VOX POP:How essential are awareness campaigns of social ills for local communities?
How essential are public awareness campaigns when it comes to fighting social problems? What other ways are there that awareness could be raised? Here is what some residents had to say:
Comfort Makhanya
PRINCESS MABUZA: Public awareness campaigns can play an important role in policy change by increasing pressure on policymakers and encouraging community action. By convening conferences and workshops we can spread more word out there.
There are many social issues that reflect current events, but they also represent long-standing problems and misunderstandings that are difficult to resolve.
Campaigns raising awareness of social issues are valuable as they teach critical thinking skills and help people recognise that there are many approaches to a given problem.
The Midrand Reporter asked local residents how essential public awareness campaigns are in fighting these social problems, and what other ways they thought awareness could be raised. Here is what some residents had to say…
SUSAN KATSANDE: Awareness raising is very powerful because it encourages people to participate in bringing change. Information can be disseminated through a range of different means or tools such as radio and television.VERONICA TSINDI: Campaigns like these can alert the community to a current problem by drawing attention to it in such a way that it can lead to the community taking action. Creating and contributing to educational materials can help in spreading the word.MAXWELL NEMATADZIRA: Social media is an effective method many non-profits use to help raise awareness of social ills.NONCEBA SOMI: Educating the public through awareness campaigns is one of the most important strategies for preventing crime. As the public, we should create our own educational campaigns and also work with the media.SIBONGISENI LANGA: Through awareness campaigns, public opinion can be mobilised in favour of an issue and the political will of decision makers influenced. Holding public meetings and events is another way to spread the word.
