Using Media for Sensitization: Listen to the Voice of the People
The major factor that will shape the future
evolution of Africa is in the education and sensitisation
of the people. A commonly cited example is the AIDs epidemic. Over 20
years after its outbreak, ignorance and stigma still surround the
epidemic to the point where AIDs victims are unable to openly talk
about their struggles for fear of discrimination or violence. AIDs
workers still encounter examples of HIV patients who are ignorant of
how they contracted the disease.
Many innovative campaigns are being utilised in the education of the population. Where computing and the internet are relatively expensive and only accessible to an elite, radio and t.v. are household norms, even in some of the most isolated regions. Radio programs are increasingly being used as an effective means of sensitizing large portions of the population.
Successful past media campaigns include UNICEFs Digital Diaries where youths who would not normally have access to the media were given the opportunity to record and broadcast their experiences. In partnership with Radio Diaries the story of a South African teenager living with AIDs (Thembi’s AIDS Diary) was broadcast across the US resulting in a campaign of seminars, forums and blogs. Extracts of the broadcasts can be downloaded from the website.
IRIN the humanitarian and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continues the campaign of digital activism. Services include IRIN Radio (“IRIN Radio produces high-quality programming in local languages on humanitarian issues, ready for broadcast by local stations. The service also provides hands-on training to journalists, developing their production and reporting skills, allowing local radio to serve communities more effectively”), PlusNews (specialised on HIV/AIDs), IRIN Film & TV and IRIN Photo. Recent content includes NAMIBIA: The Challenge of Stigma, UGANDA: Love, positively, a film that looks at the lives of young adults who have been infected with HIV since birth and A Cleaner Fix (Indonesia) covering drug use with the purpose of educating the population about the risk of sharing needles. Films and radio broadcasts can be downloaded from the website.
IRIN also includes a Hear Our Voices forum dedicated to those people whose voices are not often heard and blogs on humanitarian and development issues.
(Picture: IRIN Radio in Angola)
