The Drum Beat 17 - Communication and Change News and Issues

PROGRAMMES


1. Dzimwe Community Radio (DCR) - Malawi - the Malawi Media Women's Unesco-funded radio project is on air. Based in Mangochi, their focus is women's interests including health and population issues and community activities. As the country prepares for the 2nd general elections, DCR will embark on civic education. DCR has a listening audience of 800,000; about 550,000 are women and children. Contact Janet Karim [email protected]

2. Children's Television - Macedonia - a Common Ground Productions (CGP) and Children's Television Workshop (CTW) co-production is creating 8 half hours of dramatic television targeted toward 8-12 year olds. Developed, written and produced in Macedonia with a Macedonian production team, the series has a conflict-resolution curriculum at its core, and follows the lives of 5 kids - 2 Macedonians, 1 Albanian, 1 Turk and 1 Roma. Shooting is slated for May 1999; broadcast will be in fall 1999. Contact Sheldon Himelfarb [email protected] OR Brett Pierce [email protected]

3. Radio Sagarmatha (RS) - Nepal - launched "Safa Radio - The Clean Air Campaign" in Kathmandu. 5 days/wk RS measures the level of air pollutants from different locations in the city. Results are tested and analysed in a lab, then explained and broadcast (same day) during the community news bulletin, Haalchaal. After 5 days of readings, cumulative results are discussed on the air in a special weekly forum; monthly, results are presented to the media and the public in a press conference. Contact Ian Pringle [email protected] OR [email protected]

4. Local Media Support Strategies - Norway - Fafo is developing a framework for assessing when and how support of local media should be considered to facilitate conflict-resolution processes. Though local media can play a key role in both the process of democratisation and the resolution of ethnic and political conflicts, little has been done to develop guidelines for determining under what circumstances such support can be most helpful. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested this work, which may lead to a larger Norwegian initiative to develop capacity in this area. Fafo website. Contact Lena Endresen [email protected]

5. Youth Enterprise Society (YES) - South Africa - represents a school based initiative to develop the entrepreneurial abilities of grade 9, 10 and 11 learners through a community based and action learning approach. YES helps "...youth to become the creators of their own jobs rather than job seekers." YES website. Contact Zini Mchunu [email protected]

6. Rock the Vote - USA - is dedicated to protecting freedom of speech, educating youth about the issues that affect all humans, and motivating youth to participate by registering, voting, and speaking out. Currently, Rock the Vote is working to develop a public education campaign empowering youth through civic participation, and to expand and solidify 'Radio Rocks the Vote'. Rock the Vote website. Contact Julia Cohen [email protected]

7. "Radio Voix Sans Frontieres" - Europe - a campaign in support of the European Action Week Against Racism, began 21 Mar. 1999. Local co-ordinators mobilised radios stations to carry the broadcast and/or to do anti-racism programming. AMARC website. Contact Sarah Gregory [email protected]


WEB SITES


8. Media Community - a platform for media practitioners, users and institutions in developing countries. The community is primarily 15,000 media professionals who participated in programmes and workshops of the Radio Nederland Training Centre. The community uses the internet, including free E-mail and bulletin board discussions, to allow members to learn, discuss and get support in their media-production related work. Click here for site. 

9. Asian Migrant Centre (AMC) Online - provides information and resources related to the Centre's work with migrants. AMC works to empower migrants to challenge unsustainable national policies and development strategies, and economically enable them to re-integrate into their home countries - helping to build local, regional and international alternatives to migration. Click here forAMC site.

10. The Health Education Electronic Forum (HEEF) provides disease prevention, health promotion, and health education services, products, programmes and other resources to practitioners and the public. They also offer a server for on-line courses, e-mail, and chat rooms. Click here for site. Contact Michael Pejsach [email protected]


FEATURED ON THE COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE WEB SITE


11. THE HOT 5 


"HIV/AIDS and Behavior Change Communication" by Jose G. Rimon, II (*excerpt):

* "...in the next 5-10 yrs there will be an increasing view of communication as a steering wheel rather than a spare wheel... 

