Underway at Gateway Hotel today is the DFCDR Media Sensitization Workshop with the theme: "Mobilizing & Empowering People through Public Advocacy & Awareness." The two-day Workshop which will end today is facilitated by the Media Section of the Department and supported by National Gaming Control Board. Secretary Anna Solomon during her welcome remarks said "Communicate for development means putting people at the center of development through media and other platforms. If otherwise, we are missing the point." She reminded the media and other attendees that "we carry our respective roles to really address issues affecting our women folks, our children, youths, elderly and people with disabilities throughout PNG." She said this in line with the current focus of the department which is to establish and roll-out District Community Development Centers (DCDC) nationwide.

DCDC project Manager Mr Dickson Kiragi said "the DCDC establishment is to build safe, capable and productive communities.”Through our DCDC objectives we want to provide a modern, quality, reliable and competent services and protection at the community level," said Mr Kiragi. Other First Assistant Secretaries presented the roles, functions and focus areas of each sections of the department to inform the media and the development partners who attended the workshop.

The objective of the Workshop is basically to align mainstream media and development partners to perceive communication for Development and to promote development policies with wider knowledge to impact and empower communities. The outcome of the workshop is to promote best reporting model for DCDC and to establish reporting network strategy for effective information dissemination. Participants include Media personals from various mainstream media organizations, representatives from various development partners and representatives from the Department.