Folk Media for Biodiversity Conservation

Abstract

Developmental communication through mass media has been practised and researched for years, its successes and failures documented in this and other journals. Yet hardly any effort has been made to utilize traditional means of communication like puppetry, poetry, street drama or folk song for development goals. Such `folk media' would appear to have many advantages: they are locally accepted, adaptable and low-cost; moreover, they presuppose neither literacy nor modern technology. This article presents a pilot project from the Himalayas that investigates how indigenous or traditional practices of communication can be employed in remote areas to raise awareness on environmental issues.