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HEARTLINES forgood

Country

South Africa

Programme Summary

Initiated by Heartlines, a South African-based non-governmental organisation working towards encouraging good values, forgood is a member-based social movement that uses cell phones and the internet to inspire, guide, and connect South Africans to take action to make "our neighbourhoods and our country safer, healthier, happier, greener, more informed and more compassionate".
forgood is a movement for people of different faiths and philosophies, with the understanding that there are shared values which motivate people to take action for good.

Communication Strategies

forgood focuses on 5 key areas: safety, education, the environment, HIV/AIDS, and xenophobia. The forgood website provides specific ideas for action under each theme, as well as links to resources where individuals can learn more about particular topics within the theme, or contact organisations for additional information.

The principle underlying forgood is to encourage people to take action to make South Africa a better country. Through a series of research-based SMS messages, members get more information about how to take action for good. The information includes reasons why this action is important, as well as ideas for how to plan it - with family, friends or colleagues, with their sport or book club or stokvel, or with other people that live in their area.

Each month focuses on a different issue, for instance forgood have:

  • helped people displaced by xenophobic violence;
  • made a commitment, together with their local police, to say ‘no’ to crime;
  • shown their support for after school care activities for youngsters – to keep them safe from victimisation and out of crime;
  • rescued a public space from crime and grime; and
  • taken action to reduce the damage and violence caused by alcohol abuse – by asking their local liquor seller to be more responsible about who they sell alcohol to, and committing to not letting drunk friends drive or walk home alone.

The website also has a section called Stories which is a space where people can share their stories and be inspired by individuals who are taking action in their lives for good, positively changing their own lives and helping to create positive change around them.

The website also has a news section, where positive stories about activities and actions by forgood members are published.

forgood is currently sourcing funding to expand its technology to enable members to contribute information directly to the website, as well as network with one another more effectively. The latter would allow for members to set up action groups focused on particular aspects of different issues and/or geographic areas, inviting other forgood members to join and communicate with one another through the forgood network. It is envisaged that this technological development should be completed by mid-late 2010.

Development Issues

Citizenship, Health, Environment, Education, Security

Key Points

Heartlines is a South African-based non-governmental organisation established in 2002. "It is an initiative which aims to get South Africans talking, thinking and acting on the good values that we share. Getting people to act jointly on these good values will help them improve their own lives and reach out to others. This will impact on major social issues, in particular HIV/AIDS, education, violence, poverty and the environment." Heartlines uses mass media to motivate and inspire and also provides resources to institutions such as faith-based organisations (FBOs), schools, and correctional services.

Partners

The International Marketing Council, South Africa - The Good News, Heartlines, Valued Citizens, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), City Press, and South African Tourism

Contact

forgood
South Africa


Heartlines

PO Box 413342
Craighall

Johannesburg
2024
South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)11 771 2540

Source


Placed on the Communication Initiative site September 23 2008
Last Updated September 02 2009



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