The Drum Beat 7 - Communication and Change News and Issues

PROGRAMMES

1. Agencia de Noticias dos Direitos da Infancia [News Agency for Child Rights] - known as ANDI - Brazil - seeks to contribute to the development of a journalistic culture which actively investigates the situation of children and youth 'excluded from the social context'. ANDI 'dialogues' with media, offering suggestions for news guidelines and encouraging them to praise or denounce social projects. Each quarter ANDI publishes the 'Children in the Media' survey, highlighting the themes most discussed by the 50 largest newspapers in Brazil and analysing news activities in the area of child rights. A 'Clipping Analysis' contains a summary of the child related news from 60 newspapers, magasines and television news programmes. Website. Contact Geraldinho Vieira andi@uol.com.br

2. Koni Ku Libi [Live Wise to Survive] - Surinam - is an NGO of women working for the sustainable livelihood of their villages in remote areas. They focus on the education of women and the development of the necessary skills to run their own affairs. With the support of UNESCO, they established their own station - Radio Muye, following 3 years of detailed negotiations with the Paramount Chief, political leaders and government officials. The station reaches 5,000 people in 5 villages over a 6 mile radius. Contact Jocelyn Jossiah j.josiah@unesco.org

3. The Community Based Child Health Programme - Madagascar - Communication interventions include: Individual - counseling by health workers, teachers, agricultural agents, health friends; Community - counseling and village theatre by religious, youth and women's groups; and Mass Media - radio spots, rural radio, rural newspaper (Gazety). Multiple communication channels use the same materials and messages. Counseling cards promote small "doable" actions. Partners include teachers, agricultural development agents, churches, local authorities, PVOs and the media and BASICS. Contact Mark Rasmusson mrasmuso@basics.org

4. The Association of Broadcasters in Child Survival (ABCS) is a confederation of 28 VOA affiliate radio stations that work together producing child health oriented programming. ABCS was formed as a direct result of the "Broadcasting for Child Survival Conference." ABCS recently received a $30,000 grant from the Fredric Ebert Foundation of Germany to fund child survival programming. If interested in learning more contact VOA at (202)619-2538 or website at VOA website.

5. Chamada a Acao [ Call to Action] - north-east Brazil - trains radio producers and presenters to be effective advocates for the importance and value of education in their communities. In 1997/98, 565 'radialista' were trained; in 1999 it will be more than 900 and will spread to other areas of Brazil. The initiative is a partnership between ProjetoNordeste, UNICEF, Fundescola, Ministerio da Educacao e do Desporto and Banco Mundial. The full programme is described in the "Manual do Radialista Que Cobra Educacao". Contact Gilberto Costa gilberto@fundescola.org.br

6. 'Communication and Good Governance in West and Central Africa' seeks to strengthen the human and technical capacity of communication media in 10 countries in order that they can contribute effectively to the process of good governance. The programme is funded by the Federal Republic of Germany. Activities include specialist training and seminars on good governance issues for media professionals and trainers. As part of this process UNESCO has held and plans future sub-regional and national workshops on themes including: the concept of good governance; role of media in good governance; law, good governance and communication; legal framework and media practice; and media, peace and conflict resolution. Contact Babacar Fall b.fall@unesco.org

7. The self-powered wind-up lantern is now being produced by the Freeplay Foundation in South Africa. It is a dual brightness flashlight that can be operated by either spring generated energy [wind it up and it shines] or from a rechargeable battery. The latest model of the wind up radio, also produced by Freeplay, now includes a solar panel. Both the lamp and the radio are designed to replace the very expensive cost of batteries with long term, no-cost energy sources. Contact Leigh-Anne Groenik leefree@iafrica.com

8. At the recent Round Table on Communication for Development, Jan Servaes reminded participants of some of the key historical programmes in this field, including 'Programe de Desarrollo Rural Integrado del Tropico Humendo [PRODERITH], Mexico 1978-1984. This was an integrated, multi-disciplinary rural communication project for the tropical wetlands in Mexico. The focus was on farmers and their families. Essential elements of the initiative included local participation, field level training, adaptation of agricultural innovations and community use of video. Contact Jan Servaes freenet002@ping.be

FEATURED on THE COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE WEB SITE - http://www.comminit.com
This issue we recap on some of the INTERVIEWS on the web site with:

11. Denise Gray-Felder, Director of the Communications Division at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York, USA on the emerging Rockefeller Foundation approach to communication for social change. Click here.

12. Aida Opoku-Mensah, previously Director, PANOS Southern Africa, on stimulating debate, the role of information, media pluralism and communication activities with rural women and farm workers. Click here.

13. Kiran Karnik, Managing Director, Discovery Communications, India on communication, education, change and development in the Indian context. Click here.

14. Jennifer Sibanda from the Federation of African Media Women - SADC on supporting disadvantaged/marginalised women to get better access to media channels and media trends in Southern Africa. Click here.

15. Shereen Usdin from Soul City in South Africa on communication trends in South Africa and the development of the national scale Soul City communication for health and development initiative. Click here.

WEB SITES

16. Voices of Youth is an internet forum for young people. The trilingual site offers learning activities/materials and chat discussions. Youth-to-youth and youth-to-policy maker linkages on issues including child labour, armed conflict, urbanisation, girls' rights, HIV/AIDS and discrimination. Teachers and youth group facilitator networks. A UNICEF supported site. Web address VOY website. Contact Anne Sheeran voy@unicef.org

17. Programa Radio Internacional Feminista (RAIF) [Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE)] is an international communications channel where 'women's voices, in all their diversity, can be heard'. The key principle is "By all means...connecting voices, technologies and actions..to give voice to the voiceless". They have commenced broadcasting on the Internet. The site is under construction and can be checked out on FIRE website. Comments to Maria Suarez femintra@hotmail.com

18. Health Communication resources from Emerson College and Tufts University. Focus is on how to effectively communicate health-related information to the public. Includes - Role of communication in disease prevention & health promotion; Public health goals of our nation and the world; and, Health Campaign Primer - campaign planning guides and resources web site is Emerson College website.

MATERIALS

19. Communication and journalism in Latin America - Chasqui is a quarterly journal in Spanish, published by the International Center for Highest Studies in Communication for Latin America (CIESPAL) sited in Quito, Ecuador. Its latest issue (September, 1998), offers articles about Cultural Journalism, Communication and Health and other topics. E-mail: chasqui@ciespal.org.ec Internet: Chasqui website.

20. "The Death of Distance - how the communications revolution will change our lives" by Frances Cairncross is a book that examines the social, cultural, economic and governance implications of the rapid transformation in communication technologies. It includes substantial reference to the opportunities and problems posed for developing countries. UK publisher - Orion Publishing Group. USA - Harvard Business School Press. Or order from Amazon.com on the web.

TRAINING

21. The Nordic-SADC Journalism Centre (NSJC) - from 7th-12th December, 1998, the Centre will convene its annual Training of Trainers workshop at the University of Zimbabwe. About 17 media trainers from southern Africa will attend. Contact John Mukela mukela@sortmoz.com

22. The School of Public Heath at Curtin University in Australia is finalising plans for a course in radio programming for health promotion. At Masters level it will also be made available for field workers as a non-formal continuing education course. Contact Ross James rwjames@health.curtin.edu.au [from Creative Radio list server]

 

Comments - thanks for all the feedback received on 'Double Click' - if there are any more comments please send to wfeek@comminit.com