The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
2 minutes
Print
a- a+
Published 18 years ago
Last updated 1 year ago
Read so far

Fields of Fish

0 comments
In 2004, the Aquaculture and Fish Genetics Research Programme (AFGRP) - a collaboration between the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Institute of Aquaculture at Scotland's University of Stirling - engaged in a partnership with the Eden Project to create a programme of engagement for the United Kingdom (UK) public. The aim of the 3-day exhibition called "Fields of Fish" was to raise awareness about the International Year of Rice, or IYR, (2004) and - more broadly - natural resource management (NRM) issues, with a specific focus on fish production in the rice fields of Bangladesh. (2004 was also the year that the Institute of Aquaculture celebrates 25 years of linkage with Bangladesh, which explains this particular programmatic focus). As part of this collaboration, AFGRP's efforts to celebrate IYR featured interactive exhibits, a community-theatre drama, a school package, a video, and various printed materials. The goal was to spark public interest in learning about fish production in the rice fields of Bangladesh, and about issues relating to biodiversity from rice fields, fish as agents in integrated pest management (IPM), and the role of the entire family in ensuring sustainable food production methods.
Communication Strategies

Collaboration was a crucial tactic in creating the rice-fish "Fields of Fish" exhibit unit, which drew approximately 100 members of the public per hour over a 3-day period. (Organisers felt that using a large UK visitor attraction - namely, Eden - enabled them to reach sectors of the public that would not have otherwise heard about their work, as well as to garner increased media coverage.) To cite an example of this collaborative strategy, as part of the process of creating the exhibition, connections with the British Bangladeshi community were explored through various presentations and meetings.

A variety of communication tools and techniques were used as part of the Fields of Fish "pod", which contained interactive exhibits including a computer game, "snakes and ladders", quizzes, and decorations like a cast net, fish traps, models of exotic fruit, children's books from Bangladesh, musical instruments, and rice sorting trays. (One purpose of these strategies was to engage children who were attending the exhibition). A video ran on a loop in an effort to help people learn about life in Bangladesh and how successfully people can adapt to harsh environmental conditions. In addition, the drama "Fishless" was performed as part of this weekend exhibition; it was created by the community theatre programme at the MacRobert Arts Centre.

Another part of the exhibit involved posters, which were created through the participation of children. A collaboration with Ullswater College led to the creation of school curricula exploring the subject of rice and fish for pupils aged 9-11. The children were given a resource pack which included a written presentation and a series of internet links; they were asked to draw on this information to develop posters that would be displayed at Eden Live. The winning example was created by a boy who presented the issues as though he were a farmer making decisions. During the exhibit, 15 teachers signed up to receive the information pack for use in their own schools, and to pass to colleagues.

In order to improve the potential impact of the exhibit, organisers felt people should have something to take away to ensure that they would keep connected with
the programme. Eden does not encourage leafleting on the basis that many of them are discarded - wasting resources and creating a litter problem. So, organisers opted to design small business cards with the programme (AFGRP)'s website URL on one side and short informational messages on the other. These were printed in Bangladesh.

As part of the exhibit, an information point was created as the focus to discuss rice-based livelihoods. Also, regular visitors to Eden and those wishing to support its work sign up to become "Friends of Eden". These regular visitors can take part in a seminar programme, one session of which featured a talk about NRM-related work in Bangladesh. It was decided that it might be useful to provide people with a meal consisting of rice and fish to accompany the discussion; tilapia was selected as the centrepiece of the meal, in part because it was locally available from a small producer in Honiton, Devon.

Development Issues

Natural Resource Management, Children.

Partners

AFGRP (a programme of DFID managed by the University of Stirling), MacRobert Arts Centre, Ullswater College.

Sources

Email from Anton Immink to The Communication Initiative on July 27 2007; and "Fields of Fish: People, Fish, Rice", Summer 2004, sent by Anton Immink to The Communication Initiative on July 30 2007.