|INDIA: Rushali Gajabhaye, of the Red Ribbon Club (RRCÕs), speaks to a village elder and her daughters. RRC's are voluntary village-level forums for young people to spread information on safe sex practises.|
Communication for Development (C4D) is one of the most empowering ways of improving health, nutrition and other key social outcomes for children and their families.
In UNICEF, C4D is defined as a systematic, planned and evidence-based strategic process to promote positive and measurable individual behaviour and social change that is an integral part of development programmes, policy advocacy and humanitarian work.
C4D ensures dialogue and consultation with, and participation of children, their families and communities. In other words, C4D privileges local contexts and relies on a mix of communication tools, channels and approaches.
UNICEF C4D envisions a world in which people come together as equals and dialogue so that all children, families and communities have access to the information, skills, technologies and processes they need to generate solutions; are empowered to make informed choices, reach their full potential; and participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their lives and realize their rights. C4D practice in UNICEF is consistent with UNICEF’s mission and the human rights approach to development.
C4D in UNICEF collaborates with partners to harness the power of communication and social networks to make a positive difference in the lives of children, their families and communities. C4D promotes the use of a judicious mix of participatory communication strategies and approaches in order to increase the impact of development programmes, accelerate achievement of global and development goals and enhance the ability of families and communities to achieve results for children and realize their rights.
|UNICEF C4D Principles|
These core principles guide how C4D practitioners in the organization work with communities, development partners and programme staff. These principles are based on the human rights based approach to programming, particularly on the rights to information, communication and participation as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Articles 12, 13 and 17).