Our work around communicating research bridges the gaps that prevent important policy-related research findings from reaching wider audiences and influencing policy decisions.
25 Years of Communicating for Development
Program Areas
We live in a world in which exchanges, flows and consumption of information are central to everything. But many people do not have access to new technologies or essential knowledge.
Panos regards media pluralism as a precondition for sustainable development. The media is a key player in coalition of actors working to effect change. Yet for the media to play a crucial role in the development of the region it has to have the capacity and space for diverse views within society and diverse channels of communication. This relies on balanced information flows between and within societies on the issues affecting the poor.
Although some countries have shown remarkable progress in recent years, the media environment has long been restricted.
Pastoralists are an excluded majority when it comes to most of the policy and service delivery processes in the Eastern African region; their way of life has long lacked support from higher levels of government. Yet the environment on which their traditional lifestyle is based is changing rapidly. Many pastoralists live in drought-prone areas where resources are scarce and unstable, rendering their production systems inherently vulnerable. This leads to poverty in these communities.
Panos highlights gender norms and their impact by engaging the voices of those most affected by gender issues. We promote social justice through gender empowerment and train journalists about policies and issues that affect gender.
We have worked on issues such as:
Progress is ever so often held to ransom by multifarious conflicts -- national, international, regional, caste, communal, ethnic – that stymie its efforts to rise above abysmal poverty levels and take its rightful place in global polity. In a crowded and often establishment-friendly media environment, all parties to a conflict rarely get to voice their opinions. Twenty four hour breaking news channels that lay down media trends fuel event based reporting rather than viewing the context, causes and underlying issues in a conflict situation.
HIV/AIDS is a complex epidemic driven by a combination of behavioural, cultural, societal and economic factors. The participation of all sectors in all parts of the Caribbean in the decision making process is an essential step in lessening the impact of HIV/AIDS and reversing the current trends. Panos Caribbean has worked on the issue of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region since the organization began operations in 1986.
Governance is emerging as a key issue across in the regions Panos works in. Corruption and accountability of governments are key concerns for both local citizens and international donors. For example, in the 2010 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions index all six countries Panos Eastern Africa works in scored less than 3 on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being ‘highly corrupt’. Some countries are working towards strengthening democracy, having undergone or undergoing elections in the near future, and this makes governance a critical issue.
Panos is responding to climate change by ensuring accessible information is provided to those who will be most affected by the change in the environment.
One of the major challenges facing people affected by environmental change, campaigners and decision-makers is a lack of information.
Many people are unaware of the decisions made on environmental policy that will have a direct effect on their lives. Conversely, international and national policymakers do not always know about the needs and priorities of the local communities they represent.