Submitted by Janet Feldman on 26 February, 2009 - 10:38
Dear Friends,
This note is a reminder of the next Blogging Positively chat, intended as an ongoing discussion about blogging to address HIV/AIDS.
The first is scheduled for February 27th at the following times: 9 a.m. New York, 2 p.m. London, 5 p.m. Nairobi. This chat will build on the insights shared during the highly successful World AIDS Day chat, held on December 3, 2008. Below this note see questions that emerged from that chat.
The second chat, which will include reps from Rising Voices and Global Voices, will be on March 6th, at the same place and time.
The chat will be held at www.worknets.org/chat. There may be several chatrooms available for different languages. Login using your name and elect the room you want to join by clicking "enter." Once in the room, select a font color on the left side of the screen, then join the chat. Immense thanks to Andrius Kulikauskas (Minciu Sodas Laboratory for Independent Thinkers) for use of the space!
Languages: so far, the chats have been in English. We would like to include other languages, and we would love some volunteers for that. If interested, please contact moderators Serina Kalande (serina.kalande@gmail.com), Daudi Were (daudi.were@gmail.com), and/or Janet Feldman (kaippg@earthlink.net).
Map and Guide: We have now run across at least 200 HIV+ bloggers, and/or bloggers who write about HIV/AIDS issues, from around the world. We hope the Blogging Positively Guide and interactive map will encourage and empower even more people to communicate, to share, to feel inspired, to teach and to learn.
Hopefully you will be able to join us for the chats, and also for the development of the Guide and map! We will be discussing more questions and issues related to the project at the RV Positively forum. Please subscribe by sending a blank email to rv-positively-subscribe@googlegroups.com.
Thanks so much, and we look forward to your participation! All best wishes, Janet (Feldman, kaippg@earthlink.net)
Questions Emerging from Previous Chats:
-Public and/or Private Blogging: how do we encourage people to blog, whether privately or publicly, and how do we (and each person blogging) address public blogging (ie where the person identifies themselves, vs remaining anonymous), especially in cases and countries of heavy stigma and even danger about revelation?
-Map: who can add to the map, and how do we find them?
-How can we encourage young people, women, people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, and others who often are marginalized?
-Anonymous blogging can be helpful to address HIV/AIDS, stigma, and related issues. When is it necessary or very compelling to remain anonymous, and if/when should people be encouraged to name themselves?
-"Blogging Positively" Guide: how to encourage people infected or living with HIV/AIDS to become involved?
-Languages: how can we encourage and include a number of languages in this project? How can we get the Guide published in a number of languages?
-Training: what should be included in a Guide and/or in teaching about blogging (and other forms of citizen journalism)? How can we best teach people?
-Monitoring Content: blogging can help to provide factual info about HIV/AIDS, but it is important to have some way to check the "facts" for accuracy. How can facts be checked and corrected without violating privacy, freedom of expression, and other issues connected to this form of communication? And who can do that? Also, how do we sort out "fact" from "opinion"?
This note is a reminder of the next Blogging Positively chat, intended as an ongoing discussion about blogging to address HIV/AIDS.
The first is scheduled for February 27th at the following times: 9 a.m. New York, 2 p.m. London, 5 p.m. Nairobi. This chat will build on the insights shared during the highly successful World AIDS Day chat, held on December 3, 2008. Below this note see questions that emerged from that chat.
The second chat, which will include reps from Rising Voices and Global Voices, will be on March 6th, at the same place and time.
The chat will be held at www.worknets.org/chat. There may be several chatrooms available for different languages. Login using your name and elect the room you want to join by clicking "enter." Once in the room, select a font color on the left side of the screen, then join the chat. Immense thanks to Andrius Kulikauskas (Minciu Sodas Laboratory for Independent Thinkers) for use of the space!
Languages: so far, the chats have been in English. We would like to include other languages, and we would love some volunteers for that. If interested, please contact moderators Serina Kalande (serina.kalande@gmail.com), Daudi Were (daudi.were@gmail.com), and/or Janet Feldman (kaippg@earthlink.net).
Map and Guide: We have now run across at least 200 HIV+ bloggers, and/or bloggers who write about HIV/AIDS issues, from around the world. We hope the Blogging Positively Guide and interactive map will encourage and empower even more people to communicate, to share, to feel inspired, to teach and to learn.
Hopefully you will be able to join us for the chats, and also for the development of the Guide and map! We will be discussing more questions and issues related to the project at the RV Positively forum. Please subscribe by sending a blank email to rv-positively-subscribe@googlegroups.com.
Thanks so much, and we look forward to your participation! All best wishes, Janet (Feldman, kaippg@earthlink.net)
Questions Emerging from Previous Chats:
-Public and/or Private Blogging: how do we encourage people to blog, whether privately or publicly, and how do we (and each person blogging) address public blogging (ie where the person identifies themselves, vs remaining anonymous), especially in cases and countries of heavy stigma and even danger about revelation?
