Resources

This book pays attention to the cultural and educational aspects of communication for development and would be useful for those deciding on appropriate PRA techniques to use in particular situations. The first part of the book includes an overview of the changes in development strategies over the last few decades and the effects these have had on the utilisation of communication approaches.
The second part of the book discusses the intricate link between communication and culture and the way it influences the practice of interpersonal and mediated communication. Part three deals with media and their educational potential. The last part considers the steps involved in the planning and implementation / production of communication events, programmes and materials.

This is the report of a one week workshop held in Kamayagi Village. Daily activities and outcomes are outlined, including problem identification and analysis, action planning and the formation of a village development committee.

Systematic farmer involvement in agricultural research organisations in developing countries has been weak, and the impact of the introduction of farmer responsive research methods has been disappointing. More attention needs to be paid to political and institutional dimensions, in order to permanently alter the balance of power between research and its clients. Opportunities include participatory planning to involve farmers systematically in prioritising the research agenda and incorporating their needs. Strengthening and linking farmersÆ associations with research organisations enable clients to express demand, pressurise and work with research organisations.

This paper describes the use of RRA to explore environmental and economic change over a period of twenty years as a result of dam building, within the Hadejia-Jama'are floodplain. The study was conducted in 27 sample villages and comprised of semi-structured interviews and field visits to examine villagers perceptions of changes in patterns of flooding and river flows, with timing determined using key events in Nigerian history. Ranking and scoring of activities before and after the construction of the dam were used to examine economic changes. The methods used allowed spatial patterns of economic and environmental change to be mapped and revealed significant differences between villages, for an area which had previously been considered homogenous. The potential of RRA to be applied in such a manner demonstrates its potential for planning on a regional scale.

Describes how PRA was used with a self-help fund, comprising of fishers, fish smokers and fish traders, to identify and analyse problems. Those problems common to all groups were identified with the use of venn diagrams, one of which was preserving the catch and maintaining its quality throughout each stage of the trade. As an outcome of the exerciese a Fish Preservation and Marketing Cooperative comprising the fishers, fish smokers and bulk buyers was formed and with self-funded contributions purchased an outboard engine .