Co – Creating Democracy: Citizen Passion in the 21st Century

Garth Japhet

Mass Communication is the most powerful social change tool in

the world

• Its Popular and is what people watch at prime time.

• People have learnt through drama for centuries – We are hot wired for story

•Can deal with the complexity of social issues.

Story

THE SOUL CITY EDUTAINMENT MODEL

As good as if not better than the best of what is locally available

TV and radio Drama

Lead Intervention and Brand

builder

THE SOUL CITY VEHICLETHE SOUL CITY VEHICLE

Mass media – Annual Seasons – Multiple issues over time.

• 13 part prime time TV drama – one of the 3 most watched programmes in SA, longest running, in another 12 countries.

• 60 part radio drama in 9 languages

Expert Consultation

(partnerships)

Audience Research Process,

(Qualitative)

Message Brief

Literature Review

Intervention

Intervention Design

Barriers to change

Write Pre test

2 years

Clip

Leveraging the Popularity of the drama for targeted impact

The Shrek Approach

THE SOUL CITY:IHDC VEHICLETHE SOUL CITY:IHDC VEHICLE

Booklets– over 40 million distributedBooklets– over 40 million distributed

1,5 million people trained in last 2 years

Training

Individual

Helpline

- Lobbying- Media advocacy

Advocacy

• Aimed at 8-12 year olds

• TV drama Series

• Radio drama in 9

languages

• Schools resources

• Parenting resources

Youth and Schools

Community Mobilization Buddyz Clubs

5000 clubs nationally over 100 000 children, mainly rural, mainly vulnerable.

EVALUATION

Soul City reaches 30 million people across 10 countries. Empowering

people and enabling them to co-create their

own futuresNational Survey

Identifying

with Soul City

Enhance the quality and quantity of social collaboration

Connects people to each other based on social interest and

location.

Key Features

Offers incentives for social action through rewards

that matter.

Allows people to form groups and network with

each other.

Key Features

Provides information, location data and ideas for action on 16

different social issues.

The “knowledge bank”(Arts and culture, sports and recreation,

environment, health, HIV/AIDS, relationships, personal finance, small business, faith,

parenting, youth, pets and wildlife and building communities)

Key Features