Rainforest Literacy Project - Papua New Guinea

The Rainforest Literacy Project is based on the idea that laying the groundwork for genuine informed participation is a literacy challenge. The programme director claims that "The more literate a person is, the better able they are to form an opinion. And the more opinions you can bring to the discussion, the greater the collective knowledge." He speaks of "literacy that matters. You teach literacy by focusing on hot topics, topics that matter to the daily lives of these people. There's just no point addressing literacy without addressing issues of sustainable, economic development."

The project is based on a communication strategy called "Multichannel Learning", which is based on research that shows that people learn in various ways and through various means, and that the chances for successful learning are improved when more than one learning channel is used. Multichannel Learning reinforces its messages over and over through multiple media and in different settings. Organisers explain that this approach is designed to avoid the pitfalls encountered in earlier efforts to inform local farmers, which relied too heavily on extension workers who had only a limited understanding of tribal customs and modes of communication, and printed materials that the marginally literate people found too difficult to follow.

At the core of the project is a series of 'interactive radio instruction' programmes that are broadcast during scheduled meetings of the land group forum. In the village of Itokama, for example, representatives of 10 local tribal groups of the Managalas Plateau gather for strategy meetings focussed on how to manage and conserve their part of the rainforest, which is under threat from loggers and land developers. The meetings are centred around listening to a radio programme in Pidgin English. The programme and meeting's guiding principle is 'kuae-fie-nami' ('speak and understand each other'), meaning that the answers to land development problems lie in dialogue rather than in one-way initiatives.

Specifically, in what is meant to be an entertaining serial drama, actors portray colourful characters representing a variety of viewpoints on land development, forest conservation, family planning, and other issues. Points of audience participation are built into the radio scripts - listeners are invited to answer questions posed by the actors. The broadcasts also serve as launching points for facilitated discussions. Women's groups, youth groups, and clan groups, led by a facilitator trained in participative processes, discuss the opinions of the characters and, in the process, work to come to a consensus on best steps forward. In addition, the content of the radio programmes is repeated and reinforced in a variety of printed materials. These materials use simple vocabulary, clear explanations, and graphic symbols and illustrations in an attempt to communicate information to the semi-literate audience.

Literacy, Environment.

According to organisers, Papua New Guinea's land groups have a long tradition of participating in local and regional consensus-building forums. Today, these groups are faced with decisions about how to manage their land and balance cash crop and food production with sustainable conservation practices. About 6 million hectares, or 40% of the country's forested area, have been designated as potential logging tracts. Each year, some 180,000 hectares are logged, causing what organisers describe as irreversible damage to the forest cover. Tribal land groups legally own the land on which they live, and outside developers must gain prior consent from them for any development plans. However, many landowners have been enticed by the money offered by large corporations in exchange for logging rights. Organisers explain that the growing population and the need for income are pushing tribal peoples to expand their food and cash crop production, and younger generations are turning away from traditional forest conservation values and practices.