Chip and I will be in Tanzania through August 12 (which, as a side note, will make our blog productivity go from poor to wretched). We’ll be collaborating with a USAID group in Dar es Salaam, working together on a set of messages to fight the spread of AIDS.
We are daunted by the scope of the challenge. I think our best hope, given the limited time we have and our lack of experience in East Africa, is to catalyze the thinking of the local experts. The good news is that the principles that make ideas stick aren’t culture-specific. So if we can get in a room with the right group of AIDS experts and Tanzanian leaders, I think we can make some solid progress. We’ll report back soon — wish us luck.
Good luck!! it’s quite a challenge indeed, and i really hope you can improve things there, at least a little. The only bad thing is your blogging activity will slow down. I’ve just recently met your blog and it’s been very stimulating. I’ve even mentioned you on my own blog ( http://www.on-doing.com/centernotes/wine-and-salmon/ ). Well, i insist, very good luck! and hope to see you posting again soon.
That’s great! What I admire is your humbleness having been offered this opportunity. It’s a great example of the unforeseen events that may lie in our future when we dedicate ourselves passionately to a unique subject.
Have fun!
Good luck with it. From my experience of talking to people a lot about HIV in Namibia some years ago I found that once prevalence had got to the levels it was there in the late 1990s a lot of people were blocking out the messages because of the fear that it was already too late for them and that this meant (in the absence of drugs which virtually nobody could afford) a death sentence.
I’ll be fascinated to hear what you found.