Interpersonal Communication Training Workshop in Mumbai

[Guest guest]

Population Services International (PSI) Mumbai is organizing a 6 day

Global IPC workshop from November 19-24, 2007. If you would like to

send someone to participate from your communication department,

please do get in touch with Ms. Arupa Shukla, Communication and

Training Specialist at arupa@....

COMMUNICATING WITHOUT BORDERS

PSI Mumbai's Global IPC Training Workshop

November 19 - 24, 2007

" Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to

look at things in a different way. " - de Bono

An Exchange of Ideas

Through its Global IPC Training Workshop, Communicating Without

Borders (CWB), PSI Mumbai will actively engage and challenge

interpersonal communicators (IPCs) in a 4-day, highly participatory

and interactive workshop. CWB will hone their field communication

skills through fostering creativity and a sensitized approach when

developing and implementing customized communication messages. The

training will also provide a learning platform for participating PSI

countries to share field experiences, innovative strategies, lessons

learned and best practices.

Creating Value - About PSI Mumbai and CWB

PSI Mumbai's HIV/AIDS Project pioneered PSI India's first innovative

interpersonal communication-driven intervention. It is a synergistic

prevention campaign with the entire gamut of at-risk populations -

brothel-based sex workers and their clients, migrant workers, truck

drivers, men who have sex with men (MSM) and injecting drug users

(IDUs). Our project focuses on engendering healthy sexual behavior

through social and economic empowerment of sex workers, increased

risk perception, and the provision of affordable and accessible

preventive products and services.

PSI Mumbai has leveraged seventeen years of experience to develop

CWB, a comprehensive and tailored foundational workshop on the basics

of effective communication skills for field staff interested in

developing interpersonal communication and peer education

interventions for key at-risk populations.

Our experience has constantly taught us that most specialist training

agencies develop communication training modules that cannot be

translated into feasible field implementation strategies, since the

agencies have limited knowledge related to the targeted communities,

and correspondingly, to the intricate dynamics of the field. PSI

Mumbai has successfully superseded this barrier, and CWB will provide

participants with classroom sessions as well as hands-on experience

at demonstration sites located within current targeted intervention

areas.

CWB will focus on building the capacity of its participants to -

(a) actively engage key populations, and effectively develop and

convey salient messages with a deeper understanding of determinants

that impact behavior change

(b)exploit innate creative talent, particularly with regard to

the persuasive use of mid-media

© develop and implement an organized, step-by-step messaging

process, with short and concise field sessions, reinforcement of key

messages and the emphasis on a specific call to action

(d) enhance essential supervision skills to ensure a uniform,

high-quality standard of messaging and on-ground communication

(e) develop innovative peer education programs

Addressing Pivotal Topics

CWB will provide participants with information on the current status

of the epidemic, as well as on its impact on diverse populations, and

elucidate successful approaches to HIV and STI prevention, counseling

and testing, and consistent condom use.

The workshop will focus on six core components –

1. Basics of Communication – The participants will gain an in-depth

understanding of basic communication, which will enable them to

educate and mobilize targeted communities and key decision-makers.

The IPCs will receive clarity in terms of their roles, as well as on

their desired long-term impact on behavior change.

2. Interpersonal Communication – The participants will gain

comprehensive insight into the underlying causes of risk-taking

behavior and specific barriers to behavior change, and they will

learn effective methods to address these causes and barriers. Through

role plays and field implementation of innovative BCC materials, they

will learn to utilize adult-to-adult communication strategies to

increase risk perception and self-efficacy among targeted audiences.

3. Supervision Skills – In order to be able to effectively monitor

the quality of field sessions, participants will learn to give

constructive feedback and to develop protocols to supervise change

agents. In addition, they will learn how to mentor field staff on how

the latter can maximize utilization of inner talent and capacity.

4. On-Ground Communication Strategies – The participants will learn

to develop a " one message strategy " , which will be implemented

through short and concise field sessions, where the main message is

reinforced at the conclusion of the session with a key call to

action.

5. Peer Education – The participants will learn to develop the

capacity of individuals from the targeted communities to serve as

exemplary members of their societies through a sensitized, humanistic

approach. The IPCs will learn how to establish an emotional bond with

the peer educators, and they will learn to teach the latter to

sensitively connect with their peers.

6. Magnet Theater – The participants will learn how to perform Magnet

Theater, which is a community-driven form of theater, in that it

compels the audience to take ownership of the performance by

identifying issues and offering viable alternatives.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Gaargi Ramakrishnan

Project Manager - HIV/AIDS Programs

Population Services International, Mumbai

e-mail: <gaargi@...>