HANDS-ON Experience Learning

Issue 23: February 2023

IN THIS ISSUE WE FEATURE:

Learning Brief 1

Building coalitions: the power of synergy

Apartheid’s legacy continues to divide us in deep and undeniable ways, but civil society coalitions across class, race and economic sectors can inspire new ways of accelerating change. This learning brief explores communications and advocacy campaigns that demonstrate the power of coalitions to effect transformation. It includes case studies of: Messages for Mothers (M4M), Youth Capital’s Part of the Action and Real Reform for ECD (also known as Real Reform).

Learning Brief 2

Effective digital communication starts with understanding your audience’s digital use and behaviour

Like any innovator, civil society organisations (CSOs) have two main levers to drive change: technology and human behaviour. The way we communicate and how we access and process information about the world around us is changing as technology evolves in the 21st century. Those that fail to adapt to innovative new ways of communicating may struggle to keep pace.

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Learning Brief 3

Lessons from zero-rated websites: putting the user first

Zero-rating means that a user can access a specific website for free. Civil society organisations know that having their digital content zero-rated is a major advantage because zero-rating democratises access to information and resources online. But the zero-rating advantage can only be fully realised once CSOs meet the needs of their target audiences. This means that audiences must know where to find free resources and feel comfortable using them. This learning brief looks at the experience of three zero-rated websites (CareUp, OLICO and Zibuza) to discover how they became more accessible, more user-friendly and better known.

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