Media
Media development action with informed and engaged societies
Media
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Positive Heroes

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Positive Heroes is an educational, awareness, and self-help action organisation in South Africa designed to draw on the power that positive role models living with HIV have to change people's minds and responses toward HIV. The organisation aims to reduce fear, misinformation, stigma, and discrimination that still surround HIV by raising the profiles of South Africans from a range of backgrounds and communities who are living positively with the virus. By providing positive role models, the campaign hopes to encourage people to manage their HIV and live full, rewarding lives.
Communication Strategies

The organisation's approach is based on the idea that people living with HIV are uniquely situated to understand one another's circumstances and that they are often best placed to support one another. Therefore, the GIPA principle (Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS) forms the backbone of the Positive Heroes' interventions.

The organisation promotes, publicises, and raises the profile of HIV positive people to reach a broad variety of communities in both urban and rural settings. Through this project, South Africans are able to engage with role models from a wide range of racial, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds who are managing HIV and living full lives. These carefully selected role models are involved in a variety of activities at various levels, including appearing in national media campaigns, bearing personal testimony, participating in seminars, education, and awareness campaigns in schools, and supporting and counselling others with HIV.

For example, in October 2008 the organisation launched a partnership with Move! Magazine to highlight the story of a positive hero every six weeks. Readers who write in to get further support are linked with appropriate sources for treatment and support. Positive Heroes also launched an ultra-marathon team in 2009, which successfully ran two South African marathons.

The organisation also produces billboards depicting eight different heroes from different communities with messages of hope. These billboards aim to increase the personal relevance of HIV. The project also hopea to boost the public's willingness and ability to discuss HIV in relation to positive statements around knowing your status, disclosure, positive self image, and choosing to live positively.

Development Issues

HIV/AIDS

Key Points

According to Positive Heroes, the underlying tragedy of HIV in South Africa is a debilitating blanket of silence, denial, stigma, and discrimination. While there is almost universal awareness of HIV, it remains highly stigmatised. Stigma and discrimination constitute one of the greatest barriers to dealing effectively with HIV, because they deter individuals from finding out about their status; they inhibit those who know they have HIV from disclosing, taking action to protect others, and seeking treatment and care; and they discourage communities and individuals from acknowledging or taking timely action against HIV.

Sources

Positive Heroes website on December 3 2010.