SOUL BEAT AFRICA

Soul Beat Africa aims to be a space for communicators across Africa to share communication for development knowledge, experiences, materials, strategic thinking and events, and to engage in discussion and debate. This site is meant for practitioners, media makers, academics, researchers, and others who are using or are interested in communication for social change in Africa.

The site focuses specifically on Africa, providing an opportunity for the unique experiences and issues of the continent to be shared and debated, while helping to strengthen communication for development and social change.

Please join us in sharing knowledge and in engaging in discussion and debate about communication for development in Africa. Send your information to the editorial team at aventh@comminit.com

Soul Beat Africa forms part of the CI network which also includes: The Communication Initiative: Global - in English, with a worldwide overview and focus and La Iniciativa de Comunicacion: Latin America - in Spanish, with a worldwide overview and focus on the Latin American experience and context.

Soul Beat Africa’s activities

A database of knowledge on Communication for Social Change in Africa:

The website contains summarised information related to communication for development in Africa. These include: 

• Programme Experiences - Descriptions of programmes, activities and projects dealing with communication for development across Africa
• Evaluations -  Evaluations and impact data from projects and activities that use communication for social development and change;
• Strategic Thinking - Summaries of strategic thinking documents that aim to form the basis for communication, change and development policies and interventions.
• Materials - These are summaries of resources for communication practitioners, including publications and multimedia that support the use of communication as a tool for development. 
• Awards and Funding Opportunities - a listing of fellowships, grants, scholarships, and internships;
• Events and Training - a list of summaries of conferences and training opportunities to support communication activities.
• Universities – a list of universities and colleges offering courses related media and development for social change.
• Links – a list of development organisation websites in Africa
• Discussion Forums and Polls

All of the above Knowledge Sections and Interactive Features can be viewed through a lens of Communication Approaches (ie: advocacy, entertainment, social marketing, etc.), Communication Media (ie: radio, television, live performance, etc.), Development Issues (ie: Environment, Health, Human Rights, etc.), Regions (ie: Southern Africa, East Africa, West Africa, etc.) and the 8 Millennium Development Goals. See the dark navigation bar under our website title for these features.

Theme websites – “windows”: 

• These provide specific points of interaction for people working on the specific themes.
• They often include additional information and interactive features (such as discussions and polls) that will not be found on the main Soul Beat Africa website.
• Soul Beat Africa currently offers two theme sites:
  - Community Radio
  - Edutainment
  Please see the top navigation in this website where the “tab” reads “Theme sites” and click on that “tab” to open the list of our current featured themes.

E-publications:

• The Soul Beat - a bi-weekly electronic magazine featuring summarised information included on the Soul Beat Africa website.
• Soul Beat Extras - issue-specific monthly mailings that correspond to the Theme websites which include the latest information posted on the Soul Beat Africa website. 

Click here to subscribe to The Soul Beat.  In order to ensure that you receive the Edutainment and Community Radio Extras please indicate this in the subscription form. 

Soul Beat Africa is a collaboration between Soul City and The Communication Initiative.