Participatory communication in indigenous health development: A focus group study

The main objective of participatory communication is empowerment of communities to achieve the ultimate goal. The participatory communication mainly focuses on the opinion of involved people. In all the development communication this participatory paradigm is applicable successfully. This report is about the focus group Nepal & Australia. This study found out & examines, compares the perception of two allies of indigenous people. The study was took place at the University of Melbourne by Netra B. Khadka.

In this paper we can see the health development campaign was held in two different please, there are two different groups were participating in this campaign. One is Nepalian villagers and another one is remote Aboriginal community of central Australia. It was two-way dialogical communication. The Australian Government with aboriginal communities a community nutrition program carried out under the governmental health program, utilizing local clinics, was the main basis for the discussions. Both Nepal & Australia the 10-15 young people were participated willingly as volunteer in Nepal the volunteers are male & female, but in Australia there was no female volunteer. They followed the rationale of participatory communication it involves “audiences” (people/communities) in “dialogue, collaboration, and group decision making” (Stuart & Bery, 1996, p. 200), and considers them as the “ultimate and perhaps the most important beneficiary of development communication policies and planning”

Two step participatory communications is the most appropriate and most working one. It was seriously and positively taken by Austrian indigenous. A dialogical two-way communication was used to communicate and advance the program. To avoid the language barriers, the discussion in Nepal was completely done in their mother tongue. English was used for the aboriginals since they knew English.All the discussions were tapped and then translate to English. A computer program, NUDIST was used for data and information analysis.

A project can be 100percent successful when 100percent people were involved in the project. Matter that not even in Nepal the peoples were not fully involved in the nutrition program. This may be happened for the lake of information they provided. In this study the lake information was the main barriers, therefore the project was not fully successful. It was very difficult to involve all the people in the process but it is possible by a good communication.

The study on the Australian was not too much effective I think, because the program was taken by government and the people was used to take medicine from nearest clinic whenever they feel seek. They have not got important information during the service delivery process on serious health problems.

The P-Process

The p-process is a pre-designed model for the development communication.
It is actually a framework guide for the communication professionals to make a proper communication for sustainable development for the selected people.
Different Steps of the P-Process:
1. Analysis
2. Strategic design
3. Development and testing
4. Implement and Monitoring
5. Evaluating and re-planning
1. Analysis:
It is the first step of p-process for the effective development communication programs. This step does not take long time to analyze but sometimes it varies.
Example- In 1992 assessment of journalists' needs involved in-depth interviews with key editors, reporters, and family planning public information officers and focus-group discussions with rural journalists. The assessment found that journalists were interested in family planning and population issues and thought them important but had limited access to information sources and assistance in covering these topics.
2. Strategic Design:
"S.M.A.R.T" can be extended - Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic and Time-bound. It is used to control & develop a program loom, position, determining the channels, and to draw up an Implementation plan, to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan.
3. Development and Testing: Development and Testing directed to develop concepts, messages, materials and participatory processes. This step is guided by the previous 2 steps. It is the lengthy process requires checking Development Tests, Improvisation, and Retests.

4. Implementation and Monitoring:
It monitors the outputs or the result of the action has been taken. It also maximizes participation, flexibility and training.
Evaluation and Re-planning: In this step the professional have to evaluate or measure the result of the previous program, how much did it achieved its goal or not, and then take initiative for Replanting the whole program.
This is how the p-process works.

Defining Strategic Communication:

Strategic communication can be defined as the planned, organized information flow via media for sustainable development.
Strategic communication management is defined as the systematic planning and realization of information flow, communication, media development and image care in a long-term horizon. It conveys deliberate message(s) through the most suitable media to the designated audience(s) at the appropriate time to contribute to and achieve the desired long-term effect. Communication management is process creation. It has to bring three factors into balance: the message(s), the media channel(s) and the audience(s).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Communication

Different Paradigms of Development Communication:

There are three different types of paradigms-

Modernization: This is the oldest paradigm, which started after the World War II. The concept or the idea of this was to "modernize" Underdeveloped countries by making them follow the footsteps of a richer stronger country, in spite of of their race, culture, economy and religion. It’s never emphasis on their own culture, they just want to make the road, which will flow by the under develop country.

Dependency: 1960 when the other paradigm took place called Dependency paradigm, by opposing "Modernization Paradigm". The basic concept of this paradigm also continued in the linear one way model, but they had a little emphasized on the link between communication and culture.

Participation: The latest one still exists. It’s actually emerged when the "modernization and dependency" unsuccessful to give a successful model. The model started to work, with the participation of all the people. It gives value to the peoples cultural, social & political view.

History of Development Communication

Nora Cruz Quebral. in the field of Development Communication in Asia, she known as the "Mother of Development Communication". Due to his pioneering influence in the field, Rogers has often been termed the "father of development communication."
Radio forum was the first development communication which held in Canada. From 1941-1965 the forum organized a radio program for the farmer. There was a question, answer session after the program broadcasts every day, printed material were supplied to the farmer. The forums also deal with social and economics problems. After that India & Ghana also used this model for Adults distance education. Instructional Television was used in El Salvador during the 1970 to improve primary education. Korea used this model to reduce birthrate & to improve village life. In 1999 during Kosovo War the U.S. Government and D.C. Comics was planned to distribute 600,000 comic books to children affected.