While doing research for my Public Relations plan, I came across this interesting blog that discusses the importance of opinion leaders. Allie Tam, a guest blogger for an HIV campaign traveled to Madagascar to set up and HIV prevention project. Since her project is in Africa, she needs to understand the different laws, cultures and traditions so that she does not upset the locals. She must set up meetings with various opinion leaders such as Chef Region (the regional Chief), the government official responsible for overseeing all public activities,Chef Fokontanies in the 6 urban villages that we will be implementing the maternal HIV prevention project and many more. By speaking to these opinion leaders, Allie able to let them know how the project will work as to not interrupt their traditions and lifestyles.
"Our next visits will be to partner organizations to introduce the project and establish ways of supporting each other’s objectives, sharing information resources and monitoring data. Other meetings will be with the Presidents of the Women’s Associations that have been chosen to partake in our peer group educator training course and other health professionals such as local midwives, specialist doctors and sexual health workers that could assist with our training and service referral process."
"Activities cannot start until these courtesy visits have been paid and would cause an uncomfortable disruption to the traditions of fomba if they were. These visits can take time, but are vital to the overall success of any community-based project in south east Madagascar."
This article is a great example of what we have recently talked about in Prin/Prac class, Chapter 19 International Public Relations. The many challenges that one would face when working internationally such as languages, laws and culture.
Site: http://www.staying-alive.org/en/2010/10/azafady-opinion-leaders-needed/
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