The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) will be embarking on a joint venture; collaborating on the upcoming Forum on Communication for Development & Community Media for Family Farming (FCCM).
The Forum will take place at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy from 23-24 October 2014 to raise awareness about the role of ComDev methods and tools as drivers for innovation and family farmers’ participation in rural development strategies. It will also identify opportunities for new demand-driven rural communication services as an integral part of public policies for rural and agricultural development.
The FCCM is expected to bring together a variety of rural stakeholders, including farmer organizations, rural institutions, development agencies, civil society, indigenous peoples, academia, community media and communication networks. They will be invited to present outstanding experiences, in order to spark discussion on the contribution of ComDev to family farming and to showcase the varied range of actors working in this sector.
To collect different regional and sector perspectives and to help set up a relevant agenda for the FCCM, three e-fora on “Communication for Development, Community Media and ICTs for Family Farming and Rural Development” were hosted by FAO- AMARC regional platforms in Asia (ComDev Asia), Africa (YenKasa Africa) and Latin America (Onda Rural).
In addition, a global consultation on the role of ComDev, community media and ICTs was launched on the E-agriculture platform to discuss and complement the outcomes of the regional consultations (22 September-6 October, 2014).
The Forum event sessions will have an interactive format and will cover the following themes:
- Session 1- The contribution of Communication for Development to family farming and rural development
- Session 2- The appropriation of communication by rural actors: experiences and evidences
- Session 3- Reconciling the priorities: the need for communication policies to advance family farming
- Session 4- Challenges, opportunities and options for rural communication services
- Session 5- Strategic initiatives for promoting rural communication services
The contributions and recommendations collected during the FCCM will be presented during the Global Dialogue on Family Farming, to be held in the framework of the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) to take place in Rome, Italy from 27-28 October, 2014.
Through webcast and @FAOComdev Twitter, the wider audience will also be able to follow the discussions and contribute their inputs. To follow the event and contribute your views, please use the hashtag #FCCM.
Check this interactive presentation of the FCCM (the concept note of the event is available here)
For additional information please contact: ComDev@fao.org