An Integral Response to HIV/AIDS:
The “Leadership for Results” Story
Michael McElhenie
Background
The need for leadership development to enhance an
effective, coordinated response to HIV/AIDS and related issues has been
gathering momentum over the past several years in many developing nations.
Throughout the world, HIV/AIDS has rapidly increased the complexity of
living within and managing any system, anywhere. The capacity and leadership
required to respond to this complexity far exceeds existing levels in all
but the most developed countries. To further heighten the challenge, millions
die of AIDS every year; so-called developing countries simply cannot develop
with attrition of this intensity. The necessity for an accelerated, coordinated
response is clear, as is the need to fully embrace HIV/AIDS’ multiple
causative and perpetuating factors.
Our collective work supports the United Nations’ UNGASS Declaration
of Commitment that makes the case for strong leadership at all levels of
society as an essential element of an effective response to the HIV/AIDS
epidemic. We have implemented and built capacity to sustain an innovative
process of leadership development with demonstrated impact that involves
people from government, civil society, the private sector and people living
with HIV/AIDS. Our approach has participants view HIV/AIDS holistically
and not simply as a health issue. Through a multi-modal process, participants
evolve their understanding of the epidemic to one that involves individual
and collective systems and as well as tangible and intangible elements.
Participants also view their own development as evolving along multiple
developmental lines - mind, body, emotion, relationships and spirit to
name just a few. As a result of this process, we have seen the genesis
of creative and truly effective responses to the epidemic, gender equality,
promotion of human rights, and equitable access to prevention, care and
treatment.
The Leadership for Results Program
Teleos Leadership Institute designed and implemented the Leadership
for Results Program (LfR) in South Africa, Cambodia, Swaziland
and seven countries in the Caribbean Region over the past three years.
The key people involved in the design and delivery of these programs
were:
• Frances Johnston
• Michael McElhenie
• Annie McKee
• Edward Mwelwa
• Felice Tilin
• Gretchen Schmelzer
• Delores Mason
• Therese Jacobs-Stewart
The United Nations Development Programme facilitated our initial involvement in these countries, which typically spanned four to six months of activity, and as capacity grew, programs became self-supporting. LFR includes three one-week long programs using models from resonant leadership, emotional intelligence, integral theory, systems theory, gestalt change principles and mind-body awareness in order to build leadership capacity and catalyse practical action-learning projects in local communities. All of the learning takes place in large and small groups of differing configurations. Emotional Intelligence Practice Groups allow participants to practice new emotional and relational skills, receive feedback and discuss their leadership challenges; Action-Learning Groups allow participants to research HIV/AIDS-related issues, implement results-oriented projects in their communities, and learn from their successes and challenges. Throughout LFR, we use an emotional intelligence framework, which invites participants to explore their emotions as a means of connecting to their passions and values, and provides a roadmap for improving their ability to collaborate with and lead others to make a difference in regards to HIV/AIDS and related issues.
The LfR is designed to tackle entrenched and difficult problems by leveraging
people and information embedded in the system in which the problem exists.
Each country in which we have worked has defined the issues and problems
(HIV/AIDS, poverty, gender inequality, etc.) differently (from their own
shared developmental frames of reference), and has come up with results
by focusing their efforts on the multiple root causes of the issues in
countries/communities. And, by concurrently building leadership capacity
within each of the countries, the countries are then capable of both
creating effective, innovative solutions in the future and sustaining
change from within. We have seen this happen in many varied and exciting
ways.
We use an approach that consists of five cornerstones of leadership and
community development - these include:
1. Emotional Intelligence: Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to do the following effectively: a) Act in ways that leave the people around them (partners, team members, employees, community members, etc.) feeling stronger, more capable and able to make a difference; b) Manage themselves effectively under stress and/or when dealing with ambiguous circumstances such as with systemic and complex problems such as HIV/AIDS, remain calm and stay focused; c) Stay intensely in touch with what the people they lead are thinking and feeling in order to motivate and energize them.
2. Individual Change Model: Consists of five discovery steps that enable
individuals to develop their leadership and emotional intelligence
capabilities. This is a life visioning and planning process that inspires
leadership and self-development. This process also enables groups to
tackle strategy and work collectively towards achieving goals.
3. Integral Inquiry: The purpose of this inquiry process is to identify:
a) root cause issues related to individual and collective, tangible
and intangible factors that are helping and hindering implementation
of a strategy/intent (e.g., National HIV/AIDS strategies that exist
in many countries), and b) building ownership and commitment to the
leadership development process among key stakeholders.
4. Individual Development in the Context of Focused Effort: Our development
work is powered by individual desires to make a difference in the
living situation of their fellow citizens. By connecting the need
for change at the individual and community level, increase commitment
and creativity is unleashed. When this happens there are significant
benefits on the collective level as well, often in areas of increased
cooperation and collaboration. Our systemic leadership development
model views advancing the strategic initiatives of the country or
organization as important as individual growth.
5. Develop Local Capacity for Leading Individual and Collective Development:
A core principle and practice of the LfR is that local capacity be
used and built in the staffing of the program. We use local facilitators
and process consultants to support the participants within the program.
We work closely with facilitator groups to enable them to facilitate
rather than lead other people. This enables Teleos to work in non-English
speaking countries, and effectively passes on our intellectual capital
to the countries.
