Learning and sharing in communication
for rural development

The agricultural universities have their agricultural extension services. But how many messages practically deliver to the farmers? What are the methodologies of information dissemination of these agricultural extension services? The educational institutions should think for the impact of education in the rural areas. The objectives of the agricultural education should not confined to award the successful students with degrees. So, there is a need to re-look on the target, output and outcome of the extension services of the universities. In the developing countries like India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the agriculture education should not be confined to the campus of the institutions. It must go to the field and the information should be disseminated for the real practitioners. Here, I want to clarify one issue. The concept of information dissemination should be changed to a participatory model of communication. Our organisation - Commonwealth of Learning and Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia are working on a model of programme designing, known as Community Learning Programme. This model is focused on the local level, generally in one or perhaps two districts, involves local stakeholders from the outset in decision-making about topics, messages, and programme design and execution, bring together different types of groups – community networks, media/ICT outlets, health and development experts, public policy representatives – into collaborative programme design,...