Can Communication Be Socially Responsible & Commercially Viable? (PDF, 822 KB)

With an antenna we can stop the practice of female genital cutting (PDF, 1.45 MB)

http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/reader-diaries/2010/07/21/darkness-centuries-book-review
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You really can change outlook and behavior by scientifically based entertainment-education through the media, primarily radio and television. That is the premise of David O. Poindexter’s book Out of the Darkness of Centuries, a PMC (Population Media Center) book by the founder of Population Communication International and now emeritus member of the Board for PMC.

With a lifelong dedication to issues of population, family planning, and reproductive health, Poindexter traces his pioneering work in the field back to his meeting with Miguel Sabido of Mexico in 1977. Poindexter credits Sabido’s methodology and media savvy with the groundbreaking results in behavior change elicited by radio and television multi-episode dramas where the target audiences hang on every word, never miss a program, and fully identify with the situations faced by the characters depicted by the cream of creative writers. Different stories are serialized to fit their geographical location.

Every story is based on issues and values. For instance the issue might be that frequent births are a cause of infant and maternal mortality. The positive value would be: “It is good that couples space their children 2 ½ years apart.” The negative value would be: “It is bad that couples space their children less than 2 ½ years apart.” And a radio or television multi-episode drama would build itself round this issue and these values. Accountability plays a huge role. New attitudes and behaviors are carefully measured. And results are in a word astounding.

I was particularly interested in this book because it traces the long involvement of the United Nations Population Fund with radio dramas imparting reproductive health values.

In the early years there were fights over language. The word condom was proscribed as well as “protection”. “Responsible parenthood” became an acceptable euphemism for family planning. We still fight these battles today.

In August 1972, the United Nations held its first Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. Population was not on the agenda. Poindexter arranged a separate lecture series on environmental AND population concerns. One of these lectures was by Club of Rome founder, the Italian Aurelio Pecci. The final Stockholm book on the conference contained these lectures. I have given two Aurelio Pecci lectures at the Club of Rome in Brussels where I spoke about 34 Million Friends of UNFPA and of the links of gender equality to all long term human and planetary issues.

Some environmentalists today still hesitate to embrace the population connection. I found it very positive that UNFPA’s 2009 State of World Population is entitled “Facing a Changing World: Women, Population, and Climate”.

There is much to like in this book and it is fascinating history. I loved his admonition to “go to the top” to get things done. The present Population Media Center (www.populationmedia.org , under the direction of its leader Bill Ryerson, is engaged in producing high quality radio and T.V. serial dramas for UNFPA and others in several countries around the world. These productions all have a values framework embracing United Nations human rights documents. Pages 308-9 of the book recount the three serial dramas produced for Mali dealing with family planning, HIV-AIDS, and FGM. Having visited Mali as a guest of UNFPA, I was fascinated by these stories.

July 11th marks the day where we, as a world, come together and shine a light on various population issues such as the importance of family planning and gender equality, ending poverty, improving maternal health, and upholding human rights. Addressing each of these issues is critical to achieving a healthy and environmentally balanced world.

Please join us in drawing attention to one of the world’s most pressing issues. Every year we add nearly 80 million people to our planet, often in countries that are already struggling to provide for their current populations. If we truly want to improve people’s lives and help to care for the planet itself, we must join together to address this critical issue.

Population Media Center’s work is dedicated to solving these problems each and every day. PMC is developing highly engaging dramas around the world that show people the value of sending girls to school, delaying the age of marriage and childbearing, improving the status of women, the importance of family planning, and the benefits of smaller families for each family, community, and the world. PMC’s programs are locally managed, produced, and broadcast to ensure cultural sensitivity, and also, because we know that the most significant change always comes from within.

The United Nation’s theme for this year’s World Population Day is “Everyone Counts.” Every person on this planet counts and must be counted in order to truly understand where we stand as a world today. The UN is drawing attention to the extraordinary value of good demographic data to inform our decisions and help us come up with effective solutions.

PMC stands firmly behind this belief, and that is why PMC uses extensive audience research at every step of our process. Our programs are designed for the people and therefore must be designed to meet their needs and interests. “Everyone Counts” also draws attention to the value of each person and the tremendous potential they hold. We believe in change, because we witness it each and every day through the powerful letters we receive from women, men, girls, and boys around the world who have made changes to their own lives after listening to our dramas. And these letters are backed up by the results of the nationwide surveys that are conducted to measure the impact of our work, which time and again point to the tremendous impact of PMC’s innovative strategy for behavior change.

Please join us by helping to draw attention to one of the most important issues of our time.

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World Population Day was founded in 1989 by the United Nations to draw attention to the important need to stabilize human population numbers so we can live in balance with the earth’s resources and improve the health and well-being of people around the world.

