Centre for Development Communication

At the Centre for Development Communication (CDC), we believe that sustainable development cannot be achieved without effective communication that is rooted in people’s realities. Too often, development is designed in boardrooms and reduced to reporting templates, leaving behind the voices and experiences of the very communities it seeks to serve.

CDC bridges this gap by combining research and practice. We generate evidence that explains how communication shapes governance, climate action, peacebuilding, and social change. At the same time, we translate that evidence into field-tested projects that empower communities, strengthen accountability, and influence policy.

Our flagship projects focus on themes where communication is not just a tool, but a transformative force — from democracy and conflict resolution, to climate change and energy transition, to amplifying citizen voices and disrupting internalised underdevelopment.

Through these projects, we are building a model of development communication that is participatory, evidence-based, and impact-driven.

Development Communication Training

Development Communication is the purposeful use of communication to promote social change, empower communities, and strengthen development initiatives. At the Centre for Development Communication, we offer specialised training and capacity building for NGOs, journalists, communication professionals, students, and researchers—equipping them with practical tools to design, implement, and evaluate communication approaches that create lasting impact.

Our training bridges theory and practice: from participatory communication and advocacy, to media engagement, storytelling, and integrating indigenous knowledge systems. By nurturing the next generation of communicators and strengthening institutions, we position communication as a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development

Democracy Communication for Accountability

Research Component:
Conduct empirical research on how citizens interpret governance messages, with a focus on trust, clarity, and accessibility. Examine which communication approaches (traditional media, social media, indigenous systems, community dialogues, town halls, etc.) are most effective in driving civic participation and demanding accountability from public officials.

Practical Component:
Design and pilot participatory communication platforms where citizens can directly engage governance actors. This could include community forums, radio call-in programmes, citizen-report cards, and digital feedback systems. The goal is to strengthen transparency, ensure citizen voices are heard, and build a culture of accountability through two-way communication.

Indigenous Communication for Climate Action

Research Component:
Undertake a nationwide study to document and analyse indigenous communication approaches used by rural and urban communities for climate change mitigation and adaptation. This will explore oral traditions, storytelling, festivals, community meetings, symbols, and proverbs as tools for awareness and collective action. The research will also examine the effectiveness, reach, and sustainability of these indigenous methods compared to modern communication channels.

Practical Component:
Translate the research findings into actionable toolkits for policymakers, NGOs, and development practitioners. These toolkits will provide guidelines on integrating indigenous communication into climate interventions, ensuring community ownership, cultural relevance, and improved adoption of climate-smart practices. Pilot training sessions for practitioners and community leaders will also be conducted to test applicability.

Community-led Conflict Resolution through Participatory Communication

Research Component:
Investigate how communities employ indigenous methods such as storytelling, dialogue, mediation, and consensus-building for peacebuilding. The research will document the effectiveness of these approaches in resolving local disputes, reducing tensions, and promoting reconciliation, with special attention to contexts such as farmer–herder clashes, inter-communal disputes, and family conflicts.

Practical Component:
Design and test participatory communication frameworks that strengthen community-led conflict resolution. This may include community peace forums, participatory theatre, joint storytelling sessions, and mediated dialogues facilitated by trusted local leaders. Pilot interventions will focus on conflict-prone communities to assess how participatory communication fosters trust, inclusivity, and lasting peace.

Health Communication for Community Wellbeing

Research Component:
Examine the role of communication in shaping health-seeking behaviour across rural and urban communities. Focus areas will include maternal health, vaccination uptake, HIV/AIDS awareness, malaria prevention, and emerging concerns such as mental health. The study will explore how trust, cultural beliefs, language, and message framing influence community responses to health interventions.

Practical Component:
Design and implement participatory health campaigns that combine modern health messaging with indigenous communication approaches such as folk media, proverbs, storytelling, and community drama. These campaigns will be co-created with community members to ensure cultural alignment, higher adoption, and long-term impact.

Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) for Development Impact

Research Component:
Investigate behavioural and cultural barriers that hinder the adoption of positive practices across key development sectors—governance, health, education, agriculture, and the environment. This will involve mapping how norms, beliefs, trust in institutions, and access to information influence community choices and resistance to change.

Practical Component:
Design and pilot BCC models tailored to local contexts. These models will leverage trusted and accessible communication channels—radio, theatre-for-development, community dialogues, peer-to-peer communication, and digital campaigns—to promote sustainable behaviour change. Special attention will be given to co-creating messages with communities to ensure cultural relevance, inclusivity, and measurable impact.

Citizens’ Voices Project

The Citizens’ Voices Project is an active initiative of the Centre for Development Communication designed to empower communities to speak, organise, and demand accountability from leaders across all levels of governance. Unlike research-oriented projects, this initiative focuses on practical empowerment, communication, and mobilisation.

Core Focus Areas:

Citizen Empowerment: Training and mentoring citizen reporters and advocates who amplify development needs and governance gaps.
Platforms for Expression: Running community radio programmes, podcasts, WhatsApp groups, and in-person forums that give citizens a voice.
Direct Engagement: Creating structured opportunities for citizens to present concerns to policymakers, service providers, and human rights institutions.
Accountability Advocacy: Documenting and communicating governance lapses while building coalitions with civil society and media to amplify citizens’ demands.