Communication and Faith-Based Groups
This issue of The Soul Beat presents some experiences and resources from and about faith-based communication for development. If you would like to contribute your own experiences, please contact Anja Venth aventh@comminit.com
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1. Marklate (Vaccinate) - Sierra Leone
From 1988 to 1990, religious leaders in Sierra Leone, alongside the UNICEF national social mobilisation team and the Ministry of Health, worked together to educate and motivate Sierra Leone's people to immunise their children. The involvement and collaboration of Muslim and Christian religious leaders, as well as women's groups associated with these religions, were key dimensions of this effort to increase community involvement in, and demand for, vaccination. A 3-day leadership workshop was held specifically for Islamic leaders. The team helped the attending religious leaders, Islamic scholars, and prominent Muslims from government and business to form a new NGO - the Islamic Action Group - as a vehicle for disseminating messages. Quotations from the Koran were also identified to support child survival and other development initiatives. The Islamic Action Group encouraged different Islamic organisations around the country to use their networks to spread these messages and inspire local leaders. Smaller action groups were established in each of Sierra Leone's 12 districts.
Contact Mohammad Jalloh mjalloh@unicef.org OR Salieu Jalloh sjalloh@unicef.org
2. African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) - Africa
Established in June 2002 by the Jesuit Superiors of Africa and Madagascar, The African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN) works to help Jesuits throughout Africa find a way to respond to HIV/AIDS. Specifically, AJAN aims to build collaborations that make local faith, culture, and spirituality central to their work. AJAN also promotes responsibility and prevention while supporting those who are living with HIV/AIDS (and their caregivers) and fighting against stigmatisation and marginalisation. The provision of information online - much of which is presented from a human rights perspective - is central to the programme strategy.
Contact Michael Czerny mczerny@jesuits.ca OR aids@jesuits.ca
3. Muslim Women and Development Action Research Project - North Africa
The Research Project was undertaken to explore the complex links between women's perceptions of Islam and their rights to reproductive health and education. The project aimed to provide awareness to enable culturally aware and gender-sensitive public policy decisions to be made in areas such as reproductive rights and education, both at the national and international level. Action research was undertaken in partnership between research associates recruited from the Netherlands and partner organisations in selected North African countries. The project produced: country resource books and synthesis report; policy guidelines on themes researched; videos of exchanges between women as support to the resource book; a video entitled "We cannot dream alone", capturing women speaking about their lives and researchers talking about their learning; and publications on Islamic ethics, gender and human rights.
Contact dvl-info@minbuza.nl
4. Heartlines - South Africa
Based on the premise that South Africans, irrespective of race, culture or creed share many of the same values, the Heartlands/Mass Media Project aims to use multi-media to tackle social issues through faith-based organisations as well as to offer communication resources to assist the process. The first component is eight TV films for prime time viewing. Each episode is a stand-alone story. The drama uses the concept of "Edutainment" to promote values and stimulate discussion. The content for the TV episodes include: HIV/AIDS, abstinence, prejudice, parenting, poverty, rehabilitation of criminals, corruption, forgiveness and reconciliation. Running concurrently will be radio talk shows aimed at getting the nation to debate these values. Storybooks for children and other material incorporating the same themes are also planned.
5. Christian Polio Eradication Partnership - Angola
Beginning in 1998, UNICEF created alliances with Angola's Christian churches in a communication initiative to end polio, one household at a time. In response to the news that some of Angola's Catholic clergy, including bishops and archbishops, were preaching against polio vaccination (saying that the vaccine being used had been altered to cause sterilisation), UNICEF set out to stop the rumours as well as to recruit the churches as active allies in polio elimination. Through face-to-face meetings and interpersonal communication channels, a partnership was formed to help correct misunderstandings about polio vaccination and to encourage parents to immunise their children against the crippling disease. In essence, UNICEF Angola's programme communication team sought to dispel growing misconceptions and rumours about vaccination, and to engage church organisations to participate in social mobilisation training and other activities. Because of the high level of illiteracy and poor media coverage in Angola, interpersonal communication channels were used to take messages to hard-to-reach areas and isolated populations.