Breakaway is a story-based, football-themed electronics game that uses soccer to encourage good decisions in young people.

Created through Champlain College, the development team has just released the first three episodes of Chapter One online and on CD. Better yet, they have also put it in the hands of multiple kids’ groups this year at the World Cup.

Its creators hope that the game will combat violence, particularly against women, by fostering in young players a sense of power to do good in the world and not give in to peer pressure.

For full article, visit:
http://themarginalized.com/2010/07/01/breakaway-release/

A friend of mine, a physician who works the longest hours of anybody I know, makes only one exception from her demanding schedule in New York. Once a week, she returns home early to watch a new episode of her favorite soap opera.

I cannot think of a more unlikely fan. It goes to show that soap operas appeal across a broad spectrum, from the most intellectually sophisticated to people with little or no formal education.

So it should come as no surprise that soap operas, or telenovelas, are increasingly being used throughout the world to disseminate messages about health issues such as the need for contraception, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, how to achieve peace between countries in conflict and how to elevate the status of women in developing countries. By identifying themselves with the protagonists’ dreams and problems the viewer establishes an immediate connection with them.

For full article, visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/opinion

This month marks the start of the World Cup, an international quadrennial competition for the world’s most popular sport, soccer (which is known everywhere else in the world as football.) During the World Cup our partner organization Population Media Center (PMC), along with Champlain College’s Emergent Media Center (EMC) in Vermont, will be launching the first three chapters of an electronic game called Breakaway, which uses the game of soccer to help combat violence against women.

According to UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women), up to 70% of women experience physical or sexual violence from men in their lifetime, and among women 15-44 years old, acts of violence cause more death and disability than malaria, cancer, traffic accidents, and war combined. In South Africa, home of this year’s World Cup, a woman is killed every 6 hours by an intimate partner. It’s a violation of human rights that is deeply rooted in many cultures.

For full article, visit:
http://blog.populationinstitute.org/2010/06/23/breakaway-during-the-world-cup/

http://www.shelburnenews.com

A two-year project with Population Media Center (PMC) in Shelburne and Champlain College, with the support of the United Nations, made its worldwide debut this week during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. PMC, an organization with expertise in behavior change, and Champlain College designed an online game, entitled “Breakaway,” a tactical and narrative soccer (football) game that has been under development and testing since 2008. The game has been developed to tackle issues such as gender equality, fair team play, and racial stereotypes all within the constructs of a fun and interactive online experience.

According to Katie Elmore, director of communication for PMC in Shelburne, the venture began with discussions between Bill Ryerson, president of PMC, Ann DeMarle, director of Champlain College’s Emergent Media Center (EMC) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which assisted in funding the project.

“We needed to determine exactly what the issues were, what technology was accessible, and how to integrate key concepts into a gaming model,” explained Elmore. This was followed by testing, training, and research for what was essentially a new media outlet for PMC. (PMC is the leading authority in using the Sabido methodology for encouraging pro-social and behavioral change by using radio and television dramas). Elmore continued, “By using an electronic game format [in lieu of traditional radio and television media], we moved from observational learning to participatory learning.”

In using an intensifying story arc and unique game mechanics, the “Breakaway” player encounters real life situations that resonate with a teenager’s experience such as peer pressure, competition, collaboration, teamwork, bullying, and negative gender stereotypes. “Breakaway” gives the players choices that allow them to make decisions, face consequences, reflect, and practice behaviors using a game and story format,” DeMarle explained. “The goal is to show young males that they should show respect on and off the field, not only to teammates, but to others in their life and community.”

Representatives from PMC joined students from the EMC traveling to South Africa to research how best to tailor a game toward youth on a global level. Testing of the game took place in St. Lucia.

Soccer star spokesperson on board

World famous football star Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon – striker for the Football Club Internazionale Milano – joined the “Breakaway” project as a celebrity spokesman. According to DeMarle, it is expected that his participation will help to gain international attention for the game and the interest of its intended audience of young boys.

Eto’o spent a day in mid-May working with students and faculty from the EMC and representatives from the United Nations in Milan, Italy. He recorded interviews for game trailers, developed public service announcements, and served as the model for his animated in-game character that is included in the “Breakaway” narrative.

“Eto’o is dedicated to the issues this game addresses,” Elmore said. “Breakaway” challenges players to understand the nature of a true champion while having fun practicing football and personal skills.

“Millions of boys and young men look up to you,” said Leyla Sharafi, a technical specialist with the Gender, Human Rights and Culture branch of the UNFPA at the Milan meeting with Eto’o. “It is such a critical age when boys’ ideas about manhood, parenthood, and being a partner are shaped. You have a chance to impress them with the positive values and behaviors so that they grow up respecting their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters.”

