Developing Viable Social Policy for the Rural Poor: A Communication Approach
By Victor A. Massaquoi, Communication, Media & Social Policy Analyst
Because of globalization and other crucial political, economic and social factors, the effectiveness and richness of policies of nation-states and organizations are now being used as yardsticks to measure development efforts. This piece addresses the perceived roles of the experts living overseas, and religious institutions in Sierra Leone in the construction and execution of sound social policy for rural communities. I’ll begin by connecting elements in a fourth grade (class four) literature, Almond Snow, to social development advances in Sierra Leone. The story entails practical lessons we could learn from, especially those of us who care about social development in Sierra Leone.
Almond Snow is a short, sweet and brutally innocent love story about a Moorish King from Portugal, who went to Sweden on a royal visit, in the late 1800s. On arrival, he fell in love and married the Princess of Sweden. They returned to Portugal, few days later. Unfortunately, as winter came, the Princess (now Queen) was sad because of lack of snow; she was born and bred in a snowy country-Sweden. The part of Portugal where the King lived was warm, hence not ideal for snow. The King called three of his witty council members and asked them to find answers to the problem: How to make his Queen happy again? The wise men suggested several possibilities, including shipping snow from Sweden. Interesting! Fortunately, one of the peasants with no political ambition, just a poor, voiceless and insignificant gardener, was working in the garden, underneath the back elevation of the King’s palace, when he overheard the conversation, and suggested that they planted Almond Trees. They did! They planted hundreds of Almond Trees on the hillside of the town, and sooner, the trees blossomed, and white petals fell on the ground. The ground was covered with white almond petals, which looked like snow, and made the Queen happy again. How lovely!
There are several fitting lessons learned from the above summarized story that could be applied to social development and sound policy design in Sierra Leone: (1) listening to and involving the voiceless in formulating policies and executing decisions is critical in modern governance and non-governmental work because these poor people and rural communities have virtually no individual political agenda, but to fend their daily bread and hope for the basics of life; (2) soliciting advice from Sierra Leoneans, like the King did, with expertise in specific area of policy planning and implementation is essential; (3) utilizing all potential options, if possible, before concluding and implementing policy is a desirable quality in contemporary management; (4) exercising patience instead of peevish irrationality can be a fortunate virtue in the arsenal of the intelligent and politically, economically and socially savvy policy crafters; and lastly, (5) using communication, as the King demonstrably did, thorough talking, consulting, interacting and exchanging of ideas, usually produces fruitful outcome(s).
Communication has always been, and will continue to be, a significant social development device in the armory of approaches available to policy makers. But until those at the nucleus of political and economic power (back then and now) arrest their egoistic tendencies that tend to move stealthily into policy formulation with the propensity to undercut rural and social development programs and strategies because of the unconcealed ideological and social divisions that permeate the socio-cultural, political and economic corridors of Sierra Leone, sound policy for social development and social change will be far-fetched.
As I attempt to engage the social development and policy design issues through critical review of the status quo, it is abundantly clear that communication for social development has the constitutive and instrumental capacity privileged in the multiple approaches communication has to effect social development in rural areas, including producing a reasonably specialized communication plan within the overarching goals of past or current administrations. This is where people with professional backgrounds, coupled with local ties to areas that badly need sound social policy for development can come in and make a difference by working with the people as a facilitating channel to develop and execute social development policies that are germane to their situations. For example, a friend of mine, with two master’s degrees in international development and project management has been in Freetown for several years now, after completing his studies in the United Kingdom, but was never called upon, despite his previous attempts to sell himself to the previous government and the present one to help in the design of social development policy. Recently, he helped two civil organizations in Freetown (a religious group) and Port Loko developed strategic plans for the next five years; one was gratis.
From a religious perspective, communicating social development maybe very useful in Sierra Leone given the level of reverence people have for religion today; but if Max Weber, a former sociologist and political theorist were here today, he would have viewed the relative inaction or under-utilization of religion to facilitate and foster social development in Sierra Leone as tragic. This goes to his work on comparative religion in the sociology of religion, in which Weber believed that even though we can not regulate the social function of religion, however, religion has an elevated function in the development of society. Subscribing to this view, and to do justice to history, religion has been among the most powerful agents for social change dating back to the beginning of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism, to name a few. Religious leaders have the capacity to use religious texts that are so revered to define humanity, create and nurture human relationships and sustain faith. Religious leaders can do this through education, information, communication and creating hope via counseling and sermons, as primary vehicles.
Using ecumenical relationships among religious faiths, in Sierra Leone, can move mountains. If recent history is anything to go by then the works of the Inter-Religious Council and other faith-based organizations on HIV/AIDS education have been phenomenal.
The rural communities, the less-educated and the poor (women in particular) need to be empowered and encouraged to participate in social policy design processes. Communication can facilitate relationships among communities, the powers in Freetown and at local level, and would encourage bi-directional information flow.
