FAO’s Experience in Mainstreaming Communication for Development to Reach the MDGs

10th Inter-Agency Roundtable on Communication for DevelopmentAddis Ababa, 12-14 February 2007

Riccardo del Castello Communication for Development Officer

FAO and the Millennium Development Goals

Mandate to promote agriculture, nutrition, forestry, fisheries and rural development

WFS goal:Eradicate Hunger FAO a world centre of food and agricultural

information and knowledge A forum for policy dialogue, agreements among

nations, and as a resource for its members Improve livelihoods of rural populations through

information and communication

FAO and the Millennium Development Goals

Direct and indirect contributions of FAODirect and indirect contributions of FAOto the Millennium Development Goalsto the Millennium Development Goals

Communication for Development in FAO

"a social process designed to seek a common understanding among all participants of a development initiative, creating a basis for concerted action".

Communication for Development in FAO

Support and advice to member nations:

Communication for Development approaches and methodologies (i.e. needs assessments, PRCA)

Communication strategy design and formulation

Capacity building

Communication for Development Policy formulation

Communication for Development and MDGs

Bridging the Rural Digital Divide (BRDD)

Innovative approaches to knowledge exchange using ICTs

Synergies between communication and information management

Examples:VERCON/RADCON – Strengthening information and communication between agricultural services and farmers to improve food production and nutrition. IMARK – Information management resource kit

Communication for Development and MDGs

Communication in EmergenciesEmergency programmes threatening food security incorporating community-led and participatory based communication approaches.

Examples:

Information campaigns for Avian Flu – in collaboration with WHO and Unicef

Information and Communication activities on desert locust outbreaks, preventive control methods and safe use of pesticides

Communication for Development and MDGs

Multi-media approaches

Use of new and traditional communication tools to exchange information, promote participation and ownership, support bottom-up articulation of IC needs

Examples:

Rural RadioCommunication systemsfor NRM, indigenous people and HIV/AIDS

Inter-agency collaboration

Potential areas of collaboration:

FAO, UNDP, ITU, UNESCO, UNFPA

Joint in-country level planning to provide communication projects where each agency brings their respective expertise.

(i.e. infrastructure, telecoms, policy, training, information providers)

Country Evidences from Specific Programmes

DIMITRA

Right to Food

WHY DO WE COMMUNICATE GENDER FOR DEVELOPMENT?

Eliane Najros – Dimitra Project CoordinatorFAO – Gender, Equity and Rural Employment Division

http://www.fao.org/sd/dimitra

Why communication for development?Access to information and knowledge is a human right.

How is it linked to gender?The world can only grow if it involves the totality of its population, women and men.

Dimitra is an information and communication project. It aims to highlight the contribution of rural women to the development of their communities.

Dimitra puts gender into practice:

Dimitra stands for:

PARTNERSHIP – PARTICIPATION – NETWORKING

1. Dimitra works in close collaboration with partner organizations in Africa and the Near East in order to collect information and raise awareness on gender issues.

2. Dimitra collects a body of knowledge on organizations and projects involving rural populations, particularly women (Dbase of some 1500 organizations)

3.Dimitra widely shares information and experiences, using both modern and traditional communication methods and tools, rural radio in particular.

4. Dimitra contributes to the organization of workshops, conferences and events on specific issues.

The topics are chosen by grassroots organizations themselves.

Examples are: women and access to land; women and the fight against sexual violence; the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural women; the synergies between rural women’s networks and rural community radios; etc.

In short, what does Dimitra do?

Show those who are invisibleGive a voice to those unheardProvide a face to gender

Communication for Development in Rights-based Approach to Food

Security

Andreas Von BrandtRight to Food Unit - FAO

Communicating Rights-based Approach to Food Security

• In 2004, member states of the Food and Agriculture Organization unanimously adopted the Voluntary Guidelines to support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the context of National Food Security.

• FAO's Right to Food Unit was formed in 2005 to work on the implementation and operationalization of the human

right to adequate food using the Voluntary Guidelines.

Operationalization of Right to Food

• The Unit focuses more and more on “putting into to practice” the right to adequate food at country and regional levels. In practical terms, the Right to Food Unit has been assisting governments in implementing the right to food in their countries by providing:

• Advocacy and training • Information and assessment • Legislation and accountability • Strategy and coordination • Benchmarks and monitoring

Implementation of Right to Food in Brazil

• Started with the mobilization of civil society, organized around the National Platform on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights;

• The National Council of Food and Nutritional Security (CONSEA) established with the aim to advise the President

• The Public Ministry was active both at state and federal levels on right to food violations. FAO provided technical guidance and support.

• Grassroots mobilization forced the government to recognize the human right to adequate food, resulting in the adoption of the Food and Nutritional Security law in 2006.

Value-added of using rights-based approach

• The rights based approach can strengthen multi-sectoral policy coordination, initiate the support of decision-makers, keep a dialogue open between stakeholders, and promote reflection, participation and action at community level

• A functioning rights-based approach is in itself a big step towards sound two-way communication supported by law and governance, as it fosters political dialogue and ensures accountability

• Human rights add legitimacy and carry a greater weight in international and national policy dialogue.

Synergies between rights-based approach and ComDev

• Communication for development tools can play a vital role in empowering the right-holders and providing mechanisms that do not yet exist in formal recourse.

• This is particularly relevant in informing the right-holders and enabling them to take an active part in their own development.

• Need to explore potential synergies with traditional and new communication methodologies and tools to maximize the impact and effectiveness of rights-based approach.

Thank You