Source
30.09.2018
Communication for Empowerment (C4E) is one of the practical approaches developed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to address the lack of inclusion and participation of marginalized and vulnerable groups in decision-making processes by identifying and meeting their information and communication needs through specific media strategies. UNDP developed a three-year C4E initiative (2007-2010) to pilot test the approach and tools. The pilot initiative was funded by the UN Democracy Fund and was implemented in partnership with UNDP country offices in Madagascar and Mozambique in 2008 and Ghana, Nepal, and Lao PDR in 2009. The pilots in Lao PDR and Nepal specifically focused on the information and communication needs of Indigenous Peoples and were implemented by the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok as part of its regional initiative, Indigenous Voices: Communication for Empowerment of Asia's Indigenous Peoples. Each pilot initiative consisted of three core elements: (i) review of the media context based on the existing research at the national level; (ii) information and communication needs assessments; (iii) program interventions informed by the findings of the assessment to ensure marginalized and vulnerable groups' participation in decision-making processes. The final country reports present the results of the quantitative and qualitative information and communication assessments carried out at the national, district and local level. The reports also present an analysis of the media environment and media penetration and crucially identify gaps in the information and communication flow from the national to the local level and propose recommendations.
Note: See source document for full reference.
Applicable to:
Cultural Factors: Communication
Hazards: Natural hazards, Man-made intentional hazards, Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations
Disaster Phases: All disaster phases, Preparedness, Prevention, Response, Recovery
Types of Actors Concerned: UN and other international organisations
Recommendations:
- Inform citizens about the risk they may face and about possible actions and measures, they can take to reduce vulnerability and better prepare themselves
- Foster the adoption of a culture of disaster prevention and resilience by informing and motivating citizens to take action
- Use cultural factors to improve the effectiveness of disaster communication