Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa

In Zimbabwe, the marauding effects of the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are felt in almost all families, among different age groups, class lines, races and creed. The effects are debated and discussed, and different intervention measures are suggested...

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Main Authors: Rwafa, Urther, Rafapa, Lesibana
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Commonwealth Youth and Development 2016
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1091
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author Rwafa, Urther
Rafapa, Lesibana
author_facet Rwafa, Urther
Rafapa, Lesibana
author_sort Rwafa, Urther
collection DSpace
description In Zimbabwe, the marauding effects of the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are felt in almost all families, among different age groups, class lines, races and creed. The effects are debated and discussed, and different intervention measures are suggested using various forms of media. The communication-science-based interventions and advocacy promoted through film are an integral part of biomedically based scientific research into understanding the nature and manifestations of HIV/AIDS. However, it is worrisome that in most of the research, debates and discussions that focus on HIV /AIDS, adults take the centre-stage. This practice of speaking for youths, and not to and with them, denies the reality that youths are agents of social change whose ‘‘voice’’ and action can have the capacity to transform society for the better in the face of HIV /AIDS. In Zimbabwe, one methodological approach that youths can use to debate and spread the message about the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS is film. In the Zimbabwean section, this article singles out the short film The sharing day (2009) as an informative and communicative tool that features youths dramatising narratives of hope, pain and sorrow as they are confronted by the reality of HIV/AIDS. In the South African section of the article, the abcnews.com documentary (2001) on Xolani Nkosi Johnson’s struggle with HIV/AIDS is used to signal hope. The article critiques documentary filmmaking on Johnson, using criteria such as youth involvement (Harrison et al. 2010; Wang 2006), effectiveness of the message (Hanan 2009) and bonding and bridging social capital (Foulis et al. 2007).
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spelling ir-11408-10912022-06-27T13:49:07Z Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa Rwafa, Urther Rafapa, Lesibana HIV/AIDS, Youths, South Africa, Zimbabwe In Zimbabwe, the marauding effects of the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) are felt in almost all families, among different age groups, class lines, races and creed. The effects are debated and discussed, and different intervention measures are suggested using various forms of media. The communication-science-based interventions and advocacy promoted through film are an integral part of biomedically based scientific research into understanding the nature and manifestations of HIV/AIDS. However, it is worrisome that in most of the research, debates and discussions that focus on HIV /AIDS, adults take the centre-stage. This practice of speaking for youths, and not to and with them, denies the reality that youths are agents of social change whose ‘‘voice’’ and action can have the capacity to transform society for the better in the face of HIV /AIDS. In Zimbabwe, one methodological approach that youths can use to debate and spread the message about the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS is film. In the Zimbabwean section, this article singles out the short film The sharing day (2009) as an informative and communicative tool that features youths dramatising narratives of hope, pain and sorrow as they are confronted by the reality of HIV/AIDS. In the South African section of the article, the abcnews.com documentary (2001) on Xolani Nkosi Johnson’s struggle with HIV/AIDS is used to signal hope. The article critiques documentary filmmaking on Johnson, using criteria such as youth involvement (Harrison et al. 2010; Wang 2006), effectiveness of the message (Hanan 2009) and bonding and bridging social capital (Foulis et al. 2007). 2016-04-27T10:54:34Z 2016-04-27T10:54:34Z 2014-08 Article 1727-7140 http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1091 en Commonwealth Youth and Development;Vol. 12, No. 1: 47-58 open Commonwealth Youth and Development
spellingShingle HIV/AIDS, Youths, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Rwafa, Urther
Rafapa, Lesibana
Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa
title Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa
title_full Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa
title_fullStr Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa
title_short Tapestries of hope: film, youths and HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe and South Africa
title_sort tapestries of hope: film, youths and hiv/aids in zimbabwe and south africa
topic HIV/AIDS, Youths, South Africa, Zimbabwe
url http://hdl.handle.net/11408/1091
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AT rafapalesibana tapestriesofhopefilmyouthsandhivaidsinzimbabweandsouthafrica