Grass Root Communication for Social Change : A Case Study of the Communication Work in a Namibian NGO

More and more organizations integrate communication in developing projects, and due to the changing information and communication environment new communication opportunities are being created for social change. However it seems as if the processes of communication are not sufficiency understood. In this paper I seek to better understand communication processes and its relation to social change, in the context of the communication work in a non governmental organization in Namibia. To get a deeper understanding of the communication processes, I have constituted a communication framework that summarizes the most central communication components that have been found.

The study shows that dialogue, networking, and flexibility can be seen as essential components in the communication framework of Sister Namibia. Furthermore, to be able to understand processes of communication in development work, it is vital to have a holistic approach. Communication in development work can not be studied as an isolated phenomenon. It is a social embedded process that has to be studied together with the social actors and the environments they act in. The communication processes are determined and shaped by the whole society, where physical, cultural, social and psychological contexts are involved. In these different contexts knowledge, power, and material & social needs have been found as central aspects. They are needs and factors that are gained and created by individuals and groups in societies. They all affect the possibilities and capacities that people have to communicate, and are closely related to peoples capacity and possibilities to create changes in their societies.