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Mobilising
Media Activism and Community Participation in Stigma Reduction
- Nigeria
Summary
This two-year project is designed to reduce HIV/AIDS-related
stigma and discrimination in the media and other identified
communities in Nigeria. Launched by Journalists Against AIDS ,
the project aims to harness the capacity of the Nigerian media
and communities as a potential force for change to reduce the
high levels of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the
country. The project will also support the activities of
Nigeria's Country Coordination Mechanism (CCM) for the Global
Fund for AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis by building the
capacity of community leaders in HIV/AIDS advocacy, in
particular by providing support and protecting the rights of
people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and by promoting increased
partnership between the media, PLWHA, human rights groups and
HIV/AIDS activists in protecting and affirming rights of PLWHA.
Main Communication Strategy
The project plans to achieve its goals through a package of
capacity building, as well as community empowerment and
information dissemination activities addressing key media
personnel, PLWHA, public sector personalities, and members of
traditional leadership institutions in Nigeria.
Specific activities will include:
- A baseline survey to determine key issues,
factors and determinants of HIV-related stigma and
discrimination in Nigeria, including focus group
discussions, policy mapping and analysis and media
monitoring studies.
- Consultative roundtables to be held with PLWHA,
media gatekeepers and community actors that aim to
generate popular debate around stigma and to proffer ways
to address stigma-related issues. The roundtables will be
held in Enugu, Kano, Ado-Ekiti and Lagos.
- Capacity-building workshops aimed at building
knowledge of stigma-related issues among media, PLWHA, and
leaders of targeted communities.
- Publication and circulation of a tri-yearly
newsletter showcasing the efforts of community actors to
reduce stigma and discrimination and to provide
information about services/facilities for protection of
the rights of PLWHA.
- Annual awards to profile and honour individuals
and organisations who have by their actions and
pronouncements broken the silence surrounding stigma and
discrimination in their communities.
Development Issues
HIV/AIDS.
Key Points
The goal of the project is to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma
and discrimination in measurable ways within the media and
other identifiable communities in Nigeria by mid-2005. The
project is designed to equip gatekeepers in the media with
accurate, up-to-date information to report on issues,
challenges, and solutions around stigma and discrimination; to
provide platforms for informed public discussion and debate on
stigma and discrimination; and to build capacity among leaders
of the Nigerian media so that they will, on their own, become
advocates for change (both in terms of communicating behaviour
change to reduce stigma, and mobilising policy change for a
legal and institutional framework that protects and promotes
rights and access to redress for PLWH and people affected by
AIDS (PABA) when confronted by stigma).
Partners
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID),
JAAIDS, World online.net. The project is funded by USAID
through the Rapid Response Mechanism for HIV/AIDS Activities
(Community REACH) project, managed by Pact, Inc., Washington,
DC, USA.
Source
Our Sponsors June 10, 2003.
For more information, contact:
Omololu Falobi
Program Director
Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria
Media Resource Centre on HIV/AIDS
1st Floor, 42 Ijaye Road
Ogba, Lagos
jaaidsng@nigeria-aids.org
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