| Information
and communication are critical components of livelihoods approaches, as shown
by a new website from FAO, DFID and ODI. They are essential to supply the information
required by the poor in order to make decisions on their livelihood strategies.
They are also essential to supply information required by institutions responsible
for making decisions about the policies and processes to support these strategies.
At
the same time that Livelihoods Approaches are being adopted, new information
and communication technologies are expanding rapidly into many developing
countries, creating a digital divide between those who can afford state of the
art telecommunications and internet access, and those who cannot. Non-digital
and traditional communication channels, which have been effective in supplying
information, may be submerged or overlooked in the rush to online systems. People
and their communication objectives should lead policy, not the technologies available
to support them. FAO,
DFID and ODI undertook a study in 2001-2002 which included a literature review
and field trips to three countries to: - analyse
the role of information in livelihoods, and
- make
recommendations on how agencies can capitalise on and integrate the best elements
of traditional communication methods and the ICT revolution technologies within
the livelihoods approach.
This
website presents the key findings, including subsequent follow up work.
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