Debbi Wins10 international development consultant

Successful international development relies on clear communication. Field-tested tools surmount literacy and language barriers. Beneficiaries collaborate with project managers, officials and other stakeholders on democracy, education, health, human rights and microfinance. When people know that their voices count, projects succeed.

◄Community Knowledge Centre, INDIA Kangra and Reit blocks, Himachal Pradesh ►

Farmers in 50 rural Himalayan villages engage with Jagori, a small, progressive organization that trains youth and women. In four days, Debbi facilitated learning sessions on mobilizing participation in the centre through games and drawings. The young people realized that knowledge lives in all of us, and tested new ways of reaching different people.

◄Community Radio, INDIA New Delhi; Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; Dahanu, Maharastra ►

In 2007, the Indian government (GOI) began giving NGOs low power FM broadcast licenses. Advocates are working to simplify the process so that more people can benefit. Debbi demonstrated simple procedures to quickly engage diverse community members with this new medium at the Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS) first eIndia Community Radio conference. www.eindia.net.in/communityradio/agenda.asp

Debbi was the only outside expert at North India Regional Consultation organized by Commonwealth Education Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Debbi also outlined community mobilization methods for community activists throughout India a grassroots workshop that included technical training. www.nomadindia.net/workshop.htm

◄Diompilor: Capacity Building for Peace and Development, AFRICA, Liberia ►

Advising community communication efforts for one-year, Debbi guided local staff in gathering and presenting health, farming and civic education with one hundred pilot villages. Novices developed new skills to present weekly drama, interviews and original music for positive behavior change.

Debbi helped two teams mobilize community outreach and devise literacy optional training for volunteers to establish and manage 25 new low power radios throughout the country.

◄Bangladesh Human Rights Advocacy Project, SOUTH ASIA ►

Increased awareness of human rights resulted from outreach to media and NGOs. Debbi and a colleague evaluated constraints and resources for accurate reporting on culturally sanctioned violence against women.

They designed an innovative interactive training series to engage media reporters and editors. Several participants later endured retaliation for award-winning investigative journalism. www.iwmf.org/features/9048