HIV/AIDS Among Zimbabwean Adolescents: Can Improving their Ability to Use Communication Methods Really Make a Difference?

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Thank you. I'd like to first recognize the honorable Secretario Gomez and my other distinguished colleagues at the head table. Special thanks to UNFPA and Panos for putting together this meeting – and to the NGO community in Nicargua for the work they do. The Rockefeller Foundation is pleased to support this meeting because we believe firmly in the power of dialogue and communication.

I've been asked to help set the tone for the discussions that will follow in the next 3 days. It is an honor to be asked to play this important role. But before I can do that, I really must explain what we mean when we say Communication for Social Change because I assume there are many people in the room who have not heard this explanation before.

And, it will be important for all of us to have a similar level of understanding in the days ahead.

I plan to address 3 questions:

1. What does our experience with CFSC suggest for future commnication work in HIV/AIDS?
2. What do we need to do more of – do better – change – get rid of in our current approaches?
3. How do we measure effectiveness?

But first let me tell you about Communication for Social Change.

CFSC is a process of public and private dialogue in which people themselves define who they are, what they want and need, and how to attain what they need to better their lives.

Change is defined as the people themselves define it.

This is an essential point because I submit that most of our current organizations and the structures in which we work make it very difficult to allow this type of self-definition to happen.

By definition, CFSC is about engaging people to want to change, to define the change and required actions, and to carry them out.

CFSC doesn't look up for answers. It is not wholly dependent on outside forces. CFSC approaches we hope can be sustained and can be replicated after funding goes away.

CFSC focus is not on products, messages, content or information dissemination – or even the desired behavior change.

CFSC focus is on the dialogue process through which the people are able to remove obstacles and build structures-methods to help them achieve the goals they themselves have outlined and defined.

In this way of working, we seek to understand the whole person – the lives they're leading and the circumstances in which they live. We strive not to "overcome" their backgrounds and life experiences, but rather to build upon them.

As this is a communication process, PROGRESS toward long-term change is at certain times an acceptable measure of effectiveness.

The CFSC strategy moves the field and its practitioners: Away from individual behaviors...to collective community change to long-term social change...

Away from persuasion and social marketing, to negotiation and dialogue with partners, and affected populations ...

Away from agencies external to the community dominating the means and methods...to community control: becoming advocates for community change ...

Away from people as objects for change...to people as agents for change that will benefit them ...

Away from we are the experts...to placing information in public domains, making it more accessible and elevating local experts.

By definition, CFSC hopes to improve the lives of politically and economically marginalized people.

This work is guided by principles of tolerance, self determination, equity, social justice, active participation.

Elements of the CFSC process:


Catalyst

Community problem recognition

Community dialogue

Planning

Collective Action...these things which can lead to individual change and/or social change...with the ultimate goal of societal impact.

The objectives of our work at the Rockefeller Foundation:

1. Refining and building the field
2. Testing new approaches and evaluating impacts
3. Increasing opportunities for poor and excluded to have access to democratic media channels.

What are we doing?

Three trials in rural Zimbabwe with adolescents and HIV/AIDS, Nairobi Afri-Afya health information project, and Colombia's CIAT telecenter.

Also core CFSC compentencies work with USAID, CHANGE, PAHO and interest in pursuing community radio projecs with UNESCO.

The Zimbabwe trials teach us many lessons that may be applicable to the discussions this week as we explore the question: What are the challenges of communication professionals working on development issues in Africa, especially HIV/AIDS?

To help me muddle through this, I started a list. It includes challenges, priorities as well lessons learned and advice. It may be a type of operating principles for CFSC.

1. Focus on reducing donor dependency .. in all disciplines, including communication. Helping the affected people themselves own the issue. How do they develop and pitch a major media story? How do they themselves decide the best way to reach adolescents, rather than looking to you and your agency for solutions. I suspect it is not in the vested interest of people in this room to do just that. Do we really want to pack up and go back where we came from? Can we turn this critical work over to people who, in our heart of hearts, we are convinced do not do this work as well as we do?
   
   

   Consider, however, that working ourselves out of a job is the only right thing to do. When development programs work, there will be no need for development workers.
   
   

2. Communicating in ways and using methods that are natural/comfortable for the people, not imposing new – or foreign – ones at the start.
   
   

   a.I would love to reinforce and build community radio stations and alternative newspapers in every community in which we work in Zimbabwe. However, we first have to use flyers and leaflets, t-shirts and songs/dance.
   
   

   b.Start with the simple methods, not the complex and foreign: leaflets, voice, dance, song. Help people be comfortable talking with each other about HIV/AIDS and to get comfortable handling objections and conflict during dialogue and debate.
   
   

3. Suspending all judgments – leaving your values band opinions at home
   
   
4. When working with teenagers in Zimbabwe, they told us they wanted income generating activities. We said okay. Thinking as an American, I assumed they meant retail jobs in business that would train them for lives outside of their rural communities. They decided to sell chickens. Some will still be on the farm in 20 or 30 years. Who am I to suggest that is not progress? Can the Foundation pull out because we don't know how to raise chickens?
   
   
5. Don't avoid AVOIDANCE. Avoidance is communication as well.
   
   
   
6. Admit we have no answers...just smart, committed people working together. The collective has the answers.
   
   
7. Listen, respond and act – to community generated ideas, even those yout think will not work. Try to respond positively to community generated ideas and approaches, even if you think they are wrong. Never veto, rarely criticize.

What should we do more of? Lessons learned


HIV is a disease of poverty – we were naïve to think we could enter a community with a HIV communication program and not address their life needs – to have income. We can't just address, must address a multitude of community issues. Those not infected are equally important as those who are infected.

Develop youth leaders to help spread communication about the critical necessity to slow the spread of HIV among youth – this can be done one by one.

The role of men – can't just focus on empowering women, young women. We have to change the paradigm before boys reach their sexual maturity.

Mass media doesn't survive alone, note the South Africa Kaiser program. There will be community backlash if the community is not listened to.

Work at the level were young people operate – figure out how they learn about sex, life, relationships, love, friendships – and tap into those channels of communication.

Focus on parent to child communication and youth to youth communication. Kids tell us they have sex when they have nothing else to do, so we have to provide other options of things for them to do.

Partnerships with clerics – though very difficult

What do we need to change?

Our language, our attitudes, some opinions. Get rid of short-term mentality.

CFSC is not just another terminology. It is a way of thinking...a set of values...working principles to follow. It is not re-labeling or different packaging. CFSC is a way of thinking and acting – and we've seen it working successfully.

The third question – how to measure effectiveness will be addressed later this afternoon where I hope to have time to discuss other aspects of CFSC and the work we're doing on indicators and evaluation.