Footsteps 71

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Photo: Mike Webb, Tearfund

In this issue we look at different ways of sharing information. Communication is so important in development. We need to communicate well to share ideas and learning, to keep up to date with good practice, and to support and encourage each other. There are many other ways to communicate apart from writing. In oral cultures, visual images, stories, songs and role-play can be very effective ways of passing on information. Technologies such as mobile phones, computers and television can also be used to share information and provide new opportunities and access to information for remote communities.

Please find below articles from Footsteps issue 71 in html.

To download a pdf version of Footsteps issue 71, please click here (508KB).

Access to low cost technology Patrick lives in Western Kenya in a remote village with no electricity or landline telephone. His home, which he also uses as an office, is very simple, but he is able to use up-to-date technologies. He produces KiSwahili translations of development ... More >>

Bible study: Communication Have you ever been hurt by the words of a friend or colleague? How did it make you feel? How did it change your relationship with that person? It is probable that each of us has been wounded by the words of others. As a result, barriers can be rais... More >>

Blogging by Maria Kanini A blog is sometimes just a personal diary on the internet. But to me, it is more than that. It is a voice – my voice. The fi rst time I heard about blogging, I was excited. Finally, I could make my voice heard. Writing a blog gives ... More >>

Editorial In this issue we look at different ways of sharing information. For example, Footsteps is available as a printed magazine, on CD Rom, or can be read and downloaded from our website. Now it is also available as an email edition. On page 8 we look at h... More >>

Effective writing When we document information, whether it is for a report, case study, newsletter or poster, it is very easy just to write down everything we know about the subject. This can be very boring for the readers! It may also mean that they do not read past ... More >>

Encouraging local ownership of information by Isabel Carter One in six of the world’s population is unable to read and write. Many of these people speak local languages and may be unable to understand the national language of their country. This means they are often unable to access informa... More >>

Letters Disability and social inclusion Disability is the effect of physical, mental or sensory damage before, at or after birth, by any cause. It means that a person cannot perform his or her daily living activities as normal. Disability is both a cause a... More >>

Resources Partnering with the local church This exciting new ROOTS book highlights the role of the local church in integral mission. It examines the various relationships between Christian organisations and local churches. It provides models for working, inc... More >>

Sharing experience and learning together by Doug Reeler The aim of Community Development Resource Association (CDRA) is to help develop the capacity of community-based organisations working in development and social transformation in southern and east Africa. For CDRA, learning is a mai... More >>

Tele-secondary schools by Nigel Poole Access to education is often regarded as a human right, and achieving universal primary education is one of the Millennium Development Goals (Footsteps 63). Education has many benefits: Reading and writing skills are important fo... More >>

Using mobile phones: Training teachers with text messages by John Traxler The Government of Kenya has made education a priority, seeing it as a way to encourage social and cultural transformation on issues such as poverty, disease, child-marriage, corruption and adult illiteracy. In January 2003 the Gov... More >>

Working with the media by Babatope Akinwande The media is a major force in shaping both national and international agendas on development issues. ‘Media’ includes newspapers, magazines, radio, television, the internet, books, and other forms of publishing. If the media h... More >>

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