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COMMUNICATIONS POLICY

This Communications Policy outlines how communications can help the Africa
Campaign members and partners to achieve the objectives of the Campaign. The
Goals described in this policy shall support and are aligned with the Objectives
as outlined in the Campaign Strategy ocument.
The Africa Campaign
on
Disability and HIV & AIDS
KEY MESSAGES
To maximise the impact of our Communications activities we will focus on the following three key
messages. They will be repeated over and over again. All members and partners of this Campaign
will use our different opportunities to get the messages across to our target groups. To
communicate effectively we need to be creative and interesting by using human interest examples
and imagery. This can be done in meetings, conferences and letters as well as in articles,
brochures and publications, advertisements and on posters as well reports.

1. Persons with Disabilities are vulnerable to the impact of HIV & AIDS, just as an other
!roup, an" have e#ual ri!hts to access to HIV information an" services
$. %ull participation of persons with "isabilities in HIV & AIDS pro!rams can help prevent the
sprea" of the "isease.
&. 'he Africa (ampai!n on Disabilit an" HIV & AIDS wor)s to empower persons with
"isabilities in Africa affecte" b HIV an" AIDS to act locall to re"uce its impact on their
lives.
COMMUNICATION METHODS
All Africa Campaign members and partners own this communications policy. Everybody who forms
part of this Campaign is a communicator, whether you answer the phone, write articles for the
campaign and other newsletters or speak at international conferences. Every contact with a
stakeholder is a chance to communicate our messages. Do not forget the value of personal, direct
contact with people. This can often be the most effective form of communication. The following are
our main communication tools.
1. *eetin!s an" (onferences
$. Publications an" other communications in various formats.
&. *e"ia
+. Africa (ampai!n website ,www.africacampai!n.or!-
.. Visits to projects
/. 0etwor)in! on various platforms
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COMMUNICATION GOALS
1. 'o create awareness about the impact of HIV an" AIDS on persons with "isabilities.
$. 'o mobilise participation of persons with "isabilities an" persons livin! with HIV an" AIDS
to achieve the objectives of the Africa (ampai!n
&. 'o sensitise "ecision ma)ers an" ma)e them willin! an" able to "evelop "isabilit
inclusive strate!ies in the response to the AIDS pan"emic.
TARGET GROUPS
In1countr
1. African !overnments ,national an" local-
$. 0ational HIV & AIDS "ecision ma)ers
&. 0ational "isabilit sector "ecision1ma)ers
+. 2ocal "onors
.. AIDS Services 3r!anisations ,AS3-
/. Health Professionals
4. Disabilit service provi"ers
5. 3r!anisations of people livin! with HIV &
AIDS
6. Disable" people7s or!anisations ,DP3s-
18. Si!n an" tactile lan!ua!e interpreters
11. *e"ia
1$. 3r!anisations of interpreters
1&. %aith base" or!anisations
1+. (9: wor)ers
1.. ;outh an" women7s or!anisations
1/. Persons with "isabilities an" their families
14. HIV an" AIDS campai!ns
International
15. African <nion
16. 3r!anisation of African %irst 2a"ies A!ainst
HIV=AIDS
$8. International "onors
$1. International actors who influence HIV & AIDS
polic an" pro!rammin! in Africa
$$. International actors who influence the Disabilit
sector in Africa
$&. International or!anisations of people livin! with
HIV & AIDS
$+. International Disable" People7s 3r!anisations
$.. ;outh an" >omen7s !roups
$/. HIV an" AIDS campai!ns
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KEY PRINCIPLES
1. Be credible
>e will avoi" a"jectives an" superlatives when "escribin! ourselves an" our wor). >e
want to come across as cre"ible. It is also a si!n of confi"ence that we "o not have to wor)
so har" at convincin! people that we are fantastic. 2et us leave that ju"!ement to the
listener or rea"er. >e will provi"e short e?amples to illustrate our ar!uments an" ma)e
them more concrete. @?amples base" on fact also increase the cre"ibilit.
2. Be aailable
>e will alwas inclu"e contact "etails in a letter or press release. >ho is the best person
to answer #uestions about the te?tA Provi"e contact "etails for that person. *a)e sure that
he or she is available at the time when the press release, newsletter or letter is sent. Also
!ive that person a chance to prepare b informin! him or her about the te?t ou have sent
out.
!. Be "re"ared
If ou are contacte" b a sta)ehol"er an" feel unprepare" to answer #uestions, politel
as) if ou can call him or her bac) in a few minutes. (ollect our thou!hts an" write "own
the messa!e ou are most intereste" in "eliverin!. *a)e sure that our messa!e reflects
the )e messa!es of this (ommunications Polic.
#. Si$"li%& a'd %(c)* (' +,e -e& $e**a.e
It is easier to write a lon! te?t than a short one, especiall if ou have a lot of information.
>ritin! short an" concise is to "are ma)e selections. It is our job to sort out what shoul"
an" what shoul" not be inclu"e" in the article, letter or speech, not the rea"er7s or
listener7s. 'his means that we have to be prepare" to sacrifice both information an"
wor"in! that we are particularl please" with. Do not tr to seem smart b usin! "ifficult
wor"s. People will not be impresse". 3n the contrar, the will be capture" b ou when
ou mana!e to e?plain comple? issues in a concise an" simple wa.
/. Be c('*i*+e'+
It is the responsibilit of each of the (ampai!n members to ensure that important
"ocuments are in line with this (ommunications Polic an" with the !oals of the Africa
(ampai!n. %or an #uestions or concerns, these "ocuments can be forwar"e" to the
(ampai!n *ana!ement 'eam ,(*'- who will !ive fee"bac) re!ar"in! relevance vis B vis
the (ampai!n objectives an" means. %or laout issues an" other e"itin!, a
(ommunications 3fficer ma be consulte" if nee"e".
0. Be rece"+ie +( lear' %r($ (+,er*
(ommunication is a two1wa process. It is important that we ac)nowle"!e that listenin! is
just as important as sain!. (ampai!n members shoul" therefore listen to other messa!es
just as har" as ou tr to !et our own across. 9ein! receptive also allows us to !ain from
e?periences an" new i"eas we ma not have thou!ht of.
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