The Drum Beat 202 - Communication and Change News and Issues
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PROGRAMMES
1. Humuliza - Tanzania
Works to meet the psychological needs of orphaned children, in part by developing practical resources to enable teachers and caregivers to support orphans. Humuliza has developed 19 training modules with handouts, which may be combined in ways to suit the needs and time of the trainees. These manuals, as well as a basic textbook about psycho-social support for orphans, are available online.
Contact Irene Bush [email protected]
2. "Kosovo/a" Documentary - Kosovo
A 60-minute documentary film called "Kosovo/a" is designed to highlight common outlooks and shared values between people who come from different ethnic groups in the area known either as Kosova or Kosovo. The film consists of 2 Albanian and 2 Serbian stories, each of which focusses on 2 young people between the ages of 16 and 23. The film was shown to audiences in towns and villages throughout Kosovo in June through August, 2002. Discussions were held after the film on the issues raised within it.
3. Project StepUp - Pittsburgh, PA, USA
An initiative that uses new software to educate students in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The technology is part of a tutorial programme that is designed to assist students with the process of solving math problems and developing writing skills. The project aims to integrate human tutors with artificial-intelligence-based software to drive down the cost of tutoring to approximately US$3 per hour. Future plans are in the works to launch community tutorial programmes in economically distressed areas.
Contact Louis Piconi [email protected]
4. Art Scholarships for Children - Asia/Pacific
A series of 7 art contests was organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as part of an effort to provide art scholarships to poor children who display potential as artists. The purpose of the programme was to reduce poverty in the Asia/Pacific region by highlighting the promise, as well as the plight, of poor children. In total, over 1,000 children, 70 NGOs, and 500 volunteers participated in the 7 contests. Organisers plan to publish a book with a selection of the winning artworks as well as profiles of the artists and their situations, providing the children with a means of communicating with the public, including decision makers.
Contact ADB, Tel: (63-2) 632-4444
5. It Starts with Us Campaign - Global
A campaign to demonstrate the ongoing commitment of HIV-positive people to the Global Fund. Asks HIV+ persons to contribute their own resources and is, thereby, meant to be a communication initiative with political as well as economic implications. The campaign is designed to encourage donor countries and the private sector to join with HIV+ persons to support the Global Fund.
Contact [email protected] OR [email protected]
6. People's Popular Theatre (PPT) - East Africa
A community-based group that uses theatre to raise awareness about discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, or disability. PPT conducts research on traditional cultural art forms and practices, exploring how they affect gender relations and then working to correct gender imbalances in society through performance art. Sociologists, political scientists, gender analysts, anthropologists, theatre educators, community social workers, and economists are members of the group. Performances have been bolstered by PPT members' attendance at workshops that focus on teaching communities to use theatre for community capacity building.
Contact Kimingichi Wabende [email protected] OR [email protected]
7. On the Edge - Australia
A comic that examines the problems faced by young drug users aged 14 to 24 who also have mental health problems. The comic addresses issues like the build-up of symptoms, what it is like to experience an episode of psychosis, how to garner peer support, and means of confronting stigma. The comic also includes harm minimisation advice pages for people who are using drugs (but who might not be regular drug users), as well as contact details of organisations that might be able to help.
Contact Liz Skelton [email protected]
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Seeking impact assessment studies...
for a book on issues involved in assessing the impact of information on development. The subject of impact assessment is often a controversial one, attracting a range of heated opinions. The proposed book aims to step into the middle of this debate, to look at what people are arguing about, and why. It will set out not to provide solutions but rather to pose questions about approaches, concepts, issues, needs.
Click here to discuss these issues in an online forum.
Contact [email protected]
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PLANNING MODELS
8. Traditional vs. Participatory Planning
Traditional Planning: Centralised...Vertical and imposed...Technical...Done by sector or industry...Short term...Done to meet legal requirements...Prioritises sector or industry investment...Assigns who is responsible for what task but does not assume responsibility...Homogenising and unifying...Excluding... Participatory Planning: Decentralised...Horizontal and agreed upon...Dialogue-based...Integral, considers the whole picture...Long term...Is seen as a real necessity...Prioritises social investment...Assigns responsibilities and social commitment...Recognises diversity and respects differences...Inclusive...
9. Lateral Thinking
The term "Lateral Thinking" can be used in 2 ways:
Specifically: To refer to a set of systematic techniques utilised to change existing concepts and perceptions and generate new ones.
Generally: To refer to the exploration of multiple possibilities and options, in contrast to an adherence to a single point of view....
10. Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM) for Internet and ICTs Developed by the APC Women´s Networking Support Programme
GEM is a guide to integrating a gender analysis into evaluations of initiatives that use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for social change.
CHANGE THEORIES
11. Deconstruction: An Educational Strategy. Reconstructing criticism in the age of globalisation. - translated from the Spanish original - by Marco Raúl Mejía J.
"Scientific and technical transformations, founded on an intensification of technology and on the use of this knowledge in processes of production, have brought change of an unaccustomed speed to the end of this century. If we want to ensure that development figures amongst these many and varied changes, we find ourselves faced with the task of redefining both nature-culture relationship and the social relationships that human beings construct...."
12. AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM)
A framework for explaining and predicting the behavior change efforts of individuals specifically in relationship to the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS. A three-stage model, the ARRM incorporates several variables from other behavior change theories, including the Health Belief Model, "efficacy" theory, emotional influences, and interpersonal processes....
13. "To Do" Culture vs. "To Be" Culture - by Geoffrey Willett
* Individuals in a "to do" culture define themselves by their work and have a mechanical view of society....
* Individuals in a "to be" culture, define themselves in terms of relationships and geographic identity....
14. Family Strengthening Youth Development (FSYD) Theory of Action
A framework to illustrate how programmes can include family-centered activities in their work by integrating the FSYD mindset...
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The Pulse Poll
Decisions on who will lead major international development agencies should include an election process involving the people most affected by the issues that agency is seeking to address - eg: children 10 to 18 should vote for the next UNICEF Executive Director and people living on less than USD 2 per day should vote for the next World Bank President.
Do you agree or disagree?
[for context, please see The Drum Beat 199.]
Please contribute your opinion!
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15. Common Ground Media Fellowships
Please note: these fellowships are no longer available.
16. Mentor Prevention Foundation Drug Misuse Prevention Awards
Any NGO or voluntary or not-for-profit organisation whose project is concerned with the prevention of drugs may apply. Deadline: June 30 2003.
17. APC Betinho Communications Prize
Shared by up to 3 initiatives in recognition of outstanding examples of information and communication technology (ICT) efforts that are improving the lives of people and communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Deadline: August 15 2003.
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The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.
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