The new IAMCR Working Group on Rural Communication (RUC) was launched at our last IAMCR Conference in Eugene. The working group aims to provide a platform for scholars and professionals working in the field of rural communication. The focus of the working group goes beyond the provision of services in rural areas and adopts a broad understanding of rural communication, ranging from the functioning of multi-stakeholder platforms, rural radio and other ICTs, agricultural extension services via farmer field school, SMS services and other channels to improving access to rural telecommunications infrastructures. Communication challenges to be addressed relate to the specific kind of communication and advisory services found in rural areas, the particular characteristics of rural communication infrastructures and the nature of the content and information relevant for rural people.
The working group was initiated by the Global Research Initiative for Rural Communication (GRI-RC), which seeks to mainstream communication for development into the wider development agenda and practice, and has been formed by the following institutions: The Centre for Communication and Social Change, The University of Queensland, Wageningen University & Research, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, University of Guelph, University of Reading, and University of the Philippines Los Baños. GRI-RC aims to collaborate in education and lead research into rural communication for development and social change and operates in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
We hereby invite colleagues and other interested to join the Rural Communication Working Group (RUC) by logging in to your IAMCR account, selecting My Sections and Working Groups from the menu and then follow the procedure to join the Working Group. On behalf of GRI-IC we also invite you to submit an abstract for the upcoming conference in Madrid.
Rico Lie & Sarah Cardey
Co-chairs of the Rural Communication Working Group