The Drum Beat 237 - Participating through Page Reviews

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This Drum Beat features examples of your interaction with our Page Reviews process. We encourage you to further engage in peer review of the information summarised on The Communication Initiative site. Is the project, publication, article you are reading about helpful to you in your work? Do you agree with its assumptions and conclusions? While we always appreciate feedback on the work we do at The Communication Initiative, we consider the below "reviews" to be illustrations of the network peer review possible through this interactive feature. 

In order to participate, simply click on "Review this Page" within the "PAGE OPTIONS" at the top of any page, or go directly to the simple form at the bottom of each page. Many thanks! 

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REVIEWS
To review the below items, please click on the titles of the summaries. To view additional reviews of these items, please click on the links just below the reviews quoted.
1. Health Belief Model (Detailed)
Summary of a psychological change theory that attempts to explain and predict health behaviors by focusing on the attitudes and beliefs of individuals.
REVIEW: [Rating 5] very, very useful. I infact want to do my MSc in Reproductive health using this model. i am working in AIDS Control Programme but presently doing MSc in health education and promotion. I have been reading books but i found it difficult to understand how such models can be applied to my work but within 30m i was able to see the possibility of applying it. i will need your advice when i kick of.

2. India's first computerised village council in Kerala
Summary of an article referencing a Kerala village that plans to have a fully computerised grassroots administration (Vellanad 'gram panchayat' or village council).
REVIEW: [No Rating] I have read the above information and it might be true to the best of my knowledge. But before computerising the village it should have been ensured the minds of the village folks grow in order to derive the optimum potentalities of computerization. The people of this village are some of the most narrow minded, crazy guys who dont even deserve a digital diary. Computerization is far from them in truth though it might be the fact that they have begun to operate the same. The village people first of all must be able to interact with good people in a similar manner and be able to get along with people outside kerala in a fair and friendly manner and then go in for computerization etc. It is live giving a flower garland to a monkey. Thus there is notning to be proud about when the minds of the people are still in the bullock cart age. Mr. Thomas Williams Dept of Labour Govt of India.

3. "La Ond@ Rural" Radio, New ICTs & Rural Development - Apr 19-23 2004 - Quito, Ecuador
Summary of a regional workshop on radio, new information and communication technologies (ICT), food security and rural development.
REVIEW: [Rating: 5] I have been involved in rural & remote broadband issues for several years and have developed a methodology for implementation. Key to this implementation is content, local content, such as radio broadcasting and radio broadcasting over IP, for not just entertainment purposes but for education and emergency purposes. Accordingly, we have been working with several key components to an integrated solution. It is extremely interesting that others are coming to the same conclusions and if I can be of assistance, please contact me. Regards, Larry

4. HIV/AIDS Stand Up for Human Rights
Summary of a colourful, interactive cartoon for young people which is available in printed and in electronic format and designed to raise awareness and mobilise action to tackle HIV/AIDS.
REVIEW: [Rating: 5] Fantastic!! Great use of various cultures as well in the drawings and characters!

5. Communication for Social Change: The New Communicator
Article discussing the context of communication for social change in general and positing that 'the new communicator should be the center-piece of the communication strategies for social change in the next century'.
REVIEW: [Rating: 3] I find this a very effective overview of what is expected of the "New Communicator", however, it fails to set out clearcut guidelines of how such a new communicator should go about her/his task of bringing about socially desirable behavioural changes; e.g. there is reference to the importance of cultural sensitivity, but no statement as to how this can best be achieved.

6. Challenging and Changing Limiting Beliefs
Summary of a theory of change that posits: We behave in ways consistent with our beliefs and values. Certain beliefs can restrict our choices and limit our capacity to change the ways we behave.
REVIEW: [Rating: 1] I have a problem with the first statement -"We behave in ways consistent with our beliefs and values." Simply not true, unless we want to say that when we act in ways contrary to our stated values, we did not have the correct values. This approach gives far too much credence and weight to verbals statements about what is possible. It seems too naive to be useful.

7. The Use of 'Fear Appeals' in Public Health Campaigns and in Patient/Provider Encounters
Presentation outlining the use and efficacy of "scare tactics" in health campaigns.
REVIEW: [Rating: 5] I am an RN doing a paper for my Health Promotion Course on Fear Theory. This gives excellent information, and is a great place to spirngboard to other information. Nice job! Patty, Boston, MA

8. Community-Based Safe Injection Initiatives - Nepal
Summary of a 2-year project to develop local solutions to injection safety problems.
REVIEW: [Rating: 3] This is a very real problem.As a medical practitioner working among slum dwellers and construction workers in Uttar Pradesh,INDIA, many of my patients demand a 'bottle'and a 'red' injection over the weekend to ready them for the weeks labour ahead.They are willing to pay Rs 150 per bottle!This seems to be a very lucrative practice among the quacks who permanently reside outside these construction sites who often adminster to the labourers needs in their hutments.This is a section of migrant labour in the city and when they get too ill they go home to their villages for further treatment or to die,thus probably spreading any communicable disease they may have come into contact with in the city.

