Communication is aid

Communicating and community engagement with crisis-affected communities: an introductory course

When disaster strikes people need food, shelter, water and safety. They also need information and they need to be able to communicate – with each other and with those trying to help them. Through information provision and dialogue, affected people are enabled to make informed decisions on critical issues.

This free, self-guided course is an excellent introduction to how communication and community engagement can enhance humanitarian and development work. You will gain an understanding of:

  • How communication can be used to support disaster-affected people and programme objectives.

  • How to assess the information needs of the community and decide which communication channels should be used to reach them.

  • How to create and adapt information and messages to maximise impact.

  • How to develop a communications strategy.

  • How to manage and respond to feedback from the community.

The online course takes about three hours to complete. You will be faced with a series of interactive scenarios, giving you the opportunity to apply the basic concepts of ‘communication as aid’ as you learn.