Communication for Development or
Development for Communication?
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| Photo from wikipedia.com |
I see it as an efficient tool to bridge the gap between a strategic
project plan and its recipient. The knowing of what medium of
communication to use and how it works plays an important role in
achieving development. In other words, development communication is the
proper and significant usage of media to draw and bring change to
humanity or to even to a single individual or recipient.
It is intended to build consensus and facilitates sharing of
knowledge with the end goal of achieving positive change or development.
It also aims to disseminate information and employs practical research,
two-way communication and dialogue among the people. It is a management
tool to help assess socio-political risks and opportunities. By using
communication to bridge differences and take action towards change,
“development communication can lead to successful and sustainable
results.” (Wikipedia.com)
The Philippine National Police has a very wide source of projects
that adhere towards development of the organization in order to deliver
quality service. Just like any other system, the PNP continuously
upgrades its campaign for change through the Integrated Transformation
Program. However, as observed, this campaign and its plans are still in
the "initiation stage". The goal of transforming the organization to
become a highly capable, effective and capable police service working in
partnership with a responsive community is a huge act to accomplish.
One of the perceived barrier in the cascading and dissemination of
the program is the appropriate medium. Who's conducting the campaign?
How efficient his/ her communication skills? What are the approaches
that best suits the comprehension of the PNP Personnel? What is their
learning curve? Their values? Their attitudes that might contribute on
how they respond to something new? And several other factors to
consider.
Having the passion to help people, the desire to bring change and
equipped with education in communication, this course brought me to a
lot of challenge and guidance as well.
I know I can contribute in the PNP Transformation Program, so I
need to get weapons for the "call." I saw the need to educate more
myself in the fields of communication, how it works with development and
how will I use this to transform the system. I realized that
communication is for development and not simply for information
dissemination and entertainment.
The hardest challenge is getting people to change long-established
practices, behaviour or habits. It will not be enough to inform them of
the benefits of a certain project / product but it is also very
important to understand their behaviour. It is necessary to understand
why people do what they do and understand the barriers to change or
adopting new practices. It is not enough to raise awareness of the
"benefits", it is critical to understand peoples' barriers or the
"costs" they perceive such a change would entail.
Understanding this, would lead us to the use of development communication. Let
us use the art of communication to empower people, to inspire, to
challenge, to uplift and to influence their attitude, behaviour and
actions.
The change will not be abrupt, it may take a very long process but
this can be achieved if we will begin within ourselves... now.
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