Regions

Features

The Sexuality Leadership Development Fellowships (SLDF) programme is designed to:

• Facilitate the emergence of a younger generation of leaders in the field of sexuality
• Provide a forum for increased knowledge and experience-sharing, and thereby build constituencies among sexuality professionals in Africa
• Promote mentoring of young African professionals by experts in the field of sexuality
• Improve dissemination of information on work being done in the area of sexuality

Application forms for the July 2004 Fellowships are available for download at the ARSRC website: www.arsrc.org

The Small Enterprise and Education Promotion (SEEP) Network is hosting a two-week electronic discussion and information gathering session to identify promising business development strategies for incorporating HIV/AIDS-affected individuals and micro- and small enterprises into productive value chains. The discussion will run from 19 to 30 April 2004.

Objectives for the virtual information gathering session:

• To determine the factors that make for a successful BDS intervention that targets HIV/AIDS- affected individuals
• To identify strategies and interventions that enhance the participation of HIV/AIDS-affected individuals in productive markets (sub-sectors, industries and value chains)
• To identify mechanisms to increase earnings of HIV/AIDS-affected individuals within value chains

Key issues to be covered during the information gathering session include:

• Programme Intervention and Design - what are the success factors? What are the limitations?
• Targeting HIV/AIDS-affected individuals and stigma
• Market linking between HIV/AIDS-affected MSEs and private sector firms
• Managing relations with social networks
• Social intermediation and sustainable BDS projects

For the purpose of this virtual information-gathering session, HIV/AIDS-affected individuals are those who have had lifestyle changes as a result of someone who died of AIDS or is dying of AIDS. These could be caregivers for someone dying of AIDS, or who have taken in orphans whose parent/s died of AIDS and/or have lost one or both parents to AIDS. It is understood that anyone in these categories can be also infected with HIV/AIDS but still have the capacity to be economically productive.

Format of the Virtual Information Gathering Session:
The session will be in the form of a two-week (April 19 to 30), moderated email discussion. Each day questions will be posted to guide the discussion and cover various topics. Daily contributions will be summarized and distributed to participants.

Intended Participants:
BDS practitioners, microfinance institutions servicing HIV/AIDS-affected individuals, HIV/AIDS programmes operating an economic development project, private sector businesspeople, consultants and donors interested in incorporating HIV/AIDS-affected households in value chains.

You must register electronically to participate.
Register by sending an email to:
Camrin Emmons-White at
Include your first and last name, organisation, email address, country and (optional) a brief description of your work (no more than 25 words). Please list any issues you would like to see covered in the discussion.

For more information, email Camrin Emmons-White at

In Lesotho, from 26 to 30 April 2004. A course aimed at media practitioners, NGOs and government communicators, covering HIV/AIDS from a gender perspective will be convened by Gender Links, with support from the Open Society Foundation South Africa and UNIFEM.

The training is based on the growing understanding that:

• The prevention and management of the spread of HIV/AIDS is inextricably linked to achieving gender equality
• The media has a key role to play in promoting behaviour changes
• The media's own prejudices and assumptions often cause it to be part of the problem rather than the solution

The courses are open to:

• Male and female mainstream media and community media practitioners, NGO-government and local government communicators
• Print, radio and TV media practitioners and communicators
• Government (including local government) and NGO communicators
• Media practitioners and communicators with at least three to five years of experience
• Media practitioners and communicators with a commitment to reporting HIV/AIDS from a human rights perspective

The same workshop will be held from 31 May to 4 June in the North West Province of South Africa, and from 7 to 11 June in the Free State Province of South Africa.

Registration Details:
A letter of motivation and a letter of support from your supervisor/manager must be sent to Mothibi Mohomane by email at [email protected] or by fax on number 011-622-4732, with a copy of your CV.

For more information contact:
Gender Links
1 Ernest Oppenheimer St/cnr Queen St
Lakeside Place, Lower Ground
Bruma 2198, Johannesburg
South Africa
Tel: +27(0)11 622 2877
Fax: +27(0)11 622 4732
[email protected]

The Asia Pacific Development Communication Centre (ADCC), at Durakijpundit University, Bangkok, Thailand, is offering a three-week course on Behaviour Change Communication, focusing on risk behaviours related to health, and how to induce behaviour change through strategic communication.

The course, from 27 April to 14 May 2004, will emphasise how cultural, social, economic and political factors influence individual choices and behaviours in relation to health, prevention of diseases and seeking of treatment. On this basis, participants will learn how to plan, implement and evaluate results-oriented BCC strategies and programs. BCC materials will be produced and tested by the participants.

After the course, participants should be able to:

• Identify substantial elements of the cultural, social, political and economic factors underlying health behaviour and behaviour change
• Understand the various components of BCC and their role in inducing behaviour change
• Analyse behavioural aspects of health problems, the context, target groups and their social environments, as well as the target groups' use of various types of media
• Understand the strategic use of mass- and interpersonal communication techniques and media in health programmes
• Master the stages of producing communication materials for BCC, from conception and development to pre-testing, usage planning and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation
• Plan BCC strategies for improving the health of targeted population groups.

For more information:
www.btcv.org

or contact:
Asia Pacific Development Communication Centre (ADCC)
Dhurakijpundit University
110/1-4 Prachachuen Road
Laksi, Bangkok
10210, Thailand
Tel: 66 2 954-9512
Fax: 66 2 591-3154