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Creating the Positive Change Partnership
Ada Jo Mann
Ethiopia
2004, Sep
Annotation: Creating the Positive Change Partnership
April to December 2003 -- Ethiopia
The Partnership for Positive Change Summit
The Summit was a 3 day event which led 118 participants through the Appreciative Inquiry 4-D Cycle: Discovery, Dream, Design, and Delivery/Destiny. Day one started with a moving drama about living with AIDS performed by an NGO street theatre troupe. This was followed by the discovery interviews and the creation of a timeline of key events in the HIV/AIDS sector in Ethiopia since 1985.
Day two included additional discovery work combining the data from the field interviews with the Summit interviews to map sector Positive Core. The morning concluded with an inspirational interview of an Ethiopian woman, Berhane, who has been living with HIV/AIDS for ten years during which time she has begun an NGO which supports People Living With AIDS in a variety of ways and works to reduce the stigma associated with the disease which is a major challenge in the Ethiopian context. The interview was conducted as a conversation among three woman sitting together in the traditional coffee ceremony which is an Ethiopian cultural tradition. The interview explored peak moments in Berhane’s personal journey which have resulted in the inspired action for which she is so well-respected. The afternoon focused on the creation of dreams highlighting the potential impact a collaborative approach to this challenge could have on the health of Ethiopians over the next five years and beyond.
The final day was focused on bringing the dreams to life through design and destiny. Key activities included design group work, prioritizing initiatives, creating an asset bank, and making personal commitments for the future health of Ethiopia. A highlight of the day was a multi-media performance by a local, modern dance troupe with sets created by contemporary Ethiopian artists. The theme of the dance and the accompanying art was the movement from a bleak and tragic life of sickness and despair to a supportive and caring healthy future.
Outcomes:
The summit produced a wealth of ideas, energy and outputs. From mapping the positive core, to creating a timeline of significant events, activities, and achievements in HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. Group dream presentations unleashed creativity which stretched the imagination into new possibilities and hopes for the future.
Design topics were identified to bring to life and support the bold dreams that were created. Participants crafted initiatives and developed high-level action plans around the following life-giving topics:
a. Community ownership, involvement, and commitment
b. People Living With AIDS (PLWAs) – courage and openness
c. Youth, children, and adolescents
d. Prevention, care, treatment, and support
e. Networking, collaboration, and capacity building
f. Gender
g. Integration
To support the design topics and action plans, participants created an “Asset Bank” of financial, human, intellectual, and physical assets that the group has to offer each other in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia.
The Summit ended with a moving ceremony in which participant after participant stood and made personal commitments to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia through a wide range of inspired actions. The commitment and energy of participants for a positive future in Ethiopia was boundless. Among the most inspiring and heartwarming were several people who pledged to adopt an HIV/AIDS orphan and make them a part of their families. Others promised to continue to develop collaborative, cross-organizational partnerships and re-focus their efforts on positive approaches to change.
The results, outcomes, and recommendations which emerged from the Summit process have been summarized and are included in the USAID/Ethiopia Mission Strategy.
4. Innovations, learnings, insights, next steps
Innovations - This list below represents some of our innovations:
- Use of the drama to open
- PWLA interview
- HIV/AIDS timeline – significant events and commitments to the future
- Visual and Dance expression
- Asset bank
Learnings/insights
1. The AI Summit approach was overwhelmingly embraced by the participants and created much curiosity to understand more about AI – its theory and potential applications in their work.
2. There is interest and great potential in supporting the development of a Network of HIV/AIDS stakeholders to continue on-going sharing of information and resources.
3. There was a high degree of appreciation expressed regarding USAID’s support of a forum for eliciting stakeholder input to their strategy.
4. There is significant opportunity and interest for providing training and capacity building workshops in:
a. Women’s Leadership
b. Network development
c. Appreciative Inquiry
Potential Next Steps:
- This could serve as a model for creating HIV/AIDS strategy and “partnerships for positive change” in a country, region, and globally.
- Have this project eValuated over time to build a business case (ROI, impact, long-term results) to track results of Ethiopia and summit participants.
Submitted by: Ada Jo Mann (aj@aiconsulting.org)
Phone: 202 363-9292
Online Resources:
AI Consulting
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