Question

What is community participation role in Public Awareness Programmes? Support your answer with examples.

Answer 1

1. Group meetings in the community: Resident associations can undertake to manage the cleaning of their area. Women are generally more concerned about the maintenance of health and hygiene and are involved in domestic waste management on a day-to-day basis. The awareness among the women could be raised through Mahila Mandals/Women's Associations among women.
2. Workshops: Religious leaders, medical practitioners, etc., play a significant role in bringing about a change in the mindset of the people. If they advise people to keep their surroundings clean by not littering anywhere and by managing their waste as advised by the urban local body, it will go a long way in improving the situation in the urban areas.
3. Use of Print Media: Advertisements may be given in a planned manner to educate the masses, and local newspapers can also be requested to give the message of keeping surroundings clean at regular intervals. They should also be encouraged to start a regular suggestion box from where good ideas can be picked up. Newspapers may be specially encouraged to give coverage to successful initiatives.
4. Use of Cinema Halls: Slides in cinema theatres can be displayed to inform and motivate the public.
5. Use of Voluntary Organisations, NGOs: NGOs and voluntary organisations may be persuaded to actively support the new strategies adopted by the local body and to associate in public awareness campaigns.
6. Primary School Curriculum to Cover the Subject: It is necessary to educate young children when they are in primary school to form good habits for managing waste. The school curriculum should cover this aspect in the subject of moral science or social studies. This will go a long way in developing an enlightened community, and the least effort would be required to discipline the people in managing the waste.
7. Use of School Children: Children are powerful communicators. Parents who do not listen to the advice of others often take their children seriously. The message can be reinforced by holding essays, debates or drawing and painting competitions on the subject. The leading schools could be persuaded to work as a role model for other schools in taking up awareness campaigns in the city through their students.
8. Use of Hoardings, Posters and Pamphlets: Attractive posters and hoardings with good photographs and messages with a very few words, readable from a distance, should be prepared and displayed in various parts of the city where awareness campaign is being taken up. Pamphlets can be circulated in the community requesting public participation.