The Drum Beat 6 - Communication and Change News and Issues

PROGRAMMES

1. MANENO MENGI ["lots of words" in Swahili] - Zanzibar and Tanzania -
This new organisation develops low-cost digital video for community
development. It currently works with an emerging organisation for coastal
people in South Tanzania; a community TV initiative in Zanzibar that
promotes dialogue between residents and authorities on the threatened stone
town; and the Tanzanian national land forum for promoting debate on land
rights. Training in participatory video is planned for early next year t
ogether with Zanzibar NGO resource centre and Zanzibar International Film
Festival.

2. Point of View - India - a Bombay-based non-profit organization that aims
to promote the point of view of women through creative use of media. This
year they organised a travelling photographic exhibition called 'In Black
and White' which critically explored the reality of 50 years of India's
independence from the point of view of women. Contact Madhuri Dass
pov@bom3.vsnl.net.in

3. Community Media Programme [CMP] - Kenya - a programme of Econews,
promotes the development of community-based media in Kenya and East and
Southern African. Premise: media owned, controlled and produced by, for and
about communities can serve as vital fora for debate on development,
governance and human rights at local level as well as the preservation and
promotion of local culture(s) and indigenous knowledge. Such media provide
critical two-way conduits for the flow of information between the local,
national and international perspectives. Two activities include support to
advocacy and training activities of the Kenyan Community Media Network; and
support for an East African pilot project to establish three community
radio stations in Kenya, Tanzania; and Uganda. Contact Lynne Muthoni
Wanyeki wanyeki@iconnect.co.ke

4. Panos - WEst Africa - Equipment grants to new independent radio
stations. As part of its Media for a democratic West Africa programme, the
Institut Panos Paris will be awarding three grants for radio equipment,
with a maximum value of 7.5 million F Cfa each, to independent radio
stations in the following countries: Cap Vert, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast,
Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Chad, Togo, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia,
Sierra Leone. Contact Panos@malinet.ml or
BDP.Panos@malinet.ml

5. The HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care [HAPAC] - Kenya - supports community
based organisations [CBOs]. 60 percent of the AIDS/HIV activities are
undertaken by CBOs. The pilot phase increased the number of stakeholders
providing support to CBOs. Key communication issues being addressed include
volunteer commitment, information flow on HIV/AIDS issues and
accountability. The programme will expand to 7 provinces. This is a
Ministry of Health/Futures Group/DFID initiative. Contact Richard Odindo
richard@futures.co.ke

6. Benton Foundation - USA - "Communications Policy and Practice" programme
tracks and reports on U.S. communications policy and how nongovernmental
organization are using communications technology. While the focus is on the
U.S., it is also applicable to practitioners and policymakers throughout
the world. One specific activity is "Communications-Related Headlines" This
free service sends out daily (Monday through Friday) summaries of
mainstream U.S. press coverage of communications policy and practice
related news stories. Subscribing info is at: website.
Contact Jillaine Smith jillaine@benton.org

7. Voice of America - USA - Child health, more than 12 million children die
from diseases we know how to prevent, is an increasing priority for the VOA
under the new leadership of Evelyn Lieberman. Building on the international
"Broadcasting for Child Survival Conference" they hosted with USAID, VOA is
now producing public service announcements in all it's language services
[these are available to all broadcasters], has commenced a web site
intended to be a library of child survival programming and is supporting
the development of the Association of Broadcasters for Child Survival
[ABCs]. Web site is VOA website Contact Mary Ellen Glynn meglynn@usia.gov

FEATURED - Communication Initiative Web Site - http://www.comminit.com

8. South Africa - Communication developments and Soul City - an INTERVIEW
with Shereen Usdin from Soul City. Shereen comments on the changing
communication scene in South Africa and future plans for Soul City.
Click here.

9. India - communication changes in India and their implications for the
strategies of development organisations - a FOR REVIEW piece by Nirupama
Sarma. Click here.

