The Alternative Information Development Centre (AIDC) is an NGO committed to strengthening the communion capacity of community orgnaisations in their fight for social justice.  Key to realising this objective is building the capacity of community media projects as strong independent institutions able to respond creatively to the communication needs of poor and marginal communities as well as enhancing the communication capacity of social movements and other progressive civil society organizations. 

It is within this context that the AIDC is running a training course for senior leadership and key decisions makers in civil society organisations and community media projects. The aim of the workshop is two-fold:

1)     To enhance the quality of media production by developing participants analytical and journalism skills as well as their ability to develop their programming strategies to respond to the priorities of their communities.

2)     To help build strategic networks between community-orientated organizations and community media that promote community participation and enhance the quality of media production.

Workshop Design

The Workshop is designed as an experiential learning where participants gather in Contact Sessions to reflect on their current practice, engage with communication and social theory that will enhance their programming skills. After each Contact Session participants will have a 6 week Practice Session where they will implement their new understandings before returning to the next Contact Session to reflect on their practice and further enhance their skills. AIDC facilitates four 5 day Contact Sessions as well as providing regular mentorship and coaching during the Practice Sessions.

Progress to date

We have launched the CAT in July 2009 with 38 activists from across the Western Cape (pictured above) and have currently run two Contact Sessions and are working though the second Practice Session. Much of the resources use in the training will be made available here. 

The Training is run with the support of the Open Society Foundation