ICCADES - Central America

The goals of ICCADES's communication activities are established by the communities themselves. Meetings were held between environmental NGOs in the region and local organisations from both countries; attendees exchanged experiences and work on a joint bi-national proposal for sustainable development.

ICCADES organises training sessions for local radio broadcasting companies and peasant organisations from both countries, who are trained to establish communication strategies to support the process. The radio broadcasts allow the communities to share information on their local initiatives and promote their experiences.

At a bi-national level, the communication activities are aimed at influencing the decision-making process in the political, legal, and technological environment. Their work focuses on seeking legislative support for both sustainable development of natural resources and the economic development of local communities.

At the regional level, ICCADES supports the exchange of experiences among communities through peasant meetings, community-generated activities, and communication process evaluation.

In an effort to develop communication capacities among local organisations and the region's communication media, ICCADES developed a teaching proposal and a series of teaching modules, validated through community practice in the region. The purpose of these materials is to:

• Train communities and local organisations in the use of multimedia technologies, as well as in the development of their own strategies to impact the national public agenda
• Train media so they may develop participation mechanisms with communities
• Train local media so they may improve the quality and quantity of coverage focused on local sustainable development.

Development Issues
Environment, Economic Development, Political Development.

Organisers point out that there are more than 20 major river basins in Central American that are shared by two or more countries. The largest of these basins, the San Juan River Basin, is an ecological and social unit with its own cultural identity. Despite its natural potential, organisers claim, this area is economically undeveloped due to its distance from administrative centres, its political isolation, and its exploitation by private business initiatives. In an area so affected by social and economic marginalisation, organisers see the need to strengthen communication links between the surrounding communities and government institutions.