Community Based Communication

In the article the author proposes a paradigm shift in communication to encourage community-driven communication. The article defines Community Based Communication (CBC) as "a system of communication developed over time by a community, about the community and primarily for the community...a system used by a collective group of people to propagate, protect, project and sustain community values, cultures, traditions and communal forms of interrelationships." According to the article, this system allows for information to emanate from the communities and flow outward and upward rather than the usual top down pattern. The concept of community based communication is aimed at re-directing the top down flow of communication to a system that is more participatory. According to the author, this paradigm shift is very necessary if communication is to give voice to communities and enable them participate as well as have impact on development and their environment.

According to the article, CBC is a form of communication process which is based on participation, inclusion, awareness building, mobilisation, reporting, consensus building, and knowledge-based decisionmaking objectives. Information is generated from and by the community and sent out or up to policy makers to keep them informed of what is happening at the grassroots for decision-making and actions. CBC also encourages internal communication within the community. This form of information which flows in cycles is generated and disseminated within the community. According to the author, this form of communication can be useful to help protect and sustain positive indigenous practices, codes, traditions, values and cultures.

The author proposes that Community Based Communication has the following characteristics:

• empowers communities to utilise different modes of communication and information at their disposal to enhance and improve the quality of their lives and environment;
• information emanating from communities often ignored by policy makers, government officials, the elite, the educated or urban based would now be taken as serious;
• creates access to top policy makers and government officials;
• confers power and confidence on villagers usually ignored by their elected representatives, policy makers and government officials;
• promotes co-operation and social inclusion at the local level. When communities are galvanised and have voice, top officials tend to listen more. This can make public and government officials to formulate policies and programmes that will enhance livelihood and development at the community level;
• encourages learning and skills building within communities;
• empowers people at the grassroots level, no matter their educational standards, to use communication tools and strategies to voice their problems and undertake developments programmes;
• strengthens and empowers communities to communicate;
• stimulates and drives development at the community level. Can also be used to attract governments at the local, state and Federal levels to make policies and programmes that will enhance development as well as alleviate poverty at the community levels;
• CBC could be used for influencing resource allocation, maintenance and sustenance;
• can be a means of maintaining local knowledge, a source of learning and education, a conduit for local communication needs and a support for local culture;
• empowers communities to advocate for structures and policies that must consider community decisions and initiatives national development programmes and policies formulation and design;
• CBC is a reversal of the trend of urban-based, top down communication to community centered and community-based communication in term of information generation, synthesis, packaging and dissemination to the target audience;
• has great potentials for the use of ICTs in rural and urban poor communities for development and economic empowerment through sharing of inter-community experiences and knowledge;

According to the author, to operationalise the concept there is need for well-strategised capacity building using training materials inspired from the community. Communities can be assisted to build on already existing traditional information gathering and dissemination techniques. They can be assisted to develop their own news programmes and present discussions on matters affecting their communities in the languages they understand. Communication Officers can be encouraged to use traditional and local systems of communication when more beneficial and necessary. Communities can also be assisted to process information using modern tools but to suit the traditional system of communication.

The author concludes by pointing out that there are a number of number of different channels for community communications. Community radio is pointed to as one of the most effective communication tools in the developing world. It can be used to build awareness, provide information, educate and change behaviour, enhance development, build relationships, and monitor performance. Other examples include mobile cinemas, posters, pictures, bill boards, drums, letters, television and radio, town criers, theaters, leaflets in vernaculars, etc. The wireless mobile phone (GSM) and internet are potentially useful community communication tools. Community based library, schools, town halls, churches and mosques, markets are also possible channels for community based communication.

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