NEW DEVELOPMENT THROUGH COMMUNICATION INFORMATION, IDEAS AND LINKAGES
Dear Colleagues,
The Communication Initiative web site has been significantly re-designed.
There are a number of new sections, much additional information and greater
opportunities for interaction. Please direct all responses, comments and
contributions to Warren Feek wfeek@coastnet.com The URL for the site
remains the same
The following summarises the role of the site, the major sections and the
opportunities for you to position information about your organisations
activities and experiences for the benefit of all those taking action on
international development issues. Contact information can be found at the
conclusion of this note.
ROLE OF THE SITE
The site [ and the related e-mail magasines The Drum Beat and Media Beat]
cover:
- the range of development issues [eg poverty, HIV/AIDS, education, health,
reproductive health, economic development, governance, gender, children,
rights]...
- with an emphasis on programme action, policies, evaluation and research,
support materials, employment opportunities, consultancy assistance,
strategic thinking and other ideas...
- related to entertainment, news and information, awards, interpersonal,
community participation, traditional media, radio, television, the
internet, live drama, community action and other communication media and
styles.
There is also information on communication trends such as usage of radio
and the internet and summaries of planning models and change theories.
INTENDED USE
The Web Site, Drum Beat and Media Beat are designed to serve the
information and networking needs of a number of groups including:
- people managing and working in development programmes who wish to learn
about the experiences of their peers and to contact and dialogue with
people they feel might be helpful to their efforts;
- managers, directors and staff of organisations who wish to review their
communication strategies and initiatives and/or plan the next phase in the
development of those interventions;
- policy makers and the managers of large organisations who wish to review
the state-of-play in communication, development and change in order to
provide an information, resources and ideas base that guides the next phase
of their strategies;
- journalists, editors, writers and others involved in news and
entertainment as both background on communication and development issues
and as prompts for stories and drama ideas;
- professors, lecturers and students as an information and contacts base
for research and assignments and as electronic course materials; and
- researchers and evaluators in support of their work.
SECTIONS OF THE SITE
The sections of the web site are:
HOME PAGE [New Design] http://www.comminit.com/
Redesigned into 3 columns in the style of a portal site. The news column
changes every week. Direct link to Partner Organisations. Faster download
time than previous design.
STRATEGIC THINKING http://www.comminit.com/strategic.html
Summaries of some of the interesting and emerging thinking in this field
[eg the work on communication and social change]. Please submit
presentations that you would like included in this section.
SEARCH [New Design] http://www.comminit.com/search.html
Customise your information and ideas search to your particular needs. On
the C.I. site there are over 3,000 pages of information, including 800
programmes, 110 evaluation results, 65 country cmmunication status
summaries and much other information. The information base for the search
now includes the web sites of the 11 partners as well as The C. I. site. We
will be further expanding the search field to include other relevant sites
- providing a one stop search facility for communication, change and
development. Please let us know if you want your site to be considered for
inclusion.
PLANNING MODELS
http://www.comminit.com/power_point/planning_strategy/index.htm
40 one or two page summaries of planning models designed for communication
strategies and programmes on development issues. Please send your favourite
planning and strategy model or framework for inclusion.
CHANGE THEORIES
http://www.comminit.com/power_point/change_theories/index.htm
27 summaries of the change theories that [can] underpin communication,
change and development work. Please send summaries of the change theories
that you prefer for inclusion in this resource.
CONSULTANTS REGISTER [NEW]
http://www.comminit.com/exchange.html
A listing with details of 40 [so far] communication, development and change
consultants. If you are a consultant and wish to be part of this register
please send a one page summary with an indication of your interests.
VACANCIES [NEW] http://www.comminit.com/vacancies.html
A listing of staff vacancies in this field. For further information on
listings have your Personnel/Human Resource Director call or email at the
contacts below.
EVENTS CALENDAR [NEW] http://www.comminit.com/bin/calendar/events_cal.cgi
This is the prototype. Presently it contains limited information and will
be modified. Please send info on your events - conferences, workshops,
training courses, etc - for inclusion in the events calendar.
BOOK STORE [IN DEVELOPMENT] http://www.comminit.com/bin/books.cgi
There will be a book store on the site. It will sell leading texts in this
field. Discussions are presently taking place with publishers. If you want
your book[s] to be featured and sold through this process please get in
touch. An announcement will be made when the virtual shelves are filled!
DISCUSSION FORUM [NEW] http://www.comminit.com/bin/forum/
Log on and participate in on-line discussions with colleagues and peers in
other countries and continents. There is a general section and also some
specific themes. Please suggest themes and issues for discussion.
UNIVERSITY COURSES [NEW] http://www.comminit.com/university.html
Lists University courses related to communication, change and development,
with initial information and links to more detailed course and study
descriptions, This is the beginning of this listing. We intend to build a
more comprehensive information base during the next 6 months. Please submit
your programmes and courses for inclusion.
MATERIALS http://www.comminit.com/materials.html
Initial listing of materials - pamphlets, brochures, booklets, training
info, etc - that are generally freely available from the sources quoted.
Please send materials you want to have included. As this list grows we will
categorise for easy reference. Many of these materials will also "pop-up"
through the search system [see above].
PARTNERS http://www.comminit.com/partners.html
Direct access to The Communication Initiative Partner organisation sites.
LINKS http://www.comminit.com/links.html
Links to other relevant web sites - additional to the Partner sites.
THE DRUM BEAT http://www.comminit.com/drum_beat.html
THE MEDIA BEAT http://www.comminit.com/news.html
Present and past issues of these two e-mail magasines, with a place to
subscribe.
Thanks to everyone in the field who made comments during the re-development
of this site.
The web site is designed and maintained by Todd Hooge at DOUBLE EDGE
MARKETING ASSOCIATES. Contact thooge@dedge.com. Brooke Hayes also made a
significant contribution.
We very much look forward to your comments, contributions and ideas. This
is a dynamic site. We want to respond to your needs and suggestions.
With many best wishes.
Warren Feek
Director
The Communication Initiative
wfeek@coastnet.com
http://www.comminit.com/
ph 1-250-658-6372
fx 1-250-658-1728
THE COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE Partnership - Rockefeller Foundation, UNICEF,
USAID, WHO, BBC World Service, CIDA, Johns Hopkins University Center for
Communication Programs, The European Union, Soul City, The Panos Institute,
UNAIDS.
Information and dialogue on communication, development and change.
