AFRO-NETS> The Drum Beat - 120 - The Communication Initiative

[Warren Feek <wfeek@comminit.com>]

The Drum Beat - 120 - The Communication Initiative
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Director: Warren Feek <wfeek@comminit.com>
Website: http://www.comminit.com

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1. Information Village Project - India - this project of the M S Swa-
minathan Research Foundation, linked 10 villages near Pondicherry 
with computers, providing information on health, crops, weather, and 
fishing conditions. The new technology tools use local languages and 
a multimedia format that allow all to participate. All centres were 
created due to community demand. In most villages, there are no tele-
phone lines and there are frequent power breakdowns. The project uses 
hybrid wired and wireless communication links using telephones at one 
end and Motorola VHF dupleix devices at the other. 
http://www.comminit.com/pds11-2001/sld-3357.html 
Contact <pckesavan@mssrf.res.in>


2. 'Famili Blong Serah' - Vanuatu - A radio drama series produced by 
Wan Smolbag Theatre to promote positive attitudes toward reproductive 
health issues. The impact of the series was assessed through feedback 
from a weekly quiz set up in health centres, surveys and focus group 
interviews. Promotional materials used during the series included 
posters, stickers and t-shirts which were given out to health clinic 
workers who helped to facilitate the quizzes as well as to weekly 
quiz winners. Promotional materials were distributed around the coun-
try by Peace Corps volunteers, field officers of the Vanuatu National 
Council of Women, the Turtle Monitors and Shell service stations, 
where stickers were offered to private vehicles, buses and taxis. 
http://www.comminit.com/pdscc2001/sld-2917.html 
Contact <smolbag@vanuatu.com.vu>


3. Popular Education Collective (PEC) - Zimbabwe - PEC began in 1983 
with the primary aim of making information on democracy, business 
management and other social development issues available in simple 
English that could be easily understood by adults with basic educa-
tion. In its current civic education programme PEC is conducting com-
munity-based workshops in Masvingo and Manicaland. The workshops are 
on good governance, choosing effective leaders, citizen participa-
tion, non-violence and tolerance, transparency and accountability. 
Civic education materials such as posters, leaflets, T-shirts, stick-
ers etc. will be produced on the above topics. 
http://www.comminit.com/pds9-2001/sld-2992.html 
Contact Elijah Chiwota <civics@zol.co.zw>


4. Strategy Development to Improve Maternal & Newborn Survival - Ne-
pal - The Maternal & Newborn Health (MNH) Programme is providing 
technical assistance to the National Health Education, Information & 
Communication Center (NHEICC) in Nepal to standardize key safe moth-
erhood messages, and is contributing to the development of the Na-
tional Safe Motherhood Information, Education, & Communication (IEC) 
Strategy. They are also producing prototypic materials including 
posters, fliers, comic books and radio PSAs that address the strat-
egy. 
http://www.comminit.com/pds9-2001/sld-3013.html 
Contact Stephanie Suhowatsky <ssuhowatsky@jhpiego.org>


5. Internet Training Centres Initiative for Developing Countries 
(ITCI-DC) - Global - The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 
has launched this multi-million dollar project aimed at closing the 
gap in Internet and "new economy" skills in developing countries. Un-
der the initiative, ITU plans to establish 50 training centres to 
provide skills in Internet Protocol (IP) networking and services by 
July 2003 in existing non-profit institutions in developing coun-
tries. It is expected that the centres will also function as incuba-
tors to help small and medium-sized enterprises to develop Internet-
related services.
http://www.comminit.com/pds9-2001/sld-2993.html 
Contact <manuel.zaragoza@itu.int>

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DB Classifieds - Vacancies will be issued Nov 21.

Contact Carey Hooge <chooge@comminit.com> for details on including 
your vacant posts in this publication.

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6. Healthy Mother/Healthy Child Results Package (HM/HC RP) Smoking 
Prevention Campaign - Egypt - HM/HC RP carried out qualitative re-
search on beliefs and attitudes associated with adolescent smoking to 
provide the basis for development of a school-based smoking preven-
tion campaign. The campaign includes a School-based Programme and Me-
dia Materials - 2 TV spots, 1 poster, and 1 workbook. 
http://www.comminit.com/pds11-2001/sld-3349.html 
Contact Dr. Hani Samir <hriad@jsiegypt.com>


