Past, Present, and Future

This chapter discusses the lessons that can be drawn from the history of communication for development (c4d) and makes a number of policy suggestions of how the c4d field might meet the challenges of 2015 and beyond. It first considers two approaches to development and change that major development aid institutions take into account: policy and funding. It argues that the major funders are the ones that have defined the field from the beginning and will most likely continue to do so for some time to come. It then expounds on five lessons that may be taken from the book's historical chapters, presented as challenges that will persist in the next decade of both general development practice and especially that of c4d and social change: who will be in charge of funding sources and control; who defines success and how it is measured; what role innovation plays in c4d projects; how people and technology relate to each other; and whether good ideas can solve problems in different contexts.