-Map: who can add to the map, and how do we find them?
-How can we encourage young people, women, people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, and others who often are marginalized?
-Anonymous blogging can be helpful to address HIV/AIDS, stigma, and related issues. When is it necessary or very compelling to remain anonymous, and if/when should people be encouraged to name themselves?
-"Blogging Positively" Guide: how to encourage people infected or living with HIV/AIDS to become involved?
-Languages: how can we encourage and include a number of languages in this project? How can we get the Guide published in a number of languages?
-Training: what should be included in a Guide and/or in teaching about blogging (and other forms of citizen journalism)? How can we best teach people?
-Monitoring Content: blogging can help to provide factual info about HIV/AIDS, but it is important to have some way to check the "facts" for accuracy. How can facts be checked and corrected without violating privacy, freedom of expression, and other issues connected to this form of communication? And who can do that? Also, how do we sort out "fact" from "opinion"?
-Blogging can help people freely express themselves without having to go through the mainstream media, which sometimes ignores or blocks certain voices.?Blogging is thus a way of promoting leadership, by giving people the space, training, and tools to express themselves. How can we best promote and develop blogging, so that it encourages people to see themselves as leaders?
-Blogging amplifies the voices of the marginalized and also offers opportunities for those seeking advice, comfort, hope, and inspiration. Can we develop a list of what blogging can do to be helpful to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS?
-What works in one place or country may not work elsewhere. How do we find and share best practices, and how do we present this material? How do we compare, contrast, draw similarities, and make linkages?
-Responsibility: what is our responsibility as bloggers and blog facilitators? Is our role simply to provide technology and training (as blogging facilitators), or to write from our own experiences and knowledge (as bloggers), or should we try to provide some oversight, some information-checking, and develop some guidelines for presentation and use of our material?
-Blogging at first about one's thoughts or something else more "neutral" than HIV/AIDS can be helpful, the better to practice and work up to writing about and sharing HIV/AIDS-related content. Should this be encouraged as the best teaching practice, or applied more on a case-by-case basis?
-"Citizen media" is not just about blogs: there are forums and social-networking sites, SMS and other mobile tools, radio, podcasting, photo-based reporting, films and videos. What other kinds of media are already being used to address HIV/AIDS topics, how do we find out about this, and what types of initiatives can be developed to address HIV/AIDS, using a variety of citizen media?
-HIV/AIDS-related blogging content: what issues are covered, who are the audiences, how is the information presented? Writing about prevention alone does not cover the whole story. What other topics are important to teach and for bloggers to cover, and how do we encourage blogging that goes beyond prevention?
-How best can we engage people living in rural areas, via ICTs, to address HIV/AIDS? Blogging and other citizen media tools might help to form social movements for change: how can we encourage this?
-Sections of Blogging Positively Guide: 1) control, presentation, editing of info in blogs 2) mobilizing local leadership 3) openness vs anonymity 4) training 5) tools (SMS et al). Other subjects? All ideas welcome!!
-Blogging amplifies the voices of the marginalized and also offers opportunities for those seeking advice, comfort, hope, and inspiration. Can we develop a list of what blogging can do to be helpful to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS?
-What works in one place or country may not work elsewhere. How do we find and share best practices, and how do we present this material? How do we compare, contrast, draw similarities, and make linkages?
-Responsibility: what is our responsibility as bloggers and blog facilitators? Is our role simply to provide technology and training (as blogging facilitators), or to write from our own experiences and knowledge (as bloggers), or should we try to provide some oversight, some information-checking, and develop some guidelines for presentation and use of our material?
-Blogging at first about one's thoughts or something else more "neutral" than HIV/AIDS can be helpful, the better to practice and work up to writing about and sharing HIV/AIDS-related content. Should this be encouraged as the best teaching practice, or applied more on a case-by-case basis?
-"Citizen media" is not just about blogs: there are forums and social-networking sites, SMS and other mobile tools, radio, podcasting, photo-based reporting, films and videos. What other kinds of media are already being used to address HIV/AIDS topics, how do we find out about this, and what types of initiatives can be developed to address HIV/AIDS, using a variety of citizen media?
-HIV/AIDS-related blogging content: what issues are covered, who are the audiences, how is the information presented? Writing about prevention alone does not cover the whole story. What other topics are important to teach and for bloggers to cover, and how do we encourage blogging that goes beyond prevention?
-How best can we engage people living in rural areas, via ICTs, to address HIV/AIDS? Blogging and other citizen media tools might help to form social movements for change: how can we encourage this?
-Sections of Blogging Positively Guide: 1) control, presentation, editing of info in blogs 2) mobilizing local leadership 3) openness vs anonymity 4) training 5) tools (SMS et al). Other subjects? All ideas welcome!!
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