JALUKBARI, Nov 25 - A four�day regional conclave on capacity strengthening of academia, professionals and government in the area of social and behaviour change communication for empowering adolescents in Assam and NE, was organised by the Department of Communication & Journalism, Gauhati University in association with UNICEF at a city hotel from November 21 to 24.
Speaking at the valedictory function, Dr Mridul Hazarika, Vice Chancellor, GU, �We should try to make use of traditional values. Youths can totally build or destroy the world.� He urged the youths to inculcate modern and traditional values.
The four-day session was replete with words of wisdom from many renowned resource persons. The conclave emphasised incorporation of development communication in academic curriculum so that social and behaviour change communication can be achieved with the fullest association of adolescents and the society as a whole.
Patricia Mukhim, Editor of Shillong Times urged the media fraternity to promote developmental issues. Saswati Goswami, Associate Professor IIMC, Delhi said that market-driven psychology of media and society should not hinder the infiltration of development communication in India.
Veena Kumari, communication for development officer, UNICEF, Assam focused on more participatory communication in North East India for social and behaviour change of adolescents.
Eminent academicians like Professor KV Nagraj from Mizoram University, Prof RM Pathak from Banaras, Kinshuk Pathak from Bihar, Sunil Koijam from Arunachal Pradesh, Alankar Kaushik from Meghalaya, Shiv Jyoti Das Baruah from Nagaland and Surjya Chetia from Assam University called for a common forum of mediapersons, academia and professionals for evaluation and assessment of development initiatives in the region.
Prasanta Rajguru, Editor, Amar Asom highlighted identification of key factors affecting the behaviour of adolescents in conflict situations as in North East India.
Prof NA Barua from Gauhati University, highlighted the basic need of investment in education for empowerment of adolescents. Dr Abhijit Borah and Dr Jaya Chakraborty from Tezpur University shared their experiences of introduction of communication for development courses as a full-fledged master degree course for their next academic session. The conclave considered participatory video as one of the effective tools to influence adolescents.
There were more than a hundred participants from North East India, including NGOs, students and research scholars.
