Training on information and communication technologies (ICT) and the media took place from 30 April to 1 May in Aroab (Karas region, Namibia), with UNESCO’s support. It was organized by the Namibian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in cooperation with the New Era newspaper in order to develop “win-win” partnerships for rural communities and the media in Namibia.

Sixteen youth volunteers from the Multipurpose Community Centre in Aroab took part in the training that provided them with ICT and basic journalistic skills. The training also allowed them to acquire new capacities in order to participate in public debates and to make informed decisions.

Participants identified topics of interest for their community through “community conversations”, a participatory methodology used to strengthen capacity of a community to address social and development issues. This approach is implemented with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The dynamics of the methodology provide a platform for people to reflect on all the repercussions of a situation, creating space for mutual learning and resulting in new perspectives that deal in depth with the discussed issues.

As an outcome of the training, participants produced materials that will be uploaded to the New Era website.

The training in Aroab was a follow-up to the research carried out by MISA Namibia on the needs of community media centres and community radios in Namibia. Both the research and the training fall within the framework of the MDG-F Programme, Setting things right - towards equality and equity, and seek to promote community participation in sustainable development through community media.