Ricardo Gomez, the Facilitator, opened the meeting. The aim of the meeting
is to produce some concrete proposals for the Alliance on how to deal with
its communication.
Jonathan Hartley read a synthesis of the meeting yesterday. Although many
are satisfied with the present means of communication, other people feel
that they do not serve the grassroots populations. Others feel that
communication is only one-way from Paris downwards, with little
interchange. New technology cannot replace interpersonal communication; but
the Alliance must also make more use of all resources.
Although in practice it is not possible to separate the issues of message
content and means of communication, the facilitator suggested that they
should be discussed separately.
The delegates identified the issue of how to communicate with governments
as a pending issue.
The group on communication within the Alliance gave its report. The main
points were that electronic means are most suited to transmission of
information on a large scale, and it is recommended that the Alliance
should invest in equipping Allies to use these means. There should also be
an integrated set of tools to meet the needs of people who do not have
access to electronic means. Non-written communication in meetings is
important. The Web site should be improved.
The large-scale transmission of information is not a mission of the
Alliance; but it is a necessity. Yolanda from Greece gave her opinion that
at present communication within the Alliance is not real communication, but
it is the bulk diffusion of information. What is needed is more effective
communication. Daniel Pimienta agreed with this, and that information
needed to be distributed in an interactive way.
Arjina from India reported opinions from delegates. Collaboration with
grassroots groups can be a basis for communication with people without
access to the mass media. There were complaints about the frequency of the
newsletter. A thematic arrangement of the Web page was recommended.
The group on communication with small communities reports. There should be
more emphasis on informal communication at the local level. Indigenous
means of communication should be strengthened. Communication among
generations is important. Storytelling is a powerful means of
communication. Communication needs to touch people's feelings without
judgments and organization. This requires motivation and spirit. There
needs to be ;ore promotion of communication at the motivational level.
Shizuka from Japan, speaking as a Northern-hemisphere member of this group,
suggested that investment in high-technology means of communication could
help to overcome many of the problems of communication. Other members of
the groups were from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Senegal.
Baragilhame from Senegal expressed his support for the above. He also
emphasized that communication needs to be used in a practical way to attain
the Alliance's aims of a sustainable agriculture and solidarity between
government and people.
Guilherme from Brazil shared his experience of the importance of training
people in distant areas who can act as means of communication to others.
Arjina from India emphasized the importance of communication through the
Alliance from communities to governments, etc.
Daniel Pimienta asked whether use of higher technology is really
necessarily impersonal.
Jonathan Hartley pointed out that while the established means of
communication are crucially important to maintaining professional and
interest contacts, the Alliance also has the potential to help people to
develop skills in communication on all levels.
*********************
Speaking remotely from France, Thierry Bresillon said that it was a pity
that the meeting had ignored the paper by Franck and his co-authors on
communication and was going over old ground. His opinion is that it is not
the place of the Alliance to have a press officer; it works through the
Allies. Maurice Clerc, remotely from France, thinks that the Alliance
should make more efforts in the virtual community on the Internet, making
itself more visible.
**********************
Breben from the Philippines talked about the need to develop training
materials and groups.
Thomas from India asked about the languages of the Alliance.
The report on remote communication emphasized the necessity of diversity in
means of communication, and attention to quality. In response, Thomas gave
his opinion that one aspect of quality is brevity and clearness. He also
referred to the local communication failure of the meeting itself, which
has had very little influence on the local press. Another aspect of quality
referred to is that the Alliance needs to be more aware that it is speaking
to a wider audience than just the Alliance itself. Ross Robertson also
delivered a presentation relating to quality.
The facilitator, summing up, pointed to the diversity of logic within the
meeting. However, one conclusion is that the medium is not the message, and
the content of the message is important. Second: communication is an
on-going process. Third: there was emphasis on the importance of quality.
Fourth: communication within the Alliance should be transparent, two-way
communication, and should use all the means available. Fifth: the Alliance
is seen as a mediator between governments and central sources of
information, and local communities; again this needs to be in both
directions. Sixth: the Alliance needs to prepare specially prepared press
releases. Seventh: the exchange of large amounts of information is
essential within the Alliance, and electronic means are most effective;
investment should be made in training Allies to use electronic means of
information. Eighth: the information gap between wealthy and poor
communities should be narrowed. Ninth: the Alliance should think of
developing training materials in communication. Tenth: a working group on
communication within the Alliance should be set up.
Omar underlined the shortcomings of the mass media in the sense that it is
not possible to verify the truth or completeness of a report or to respond
to it. Suzuka also raised the problem of saturation with information as an
obstacle to publicizing the proceedings of the Alliance in Japan. Each
delegate must find an appropriate way of overcoming this in their country.
Raimunda da Silva of Brazil agreed. Shaka of India, spoke as a media
representative, and suggested that those in the media have a responsibility
to put Alliance issues on the agenda. Jonathan Hartley said that readers
also have a role, in being more discerning in their reading. There could
also be an interchange between the media and the Alliance in building up
databases of resources. Thomas asked whether the Alliance censors or
selects information intended for Allies. Baragilhame said that quality for
him depends solely on whether the information is useful. Even in rural
areas of Africa electronic means are relevant, working through
communication centers; however, rural radio is very important on the local
level.