| Washington, D.C., June 28, 2000— The Voice of America will be
sponsoring a “Voice of the Voiceless” campaign in an attempt to educate
and aid in the prevention of HIV/AIDS throughout southern Africa.
The campaign is made possible by a $50,000 grant that was given to VOA
by Cable Positive on behalf of the Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman
Marc Nathanson.
According to the UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS),
AIDS is now the number one killer in Africa. An estimated 33.6 million
adults and children are living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Not
only is there a tremendous problem in treating people with AIDS but an
urgent need for information on prevention.
The “Voice of the Voiceless” campaign will involve at least two mini-concerts
designed to target a young audience through the use of talented musicians.
The first concert will be in Cape Town, South Africa, with the second location
to be decided. The concerts will incorporate powerful AIDS/HIV prevention
messages.
The “Voice of the Voiceless” campaign will kick-off with the 13th International
AIDS Conference which begins July 9 in Durban, South Africa. Two VOA reporters
will be attending and will work on feature stories pertaining to AIDS related
issues.
The next element of the campaign will be training sessions for journalists
in southern Africa on health investigative reporting techniques.
Two town hall meetings are also planned for the campaign. The
meetings are designed to foster a dialogue about the stigmatism surrounding
those who are living with AIDS or who are trying to prevent the spread
of AIDS in Africa. Other proposed components include a periodic live
call-in show focused on AIDS related issues as well as public service announcements
featuring popular athletes.
Marc Nathanson was presented with the award because of his leadership
combating AIDS/HIV at Falcon Cable and for his service on the Board of
Governors of AIDS Project Los Angeles since 1991.
Cable Positive is a non-profit organization dedicated
to unifying the talents, resources, access, and influence of the communications
industry to raise AIDS awareness; to fund education, research, and care;
and to promote a more compassionate climate for those whose lives have
been affected by HIV/AIDS.
The Voice of America broadcasts news and information
in 53 languages to an estimated audience of 91 million regular listeners
each week.
Contact: Kate Davis
(202)-619-2538 |
