Virtual forum at Universidad Andina
During the coming weeks we will be catching up in this blog with the activities that members of the University Network have been implementing and that we have not had the opportunity to portray in due time.
We will refer here to an academic activity organized last September 2008 by the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, a founding member of the University Network represented through Erick Torrico, Director of the Master Degree on Strategic Communication. Karina Herrera-Miller, one of the Professors at the Master has sent us information related to the Communication for Social Change Forum, where 22 students participated and was facilitated by Alfonso Gumucio Dagron from the Communication for Social Change Consortium.
Prof. Herrera-Miller says that “the experience was highly positive because of the exchanges and discussion around this approach that helps to understand and use communication in development. The stories and points of view from Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Costa Rica -countries where participants are located- were articulated to agree on the strategic importance of establishing participatory communication processes from and with community groups, and to jointly define parameters of development and social change.”
“These virtual fora that have been implemented within each module of the Master degree cover specific themes. This was the first on communication for social change and a pioneer initiative to call in an expert who could promote challenging points of view and helped to deepen the discussion. Alfonso Gumucio contributed to the understanding of the main concepts and strategies of communication for social change, thus promoting a highly motivated and critical participation of the students”, - says Herrera-Miller.
In view of this encouraging experience, the Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar and the Communication for Social Change Consortium are willing to join efforts during 2009 and continue collaborating with each other.