PROMOTING PARTNERSHIPS IN TENSE TIMES
Hosted by the Spanish Agency for International Development Co-operation (AECID)
Madrid, 26-27 October 2023
Here are some takeaways from the 2023 DevCom Annual Meeting!
The development community and its communicators face major shifts.
- Policy priorities are changing.Multiple global crises have raised questions about whether development co-operation is still relevant, and about what official development assistance can and should fund.
- Geo-political rifts are growing. Development organisations need to re-establish their legitimacy and value in their partner countries and communities.
- Media landscapes are morphing. Artificial intelligence and new digital platforms have brought opportunities and challenges in engaging citizens for sustainable development.
Recognising these challenges, DevCom members have agreed to focus their 2023-2024 Work Programme on three work streams:
- Learning with Others: What can we learn from communicators in other countries, and from leading experts on public attitudes and media?
- Going Global: How can we communicate more effectively and collectively in different regions and partner countries?
- Campaigning for People and Planet: How can we join, support and contribute our content to the big global campaigns?
At the 2023 DevCom Annual Meeting, hosted by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in Madrid, DevCom members addressed all three of these questions. As every year, the meeting was a unique occasion for communicators to meet international peers, share experiences and lessons, and find collaborators for future work. The format was highly interactive, with space for networking, small-group work and social events.
Below, you will also find the agenda for this edition.
AGENDA
Session I: Promoting Co-operation & Multilateralism on the Road to 2030
Half-way to the 2030 deadline for the SDGs and Paris climate agreement, the world is off track. To get back on track, we need international co-operation and multilateralism. We need strong support from citizens and broad participation from all stakeholders. How can communicators promote co-operation and mobilise public action on the road to 2030?
Session II: Networking Session – What did we learn about good communications in 2023? What are our top tips for 2024?
In this interactive and fun session, we got to know our peers from the DevCom by sharing lessons from achievements and setbacks.
Session III: Peer Learning Workshop – Mastering the “old” and “new” media
In a fragmented media landscape, how do you get your development story into the news feed and onto people’s phones. And how do you ensure audiences engage with your message? In a set of small group workshops, participants shared experiences in engaging with traditional media outlets and journalists. They also discussed the evolving opportunities and challenges posed by new digital technologies.
Session IV: Evolving Policy Priorities in Development Co-operation
In response to multiple global crises and rising geo-political rifts, development organisations have begun re-inventing their roles. This has major repercussions for communicators.
- How do we communicate about feminist foreign and development policies?
- Is climate finance taking over other goals in development co-operation?
- How do we respond to criticism about ODA, e.g. about ODA being spent “at home” or on funding autocratic/corrupt regimes?
- Are the SDGs still a communications priority?
Session V: Keynote – Fighting Mis- and Disinformation, how communicators can help heal our troubled information ecosystem
The information ecosystem is polluted by mis- and disinformation, preventing us from addressing health emergencies, undermining climate action and fuelling conflicts. Mis- and disinformation erodes trust in institutions. How can communicators in development co-operation ministries and agencies support the fight against mis- and disinformation?
Session VI: Campaign Challenge – Engaging Young Citizens On and Offline
Participants worked in teams to build mock campaigns that seek to achieve one or more of the following goals:
- Engage citizens for the Sustainable Development Goals
- Raise awareness about gender and development co-operation
- Explain the links and trade-offs between climate action and international solidarity
- Respond to mis- and disinformation about development co-operation
Session VII: Communicating Effectively with Audiences in Partner Countries
In a tense geo-political landscape, development organisations face a growing level of criticism in partner countries. Critics point to historical grievances, ineffective aid programmes and insufficient respect for local priorities and perspectives. They also question the language and communications strategies used by many DevCom members.
To open this discussion, the DevCom Secretariat presented early findings from the DevCom workstream on “Going Global”: a survey of DevCom members; an overview of existing public attitudes data; and a literature review on the language used to talk about development co-operation. Members then discussed:
- How do citizens in Africa, the Pacific and Latin America perceive development cooperation?
- How can development organisations build trust and support, and tackle fake news? Do they need to change the language and narratives they use?
- Do development communicators need a new organisational set-up to go global? How can we co-ordinate and manage relationships with colleagues and partners at home and abroad?