Participatory video for two-way communication in research for development

Abstract

Research for development interventions have traditionally employed one-way communication approaches between researchers and marginalized communities. These approaches risk imposing external development notions on project beneficiaries, hindering the achievement of human development objectives by emphasizing marginalized peoples’ lack of agency. Two-way communication models are thus increasingly favored in research for development work, as a way to equalize power dynamics and incorporate local perspectives into the research process. This paper presents the participatory video methodology as an effective tool to establish a two-way communication channel between researchers and marginalized communities. The discussion begins by describing the transition from one- to two-way communication in the research for development field, followed by how participatory video opens a two-way communication process that contributes to research for development objectives. This is illustrated through a participatory video experience conducted within an agricultural research for development program in Nicaragua, where the methodology was linked to the program’s learning, innovation, and gender and youth empowerment objectives while supporting its productive, economic, and environmental objectives. The paper concludes with an analysis of the effectiveness of participatory video in establishing a two-way communication channel, considering its limitations and its possible applications in various research fields.