Contact Patricia Cervantes pcervantes@unicef.org OR Judith Graeff jgraeff@unicef.org
6. Zip up! - Nigeria
A mass media campaign run by the Society for Family Health (SFH) in conjunction with some of Nigeria's faith-based organisations (FBOs), and in support of the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA). The campaign uses television, radio, and billboards in an effort to empower young Nigerians with the confidence and street savvy necessary to delay sex until they are old enough to deal with the consequences or get married. The campaign uses the slogan "Zip Up, Sex is Worth Waiting for" and attempts to create a language that teens can identify with Partnership with FBOs was a key strategy in the programme design and implementation. Zip Up was developed in conjunction with a steering committee including representatives from both Muslim and Christian organisations. These groups participated in the scripting and development of the campaign messages. In addition, several FBOs have held Zip Up rallies, seminars, and workshops, with the support of SFH.
Contact Robert Bature Rbature@sfhnigeria.org
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Arts for Global Development, Inc. in conjunction with ActALIVE, is pleased to announce the debut of a new arts journal called "art'ishake", which will focus on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), youth empowerment, peace-building and conflict resolution, cultural heritage and diversity, "edutainment" to address HIV/AIDS, and much more. They welcome submissions of all kinds: essays, research, projects, events, artwork, poetry, scripts, news, and related material. Deadline November 01, 2005
Please read more at: Art 4 Development website
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7. Impact Data - Family AIDS Education and Prevention through Imams - Uganda
Between baseline and follow-up, a statistically significant proportion of respondents in the intervention areas showed increases in correct knowledge of sexual transmission of HIV (from 86 to 97 percent); among respondents from the comparison area, proportions rose only from 86 to 90 percent. A statistically significant proportion of respondents from the intervention areas showed increased perception of risks posed by traditional Muslim practices: proportions who viewed as risky the circumcising of several male infants with the same razor rose from 45 to 78 percent while remaining unchanged at 45 percent among those from the comparison area. Proportions of respondents from the intervention areas who perceived risk from ablution of the dead rose from 27 to 60 percent while dropping from 27 to 24 percent among those from the comparison area. Between baseline and follow-up, a statistically significant proportion of responding youth from the intervention areas reported a reduced number of sex partners versus responding youth from comparison areas. Among males ages 15 to 24 from the intervention areas, the proportion reporting two or more partners fell from 45 percent at baseline to 32 percent at follow-up while rising from 45 to 59 percent among male youth from the comparison area.
8. Impact Data - Ndukaku (Health is Better than Wealth) - Nigeria
In 2002, JHU/PCS and Save the Children developed a programme promoting public dialogue and action on eliminating female genital cutting (FGC) in Enugu State, Nigeria. The data showed decreased personal approval for FGC, increased perceived self efficacy to resist the pressure to perform FGC, a decline in the belief that FGC is a religious obligation, and increased personal advocacy in favor of FGC abandonment. Furthermore, the data showed the intention not to perform FGC on daughters increased considerably in Enugu. In Ebonyi, the situation remained the same as at the baseline.
9. HIV/AIDS: Faith-based Community Mobilisation and Education for ARV Therapy in Uganda
"People's faiths are among the greatest avenues available for community mobilisation and education. When
there is happiness such as in marriages, people congregate in places of worship to perform the ceremonies. When there is a crisis in the family such as illness or death, people call upon their faith leaders for support. Faith leaders regularly educate their communities during congregation prayers and other gatherings. Therefore, forming partnerships with faith leaders can go a long way to enhance community mobilisation and education around issues including HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy. One example is the community mobilisation programme of the Islamic Medical Association of Uganda. "
10. Pan-African Forum Promotes Role of Local Community in Child Health: Religious and Traditional Leaders from Across Africa Rally for Child Survival
Over 200 delegates shared their diverse experiences on immunisation and child survival from the perspective of Muslim communities, Christian communities, and traditional communities across Africa. Delegates heard presentations on immunisation trends and polio eradication by UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) health experts and took part in discussing subjects such as HIV/AIDS. Interfaith, peace, and media consultative working groups were conducted, leading toward a joint call to action promoting a grass-roots partnership in immunisation and child survival. The representatives explore how their different influences in hard-to-reach communities can boost immunisation rates and support child survival efforts in Africa.
