communicating amid the rumors
08:05, 28 January 2009
.. Posted in Communication, Outreach and General Mngmt.. Link
Communications in developing countries comes with particular challenges, especially in so-called "post-conflict" situations. Such are rife with misunderstandings and rumors (something I am particularly interested in), creating a very daunting task of getting even basic information out to a population.
One of the best illustrations of this is the last segment on the June 20, 2003 episode (#240 "I'm in Charge Now") of This American Life, a radio show based out of Chicago. In the last segment of this episode is a report by Adam Davidson on the "ominous information gap" between the U.S. military and other officials and the Iraqi people.
If you work in aid and development and wonder why it's so hard to get your message across to local staff or the local community, listen to this last segment. It's starts at the 40 minute mark of the episode. The show is free to listen to on the Internet (but a donation is encouraged).
You can also read more about my own work in aid and development, focused mostly on communications.