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PULSE POLL

Training workshops for journalists, the main approach used by development agencies seeking improved media coverage of development issues, cannot demonstrate significant improvements in such coverage.

[For context, please see The Drum Beat 234]

Do you agree or disagree?

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9. COAST: A Visual Model
Summary of a circular model for planning change: Communication - Options - Alternatives - Standards - Trust - Communication...
REVIEW: [Rating: 5] I have found the pages to be very helpful in my teaching of management planning for the California Department of Corrections. Glad that I found it and will refer to the participants.

10. Understanding HIV-Related Stigma & Resulting Discrimination in Sub-Saharan Africa: Emerging themes from early data collection in Ethiopia, Tanzania & Zambia
Summary of a research update based on preliminary analysis of data collected from the African sites for an initiative in 3 African countries and in Vietnam which will investigate the causes, manifestations, and consequences of HIV/AIDS-related stigma and subsequent discriminatory acts. 
REVIEW: [Rating: 5] The situation in Africa regarding HIV related stigma is no different from Africans living abroad. Despite the information, African communities lack interest in HIV prevention and also stigmatize those living with HIV...this is also common amongst Africans who attend the same HIV clinics, they tend to point fingers at others when they meet in the streets.

11. Critical Challenges in HIV Communication: A Perspective Paper from the Panos Institute, Nov 2002
Paper examining the AIDS pandemic in the context of the funding environment and setting guidelines for future action based on a survey held in early 2002 by The Panos Institute as well as an exploration of successful strategies of the past and new developments and proposed models.
REVIEW: [Rating: 4] The work has set in motion rethinking process of HIV/AIDS communication strategies that have been adopted over the years. Many of issues raised particularly the larger social and environmental factors is documented in many policy frameworks, yet many development organisations continue with IE&C and BCC strategies in addressing HIV/AIDS issues. The latter is even more worrying when for many practitioners the solution to HIV/AIDS is more information dissemination,even when almost 90% of population know behaviors which predispose people in getting the infection. This is really a brilliant piece of work.

12. Resource Centre Manual: How to Set Up and Manage a Resource Centre
Summary of a manual which provides readers with tried-and-tested tips, examples, checklists and resource lists.
REVIEW: [Rating: 3] The idea of the community resource centres in developing countries is a very good initiative, and this project should be targeted on developing countries through Parent NGOs and the governments to eliminate poor health and nutrition education.

13. Project HOPE - Seven Steps for Planning a Community Initiative
Step by step model for planning community initiatives.
REVIEW: [Rating: 1] Where is the stage that builds the 'audiences' capacity to act. Despite action lists existing, many communities and people are simply not in the position or do not have the skills or resources to act in the ways that communicators and their clients would like them too.

14. Enabling communities to practice the best in early childhood development: Using appreciative inquiry in ECD
Paper focussing on the use of appreciative inquiry (AI) to change a community's approach to issues related to early childhood development (ECD).
REVIEW: [Rating: 4] very realistic for the village-setting; will use the stretch statement strategies

15. A Distorted Image of AIDS & Orphaning in Africa
A response the author sent to the Washington Post newspaper concerning an article describing the horrific impacts that AIDS has had on a family in Kenya. The response was prompted by what the author saw as a distorted image that has been generated by most of the news coverage in the US on HIV/AIDS in Africa. 
REVIEWS:
[Rating: 5] very good and timely commentary, thanks John
[Rating: 1] One question: Have you seen these orphans in Homa Bay? I have. Go there and talk to these hungry orphans about community initiatives. All they get is talk from countless NGOs and with all the money being poured into so-called community initiatives, it never seems to filter down to them. That's why you see these children having to function without much help from ANYONE, not even you. Stop your academic posturing and start fixing the problem. Talking is not helping. Neither is writing pointless critiques of a much-needed and well-witnessed story about the plight of AIDS orphans in Kenya.

16. Community Documentation of Indigenous Knowledge - Kenya
Summary of a 2-year project to conserve the diversity of Kitete - a bottle gourd that is found in virtually every aspect of the Kamba people's traditional and cultural life - and its associated indigenous knowledge.
REVIEW: [Rating: 5] It is very interesting and useful for the grassroot work as well as policy issue and I am intrested to contribute the same work with you also Ranjay K. Singh Asstt. Professor (Agril. Extension) India

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