The Drum Beat 1 - Communication and Change News and Issues

Welcome to the COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE NETWORK Information, ideas and dialogue related to communication and change, for people and organisations communicating to make a difference.
 

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This initiative is a partnership between The Rockefeller Foundation, UNICEF, USAID, WHO, BBC World Service, CIDA, Johns Hopkins University's Center for Communication Programming, UNFPA, Soul City and Panos. It seeks to support action on Health, Nutrition, Economic Development, Equity, Gender, Education, Participation, HIV/AIDS, Reproductive Health, Family Planning, Population, Rights, Tobacco, Child Rights and Media Pluralism......
 

......that takes place through Entertainment, News, Information, Awards, Marketing, Peer-to-Peer, Participation, Community Action, Radio, Television, Newspapers, Magasines, Theatre, Animation, Interpersonal, School Curricula, Community Media and other forms of communication.
 

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ANNOUNCING the Communication Initiative Web Site - http://www.comminit.com In support of your work this site contains:
 

A. INFORMATION relevant to your communication policy and programme planning, review and evaluation activities. Use the customised SEARCH facility to obtain information you need from:
 

200 plus communication programme descriptions - avoid re-inventing the wheel
80 plus impact data summaries - highlighting the value of communication to development
60 communication country profiles - note the status and trends that influence your efforts
10 approaches to developing partnerships - key points from practice for working with partners
 

This is only a beginning. Please submit further material for inclusion through the Comments and Contributions facility.
 

B. IDEAS to consider when assessing and developing your communication strategies and plans
 

Interview: a discussion with someone significantly involved in communication and change
 

Inaugural interview is with Denise Gray-Felder, Director of Communications at The Rockefeller Foundation, who highlights the Rockefeller approach to communication, positioning communication in relation to the main product of the Foundation, relationships with programme and policy staff, social change, girls' education and the major issues facing the communication and social change field.
 

For Review: brief papers on communication and change themes for comment and debate
 

Inaugural contribution: George McBean on the contribution of communication to the now widespread use of ORT in Nepal.
 

The Hot 5: five pieces of data that a contributor considers essential to communication strategy development
 

Making the case for a higher priority for communication interventions in the staff and financial allocations of development organisations
 

Also summaries of 11 change theories and 20 planning models/frameworks
 

C. LINKS enabling you to communicate with others in support of your work.
 

Use the COMMENTS facility for contributing information to the site or requesting information in support of your work.
 

The FORUM is an ongoing, rolling email based system that allows for discussion, sharing and debate that you can access at any time.
 

The CHAT ROOM uses ICQ share ware [which can be downloaded free from this site] for real time dialogue and debate.
 

Enjoy the site - http://www.comminit.com and the information, ideas and connections it facilitates.
 

Let us know what you think about this site and improvements we can make. We look forward to your contributions. Brief news updates follow
 

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The DRUM BEAT - Communicating Communication and Change News
 

From local to international action we are keen to communicate your news - please use the connection facilities on the site mentioned above or submit to wfeek@coastnet.com
 

PROGRAMMES - insights into the action
 

Local agencies, the BBC World Service and the Ford Foundation have recently commenced work in Mumbai, India [centre of the Indian media industry] to develop the professional ability of radio and television programme makers on reproductive health and sex education and to increase the number and reach of radio and television programmes that have reliable, objective information on these subjects - contact Jenny Stevens for more information - jenny.stevens@bbc.co.uk
 

Zambia Council of Churches community-level discussion and campaign process related to reducing Zambia's international debt obligations, interest charges for which are larger than social spending, is under way - contact Fackson Banda ccz@zamnet.zm for more details
 

The Federation of African Media Women are responding to interest from other countries, including Malawi and Zambia, for the introduction of the acclaimed Development through Radio programme, which is guided by groups of rural women in Zimbabwe - for more info contact Jennifer Sibanda - famwsadc@infodata.co.zw
 

The UNAIDS group of agencies - UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, coordinated by the UNAIDS Secretariat in India, are developing an extensive partnership on HIV/AIDS issues with Channel V, the youth and music TV channel in India - contact Doris D'Cruz Grote groted@who.ernet.in for more information
 

SOURCES - information and ideas
 

Otulu Owuor, previously science and health correspondent with the Nation Newspaper in Nairobi, has started 'African Medical News' - a bi-monthly newspaper that looks at health issues from an African perspective. Subscription information available from Otulu on email address dataease@swiftkenya.com
 

The second major evaluation of Soul City is now available. Soul City is the South African multi-media health and development communication initiative that includes the number one rated television programme in that country. Copies of the evaluation can be obtained from Sue Goldstein on email address suegold@soulcity.org.za
 

The Panos media briefing "The Internet and Poverty" is now widely available on their Internet site - see Media Briefings section in site address or click here for the website.

Health Communication: Lessons from Family Planning and Reproductive Health is the new book from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Communication Programmes - contact Hugh Rigby on hrigby@jhuccp.org for ordering details
 

The new UNICEF Communication policy has been agreed by the UNICEF Board. Copies are available from Saima Iqbal on siqbal@unicef.org
 

CONNECTIONS - meetings and consultations
 

USAID convened a small group in late August to consider the impact of the increasing deregulation and commercialisation of media in many countries on existing health and development communication strategies - contact Eliza beth Fox for details - efox@usaid.gov
 

The Rockefeller Foundation convened Communication and Social Change network is presently meeting electronically prior to their face-to-face meeting in October - contact Brian Byrd on bbyrd@rockfound.org for more details and copies of the report from the initial meeting at the Rockefeller Foundations Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy
 

Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development: Exploring What Works and Why - A Don Snowden Program Conference will be held at the University of Guelph in Canada, October 26-27, 1998: information on web site - click here or email info@snowden.org
 

The Soul City programme in South Africa are about to commence the design phase for their next major evaluation. They are keen to learn of your evaluation results and methodologies and any ideas that you may have for improving the evaluation of communication and change interventions - contact Sue Goldstein on suegold@soulcity.org.za
 

WEB SITES - recently developed or noticed
 

ACDI-CIDA: Canadian International Development Agency - renewed their site on a new address - click here. Use the search system on this site to access the recently agreed ACDI-CIDA health strategy
 

Changemakers - the web site for ASHOKA, the Indian based international organisation that focuses on social entrepreneurship and change can be found at click here.
 

From Australia, the Health Communication Network [http://www.hcn.net.au/] and the bibliography on mass communication and health compiled by Simon Chapman Click here.
 

On a broader theme the Media, Development and Democracy site can be found at click here
 

PEOPLE - new challenges
 

Aida Opoku-Mensah, presently managing the Panos Southern Africa Center for Public Policy and Debate, based in Lusaka, will be moving to the Ford Foundation Office in Lagos, Nigeria to manage their communication and change activities
 

Maie Ayoub, previously the UNICEF Representative in Romania, is the new Deputy Director of the Division of Communication in UNICEF New York
 

Alfonso Gumucio Dagron is now in charge of a regional UNDP project called "Tierramerica". which deals with sustainable development
 

Scott Ratzan, editor of The Journal of Health Communication has moved from Tufts University and Emerson College to the Academy for Educational Development in Washington D.C.
 

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From local to international action we are keen to communicate and share your news with this network of 1400 plus people involved in communication and change activities- please submit to wfeek@comminit.com