World Bank Communication policy and development

1. Communication Policy and Development
“Are World Bank policy prescriptions in the
communications sector conducive to development?”
Shehab
Zahda 

2. Introduction
 Deconstruction
 World Bank
 Development and World Bank ethos
 World Bank projects
 WB Strategic Requirements
 Long term Foundation
 Are the policies conducive to
Development?
 UNESCO‟s paradigm
 Conclusion
 Bibliography

3. Deconstruction
o To answer...

4. World Bank
1
IBRD
2
Bretton Woods
Conference 1944
IBRD - IMF

5. World Bank
 188 member states… Voting Power

6. Today WB’s main goal
is reduction of poverty
Neo-Liberal

7. Development & WB‟s ethos
 “Development is a specified state of
growth or advancement.”
(Oxford, 2013)
 People’s rights to equality and to
communicate are protected and advanced
in the Universal Declaration on Human
Rights.
(Article 19)
 Effectiveness in fighting poverty “WB’s
main priority” and meeting the other
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
World Bank has put forward few strategic
requirements and recommendations.
(Mefalopulos, 2008)
 It highlights the need to harmonize
communication strategies and
approaches, as indicated by the 9th UN
Roundtable on Communication for
Development.

8. http://www.worldbank.org/projects/search?lang=en&searchTerm=&sector_ex
act=General%20information%20and%20communications%20sector

9. The right and opportunity
people have to participate in
the decision-making processes
that affect their lives
WB Strategic Requirements (Mefalopulos, 2008)

10. Creating opportunities
for sharing knowledge
and skills
WB Strategic Requirements (Mefalopulos, 2008)

11. WB Strategic Requirements (Mefalopulos, 2008)
The process of
dialogue, debate, and
engagement that builds
public policies that are
relevant, helpful. (Public
Sphere)

12. WB Strategic Requirements (Mefalopulos, 2008)
Communication trends
that are taking place at
local, national, and
international levels for
improved development
action.

13. WB Strategic Requirements (Mefalopulos, 2008)
Adopting an approach
that is contextualized
within cultures.

14. WB Strategic Requirements (Mefalopulos, 2008)
Empowering people to have
their say, to voice their
perspectives, and to
contribute and act on their
ideas for improving their
situation

15. Long-Term Foundation
Strengthening Citizenship
and Good Governance.
Deepening the communication
links and processes within
communities and societies

16. Are these policy prescriptions conducive to
Development?

17. The five principal media development
categories
1. A system of regulation conducive to
freedom of expression, pluralism and
diversity of the media.
2. Plurality and diversity of media, a level
economic playing field and
transparency of ownership.
3. Media as a platform for democratic
discourse.
4. Professional capacity building and
supporting institutions that underpins
freedom of expression, pluralism and
diversity.
5. Infrastructural capacity is sufficient to
support independent and pluralistic
media.
(UNESCO, 2010)

18.  The WB‟s prescriptions are meant to eradicate
(reduce) poverty as a priority.
 WB projects‟ aimed to progress and change
Communication sector are secondary projects in
infrastructure and lending projects
„sanitation, telecommunications, infrastructure‟..
 Projects indirectly contribute to communication
sector but are not directly conducive to
development.
 WB‟s publications do contribute to the theory of
development communication rather than
communication sector itself in terms of
development.
 WB policies work represents a top-down
Conclusion and Thoughts

19.  WB projects comes under MDGs scheme where
Communication Sector is not a priority in
itself, and MDGs .
 WB projects do not deal with limestone themes
for development, like; cultural diversity, self-
determination of people, economic
pressures, environment, gender relations, and
political dynamics.
Conclusion and thoughts

20. Bibliography
 Allen, T. and Thomas, A., (2000). Poverty and Development in the 21st
Century. The Open University Press.
 Erixon, F. (2005). Aid and Development: Will it work this time?.
International Policy Network.
 Hopper, P. (2012). Understanding Development: Issues and Debates.
Cambridge: Polity Press.
 http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/development?q=develop
ment .
 Mefalopulos, P. (2008). Development Communication Sourcebook:
Broadening the Boundaries of Communication. Washington: The World
Bank.
 Servaes, J. (1999). Communication for Development: One
World, Multiple Cultures. New Jersey: Hampton Press, Inc.
 Sparks, C. (2007). Globalization, Development and the Mass Media.
Sage Publications
 UNESCO, (2010). Media Development Indicators: A framework for
assessing media development. Paris: Baseline arts.
 Wade, R. (2004). The World Bank and the Environment. In Boas, M. &
McNeil D. (eds.) Global Institutions and Development: Framing the
World?, pp.72-94. London: Routledge.

21. Any questions