10. Information in support of your work - The Communication Initiative web
site has brief descriptions of over 200 communication and change
programmes, 90 pieces of impact data and 60 communication country profiles.
The search page facilitates you looking for the specific information you
need. Click here to search.

WEB SITES

11. The Thomson Foundation provides media training worldwide for press,
radio and television and all aspects of journalism and broadcasting. Their
web site includes information on the press and broadcasting, training
courses, scholarship and funding details and SCOPE, their magasine. Website. Contact Val Williams
williamsval@cardiff.ac.uk

PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS

12. Bill Ryerson is now President of Population Media Center, an NGO
recently established to work worldwide in bringing about stabilization of
human population numbers at a level that can be supported sustainably by
the world's natural resources and lessen the harmful impact of humanity on
the Earth's environment. Work will concentrate on entertaiment broadcasting
designed to encourage decisions favoring replacement (or lower) level
fertility. Bill was previously at PCI. Contact Billl Ryerson
pmc@populationmedia.org

13. Pact, the non-profit, international development organization based in
Washington, DC, have just formed a Strategic Communications Services unit.
It provides training and technical assistance to client organizations to
build capacity to develop and maintain effective communication and
information management strategies. Website.
Contact Jeff Kwaterski jkwaterski@pacthq.org

14. Kristin Kalla will be the new Technical Advisor for the Rwanda Center
for Health Communications with PSI under the USAID AIDSMARK grant. The
focus will be support to a local non-profit NGO providing information,
education, and communication (IEC) on HIV/AIDS/STIs interventions. Contact
Kristin Kalla psikalla@rwandatel1.rwanda1.com

IDEAS AND INFORMATION REQUIRED

15. Carel Tenhaeff from the Netherlands Institute on Care and Welfare is
seeking information on job creation programmes for women that include a
built-in health promotion component and have been properly evaluated. The
information is required to support initiatives the Institute is taking on
this theme and for a written publication. Website Contact
Carel Tenhaeff C.Tenhaeff@NIZW.NL

MATERIALS

16. P. Sainath's book "Everybody Loves a Good Drought - stories from
Indias's poorest districts " published in India in 1996 [where it topped
the best seller lists] has now been published in the U.K. It contains
perspectives which many consider important to communication strategies.
Contact Sainath
Palagummi psainath@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu

17. The DFID magasine "Developments" had an article by leading British
television journalist Jon Snow. He argues that poverty can not be
eradicated without getting the media involved. Reflecting on his time
living in Uganda and other experiences in Africa, Snow's comments include
"There will never be much progress in eradicating poverty if 'the people'
have little idea of what world poverty involves and what eradicating it
would entail". Contact The Editor n-tancock@dfid.gtnet.gov.uk

18. "Social Uses and Radio Practices - The Use of Participatory Radio by
Ethnic Minorities in Mexico", a book by Lucila Vargas that examines the
social value of particpatory radio and it's potential for improving the
living conditions and self-esteem of the poor in Mexico. The publishers
have provided 50 copies for free distribution to communication and social
change practitioners. For a copy, contact Lucila Vargas
lcvargas@imap.unc.edu For those in a position to purchase the publisher is
Westview Press.

19. "Assessing Aid" is a new study from The World Bank. In advance material
the Bank describes the study as "What Works, What Doesn't and Why". Release
date is 11 November; available on website.

GATHERINGS

20. The Africa Division meeting of Johns Hopkins University's Population
Communication Services team will be held in Ghana on November 8th. Contact
Susan Krenn skrenn@jhuccp.org

21. FAMW-SADC, with the Deutsche Welle Radio Training Centre, will hold a
three-week Training of Trainers (TOT) Workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe from 2 -
19 November 1998. Participants from 6 countries. The focus is on training
for women in the rural communities. Contact Federation of African Media Women - SADC
famwsadc@ecoweb.co.zw

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Many thanks to everyone who has contributed information for this and past
issues of Drum Beat. To contribute please email to wfeek@comminit.com or
fax 1-250-658-1728. Past issues can be viewed at Drum Beat Archives