The 'spare wheel' mentality reflect[ed] a short-sighted version of communication; bringing in communication experts or specialists only when the program is failing rather than in the beginning when they could best contribute to the strategic positioning of the intervention..."

12. NEWS BEAT 
 

• Uniting Media for Peace in Africa
• Radio Continues to Broadcast on Web
• Power Sharing and Peace

13. SEARCH our detailed descriptions of programmes, trends and evaluations: http://www.comminit.com/search.html


GATHERINGS


14. The Communication Initiative (CI) Partners will meet Apr. 27-29 in London, UK. 1st 2 days will include other bilateral, NGO and UN agencies in a discussion on state-of-the-art thinking and practice related to communication for behavior change, communication for social change and evaluating communication interventions. The 10 Partner organisations will then focus on issues relating to the development of The CI, including priorities for the next 2 yrs. Chair - Denise Gray-Felder, Director of Communications, Rockefeller Foundation. Contact Warren Feek [email protected]

15. 4 workshops for practitioners on health communication research will be in San Francisco 27 May, as part of the annual convention of the International Communication Association. Workshops will bridge theory and practice through exchanges between practitioners and academics on substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention. See website.

16. 2nd Trainers' Workshop on "Improving Training Quality through Peer Learning & Distance Mentoring" jointly organised by The EDI of The World Bank and the Asian Institute of Technology, will be 14-30 June in Bangkok, Thailand. Designed for senior trainers wanting to improve the quality of their training "know-how". Website. Contact Ronny Adhikarya [email protected]


MATERIALS


17. Call for positive impact studies on using communication media for public awareness of natural disasters (ie: using radio for cyclone warnings, videos to teach earthquake drills). Studies viewed towards organising an e-mail conference with possible honoraria. Contact Mary Myers [email protected]

18. The Johns Hopkins Population Information Program's Media/Materials Clearinghouse and POPLINE, and the international women's health & rights organization RAINBO have joined to create the Female Circumcision / Female Genital Mutilation Resource Center. The Center serves health workers worldwide - providing sample materials, documentation, and information about FC/FGM. They published an issue of "What's New" - an illustrated list of over 90 pamphlets, posters, videos, etc. on the subject. Contact Susan Leibtag [email protected]

19. "Up in The Air - The State of Broadcasting in Southern Africa, Analysis and Trends in 6 countries" by Aida Opoku-Mensah and other authors, published by Panos. Starting with the rapid changes in broadcasting and publishing in Southern Africa and the implications for a pluralist media scene, this text maps those changes with data and insight from local authors. Data is accompanied by analytical commentary and an overview of regional trends, opportunities and issues. Contact Heather Budge-Reid [email protected]


PEOPLE


20. The Panos Institute is searching for a new Executive Director. They will consolidate an evolving process of regionalisation and develop a clear strategic direction for a London-based Panos programme that will continue to stimulate and inform cutting-edge development debates. Panos site. Closing date 23 April 1999. Contact [email protected]

21. Winner of the Katherine A. Davenport Award for Women's News for "hottest women's radio news story of the year" was Nafisa Hoodbhoy of Karachi, Pakistan, for "Women and the Bomb in Pakistan." An audiocassette of "Women's News Roundup 1999" a one-hour programme highlighting the award and stories and trends in women's news is available. Contact Frieda Werden [email protected]

22. SIECUS announced the results of its "People Are Talking" poll. Top 10 people who have brought about a positive change in the way America understands and affirms sexuality as a natural and healthy part of life (in alphabetical order): Judy Blume, Mary S. Calderone, Ellen DeGeneres, Jocelyn Elders, Hugh Hefner, Anita Hill, Magic Johnson, Madonna, Gloria Steinem, and Ruth Westheimer. SIECUS site.

 

Thanks to all for their involvement and support. Please send items for The Drum Beat to the Editor - Deborah Heimann [email protected]