[2006] The first World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD) took place in Rome, Italy, on October 25–27, 2006 and was organized by FAO, the World Bank, and The Communication Initiative. It was an unprecedented opportunity to gather three types of stakeholders who rarely interact: academics, practitioners, and policy and decision makers. The interaction and exchange of perspectives among these three groups served to enhance the overall understanding of the field of Communication for Development by a broader audience, and to promote it in the overall agenda of development and international cooperation.

These proceedings contain the wealth of knowledge included in the presentations, panel sessions, and plenary discussions that took place in Rome, which were organized around three major thematic areas: health, governance, and sustainable development.