Network Meet-Ups – Page 3

Building sector synergies : C4D Network Tanzania Meet-up, November 2015

November 27, 2015

With a small group of our C4D Network members currently engaged on a project to design a package for Community Education in Tanzania, network members in Dar es Salaam proved a rich mine of information and source for lively discussion at our recent meet-up there. As a key element of this package will be building synergies between organisations working in the country, this C4D meet-up was a great example of how sectoral collaborations can work best.

Members represented C4D from all angles : film production, publishing, consultancy, radio production, UN agency work and quantitative research (and from the Network’s own Secretariat and Global Members’ Executive Committee). To kick-off, 6 key behaviour-change priorities were proposed – including the promotion of financial capability, family planning and child-respectful discipline. Debate involved the extensive re-shuffling of paper-slip ‘priorities’, and concluded with many more than 6 ideas! We nonetheless reflected on the importance of keeping messaging concise for it to be effective, and on the particular difficulty, therefore, of prioritising. The recent outbreak of cholera in Tanzania was a prominent consideration in this exercise.

Beyond this paper-shuffling collaboration (participatory communication in action!), which sparked many ideas for our members’ Community Education project, we also reflected on the potential for reviving forgotten C4D interventions and methods: what happened to the song about “Dirty Paul, go wash your hands”, which many Tanzanians remember from their childhood? Is ‘mobile’ cinema really that new, in the light of methods used by missionaries (for example) in the 20th century?

The Dar es Salaam C4D group look forward to meeting again early next year, and to working on building links with members in Arusha, Zanzibar, and elsewhere in the country.

Talking C4D over coffee and bagels: C4D New York Meet-up, October 2015

November 27, 2015

It’s not always easy to find time for coffee-shop reflection on one’s work, within fast-paced New York life. But a group of C4D Network USA members gathered for just that this October, coming together between their various work in the US, Pakistan, Russia, Copenhagen, Tanzania (…we’re already at 4 continents!)

First, we mused on how to define C4D – is my work really ‘C4D’? How strict should we be on defining C4D’s boundaries? Is that productive? Building bridges in the C4D world was another topic of conversation, discussing the challenges of staying connected with one another’s work, and of institutions not duplicating efforts. Of course it was also reassuring to hear tips on how others deal with the demands of busy international careers. Everyone wants to write and reflect more – one member recommended the benefits of writing a journal page before bed. Book and article suggestions were flying between us, as post-it note references stacked up.

So long live the New York C4D network group! A lively and talented group of members, bursting with C4D ideas and reflections. Do join us next time.

2015 C4D Network Meet-Up Challenge: Round Up!

October 7, 2015

Since the launch of our 2015 Network Challenge back in June, members have worked hard to rise to the challenge to achieve, with meet-ups in 17 countries across 6 continents! We’ve also collected case studies from members across the global C4D Network, as well as some great photos…

We’ve had C4D Network Meet-ups in: Cameroon, Bolivia, Australia Cambodia, India, Kenya, USA, Bangkok, UK,Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Sweden and Zambia.

Meet-up conversations around C4D have been vibrant: from Bolivian Theatre of the Oppressed, to ‘communicating country’ in Australia. From strategic country-group planning in Ethiopia, to discussing the media landscape in Cambodia. Creative C4D Deposit Banks have been filling up with C4D case studies – notably in Bangkok, Cameroon, UK and Kenya – and we’ve welcomed more new members than ever before.

Coming up soon: South Africa, Denmark, Belgium and Tanzania. Click here for our full calendar.

Thanks to all Network organisers for their hard work, and we look forward to hearing when you’ll next meet-up!

Sierra Leone Meet-Up August 2015

September 7, 2015

Date: 12/08/2015

Location: British Council, Freetown

Topics of Discussion:

Brief updates form partners
Current Status of Ebola Virus Disease Response
Western Area Social Mobilisation Report
Community Engagement Implementation Plan

Next Steps:

Support formation of community task forces
Train community social mobilisation teams in all 69 Wards
Form Neighbourhood watch groups

Current challenges include:

Getting communities to own and lead the response
How to build mechanisms and structures to engage communities for resilience
How to overcome hostile terrains and harsh weather in achieving behaviour change
How to reach and involve high risk and vulnerable groups

Brisbane Meet-Up June 2015

August 19, 2015

Date: 30/06/15

Location: Brisbane, The Lucky Duck Café and Bar

Brisbane Chapter of the C4D Global Network grapple with difficult stories

On the 30^th of June 2015, 25 network members met in Brisbane. Dr Scott Downman shared his experience from twelve years of dealing with the question of how to personalise stories of human tragedy and injustice in journalism and public awareness.

Dr Downman is a lecturer in journalism at the University of Queensland. For the past 10 years he has been involved with community development projects in Southeast Asia aimed at addressing the issues of human trafficking, labour exploitation, and work migration. From 2007-2009 he worked as a fieldworker for the Thai-based NGO Mekong Minority Foundation, in an AusAID-funded project in northern Thailand. He is the director/founder of HELP International, an anti-human trafficking not-for-profit organisation. He was the 2012 winner of Australia’s Future Justice Award for his media-based anti-trafficking work in Thailand.

Dr Downman used examples of where traditional journalism has been inappropriate for personal stories of refugees, asylum seekers, the victims of human trafficking, and other vulnerable people. His academic critique of reporting by NGOs (at their own request) revealed many examples of exploitation, where people were re-victimised and re-traumatised during the communication of their stories. Over time, this academic critique has expanded to a body of work aiming to produce best-practice models for reporting stories of human tragedy and injustice. Dr Downman asserts that truly informed consent is paramount in avoiding exploitation. In this process, the reporter and reported find common emotional ground and negotiate the form the story takes. Dr Downman has been involved in many examples of alternative journalism, such as self-portraiture and participatory mapping. Other approaches include using actors, illustrations and masking.

There is a need for alternative approaches to story-telling, not only overseas but in our local community. ‘Change Makers: The True Story of Woodridge’ is a magazine Dr Downman created with six University of Queensland students. The magazine was developed over 5 months, as reporters spent time building relationships with students at Woodridge State High School and finding appropriate communication methods to tell their stories. The Change Makers team aimed to dismantle negative stereotypes associated with this community, while covering complex social and cultural issues, such as asylum seekers, child marriage, and Indigenous youth. The team received a national award for the magazine and Dr Downman believes the time taken to build trustful, mutually respectful relationships were key to its success. Dr Downman coined the acronym, TRIO for his approach to journalism: Transparency, Representation, Impact and Ownership.

Dr. Downman’s presentation left the room abuzz with conversation. The small group discussions were based around two questions, “How do you represent and personalize the stories of people you work with?” and “What is most important – the person or the person’s story?”