The Drum Beat 236 - Communication and Change News and Issues

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PROGRAMME EXPERIENCES

1. Curious Minds - Ghana
A group of over 200 young people ages 8-18 who are part of the Children and Youth in Broadcasting/Child Survival and Development (CYIB/CSD) Action Club have organised a radio programme called Curious Mind. Children act as presenters and producers of the show under the supervision of a professional journalist, who coordinates the activities of the group. The purpose of the programme is to help make Ghana's citizens aware of issues related to children's rights. 2 radio programmes per week are broadcast on national radio. One is broadcast in English, the other in the Ga language of the people of Accra.
Contact Kingsley Obeng-Kyereh [email protected]

2. Teenager! - Kazakhstan
Published once a month in Russian, this newspaper aims to increase the quality of information available to teenagers living in Kazakhstan. Young people produce the content of the issues and keep in touch with readers by distributing and collecting surveys and conducting various press conferences. The publication process, and associated activities, are designed to help teenagers make choices about the way they will live, provide opportunities for social and creative activities, and enhance the professional education and skills development of young journalists. 2,000 copies of the 24-page newspaper are distributed to newspaper booths, embassies, companies, shops, schools, and colleges. Online versions (with 1 typed page in English) are available on the Teenager! site.
Contact Svetlana Poznyakova [email protected]

3. Virtual Campus for Public Health - Europe, Latin America, & the United States
An online space for the generation and communication of knowledge, education, and discussions among individuals and institutions on issues related to health sector reform, performance of public health functions, public health management, and the institutional development of public health education. The site provides support for health sector reform in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. Offerings include articles, journals, technical documents, events, news, forums, books, and courses. They give solutions to scale, are problem-based, and are rooted in the definition of competencies. The content of courses is designed by the participating institutions; however, the Campus is open to all countries and institutions.
Contact [email protected]

4. Remote IT Village Project - Laos
A project to bring pedal-powered, wireless-connected computers and communications systems to 5 villages in Laos. The purpose is to link the rural poor in Hin Heup District, Vientiane Province, Laos to each other and to the services provided on the Internet. Villages are enabled to contact relatives oversees and in the capital, to better coordinate cooperative economics, to get up-to-date commodity price information, and to gather information to improve their business techniques. The 5-village network links computers and printers with power requirements of less than 20 watts, which allows the systems to be powered by a battery charged by stationary bicycle.
Contact Lee Thorn [email protected] OR Jesse Thorn [email protected] OR Earl Mardle [email protected]

5. The Crop Protection Compendium (CPC) - Global
A multimedia tool to help farmers, agricultural officers, and scientists worldwide recognise and control crop diseases and pests. Geared toward those in developing countries and updated annually, the CPC is offered on the Internet and in CD-Rom format for a fee. It includes information, illustrations, training materials, and links to further data. Background info, global and regional distribution maps, a glossary and diagnostic aids are also provided. Further development of CPC will continue in response to user demand. Organisers are also investigating ways to promote the use of the compendium in developing countries, such as through training programmes, and are exploring the feasibility of developing versions tailored to specific local needs and in local languages.
Contact [email protected] OR Julia Brunt [email protected]

6. The Words to Say It Campaign - New South Wales, Australia
A campaign called "The words to say it: hiv + sex, relationships & sexual health". Brochures, factsheets, an ad campaign, online information, and community forums are designed to raise awareness and inspire discussion about some of the issues that have an impact on HIV-positive sex, relationships, and sexual health. People living With HIV/AIDS play a central role in campaign/resource development, implementation, and evaluation. There is an emphasis on 'lived' experiences, community knowledge, and participation.
Contact Kathy Triffitt [email protected]

7. Games for HIV/AIDS Training - India and Nepal
As part of its Promoting Adolescent Health programme, the International Services Association India is using games to train people in rural communities in 15 states of India and 3 regions of Nepal to develop HIV/AIDS prevention and care plans of their own. The training methodology is structured to enable workshop participants to introspect, empathise, experience and apply concepts promoting integration of HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and support into their existing work. Games, puzzles, jokes, simulation, stories, role playing, dances, cultural music aim to create a non-threatening training atmosphere. This strategy is designed to encourage participants to really participate in a process of experiential learning.
Contact Edwina Pereira OR Florence David [email protected]

8. Iron Advocacy Project - Global
Designed to improve awareness of iron deficiency and anemia, to increase funding for programmes, and to move the reduction of iron deficiency higher on the global development agenda. A key strategy was the production of printed advocacy materials as a result of information collected by interview. 108 interviews were conducted with individuals influential in sectors affected by or able to impact iron deficiency. The interviews collected opinions on general perceptions and opinions of iron and iron programming; barriers preventing iron from being a priority on agendas of policy-makers and donors; opinions on the future focus of research and programming; success stories in iron programming and in advocacy; and recommendations on how to make iron deficiency important to those in an interviewee's field of expertise.
Contact Kimberly Bumgarner [email protected]

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SURVEY

The Communication Initiative is supporting the Communication & Development Studies programme at Ohio University by hosting a brief survey to explore the demand from working professionals for on-line courses and training.

Please participate!

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TRENDS

9. Is educational broadcasting finished?
by Jim Stevenson
Explores global trends related to educational broadcasting. Stevenson observes that in many parts of the world this type of communication is flourishing, pointing out that these areas are typically plagued by significant social problems. However, while educational broadcasting is far from finished, Stevenson points out that in some countries - particularly developed countries - this type of broadcasting is often threatened by commercial pressures.

10. Global Diffusion of ICT: A Progress Report
by Fiona Paua
This report traces global, regional, and local trends in access to information and communication technologies (ICTs).

11. Community phones connect SA townships
by Richard Hamilton
Details a new approach to bringing telephone service to people in remote parts of South Africa - community telephone shops created out of old cargo containers. As of December 2003, there are more than 1,300 franchise operators running 2,300 community phone shops in South Africa's 9 provinces.

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SOUL BEAT AFRICA
...all Africa...all communication...
Click here!

Join the network!
Click here!

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MATERIALS

12. The Gender Guide for Health Communication Programs
by F. Zaman & C. Underwood
Provides questions that assist programme managers in determining how gender roles for women and men "may impede access to health information, restrict use of health services, or limit beneficial health outcomes." The questions are used to open dialogue in communities and assist in raising an "increased understanding of gender issues."

13. ICT Policy: A Beginner's Handbook
edited by Chris Nicol
Aims to build the capacity of interested persons to understand the issues around policy on ICT development and regulation, to grasp the policy process, and to become involved in it.

14. Writing for Change: An Interactive Guide to Effective Writing, Writing for Science & Writing for Advocacy
by Alan Barker & Firoze Manji
A training resource designed for those working in the not-for-profit sector including researchers, scientists, project managers, team members, campaigners, fundraisers, social activists and writers to assist in further developing writing skills.

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PULSE POLL

Training workshops for journalists, the main approach used by development agencies seeking improved media coverage of development issues, cannot demonstrate significant improvements in such coverage.

[For context, please see The Drum Beat #234]

VOTE & Comment!

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LINKS: NGOs

15. The Global Network on Global Public Goods (gpgNet)
- global public goods are, for example, rays of the sun, a country's justice system or communicable diseases.

16. Centre of Community Networking & Information Policy Studies (CCNS)
- focused on Russia.

17. Children's Vaccine Program's Training Materials & Clinical Information

18. YIELD (Youth Information Education Learning & Development)
- focused on Ireland.

19. Rock Solid Foundation
- to address violence, threats, intimidation and aggressive behaviour in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

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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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