The Drum Beat 3 - Communication and Change News and Issues

PROGRAMMES

1. Radio Bank - West Africa: Panos' Radio Programmes Bank is growing in response to demand from 150 independent radio stations in 25 countries. A new development involves connecting 10 radio stations from 10 countries in Africa with the necessary equipment to up and download radio documentaries that each of them have produced. This augments the Panos produced programmes. Subjects covered to date include: human rights, prevention of conflicts, refugees and migration, situation of women and the evolution of free media. All programmes are without copyright and free. 1000 different programmes in 10 languages are now available. Contact Johan Deflander - email radio@panos-ao.org

2. Women's Feature Service - India: The Women's Feature Service (WFS) is the syndicated all women news service. It presents views and analyses by women of their perception of development. 300 news features annually from 60 countries, in English and Spanish, written from a progressive perspective by over 120 women journalists, most of whom are from the South. Contact Anita Anand - wfs@unv.ernet.in

3. Script writers, Producers, Directors - Lebanon: UNICEF Beirut is working with creative people in TV, radio and theatre, providing briefings on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and exploring the integration of child right's themes into soap operas, theatre, talk shows and puppet shows. Initial results include an episode of a popular soap opera addressing child labour and the Lebanese Puppet Theatre adopting the Rights of the Child as the theme for their theatre, which is seen by 70,000 children every year. Contact Aida Jammal - ajammal@unicef.org

4. Popular Entertainment Awards - USA: Advocates for Youth/Kaiser Foundation's Awards programme is now called SHINE [Sexual Health IN Entertainment]. These awards recognise outstanding treatment of sexual heath related issues in mainstream television. 1998 winners will be announced at an Awards Dinner in Los Angeles, Nov 4th, 1998. Previous winners include "E.R"; Contact Kate Folb - KateTV@aol.com

5. Women, Comunication, Development - Southern Africa: Over the last two months the Federation of African Media Women activities to expand the voice of women in broadcasting include: feasibility study for the Development Through Radio project in Malawi; regional conference on liberalizing the airwaves; workshop on Information Technology in Zambia; community radio training programme for the Malawi Media Women's Association; and a two-week regional production workshop for women in film, television and video. Contact Jennifer Sibanda - famwsadc@infodata.co.zw

6. Media and on-the-ground organisation partnerships - South Africa: Responding to research showing that mass media is most powerful combined with strong organisational support on the ground, the Soul City team have continued to engage field based partner organisations in the development of Soul City programmes. This includes message development and planning strategic ways to capture the momentum provided by mass media coverage for local action. They are presently working with the National Network on Violence Against Women, which will be a major theme of Soul City 4, and a range of people with disabilities groups, for Soul City 5 and the new children series. Contact Shereen Usdin - shereenu@soulcity.org.za and/or Sue Goldstein suegold@icon.co.za

FEEDBACK

7. Digital Video - Any experience of using Digital Video in a development project? Reading University is looking at ways to improve the dissemination of scientific research to farmers in developing countries. Contact Mary Myers - marymyers@zoo.co.uk

8. HIV/AIDS advertising - Points of View [India] are currently working to create a television campaign to prevent more women becoming HIV positive. They are seeking [i] worldwide samples of adverts on women and HIV/AIDS [ii] studies of sexual behaviors, attitudes and knowledge of women and the effects of women negotiating for safer sex [iii] evaluations of the efficacy of 'safe-sex' commercials. Contact Madhuri Dass - pov@bom3.vsnl.net.in

9. Partnerships with Commercial Communication Organisations - Many countries are seeing a growth in private media and State owned media expected to break-even or make a profit - a real challenge to social development organisations. Audiences are fragmenting. "Free" air time and print space is harder to negotiate. Rates are rising. Field and policy staff, from a number of agencies, convened by USAID, developed a set of specific communication strategies which are non-dependent on paying or funding, for partnerships with commercial communication organisations. The 3 page draft, for your review and input, is available from wfeek@comminit.com

FEATURED ON THE COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE WEB SITE - Home page -

10. Interview - with Kiran Karnik, Managing Director, Discovery Communications, India, known for his extensive work in the area of educational television. Kiran was responsible for launching the Kheda Communications Project - a pioneering effort in the use of local television for rural development. Most recently he was Director of the Consortium for Educational Communication. Nirupama Sarma speaks with him on the state of development and educational communication in India. Click here.

11. For Review - Quality Standards for Communication, Development and Change interventions: A set of proposed Quality Standards for this field. Based on the data before them and their own experiences a field and policy based group developed these key points as a basis for assessing the potential effectiveness and efficiency of communication and change strategies and programmes. This is presented for debate. Do you agree, disagree, what is missing, should not be listed? Is a standards approach helpful for improving performance? To review click here. Use the COMMENTS or FORUM facilities on the web site if you have internet access or email comments and suggestions to wfeek@comminit.com

WEB SITES

12. The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made poss ible by the public interest use of communications Contact Larry Kirkman larryk@benton.org

13. Women's Net is designed to enable South African women to use the Internet to find the people, issues, resources and tools needed for women's social action Contact Rebecca Holmes rholmes@sn.apc.org

14. SANGONeT - a regional electronic information and communications network for development and human rights workers in Southern Africa. Contact info@sn.apc.org

15. GRET [Groupe de Recherche et d'Echanges Technologique]. Le Gret concoit et mene des programmes de developpement local. Il intervient en Afrique, en Asie, en Amerique latine et en Europe. Departements thematiques: Environnement et Developpement Rural, Villes et Entreprises, Communication et Medias. Email Florene Lemoine minery@gret.org

16. Child labour and soccer balls - There is a partnership between national organisations, international development organisations [ILO, UNICEF, Save The Children et al] and the makers of soccer balls [eg Nike, Mitre, Adidas] to eliminate child labour from the soccer ball making industry in Pakistan. Contact Carol Feder on Cfsgma@aol.com

MATERIALS

17. Knowledge and Development - World Bank Development Report - This year's edition with the theme of 'Knowledge and Development' will be released on October 4th. It..'examines the role of knowledge in advancing economic and social well being.....how people and societies acquire and use knowledge and why they sometimes fail to do so is essential to improving people's lives'. Obtain copies from world_development_report@worldbank.org. A very brief outline is on click here.

18. The Social Marketing List Server is for email discussion and information on social marketing issues. Recent dialogue has included a debate on what is social marketing, how it is distinct from other communication strategies and whether the distinctions matter. The question of "branding" has also featured. Contact Alan Andreasen - ANDREASA@GUNET.GEORGETOWN.EDU

EVENTS

19. The Radio Partnership of the International Centre for Humanitarian Reporting, along with the South Africa Media Peace Centre, is hosting a workshop "Strengthening Lifeline Media in Regions of Conflict", Capetown, South Africa, 7th to 11th, December, '98. It will bring together 40-50 media practitioners and conflict resolution professionals on media and peace keeping themes. Contact Gordon Adam - Gmadam@btinternet.com

20. Public Broadcasting in South Asia - a Panos South Asia meeting held September 20th-23rd in Nepal. Contact Kunda Dixit - himalmag@mos.com.np

21. UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Communication officers met 19/20/21 September - contact Neill McKee - Neill.McKee@unicef.unon.org

22. "Women, Media and Religion: searching for New Interpretations"; workshop was held in the Netherlands. September 18-20, 1998: 40 participants from North America, Europe and Africa in attendance. Contact Anita Anand for results - wfs@unv.ernet.in

 

Final note - Please keep the electronic cards and letters flowing - Warren Feek - wfeek@comminit.com