[afro-nets] Practicum: HIV & alcohol, gender norms & gender-based violence - Strategic communication perspective

["David Hock" <DHock@fhi.org>]

AfriComNet announces a practicum on 'HIV and Alcohol, Gender Norms and Gender-Based Violence: A Strategic Communication Perspective'

Venue: Addis Ababa - Ethiopia
Date: 6 - 9 August, 2007
Registration deadline: 15 July, 2007
Participants: Communication practitioners and interested individuals managing or implementing HIV and AIDS communication programs in Africa

The practicum registration form can be downloaded at AfriComNet's website at: http://www.africomnet.org/events/africomnetRefPracticum.doc or can be requested by email from AfriComNet's secretariat information desk: infodesk@africomnet.org

More information about the practicum

Background
AfriComNet was established in 2001 in recognition of the severity of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Africa and the need for high quality strategic communication to respond to the crisis. It is a network of more than 700 strategic communication practitioners who reside, work or have a primary interest in Africa. The network is organizing a four-day practicum on alcohol, gender norms and gender-based violence as they relate to HIV and AIDS from 6-9 August, 2007 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Practicum Rationale
As the HIV and AIDS epidemic has evolved in Africa, so has understanding of the root causes of HIV transmission. It is recognized that an effective response cannot be limited to AIDS awareness campaigns and expanded HIV care, support and treatment. The response must also address underlying social factors that influence prevention, care and treatment practices, such as gender norms, gender-based violence and alcohol and drug abuse. Few communication programs in the region adequately address these issues, resulting in continued risk behavior, barriers to services and poor adherence and treatment outcomes despite significant investment by donors.

Increasingly, HIV and AIDS programs have seen the need for strategic communication to address underlying factors. There are some small-scale, isolated examples that can inform design of broader programs, but these have yet to be systematically documented and shared. HIV and AIDS programs would benefit greatly if they knew about these examples and what has been learned.

Thus, there is a recognized need for a meeting of communication practitioners to analyze practical experiences, share tools, research and materials, and synthesize and package lessons learned for wider dissemination.

Practicum purpose
The purpose of the workshop is to familiarize participants with the situation regarding the underlying social factors that influence prevention, care and treatment practices, such as gender norms, gender-ased violence and alcohol and drug abuse in the region, as well as communication approaches to address them. With funding from the Regional Outreach Addressing AIDS through Development Strategies (ROADS)
Project, AfriComNet proposes to bring together 60-80 communication practitioners from across the continent to participate in this practical exercise to synthesize and document strategies that may have wider application. The overall aim is to enable participants to integrate alcohol, gender norms and gender-based violence into HIV and AIDS community outreach, advocacy, media, and client education and counseling programs. This will improve the effectiveness of HIV prevention, care and treatment programs in the region.

Practicum expected outputs
The specific practicum outputs will include:
*	a resource kit containing case studies, tools, exercises, key messages, facts and references
*	a statement on key considerations for follow-on action
*	a press release and media briefing

The resource kit will be disseminated via CD-ROM, through the AfriComNet website and at important regional fora such as the East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Ministers' meetings.

Sponsorship to the practicum
AfriComNet has very limited sponsorship so we encourage you to try to secure your own sponsorship to the practicum.

Registration
Early registration is encouraged to ensure participation in the practicum given the limited number of spaces for participants. The deadline for registration is 15 July, 2007.

For additional information, please contact:
AfriComNet Secretariat
Plot 42 Lumumba Avenue
P.O. Box 3495
Kampala - Uganda
Tel: +256 41 250183/237222
Fax: +256 31 2263969
Website: http://www.africomnet.org/
Email: mailto:infodesk@africomnet.org