The Drum Beat 68 - Communication and Change News and Issues

PROGRAMMES



1. Viet Nam Plus Theatre Group - Vietnam - since Jan. 2000, this community theatre group presents shows in villages 2 evenings a week. The shows cover topics such as: family planning, waste disposal & mosquitoes, vaccinations, etc. Shows are free, the villages are poor and often remote. An average of 300-500 people are in each audience. The group works towards developing audience participation in the shows and discussion afterwards. They have announced to a number of organizations and companies that they are available to promote development issues. A French sugar mill has contracted the team to support its agriculture extension program. Contact Bernard Kervyn [email protected]



2. Uganda Media Women's Association (UMWA) Community Radio Initiative - Uganda - UMWA is an NGO for female journalists from government and private media. Some of their activities include: Rural Outreach Project aimed at sensitizing the community on their rights and on topical issues, Civic and Voter Education Campaign, Advocacy, and Training. With support from organizations working for gender balance, they are developing a community radio station. Seeking sponsorship and ideas on fundraising for this project. Contact Margaret Sentamu-Masagazi [email protected]



3. Intermundia - Ghana & UK - an Internet linking project supported by the Millennium Awards 'On the Line' to link Ghanaian and UK civil society groups. From July 2000 - Feb. 2001 Intermundia will link 15 Ghanaian Accra-based civil society groups with 15 UK Brighton-based groups, aiming to develop sustainable partnerships. All groups will identify how involvement in a partnership such as this would help them. Initially, the groups will have a day-long local training session in Accra or Brighton to share ideas and experiences, learn about cultural differences, and be introduced to website design issues. Between Feb. 2001 and Aug. 2001, Intermundia aims to link French civil society groups with similar groups in Francophone West Africa. Website. Contact David Sunderland [email protected]



4. Greenstar Community Centres - Global - Greenstar is placing self-contained, solar-powered community centers in remote villages around the world. Each center has Internet connections, health facilities, a classroom with distance learning equipment, and a business center, through which the community members will operate ecommerce in native cultural products. The solar array powers the unit and also purifies water. Ecommerce sustains the facilities and brings economic development into the community. Centres have now been established in Jamaica, Palestine and India. Website. Contact [email protected]



5. Development Through Media (DTM) - Kenya - a non-profit audio-visual media organisation. DTM targets development and social activities of the civil society for audio-visual media promotion. Main focus is effective utilisation of the media in general and audio-visual media in particular as a tool for the dissemination of critical issues on social development in Kenya, the East African region and to the international community. DTM believes that African produced audio-visual programs can compete favourably in the international film market and that a vibrant audio-visual media infrastructure can help accelerate development by projecting objective images of Africa. Contact Ms. Dommie Yambo-Odotte [email protected]



6. Fundación Fomento en Salud (FFS) - Honduras - a non-profit organization established to promote dialogue and forward movement with corrective actions to health problems of the Honduran population. Their mission is to improve Hondurans' life conditions by seeking technical and funding sources aimed at strengthening institutions' capacities in the design and implementation of programmes, services and health promotion and prevention activities, treatment and rehabilitation of diseases. Contact Dr. Jorge A. Higuero Crespo [email protected]



7. Imfundo Project - sub-Saharan Africa - the British Prime Minister's Information & Communication Technology (ICT) initiative. The project's aim is to consider how ICTs can be used to support education, particularly teacher training in the developing world, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. The project will also investigate the opportunities provided by new ICTs for improved education management. Website. Contact [email protected]



8. 'Free' Computers from Computer Aid International - Global - Computer Aid recycles and repairs donated computers for re-use in schools and community organisations in developing countries. They supply computers in co-operation with other Northern NGOs for their overseas partners and their existing projects. Computers are free, but the cost is UK19 per computer towards administration and packaging costs. Does not include transport or shipping costs. Website. Contact Angela Anyiam [email protected]



9. Education for Community Development Degree - University of Pretoria - this is an international partnership degree (Master of Philosophy) with the University of Oklahoma (USA). Meant for government officials, educators, trainers and development practitioners, members of parastatals and private companies as well as NGO's involved in community development, working in, with or for communities. Click here for more information. Contact Prof. J Slabbert [email protected] OR Ms. JC Beukes (012) 420-2725.



ISSUE TRENDS



10. Report on Roll Back Malaria Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, 24-25 Apr. 2000. "Malaria has been the major cause of death in Africa...About 255 million of the 300 million cases in the world are found in Africa. This is 85 percent of the global total. In Nigeria alone, 60 million experience malaria attack at least twice in a year, with no less than 80 percent of the population exposed to the disease..."



WEB SITES



11. arTok - an ABC-Online/Radio Australia initiative profiling the artistic diversity of Oceania and providing web coverage of the 8th Festival of Pacific Arts, Oct. 23 ­ Nov. 3. Subscribe to the arTok mailing list for updates.



12. Interconnection - donates websites, computers and provides internet training to groups dedicated to benefiting the local community or environment in developing countries.



13. PopPlanet - examines the relationship among population, health, and environmental issues. Features an online moderated bulletin board in English, Spanish, and French, and country profiles for Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.



14. Beyond Awareness Campaign - a project of the HIV/AIDS & STD Directorate of the S. African Department of Health. The campaign ran from Nov. 1998 - Oct. 2000 and was conducted by a consortium of 4 organisation. Site includes a wide range of documents relevant to HIV/AIDS, communication theory and strategy, and evaluations of various initiatives.



E-FORUMS



15. CR-INDIA - aims to campaign for the use of community radio as a means of low-cost and pro-development communications in India and the other countries of South Asia. Contact [email protected]



16. Trachoma Discussion - moderated by Helen Keller Worldwide. For organizations and personnel working to control trachoma, and to disseminate information about international trachoma control activities. In English & French. Topics have included using IT in trachoma programs, and education related to environment, hygiene and sanitation. Contact [email protected]



MATERIALS

See our Materials Listing for more details.



17. "Radio and HIV/AIDS: Making a Difference" by Gordon Adam & Nicola Harford. In English, French & Spanish. Limited availability. Contact Julia Russell [email protected] & CC: [email protected]



18. From the Roots Up: Strengthening Organizational Capacity through Guided Self-Assessment. Website. Contact [email protected]



EVENTS

See our Calendar for details and other events and dates.



NOV - (1) Health Risk Communication Symposium - USA; (11) Ethiopian North American Health Professional Associations - USA; (16) Global Conference on Peace - Canada; (27) International Executive Media & Television Workshops - Beirut.



VACANCIES



Please inform the people in your organisation responsible for human development, personnel and recruiting. For details on how to place information on Vacancies in The Drum Beat special and on The Communication Initiative web site, contact Jennifer Savidge [email protected]



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