The Faculty of Integrated Development Studies at the S.D Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies UBIDS in the Upper West Region has launched a stand-alone Social and Behaviour Change Communication SBCC programme.
The programme which is the first of its kind in Ghana, will kick start in July and August this year.
The Certificate in Social and Behaviour Change Communication programme gives cutting-edge skills to analyze and present development issues more pragmatically and set the agenda for social discourse that will bring positive change to society.
Speaking at the launch, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Emmanuel Derbile said the modern University can only be relevant in the development of its programs are a response to meeting the development needs of society.
He acknowledged, the role of UNICEF in advancing international development particularly in their contribution to education, the wash sector and in particular in promoting child-centered development.
“As a university, we identified with your vision and mission to advancing the development of children because this is the only way we can guarantee a better future and sustainability for the world” he stated.
Professor Derbile was convinced that the certificate program in social and behaviour change communication will help contribute to building the capacity required for sustainable development in Ghana, Africa and the world at large.
He said, many of the challenges of development are social and can only be addressed in a sustainable way through effective communication.
“just last week I was in the Upper East Region and interacting with a Development practitioner he shared an experience about how a government intervention builds some toilets in communities and the case is that you go to these communities and the most beautiful edifice is a toilet. It raises many questions especially when you reflect over what the outcomes are that the communities abandoned the project, they don’t put it to use so when things like this happen we need to be asking ourselves why we are trying to improve people’s lives and they are not utilising the opportunity” he cited.
Head of Department for African and General Studies, Dr. Damasus Tuurosong who is also the brain behind the initiative explained why the new programme, “the department’s development communication program was heavily modeled on the very well-known modernization paradigm of development which privileges top-down mode of communication over bottom-up biological communication models”.
Dr. Tuurosong noted that their training processes were also theory-focused to the detriment of the more useful practical training components.
As a means of addressing these deficiencies in the curriculum, the department sought the assistance of UNICEF Ghana and Aid Agency which has extensive knowledge and experience in both theory and field application of communication for development.
UNICEF agreed to the department’s request and engaged a consultant for advice and approval.
Communication for Development Officer at UNICEF Ghana, Mrs. Charity Nikoi, said Ghana have reached a stage where a lot of our problems come from engagement with communities and also service providers and the need to place right policies to back these soft skills which are integrated into social and behaviour change communication.
Mrs. Nikoi expressed hope that the development will be accelerated much faster than they envisage. He stated that “We are going to support the university to go further with the diploma, degree and even the postgraduate course.
We know that the gaps that we found and the course that has been integrated will build the capacity of students that when they are left school, they will be ready for the job market.
Social and behaviour change communication students will have the capacity to go out and give their best for mother Ghana. The University will have the opportunity to also partner with people or industries that need thesethese soft skills such as the advertisers, agriculture, healthy, education amongst others”.
She pledged UNICEF support and commitment to the university to see that the SBCC for the development and well-being of women and children is achieved
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1MHZ| Dennis Bebane| Ghana