7. Dialogue to Action Initiative Community Page - USA - updated 
monthly, focuses on resources for dialogue leaders, peacebuilders, 
and educators. The Oct and Nov 2001 pages were specifically targeted 
towards leaders and educators who were responding to the September 11 
2001 Crisis. 
http://www.comminit.com/pds11-2001/sld-3354.html 
Contact Sandy Heierbacher <sandy@thataway.org>


8. Bank of Ghana HIV/AIDS Preventive Education Programme - Ghana - 
launched in May 2001 and planned for a period of 24 months, aims at 
increasing the personal risk perception among the staff and their 
families towards acquisition of HIV infection and thereby promoting 
behavioural change. Various activities have been organised - Lectures 
/ Discussions; Focus Group Meetings; Posters; Hand Bills; Newsletter; 
Audio Visuals; One-on-one or Group Counselling; Hotline Telephone 
Service; and Drama. 
http://www.comminit.com/pds11-2001/sld-3351.html 
Contact <boghivaids@bog.gov.gh>


CHANGE THEORY

9. REFLECT - an approach to adult learning and social change that 
fuses the theory of Paulo Freire with the methodologies of participa-
tory rural appraisal. Enables groups to develop their own learning 
materials by constructing maps, calendars, matrices, diagrams or us-
ing forms of drama, story-telling and songs, which can capture so-
cial, economic, cultural and political issues from their own environ-
ment. 
http://www.comminit.com/ctheories/sld-3417.html


STRATEGIC THINKING

10. Planning a Role for Private Practitioners in TB Control: Obsta-
cles & Opportunities - Health & Development Initiative-India con-
ducted personal interviews with 25 private practitioners of Amritsar 
District of Punjab State of India, who treat patients of Tuberculosis 
on regular basis. The objectives were to assess the load of TB pa-
tients in their practice settings, determine their current level of 
involvement with National TB Control Program (NTP) and explore the 
avenues of possible communication and collaboration with them. 
http://www.comminit.com/st2001/sld-3395.html 
Contact Dr.Dinesh Kumar <dinesh_kumar@vsnl.com>

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TVE International has been commissioned by UNEP to prepare a communi-
cations strategy that will lead to a Global Public Awareness & Educa-
tion Programme to Sustain the Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Phase 
Out. In preparing this strategy, TVE will gather case studies of suc-
cessful communications campaigns and programmes that have led to be-
havioural change in health, human rights, social development and en-
vironment. TVE seeks information, analyses, documentation and opin-
ions from communications and environmental organisa-
tions/professionals. Deadline is Nov 30. Contact Nalaka Gunawardene 
ozone@tveap.org

***

LINKS

11. AMANITARE (African Partnership for Sexual & Reproductive Health & 
Rights of 
Women & Girls) - to support the work of African NGOs to prioritize 
and promote issues of 
sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls in their na-
tional public policy agendas. http://www.amanitare.org


12. Communities Responding to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic (CORE) Initiative 
- provides assistance to community and faith-based groups in develop-
ing countries. The initiative focuses on awareness raising and infor-
mation, education and communication efforts; reducing stigma and dis-
crimination with respect to persons living with HIV/AIDS; and enhanc-
ing care and support for people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. 
http://www.corevaluesinitiative.org/


EVENTS

13. The Communication for Development Roundtable will be held in Ma-
nagua, Nicaragua Nov 26-28 2001. This is organised by UNFPA with sup-
port from The Rockefeller Foundation, UNESCO and The Panos Institute. 
The aim is to examine, discuss and assess what has been learned in 
the field of HIV/AIDS communication strategies (particularly in rela-
tion to evaluating communication interventions), and identify what 
needs to be learned to tackle the epidemic effectively. 
http://www.comminit.com/roundtable2


14. II Congreso Centroamericano de ITS/VIH/SIDA - Primer Encuentro 
Nacional y II Centroamericano de personas positivas will be held in 
Guatemala, Nov 13-17 2001. 
http://www.comminit.com/events_cal/2001/568-event.html 
Contact Philippa J. Lawson <plawson@aed.org>


15. The Trading Culture Conference will be held in Sheffield (UK) 
July 18-20 2002. This will be an International Conference on the 
themes of the 'indigenous' and the 'exportable' in film and televi-
sion culture. 
http://www.comminit.com/events_cal/2002/569-event.html

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The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for de-
velopment activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement 
or support by The Partners.

Please send material for The Drum Beat to 
The Editor
Deborah Heimann <dheimann@comminit.com>

To reproduce any portion of The Drum Beat, see:
http://www.comminit.com/Helpdocuments/sld-3318.html 
for our policy.

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