Community Media/IAS/Cape Town Workshop

= Overview =

An engaging four-day community media workshop for African community media practitioners; sponsored by the International AIDS Society and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

Partners and prospective partners
Prospective (media) partners: AMARC Africa, NCRF (South Africa), EcoNews Africa, Bush Radio (Cape Town)

Prospective (HIV/AIDS) partners: TAC, SAfAIDS

Dates and location
Dates: 	July 2009

Location: Cape Town

Rationale
Community radios work in areas often underserved by other information media and are therefore vital services. Community radios not only broadcast in local languages but they are firmly rooted in local contexts: they draw on local community membership as 'owners', managers, staff and as 'expert' resources on air. Community radios are trusted by their listeners; they work in culturally appropriate ways. For these and other reasons, community media, especially radio, are important vehicles for learning about HIV/AIDS. The proposed process aims to strengthen the capacity of community radios in Africa to develop and operate effective programmes on HIV/AIDS through 1) increased programme design skills, 2) increased knowledge about HIV/AIDS and related educational considerations, 3) focused networking among community radios (to share experiences, content, strategies, etc.), 4) ongoing linkages to HIV/AIDS groups (as sources of information).

Objectives

 * 1) Build capacities to develop and operate effective learning programmes about HIV/AIDS for community radio
 * 2) Seed sustainable linkages between community media and ‘expert’ resources on HIV/AIDS
 * 3) Strengthen the regional community media network, especially online exchanges and content portals

Long term outcomes (3-5 years)

 * Widespread access in the region to effective learning programmes about health, including HIV/AIDS, via local community media and telecentres
 * Strong, dynamic regional networks and bi-lateral relationships linking community media with development and education providers dealing with HIV/AIDS

Short term outputs

 * Increased quantity and quality of community radio programmes about HIV/AIDS
 * Experiences of HIV/AIDS programming on community radio shared among stations
 * Promising ”media for learning about HIV/AIDS” programme formats – good practices – identified
 * A range of enabling materials are available to community radio broadcasters to help in developing programmes
 * Concrete plans to develop educational programmes about HIV/AIDS for at least a dozen stations
 * Concrete linkages formed between broadcasters and HIV/AIDS experts
 * Participants have increased skills in programme development, e.g. new abilities to train others and facilitate creative production and learning processes

Approach

 * Build from existing community media processes and programmes in the region
 * Combine subject specialists with communication specialists
 * An inclusive, engaging, highly participatory workshop focused on sharing experience, practical group work, skills training
 * Pre-workshop discussions with participating stations in an online forum; pre-workshop online wiki skills training
 * Site visit to a community media outlet in Cape Town, e.g. Bush Radio

Participation

 * Participating countries: South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Cameroon (to be discussed)
 * 24 Africa community media practitioners, especially from "hub" stations, ideally health programmers, trainer-facilitators, programme directors
 * 3-4 representatives of African HIV/AIDS groups, especially those involved with treatment literacy
 * 4+ community media trainer-facilitators, ideally from different countries (to assist in running the event and to lead follow-up workshops)
 * 2 lead facilitators