.
Research Interests:
Even after resettling in a new country, the trauma and resentment caused by the conflict experienced in their homeland are passed on from generation to generation among diaspora communities. One of the factors that perpetuate the conflict... more
Even after resettling in a new country, the trauma and resentment caused by the conflict experienced in their homeland are passed on from generation to generation among diaspora communities. One of the factors that perpetuate the conflict in their new reality, in particular, is the ethnic separation that continues to be upheld and reinforced, from parents to children.
Some of the young diasporas living in Sydney are taught from an early age not to trust members of (former) enemy tribes, and the dynamics between these communities are dominated by the perceived sense of injustice perpetrated by one group on the other at the time of the conflict. This harms the relationships between young people in Sydney’s multi-ethnic suburbs; it fragments communities and leads to the recurrence of violent episodes.
Implemented in collaboration with Sydney-based organisation GLAPD Int. (Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development International) this project aimed to assess the impact that participatory photography activities can have when designed around the objectives of minimising intergenerational conflict, and breaking the conflict cycle that impacts the lives of youth from different ethnicities. I facilitated the implementation of this initiative with 7 young people from the African Great Lakes region background (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Congo).
The project wanted to wants to provide a space to encourage communication between different groups who either come from or are indirectly affected by a reality of violent conflict. The aim was to create a safe and supportive environment for young people to meet and communicate, in the hope of creating a more balanced understanding of both past and present in relation to the conflict. The ultimate goal was also to contribute towards building social cohesion and community resilience.
Some of the young diasporas living in Sydney are taught from an early age not to trust members of (former) enemy tribes, and the dynamics between these communities are dominated by the perceived sense of injustice perpetrated by one group on the other at the time of the conflict. This harms the relationships between young people in Sydney’s multi-ethnic suburbs; it fragments communities and leads to the recurrence of violent episodes.
Implemented in collaboration with Sydney-based organisation GLAPD Int. (Great Lakes Agency for Peace and Development International) this project aimed to assess the impact that participatory photography activities can have when designed around the objectives of minimising intergenerational conflict, and breaking the conflict cycle that impacts the lives of youth from different ethnicities. I facilitated the implementation of this initiative with 7 young people from the African Great Lakes region background (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Congo).
The project wanted to wants to provide a space to encourage communication between different groups who either come from or are indirectly affected by a reality of violent conflict. The aim was to create a safe and supportive environment for young people to meet and communicate, in the hope of creating a more balanced understanding of both past and present in relation to the conflict. The ultimate goal was also to contribute towards building social cohesion and community resilience.
I facilitated a Photovoice (participatory photography) project with young people in a slum of Kenya in collaboration with A-Step, a community-based organisation. Through the use of photographs, the project aimed at offering a tool to... more
I facilitated a Photovoice (participatory photography) project with young people in a slum of Kenya in collaboration with A-Step, a community-based organisation. Through the use of photographs, the project aimed at offering a tool to members of different tribes to tell their stories in relation to the events that occurred during the 2007/2008 Kenya Post-Election Violence, to show the progress that has been make towards peace and to highlight the barriers that are still present. It also worked towards initiating a dialogue leading to a mutual understanding and to the identification of positive solutions to achieve peace in the community. An exhibition of the photos and stories produced through this project was held at the 2014 International Peace Research Association (IPRA) Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, and at the 2015 Head on Photo Festival in Sydney, Australia.
Research Interests: Participatory Media, Community Development, Development communication, ICT for Development, Communication for Development, and 10 moreCommunication for Sustainable Development, Peace Studies, Photovoice, Participatory Photography, Peacebuilding, Communication for Social Change, Participatory Communication, Participatory Development Communication, ICT for Peacebuilding, and Technology for Community Development
I facilitated a Photovoice (participatory photography) project with a group of Aboriginal women on expressing feelings and ideas of change through images. The activities focused on reflecting around the changes that occurred in their... more
I facilitated a Photovoice (participatory photography) project with a group of Aboriginal women on expressing feelings and ideas of change through images. The activities focused on reflecting around the changes that occurred in their lives since becoming mothers.
Research Interests:
I co-facilitated a Participatory Video project with Aboriginal young women. The project aimed at creating a space to reflect upon, talk about and share stories of pregnancy and being young mothers through the medium of video. The... more
I co-facilitated a Participatory Video project with Aboriginal young women. The project aimed at creating a space to reflect upon, talk about and share stories of pregnancy and being young mothers through the medium of video. The activities also focused on providing women with video-making & video-editing skills.
Link to the final video: https://vimeo.com/60725437
Link to the final video: https://vimeo.com/60725437