“Breakaway” is a game that offers youth the chance to discover how to become a champion both on and off the field. The game offers an engaging and fun way to develop successful intrapersonal skills,” explained DeMarle.

A major marketing effort promoting the new game is being conducted this week, according to Elmore. Thousands of copies of the game in CD format are being distributed to youth in South Africa who are taking part in concurrent programs to support the mission of the game.
The project has received attention from major news outlets, online bloggers and dozens of online video game sites. Using suggestions and comments from early online players, students at the EMC have continued to refine and improve the game,

“Breakaway” is available free online at www.breakawaygame.com.

Contact: Katie Elmore
Director of Communications
Tel: 802-985-8156 ext. 205
elmore@populationmedia.org

Online Football Game Launches June 22 to Global Audience
World Cup Soccer Star Samuel Eto’o Joins United Nations ‘Breakaway’ Team

Breakaway, a new narrative-driven online football (soccer) game, endorsed by world-famous football star, Samuel Eto’o, hits the global gaming field of play at noon Tuesday, June 22 during the 2010 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in South Africa.

Breakaway is a project driven by the United Nation’s Millennial goals to end poverty and violence. Aimed at boys ages 8-15, the game is the first to tackle issues such as gender equality, fair team play and racial stereotypes all within the constructs of a fun and interactive online football game.

The episodic game, developed for the web by students at Champlain College’s Emergent Media Center in Burlington, VT with technical support from Population Media Center headquartered in Shelburne, VT, features a highly entertaining narrative and tactical electronic game platform that is designed to engage and educate youth. It is available for free online – play at www.breakawaygame.com.

Breakaway is geared to an international audience and offers English, French, and Spanish language versions, with other languages forthcoming. The first three episodes are also being distributed on CDs free worldwide via youth organizations and other partners. Additional episodes of the game will continue to be released through December 2010.

International football star Samuel Eto’o, currently playing at the World Cup for his home country of Cameroon. The striker for the Football Club Internazionale Milano, joined the Breakaway team as its celebrity spokesperson in May. He spent a day working with Champlain College students and faculty, and representatives from the United Nations in Milan, Italy to record interviews for game trailers, develop public service announcements for the game, and to model for his animated in-game character that will be featured in future episodes helping to train and coach players. When asked about the game and its meaning for players, Eto’o said “We can become champions on the pitch, as well as in life.”

According to the game design team, the goal of Breakaway is for players to “gain the upper hand against opponents with special moves learned through training with team mates! They will train with a true champion, play and run drills alongside Samuel Eto’o, captain of the Cameroon Indomitable Lions and command the soccer field as never before!”

“Breakaway is a game experience that offers youth the chance to discover how to become a champion both on and off the field. The game offers an engaging and fun way to also develop successful interpersonal skills,” explained Ann DeMarle, director of Champlain’s Emergent Media Center.

The game is sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund.

Breakaway’s initial beta testing site garnered interest and players from more than 50 countries around the world, DeMarle said. The project, in development for the past two years, has since received attention from major news outlets and online bloggers and has been featured on online video game sites.

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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BREAKAWAY DEVELOPERS:

THE POPULATION MEDIA CENTER (PMC):
Population Media Center (PMC) works worldwide to bring about stabilization of human population numbers at a level that can be sustained by the world’s natural resources and to lessen the harmful impact of humanity on the earth’s environment. PMC uses entertainment media to change cultural attitudes and individual behavior with regard to health and social issues. To achieve this, PMC adopted the Sabido methodology, which uses long-running serialized melodramas, written and produced in participating countries in local languages. Characters are created that gradually evolve into positive role models for the audience. The audience forms emotional bonds with these characters, which can lead to positively influencing listeners’ attitudes and behaviors. PMC’s serial dramas have addressed issues such as: the use of family planning, adoption of small family norms, avoidance of AIDS, elevation of women’s status, protection of children, and related social and health goals, depending upon the relevance of each to the policies of the country in which PMC is working. www.populationmedia.org

CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE:
Champlain College, a private, residential college in Burlington, Vt., founded in 1878, has a long tradition of educating professionals for leadership roles by providing a high-quality, career-oriented education. Champlain’s distinctive educational approach embodies the notion that true learning only occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain was named a “Top-Up-and-Coming School” by U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges 2010. To learn more about Champlain College, www.champlain.edu

THE EMERGENT MEDIA CENTER (EMC):
Champlain’s Emergent Media Center, located in the Champlain Mill in Winooski, Vt., works directly with industry, public institutions and non-profit organizations to provide a laboratory/studio environment for discovering concepts, processes and application in new media and electronic games. It allows students to experience learning and become leaders in the areas of technology, media in real-life work situations. www.champlain.edu/emc

THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA):
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. UNFPA – because everyone counts. www.unfpa.org

Click here to learn more about Breakaway.