11. Journeys of Faith: Church Based Response to HIV/AIDS in Three Southern African Countries
by Gideon Byamugisha, Lucy Y Steinitz, Glen Williams, Phumuzile Zondi
According to the publication, faith communities in Africa have the potential to play a pivotal role in determining how individuals, families and whole communities respond to HIV/ AIDS, which is the greatest health and development challenge facing the continent today. Indeed, in many African countries, churches and other faith-based organisations have been very much at the forefront in developing and spreading innovative and effective responses to the HIV epidemic.
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The deadline for Early Registration for the 14th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA 2005) has been extended to September 30th 2005.
Please visit the website - ICASA 2005 - for online registrations and registration guidelines as well as payment details.
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12. Social Marketing and the Role of Faith-Based Organisations
This publication profiles how years of collaboration between Population Services International and faith-based organisations (FBOs) are helping curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. The brochure also outlines how AIDSMark, with support from USAID, has developed a training programme for religious leaders to increase their capability to implement HIV/AIDS prevention activities. This new initiative will enable churches and FBOs to educate their congregations on HIV/AIDS prevention, correct misconceptions and fight stigma.
13. What Can I Do?
This video is designed to combat HIV-related stigma, shame, discrimination and denial in churches. The video features Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha from Uganda, allegedly the first African priest to disclose his HIV-positive status. The video is accompanied by a 48-page Facilitator's Guide. In this video, Canon Gideon talks about the need for his fellow Christians to do away with judgemental attitudes towards HIV-positive people. He calls on them, instead to offer them love and support. 'Churches need to spread hope, not fear,' he says. He goes on to tell how his wife died of an HIV-related illness and that he too found out he was HIV-positive. He accepted his status and disclosed it to his family and friends, and also to his Bishop. Later he married a woman who was also HIV-positive. The video is 49 minutes long and is divided into short segments on topics such as: coping with stigma; why be tested for HIV?; and challenges for the church. The accompanying Facilitator's Guide enables groups to explore in greater depth the issues which the video raises
14. Female Genital Cutting: Breaking the Silence, Enabling Change
by Julia M. Masterson & ulie Hanson Swanson
This publication examines the occurrence of femal genital cutting (FGC) and common rationales for its practice. Historical efforts to eliminate the practice are explored within the context of an emerging human rights framework, and a synopsis of three concrete strategies and their results, implemented by nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) in Egypt, The Gambia, and Senegal, is provided. The projects examined were: using a Positive Defiance Approach (PDA) to identify positive role models who had
withstood social pressures and not had their daughters cut or who advocate against the practice; working in collaboration with various stakeholders, community members, circumcisers, religious and local leaders, to design and alternative rite of passage curriculum for the traditionally very important girl initiation ceremonies; and Tostan who designed and conducted education classes for over 900 women in 30 villages, providing instruction in human rights, reproductive health, problem-solving and health and hygiene.
15. Faith Can Be a Risk Factor For HIV in Africa
by Lavinia Mohr
"Uganda's success in significantly reducing HIV/Aids prevalence and new infection rates in the last ten years is a sign of hope in turning the tide of Aids in Africa. Uganda is often seen as an example for other African countries. Christian communicators from around Africa gathered in Kampala in March 2004 to take part in a meeting sponsored by the Africa Region of WACC on "Aids in Africa: Communicating for Behaviour Change." The two-day seminar was hosted by the Uganda Media Women's Association who are a WACC member organisation based in Kampala.
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The Soul 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.
Please send material for The Soul Beat to the Editor - Anja Venth aventh@comminit.com
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