The Drum Beat 52 - Communication and Change News and Issues

INFO ON 6 NEW VACANCIES FOLLOWS

Impact Data

1. Commmunication on leprosy - India - Doodarshan and BBC - Evaluation study conducted by the ORG Centre for Social Research. Compares attitudes expressed in the baseline survey (Nov 99) with post-campaign attitudes (Mar 2000). Initiative focused on 5 priority states. The radio and TV spots were seen by 48% of the total population; TV (45%) reached almost 3 times as many people as radio; 79% correctly recalled one or more messages; the % of the total population believing leprosy is heriditary fell from 56% to 32% (ie 112m people changed their attitudes); % of people unwilling to sit beside a leprosy patient fell from 47% to 33% (65m people); and % of people correctly believing that leprosy is not communicable by touch rose from 52% to 63% (51m people). Phase 2 will focus most of TV/radio efforts on stigma. Contact: Roy Head - [email protected] 

On-line Communities 

2. AIDS 2000 Interactive - Email and Internet outreach - International AIDS Conference - Durban - South Africa - This new section of the AIDS2000 website provides information, networking and debating tools aimed at promoting broad participation by all - taking the conference to people and communities who will not be in Durban in July: helping build broad consensus around key issues; raising HIV/AIDS priorities from the local and national level onto the agenda; ensuring timely dissemination of conference content. Contact - Tim France - [email protected] 

3. SatelLife and WorldSapce - Public Health Channel for Africa - will provide material to assist medical professionals in Africa in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases. Will attempt to overcome the barriers of poverty, geography, and unreliable communications infrastructures to help address diseases as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Goal is to connect the health practitioner in the developing world with a range of high-quality information resources in a cost-effective manner. Contact Holly Ladd [email protected] 

4. "Electronic Children's Media Exchange" - The Center for Media Education - latest developments in new media, children and youth. eCME is targetted at academics, researchers, policymakers, industry experts, child advocates, education and health professionals. Subscribe here. Click on eCME. 

Issue Trends 

5. The World's Women - UN statistics - "women are making gains, but persistent disparities exist...gender gap in enrolment in primary and secondary levels of schooling is closing, but it is unlikely this gap will be closed by 2005...gender gap in rates of economic activity is narrowing, [but] women still must reconcile their family responsibilities with employment outside the home...recent declines in early marriage and early childbearing show real change, but in three of five countries in southern Asia and in 11 of 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, at least 30 per cent of young women aged 15 to 19 have been married." Website. 

Please send summary descriptions of your communication strategies, programmes and/or results of your evaluations to [email protected] - for featuring in The Drum Beat and on the web site. 

Web sites 

6. Ugunja Community Resource center - Siaya, Nyanza, Kenya - a community-based organisation using the internet. Includes: Kristi's Final Report; Wimagak and Friends Cooperative Project; Osiepe; Youth Peace Week; Diary of a UCRC Volunteer; Website. 

7. Bytes for All - South Asia - Computing and Internet for the Majority of the World - a 'Special Issue on Education' including features on VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY IN MADHYA PRADESH; IT NEPAL; and INT'L WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE. Contact: Frederick Noronha [email protected] Partha Pratim Sarker [email protected] Website. 

8. Reproductive Health Outlook - PATH - Based on feedback this site has been redesigned to simplify navigation, decrease the load time of each page, and facilitate improved access. Includes: Adolescent Reproductive Health; Gender and Sexual Health; HIV/AIDS; Infertility; Reproductive Tract Infections; and Safe Motherhood. Contact Michele Burns [email protected] Website. 

9. HIV/AIDS - European Union - A new web site. Primary goal is to raise global awareness of HIV/AIDS issues in developing countries and to facilitate the exchange of information. Also provides comprehensive information and relevant documentation relating to all aspects of the Programme. Website. Contact Chris Willott [email protected] 

The President Mbeki and HIV poll continues- latest: NEGATIVE 55.1%; POSITIVE 29.3%; UNSURE 15.5% Comments include: NEGATIVE - "we...have evidence of the harm that has been done. People...have said that they no longer need to have safe sex as it is not clear what causes AIDS" and POSITIVE: "need for room to openly discuss all the different views so as to enable public dialogue and good alternative choices." View archives here. 

Gatherings 

10. Malawi - HIV/AIDS - June 7 - meeting of stakeholders on communication for behavior and social change to begin the formulation of a communication strategy for HIV/AIDS as part of its national strategic planning process. Contact Angela Trenton [email protected] 

Communication trends 

12. 'News Updates' - 11 - Zambia and South Africa - excerpts - "half a million new users arriving on the internet in South Africa...total number of internet users [is now] 1.82 million." ..and..." The slow growth of the Internet industry [in Zambia] can be attributed partly to the lack of investment for start-up of new ISP¹s." To receive contact Russell Southwood [email protected] 

13. Tanzania - report from TOMRIC Agency - The dominant barrier to growth of the Internet in Tanzania is underdeveloped telecoms net work, with its lack of telephone lines...current study found that...50 per cent of lines available are found in Dar es Salaam and a teledensity of one line for 2200 people in rural areas. Website. [ISSUED BY: BRUNSWICK SOUTH AFRICA] 

Requests

14. UNDERSTANDING AIDS 2000 - This BBC Radio series will: explore the continuing effects of HIV/AIDS in each continent; further develop understanding and appreciation of the difficulties in combating AIDS in 6 different cities; focus on new ways of tackling HIV/AIDS; and look at cultural and social barriers/attitudes. Interested in [a] people willing to contribute to this series and [b] interesting projects/particular developments. Contact: Colin Babb [email protected] 

15. Health Journalists - Norwegian National Institute of Public Health - invitation to health and medical reporters all over the world to participate in a study about their working conditions. Aims to elucidate problems and constraints health reporters meet in their work. Contact Anna Larsson [email protected] 

16. Social Marketing Institute - seeking info on successful social marketing programs. Criteria: clearly cases of social marketing; had an impact on behavior; observable social payoff; documentation of the results. Contact: Alan Andreasen [email protected] 

17. IT initiatives - If you are involved in an Information Technology initiative in The South or are researching or advising on such projects, policies and strategies, The Communication Initiative would very much like to be in contact with you. Please email Warren Feek at [email protected] with an introduction to your work. 

18. Health Information for Development questionnaire - The Health Information for Development project was launched in January 2000, and aims to compile a Global Directory of Health Information Resource Centres by August 2000. Contact Chris Zielinski [email protected] Website. 

Please send descriptions of the "change theories/principles" and/or "planning models" that you find most helpful in guiding your work. Particularly interested in perspectives from non-western cultures. Send to [email protected] 

Vacancies 

19. Some of those listed below are already on the web site. Others will be featured shortly. The vacancies section on the site is updated regularly. There are presently 52 Vacancies. A keyword search has been introduced. 

Coordinator - Information and Communications Unit (ICU) of the Environmental Health Project (EHP) - International Science and Technology Institute - [email protected] 

Director - Training - International Health Quality Assurance Project - Contact Margurette Norris [email protected] www.urc-chs.com 

Co-Director - Media Viability Fund (MVF) Contact Jill Solomon - [email protected] 

Government Relations Coordinator - Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) Contact Janet Gibson [email protected] 

Director - Poverty Reduction & Resource Management - The International Center for Research on Women - Send resumes and letters to Director, Human Resources Division, PRRM, 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 302, Washington, DC 20036. 

Internews Network - Country Director based in Arusha, Tanzania - Contact Kay Elewski [email protected]

This Drum Beat edited by Warren Feek [email protected]

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