BUJUMBURA March 18th (ABP) – The Burundian media are called upon to align themselves with the National Communication for Development Strategy in order to support the National Development Plan (PND Burundi 2018-2027). The appeal was launched in Ngozi (northern Burundi) last week by the Director General in charge of Communication and Media, Mr. Jacques Bukuru, during a workshop to popularize that strategy for journalists.
According to him, the government of Burundi, through the PND 2018-2027, is committed to achieving its objective of establishing priority programs for economic and social development towards the emergence of the country by 2027.
During that decade, all institutions, public authorities and non-state development actors in Burundi will be inspired by and will therefore align themselves with this new strategic planning instrument with 3 Challenges, 5 Orientations, 16 Axes and 51 Objectives.
It is within that framework that a National Communication Strategy for Development in support of the PND (SNCD-Burundi)” with the overall objective of improving and strengthening the level of participation of all stakeholders in the implementation of the PND Burundi 2018-2027 has been drawn up in order to achieve sustainable, inclusive and participatory development.
The many development actions that will be undertaken, within the framework of the PND, to improve the quality of life of the populations need to be supported by communication for development. It is a question of reinforcing the capacities of the populations to self-development by adopting a strategy of change of behaviors by using several techniques of communication in particular sketches, theaters, visits of exchanges of experiences, competitions during the festivals, fairs and exhibitions, workshops, internet and social networks.
According to him, the PND2018-2027 recognizes the importance of the media and communication by specifying that the role of the press and the media in general is a capital for effective support of such a dynamic of change.
With communication for development, the community must be at the center of its development. It is a question of identifying the real problems of the populations by handing them the microphone so that they can speak for themselves about what they need in order to enlighten the politicians on the real wishes of society.
It will also be, according to Mr. Bukuru, to create communities of communication for development. On that, he praised the work already done by community radios in this area and invited the other media to follow suit in order to be able to change certain attitudes and behaviors that do not promote development such as laziness, loneliness, corruption, dishonesty; GBVs; and so on. That is why, he recalled, the Ministry in charge of Communication has asked all the media to develop techniques that can enable them to measure the impact of the information they disseminate in the people.
According to him, a continuous and sustained effort of information, education and training over at least two generations will be necessary in order to be able to fundamentally reduce the heavy behavioral tendencies which constitute major constraints to economic and social transformation…
More than just a strategy, communication for development is a major social process based on the promotion of dialogue between communities and decision-makers at local, national and regional levels, he said.
It is an evidence-based process. It uses a combination of communication tools, channels and approaches to facilitate participation and engagement with young people, families, communities for positive social and behavioral change in development settings.