By Victor A. Massaquoi, Communication, Media & Social Policy Analyst
Because of globalization and other crucial political, economic and social factors, the effectiveness and richness of policies of nation-states and organizations are now being used as yardsticks to measure development efforts. This piece addresses the perceived roles of the experts living overseas, and religious institutions in Sierra Leone in the construction and execution of sound social policy for rural communities. I’ll begin by connecting elements in a fourth grade (class four) literature, Almond Snow, to social development advances in Sierra Leone. The story entails practical lessons we could learn from, especially those of us who care about social development in Sierra Leone.
Almond Snow is a short, sweet and brutally innocent love story about a Moorish King from Portugal, who went to Sweden on a royal visit, in the late 1800s. On arrival, he fell in love and married the Princess of Sweden. They returned to Portugal, few days later. Unfortunately, as winter came, the Princess (now Queen) was sad because of lack of snow; she was born and bred in a snowy country-Sweden. The part of Portugal where the King lived was warm, hence not ideal for snow. The King called three of his witty council members and asked them to find answers to the problem: How to make his Queen happy again? The wise men suggested several possibilities, including shipping snow from Sweden. Interesting! Fortunately, one of the peasants with no political ambition, just a poor, voiceless and insignificant gardener, was working in the garden, underneath the back elevation of the King’s palace, when he overheard the conversation, and suggested that they planted Almond Trees. They did! They planted hundreds of Almond Trees on the hillside of the town, and sooner, the trees blossomed, and white petals fell on the ground. The ground was covered with white almond petals, which looked like snow, and made the Queen happy again. How lovely!
There are several fitting lessons learned from the above summarized story that could be applied to social development and sound policy design in Sierra Leone: (1) listening to and involving the voiceless in formulating policies and executing decisions is critical in modern governance and non-governmental work because these poor people and rural communities have virtually no individual political agenda, but to fend their daily bread and hope for the basics of life; (2) soliciting advice from Sierra Leoneans, like the King did, with expertise in specific area of policy planning and implementation is essential; (3) utilizing all potential options, if possible, before concluding and implementing policy is a desirable quality in contemporary management; (4) exercising patience instead of peevish irrationality can be a fortunate virtue in the arsenal of the intelligent and politically, economically and socially savvy policy crafters; and lastly, (5) using communication, as the King demonstrably did, thorough talking, consulting, interacting and exchanging of ideas, usually produces fruitful outcome(s).
Communication has always been, and will continue to be, a significant social development device in the armory of approaches available to policy makers. But until those at the nucleus of political and economic power (back then and now) arrest their egoistic tendencies that tend to move stealthily into policy formulation with the propensity to undercut rural and social development programs and strategies because of the unconcealed ideological and social divisions that permeate the socio-cultural, political and economic corridors of Sierra Leone, sound policy for social development and social change will be far-fetched.
As I attempt to engage the social development and policy design issues through critical review of the status quo, it is abundantly clear that communication for social development has the constitutive and instrumental capacity privileged in the multiple approaches communication has to effect social development in rural areas, including producing a reasonably specialized communication plan within the overarching goals of past or current administrations. This is where people with professional backgrounds, coupled with local ties to areas that badly need sound social policy for development can come in and make a difference by working with the people as a facilitating channel to develop and execute social development policies that are germane to their situations. For example, a friend of mine, with two master’s degrees in international development and project management has been in Freetown for several years now, after completing his studies in the United Kingdom, but was never called upon, despite his previous attempts to sell himself to the previous government and the present one to help in the design of social development policy. Recently, he helped two civil organizations in Freetown (a religious group) and Port Loko developed strategic plans for the next five years; one was gratis.
From a religious perspective, communicating social development maybe very useful in Sierra Leone given the level of reverence people have for religion today; but if Max Weber, a former sociologist and political theorist were here today, he would have viewed the relative inaction or under-utilization of religion to facilitate and foster social development in Sierra Leone as tragic. This goes to his work on comparative religion in the sociology of religion, in which Weber believed that even though we can not regulate the social function of religion, however, religion has an elevated function in the development of society. Subscribing to this view, and to do justice to history, religion has been among the most powerful agents for social change dating back to the beginning of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Judaism, to name a few. Religious leaders have the capacity to use religious texts that are so revered to define humanity, create and nurture human relationships and sustain faith. Religious leaders can do this through education, information, communication and creating hope via counseling and sermons, as primary vehicles.
Using ecumenical relationships among religious faiths, in Sierra Leone, can move mountains. If recent history is anything to go by then the works of the Inter-Religious Council and other faith-based organizations on HIV/AIDS education have been phenomenal.
The rural communities, the less-educated and the poor (women in particular) need to be empowered and encouraged to participate in social policy design processes. Communication can facilitate relationships among communities, the powers in Freetown and at local level, and would encourage bi-directional information flow.
posted by Vickylandys | 7:16 PM
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