Towards a global knowledge for environmentally sustainable development agenda in 21 st century southern Africa
Stanford Garikayi Mukasa · Communicare Journal for Communication Studies in Africa · 2022
After three decades of research and theorizing on the information andcommunication approach to development, there is no universal consensusamong researchers, academics, communication practitioners anddevelopment experts on the age-Old question: how does communicationand information causally relate to development? What has, instead,emerged is an alphabet soup of theories, concepts, approaches,paradigms and models on how information and communication mightimpact on development. Whether one looks at the various models ofinformation and communication for development; or whatever one calls it,the theories advanced under the various acronyms still do not conclusivelyaddress the basic question raised above. Is there a missing link, variableor factor in all of these attempts to causally relate information andcommunication to development? What assumptions are embedded in thecurrent theories of information and communication for development?The, article will, by way of addressing these questions, propose aninformation, communication and knowledge networking strategy that willaccommodate in a systematic way the varied and ever-changinginformation and communication needs of grassroots communities. Thepaper will map out a strategic vision for the information agenda forsouthern Africa, with a focus on the development of a new cadre ofinformation agents drawn from a cross section of society, and suggestpractical down-ta-earth strategies that can be implemented to successfully.and causally relate information, communication and knowledge todevelopment on a sustained basiS.