Folk media forms and their potential for food security communication in eastern Tigray, Ethiopia Hagos Nigussie Kahssay MA in Journalism and Communication BA in Foreign Language and Literature (English) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2017 The School of Communication and Arts The Centre for Communication and Social Change Abstract This study examines the potential of folk media forms for food security communication in chronically food insecure areas in eastern Tigray, rural Ethiopia. Ethiopia has been reported as one of the most food insecure countries in the Sub-Saharan region despite the Ethiopian government has introduced diverse strategies to tackle rural food insecurity. It seems, however, that the communication approaches applied to take these strategies to rural communities have not been effective in alleviating food insecurity. Hence, the main questions of this study are: what is the potential of folk media forms for food security communication? Can these communication forms connect rural people to the food security programs in eastern Tigray? Specifically, this study analysed the current food security communication strategies in eastern Tigray, the role of folk media forms in contemporary society in eastern Tigray and their potential for food security communication. It also explored the opportunities and challenges to integrating folk media forms into food security communication strategies. The multiplicity paradigm of development was used as a lens for this study. This paradigm focuses on the cultural and social multiplicity perspectives emphasising on endogenous development and self-reliance of the people. Methodologically, this study employed an ethnographic research approach. Individual in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and document reviews were used to collect data. To validate results from different data collection techniques, data analysis was made using methodological triangulation. The findings of the study show that there are no explicitly designed rural food security communication strategies in eastern Tigray but food security messages are communicated through frequent public meetings organised by the government representatives or development agents. Respondents indicated that public meetings are dominated by the views and interests of government officials and development agents that limited people’s roles to participate in the strategy design and implementation of the food security programs. Therefore, despite frequent public meetings to communicate food security messages, meetings became unproductive to convey food security messages. Firstly, public meetings employ predominantly a top-down communication approach, which limits people’s participation in the decision-making processes. Secondly, food security messages through public meetings are not communicated in the languages of the people (especially to the Irob people whom a number of them do not comprehend Tigrigna, the office working language). Thirdly, referring to the urgency of most of the government programs, three to five programs are addressed in a single meeting session that affects peoples’ choices of what to prioritise out of all the topics addressed in a single meeting session. ii Both rural people and development agents expressed their conviction about the appropriateness of folk media forms to convey food security messages. Respondents believed that Aa’dar (oral poetry) and Goila (songs and dance) have the utmost potential to convey rural food security messages. Goila and Aa’dar are preferred to other folk media forms as both are performed in public gatherings such as cultural weddings and religious festivals where a large number of people can participate. Compared to other folk media forms, both Aa’dar and Goila are recognised for their entertainment and informative roles. Despite varied perceptions among respondents in Gulomekeda districts, respondents in Irob district indicated that folk media forms have the potential to integrate them into food security communication strategies. Development agents and food security experts also believed that these communication forms have the potential to integrate them into food security communication strategies. Therefore, being credible sources of information with a potential to effectively address different needs of rural people, folk media continue to dominate the lives of people in rural areas. Thus, harnessing these communication forms to food security communication strategies can help to raise the awareness of people about the nature, relevance and applicability of food security programs in eastern Tigray, rural Ethiopia. iii Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the policy and procedures of The University of Queensland, the thesis be made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 unless a period of embargo has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. iv Publications during candidature Academic publication Hagos, N. (2015). Folk Media and their use in HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns in rural Ethiopia. Media Development Journal, 3, 29-32. Professional publication van de Fliert, E., Simpson R. L., Walker, G., Sepulveda, C., Sam, S., & Hagos, N. (2014). Mainstreaming Communication for Development in Policies and Programs: Enabling social inclusion to support food security, resilient livelihoods, and family farming. Background paper for the XIII United Nations inter-agency round table on communication for development. Available at: http://c4d.undg.org/rt/13th-inter-agency-round-table/background- documents. Conference proceeding Hagos, N. (2016). Rural meetings as communication strategies: Connecting people to development programs? African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific (AFSAAP), Proceedings of the 38th AFSAAP Conference: 21st Century Tensions and Transformation in Africa, Deakin University, Melbourne, Oct. 28-30, 2015. Conference papers . Hagos, N. (2016). Indigenous communication forms and their potential to convey food security messages in rural Ethiopia. Global Conference on Prosperity, Equality and Sustainability: Perspectives and Policies for a Better World, Organized by the World Bank and Indian Human Development Institute, New Delhi, India, June 1-3, 2016. Hagos, N. (2015). Folk media forms and their use to mobilize rural people to food security programs in Ethiopia. Inequality and Social Justice: Perspectives from the global South. VIII South-South Institute. University of KWAZULU-NATAL, Durban, South Africa, Sep.11-18, 2015 . Hagos, N. (2015). Rural meetings as communication strategies: Connecting people to development programs? Twenty-first century tensions and transformations. The African Studies Association of Australasia and the Pacific (AFSSAP), Deakin University: Melbourne, Australia, Oct. 28-30, 2015. Hagos, N. (2015). Indigenous communication forms and their potential to convey food security messages in rural Ethiopia. South-South dialogues: Situated perspectives in decolonial epistemologies, University of Queensland Latin American Studies Forum and the Postcoloniality/Decoloniality Collective, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, Nov. 5-6, 2015. v Publications included in this thesis No publications included. Contributions by others to the thesis No contributions by others. Statement of parts of the thesis submitted to qualify for the award of another degree None. vi Acknowledgements I am very grateful to my supervisors Assoc Prof Elske van de Fliert and Dr Levi Obijiofor for their unreserved cooperation and commitments to reading drafts and giving me invaluable suggestions. They played a crucial role of responsible advisors in shaping and focusing my thought. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the Centre for Communication and Social Change, the School of Communication and Arts, The University of Queensland for the scholarship support and unlimited access to resources. Open Society Foundations also deserve a lot of gratitude for their Civil Society Scholar Award (CSSA 2014) grant support for my fieldwork expenses in Ethiopia. I would like to express my appreciation to Ato Wasse Sebhat for his support to assist me with