Communication blogs

Making it real: social learning in practice

Our review of the literature and in-depth interviews confirmed five top tips for success in putting social learning into practice.

Can beans and dice change lives? The potential of serious, fun games

The power of games to get people thinking about their climate vulnerability was revealed this weekend at Development & Climate Days.

Playing climate change — can games unblock the negotiations?

Everyone loves a game. Putting some fun into the serious subject of climate change can be a powerful way to explain risk and the hard choices we face.

Climate resilient cities: a role for the media

Journalists can remind city officials and urban residents about ‘hidden finance’ for climate resilience, and ensure the money gets well spent, says David Dodman.

Virtual conferences: not in the future, but now

In this digitally connected world, could virtual participants meaningfully follow and take part in an IIED conference, cutting carbon footprints and expense?

CBA7: Live debate on climate change adaptation tweet-by-tweet

Read highlights from a fast-moving live online chat on how the poorest and most vulnerable can act to adapt to climate change.

Time to join the dots on environmental murders

In recent days the blood of environmentalists has flowed once again. A man in China got beaten. A man in Thailand was shot dead.They are just the latest in a long, and fast growing, list of people whose exposure of environmental crimes has made powerful men their enemies.

Chinese media in Africa

The ‘Chinese media dragon’ is raising its voice in Africa—and drawing criticism. So how much is cultural bias, and how much legitimate concern?

Climate change communication: 'A' is for audience

Suriya Begum is a poor young mother from Bangladesh. When her photograph appeared in a media story about climate change earlier this year, it was only so the article could show a victim — not so it could share her views.

People power critical for tackling climate change

As understanding of the severity of climate change rises, it’s increasingly clear that a negotiated global agreement on climate change is not enough – civil society has a central role to play too.

Three things that stop development organisations being agents of change

Many development organisations fail to become true agents of change. Liz Carlile sets out some of the obstacles and asks how we can help bring hard science and local knowledge together to provide better solutions at the community level.

New ways to communicate climate change and adaptation - is it time for something “loopy”?

We know that real change takes place when we learn by doing, and as development specialists we are all very good at telling people what to do. But as researchers and practitioners engaged in a shared learning process for change we still have a very long way to go.

What’s in a narrative? In policy, everything or nothing

Narrative means story, right? But not if you work on development policy, where narrative means something quite different: a framework for action, but one that can create problems if left to roll like a stone down a hill on its own.

Journalists are dying – literally — to tell stories of environmental plunder

It’s a sad reflection of reality that my first reaction to the news of Hang Serei Oudom’s murder was not one of shock or surprise.

Corporates could teach NGOs a thing or two about sustainability

Or, at least, about communicating about it. Corporates are using innovative social media approaches when talking about sustainability — non-profits should take note.

CBA6: tweet by tweet and blog by blog

Given that the theme of the 6th International conference on community-based adaptation to climate change was communications, it's only fitting that participants embraced social media with open arms.

Knowledge is power in this game of chance (called life)

Top tips for pitching climate change adaptation stories to the media

Mike’s advice was shared as part of a Dragon’s Den session, where practitioners at the conference worked in groups to come up with a story and pitch it to two journalists as part of the

Bringing the vision for IIED’s new working space to life

This was the hope of those planning the move, and the long-term aim in creating this new space is that it will serve to enhance IIED's ability to carry out its

Telling stories: the uses and misuses of communicating for change

Stories matter. The first session of the Climate Communications Day for journalists and media specialists at the UN Climate talks in Durban focused on the importance of telling stories to get the right messages out.

IIED at 40 – mature, confident and fitter than ever

Some people become more and more fixed in their minds as they get older. I hope IIED is an enquiring as ever, willing to shift ground when the evidence is clear, to be pragmatic rather than stuck in an ideological rut. We need to practice mental gymnastics to keep flexible and nimble in mind.