The Drum Beat 105 - Communication and Change News and Issues

PROGRAMMES

1. NGO Network Alliance (NNAP) - Zimbabwe - aims to strengthen the use of email and internet strategies in Zimbabwean NGOs and civil society organisations. NNAP is developing a central Zimbabwean development, human rights and civic education portal which will include: an electronic fact sheet for each organisation hosted on the portal, an e-activism page for each sector, links to Zimbabwean NGO and civil society web sites. Contact Bev Clark [email protected]

2. VIA LIBRE - Ecuador - part of a project to provide sex education to teenagers, their teachers and families in urban areas. Consists of a TV series, a guide book, a web site, an in-school educational model, and a volunteer scheme, all designed around the needs of youth, their culture, values, and codes. The TV series is available for schools and counseling centers as an educational video kit. The Guide Book, VIA LIBRE PARA HABLAR DE SEXUALIDAD, complements the TV series with a methodology and a step by step guide to use the kit. The Young Volunteer Scheme trains counselors to work in school and youth groups. Contact Lourdes Páez [email protected]

3. AUSTCARE - Australia - formed in 1967 to mobilise support for international refugees and displaced persons, including those affected by natural disasters, by "assisting them to meet their basic needs and build better lives." Projects involve communities in planning, implementation and monitoring. They work to raise awareness and increase understanding of issues relating to refugees, displaced persons, aid and development through advocacy, development education and other relevant programmes. Contact [email protected]

4. Agency for Malaria Prevention & Control (AMPAC) - Nigeria - a community based NGO embarking on massive community health education on the causes, prevention and control of malaria. Community malaria committees (CMCs) are trained to carry out basic intervention like home management of malaria, treatment and retreatment of nets, community health education, etc. Seminars on malaria control are held in schools leading to the formation of school malaria clubs. Contact Dr. Chime Onuegbu [email protected]

5. Smart Communities Initiative - Canada - a 3-year federal programme to help Canada become a world leader in the development and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for economic, social and cultural development. Selected through a nationwide competition, communities will be chosen for their visions and strategies on how to achieve economic, social and cultural improvements through the use of ICTs. The Tool Kit & Skills Development Programme will build on the experiences of the Demonstration Projects by providing on-line and in-person training, as well as educational and business development tools. Contact [email protected]

 

6. Streevani - India - an NGO working since 1982 for women's empowerment. They work in rural areas as well as city slums on issues like literacy, health and de-addiction. Some projects include women's governance, self help groups (SHGs), gender sensitisation, reproductive health, legal health, networking and documentation. There are currently 35 SHGs functioning under the supervision of Streevani and each group comprises 15-20 women.

7. Charity Advantage - United States - Charity Advantage is a membership-based technology organisation for nonprofits working in the United States. For a membership fee of US$33 per month, US-based nonprofit organisations, churches, and religious organisations have access to custom website development, online donations, donor management, an online resource centre, and more. Contact [email protected]

IMPACT DATA

8. Study to improve the health-seeking behavior of in-school adolescents - Nigeria - the intervention included the provision of reproductive health information to adolescents in 4 schools, creation of health clubs in the schools, training of peer educators who provided peer counseling on STDs during and after school hours, and, training of health providers to improve their treatment and prevention methods for STDs in adolescents. Results indicated that the intervention: 1) increased adolescents knowledge of STD symptoms; 2) increased condom use among female adolescents had no effect on condom use by male adolescents; 3) decreased adolescents use of pharmacists and patent medicine dealers for STDs treatment; 4) increased the likelihood that adolescents will report STDs to their sex partners. Contact [email protected] OR [email protected]

TRAINING

9. Artloud - Global - trains NGO staff to communicate messages through graphics and the media. The course provides participants with knowledge on: targeting their audience; writing text geared towards that audience (script, slogan, explanatory information); producing graphic materials (posters, photo-comics, manuals/handbooks); and, preparing material for the local media (theatre, radio, TV).

EVENTS

10. Digital Opportunities for Central and Eastern Europe: Community Multimedia Centres will be held by UNESCO in Bucharest, Romania, from Nov. 12-16 2001. Professionals active in the field are welcome to participate in the workshop as observers, at their own expense. Contact Stella Hughes [email protected]

JOURNALISM

11. Youth Environmental News Desk - Global - News reports on successful environmental endeavors written by youth up to the age of 19 will be published and distributed worldwide by the Environment News Service (ENS), online at ENS site and featured on the HORIZON Solutions Site at HORIZON site. The reports will be translated and distributed in Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Mandarin, Swahili, French, Nepali, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. Click here for Details. Contact Sunny Lewis [email protected] or Janine Selendy [email protected]

 

MATERIALS

12. The Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHU/CCP) has established a Violence Against Women Resource Center. The Resource Center has spent the past year collecting documents, reports, journal articles, and papers as well as pamphlets, posters, videos, audiotapes, promotional items, and information about organisations worldwide working in this field. To date, the Center has over 1,600 communication materials and approx. 1,600 documents, as well as information about 600 international organisations. For information about submitting materials or about the Center contact Susan Leibtag [email protected]

13. Communicating Health in the Caribbean: A Manual for Action - this 120 page manual was designed to support health promotion initiatives in the Caribbean sub-region. Contact Clare Forrester [email protected]

14. Making Policy, Making Change: How Communities are Taking Law into Their Own Hands - by Makani N. Themba. Uses case studies that focus on community organising campaigns that created local policy to provide a guidebook for activists. 

WEB SITES

15. Innovations in Family Planning: New Fertility Awareness-Based Methods - a significant number of women worldwide use some form of periodic abstinence. However, most of these women are not aware of when pregnancy is likely to occur during their menstrual cycle. 2 simple fertility awareness-based methods of family planning called The Standard Days Method and the TwoDay Method can help women identify their fertile days and will also increase family planning options for other couples.

16. The Eco-Index is an Internet-based conservation initiative that includes a searchable almanac, in English & Spanish, of current and past conservation projects in Mexico and Central America.

DISCUSSION FORUM

17. ICT for Development & Social Changes - this list is designed for Bytes for All readers and supporters who want to take part and be updated with ICT & development related issues in South Asia and in other developing countries. Click here for Bytes for All. Join the list at: [email protected] and then post messages at: [email protected]

 

The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.

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