The Drum Beat 31 - Communication and Change News and Issues

PROGRAMMES

1. "Nashe Maalo" (Our Neighborhood) - Macedonia - a 1/2 hr. children's TV series launched by Children's Television Workshop, Search for Common Ground in Macedonia and Common Group Productions, targeted to ages 7-12 and focused on conflict resolution and intercultural understanding, debuted 17 Oct. 1999. Broadcast weekly on Macedonia's A1, it follows the lives of 5 children from 4 ethnicities - Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Romani. Each episode tracks their daily adventures as they slowly come to accept and embrace each other. Visit the series online: click here. Contact Lisa Shochat [email protected]

2. Applied Broadcasting Centre (ABC) Ulwazi - South Africa - has trained over 300 community radio broadcasters from over 40 community radio stations (CRS) in S. Africa in the past 2 yrs. They produce and distribute educational and developmental radio programmes. Through special training sessions for CRS personnel, they demonstrate how to "localise" content by producing further programmes and how to extend the usefulness of their own programmes through phone-ins, discussions and news-items. Thus, CRS personnel understand and "own" material, and feedback and evaluation are an important aspect of distribution. Contact John van Zyl [email protected]

3. Center for Health Policy & Strategic Studies - Nigeria - a health NGO seeks partners for technical assistance and funding support for a youth centered initiative - "YOUNG 2000" (YOUth Network for Good knowledge and practices in general and reproductive health). 3 components - 1) Youth Net-C: grassroots network to distribute condoms and disseminate simple information packages on safe and responsible reproductive knowledge, habits and practices in secondary and tertiary institutions throughout Nigeria; 2) Youth Edition: 15-22 min. radio shows on safe and responsible sexual knowledge, habits and practices in youths; 3) Youth Advocates Network for better health in Nigeria: an advocacy/pressure group demanding accountability and better health programs from local, state and federal legislators and executives. Contact Akintola B.Odutola [email protected]

4. Children's Participation - Lebanon - UNICEF Beirut has networked among NGOs to integrate the concept of participation in their summer activities for children. Trainers worked with over 2,000 children representing all regions, all age groups, and all sectors: working children, children in conflict with the law, and children with special needs. The children prioritized problems, suggested solutions, and elected members of their own groups to represent them in presenting these problems to officials and decision makers. Contact Aida Jammal [email protected]

5. "Soldiers of Peace, A Children's Crusade" - Columbia - a 45 min. documentary, about the Colombian children's peace movement nominated for the l999 Nobel Peace Prize, will be shown on CNN International 5-7 Nov. 1999. The film provides a template for the constructive use of nonviolence.

IMPACT DATA

6. A recent study shows that "Twende na Wakati", a Tanzanian radio soap opera, has resulted in behavior change and family planning adoption nationwide. Married women who listen to the show are more than 2x as likely to adopt family planning than non-listeners. Non-listeners are 1/2 as likely to engage in frequent discussions about family planning. Data from 79 family planning clinics indicate that the soap opera increased both new and continuing family planning visits to Ministry of Health clinics, and that it has been the source of referral for about 25% of all new clients. About 23% of Tanzania's adult population listens regularly to the show; the average listener tunes in at least once a week. Regular listenership increased from 47% in 1994 to 58% in 1997. --from "Effects of an Entertainment-Education Radio Soap Opera on Family Planning Behavior in Tanzania"

RESEARCH

7. A research team from the School of Public Health at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia is working to evaluate the effectiveness and suitability of a training model for health radio programming. Survey. Contact Phillippa Farrell [email protected]

STRATEGY

8. 'The Art and Science of Health Promotion': Please review & send comments on the article - excerpt: "Successful health promotion relies on the art of putting new ideas into action, and...applying what is already known. Even if there were no new scientific breakthroughs for another 10 yrs. we could...reduce premature death considerably through what is the core art of public health - advocacy...In Kenya and Zimbabwe new science in HIV prevention is not needed in the short term. What is needed is the art to develop the political will to acknowledge the reality of sexual behaviour and confront it honestly and realistically." - by Rob Moodie [email protected] See here & use the comments facility on the C.I. web site.

WEB SITES

9. ProPoor is a repository of information on NGOs across South Asia. Access regularly updated information regarding organizations, individuals, projects, publications, conferences, seminars, workshops, vacancies and NGO site links.

10. New site from The Panos Institute for Journalists Collaborating Across Borders. Designed as an interactive forum to help grassroots journalists - in 4 languages. Partners are the Independent Journalism Centre - Lagos, and the Center for War, Peace and the News Media - New York.

GATHERINGS

11. Annual UN World Television Forum will be 18-19 Nov. 1999 in New York City, USA. TV executives and professionals, along with NGO representatives involved in TV, will consider the impact of TV on the central mission of the United Nations - the peace and development of the human family. Workshops on news, education and development. Contact [email protected]

12. The International Conference on Media for Social Change will be held 1-2 Dec. 1999 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Focus includes: Media for the Disadvantaged; Asian Broadcasting Beyond 2000; Communication for Poverty Reduction; and, Communication and Sustainable Development. Contact [email protected]

13. 1st International Workshop on "Innovative Marketing Communications (IMC-1): Promoting and Selling Training in the New Millennium" offered as a collaborative opportunity for training executives and managers to discuss and master promotion and communication methods for training institutions to market products and services. 26 Feb.- 4 Mar. 2000 in Cairo, Egypt. Contact Dr. Ronny Adhikarya [email protected]

MATERIALS

14. "Improving the Transfer and Availability of Research Knowledge Related to Urban Development" - Call for comments from practitioners in developing countries on draft research - Contact Ripin Kalra [email protected]

15. "Health Promotion: Bridging the Equity Gap" - Call for case studies for the 5th Global Conference on Health Promotion. Examples of evaluated projects which have directly or indirectly improved the lives of economically and socially disadvantaged populations. Esp. studies from developing countries demonstrating small-scale pilot experiences scaled-up to a larger population. Deadline 19 Nov. 1999. Contact Ingrid Cox [email protected]

16. "EDUTAINMENT: How to Make Edutainment Work For You: A Step by Step Guide to Designing and Managing an Edutainment Project for Social Development", by Dr. Garth Japhet has been reviewed by Arvind Singhal. 'How does one initiate, design, manage, and evaluate an edutainment project?...turn to Dr. Garth Japhet's book...It offers tremendous wisdom for the communicative action that must necessarily follow.' 
PEOPLE

17. Research, Monitoring and Evaluation (RME) Officer needed. Responsible for developing, coordinating and managing a research, monitoring and evaluation system for Population Communication International's programmes. Frequent travel. Contact Kate Randolph [email protected] cc: [email protected]

18. BBC World Service Trust is seeking 2 Legal Literacy Advisers, with international experience in legal literacy education, preferably in Asia. Development communication skills essential. Apply by 4 Nov. 1999. Contact Ann Cropper [email protected]

19. The Infrastructure and Urban Development Department (IUDD) of the Department for International Development (DFID) is seeking Consultants to provide professional & technical expertise. Offering Enabling Agreements for 3rs. to engage, at short notice specialist support for up to £50,000 fee value per engagement. Contact Gary Barton [email protected]

More details & vacancies in the C.I. Vacancies section

20. Robert B. Lussier is retiring from UNICEF. He has been with UNICEF for 15 yrs. including 12 yrs. as Director of Communication at the Canadian National Committee and 3 yrs. as Regional Communication Officer in WCARO. [email protected]

 

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