Summary
Our experiences with using the LfR vehicle for personal and systemic change to address HIV/AIDS provided us incredible learning, not to mention personal and facilitator group transformation. Simply providing multi-sectorial participants the opportunity to view their everyday realities, via applying the Integral/AQAL model, in a unique, more holistic way, created rich ground for individual level change and more robust solutions to the pandemic. Plus, by framing change within the context of leadership development, people quite readily developed more sophisticated worldviews that helped them more fully embrace the complexity of their HIV/AIDS-influenced worlds. Meaning, people were able to compartmentalize their personal and organizational change processes - change was not simply about them, but about their roles as leaders in the challenges of HIV/AIDS.
Yet, for a vast majority of participants, change generalized beyond their leadership roles; stories abound about how people became better husbands, wives, parents, lovers, teachers, friends, etc. as a result of their “leadership” change process. Additionally, we found participants benefited greatly by projects organized within the principles of action learning. While AQAL helped people discover expanded realities, action learning enabled participants to design and implement projects aligned with their passions and to more deeply learn, not only from the results achieved, but from their individual and group processes.
In this journey, we discovered the power of multiple lines of development; by providing context for people to develop cognitively, emotionally, relationally, morally, physically and spiritually, we accelerated the development of personal and group consciousness. Finally, by incorporating the principles, competencies and group development processes of Emotional Intelligence, we helped people access and apply their deeper passion and personal meaning. By helping them access their passion and meaning, participants found renewed hope and inspiration, worked harder to change their perceptions and actions, and more tightly joined together in collaboration. As well, applying Emotional Intelligence helped people weather the inevitable tumult of personal and group development; EI helped chart a path through the difficult relational tensions that arise during change.
The Real Stories
What follows is a sampling of the results achieved by many of the groups we have engaged over the past several years. You are likely to find these stories moving and enlightening.
The LfR programmes in South Africa were as revealing to the Teleos team as they were to the participants and facilitators. In opening our hearts and minds to each other and speaking the previously unspeakable, all of us involved expanded our understanding of the factors that perpetuate HIV/AIDS in the region and of the many paths towards reducing the virus’ effects on the human populace. The action learning projects captured the positive and hopeful spirit of post-apartied South Africa and its people.
Specific Action-Learning Project Outcomes:
• An action-learning group decided to learn more about people’s thoughts and feelings regarding HIV/AIDS and focused their attention on the village of Stetmore in KwazuNatal. The group used non-judgmental interview techniques to learn of people’s deep fear of AIDS, how impulsivity encourages the virus’ spread, and husband and wives’ issues about using condoms. Many interviewed saw the problem as mostly stemming from houses of prostitution, which is very rarely discussed in the region. The group was also featured on a regional radio programme where they were able to discuss their project, their process of learning vs. teaching, and some of their findings. The radio programme allowed for phone-ins, which provided even more data to the team, and they also learned that their impact on the Stetmore community was a positive one and that there was a transfer of knowledge to nearby villages.
• The movie “Pay It Forward” greatly influenced an action-learning group to begin cascading conversations about HIV/AIDS in their personal circle of friends and family. Their process, called “Reach Out and Touch,” helped each group member get in touch with their own feelings regarding the virus and its effects and encouraged them to change their behavior and conversations by becoming more open and positive. In starting their individual conversations and listening in a deeper way than they ever had before, they helped many more face the emotions and associated stigma, and helped to perpetuate more open conversations with the people they touched.
• Still another action-learning group decided to focus on gender awareness
regarding HIV/AIDS in two South African provinces where there is a high incidence
of poverty and low accessibility to health and other resources. The group found
government officials to be very uncooperative and lacking direct control over
the needed resources. By starting with a community conversation, the group
learned much about people’s gender beliefs. For example, they learned
that girls are often not taught about sex or pregnancy and are generally “kept
virgin” through instilling a general fear about boys. The group also
learned about gender dynamics in their own group and how “chauvinistic” attitudes
will work to decrease the valuable participation of women.
• One action-learning group, called Operation Change, chose to focus on
high-risk youth, sex workers, and women in the work place; the funding to conduct
the project was gained from the Department of Housing. The group conducted
eight workshops (3 for youth, 2 for sex workers, and 3 for women) in targeted
communities around a mine and also sought to begin recruiting and training
28 women to, ultimately, serve as HIV/AIDS counselors. There were many surprising
findings: many women were full or partially employed as sex workers and some
married women subsidized household income by keeping “sugar daddies,” youth
want open discussion and facts about sex (vs. old stories), parents are
fearful about talking about sex and lack basic information, the work
environment is not conducive to conducting HIV/AIDS programmes (if you
participate, you must be infected), and listening skills are our most
important assets as workers in the field of HIV/AIDS.
• In the “Real Men Talk About It” campaign, an action-learning
team created a poster designed to encourage men to talk about HIV/AIDS and
related issues. The group first collected information from men on sex and HIV/AIDS
by conducting interviews at sports bars, street corners and other places frequented
by South African men. This information gave the group language that they wished
to incorporate in the poster; however, funding agencies thought the language
was too harsh and explicit and asked for the language to be “toned down.” Another
key learning was that men often receive the “correct message” about
HIV/AIDS and proper behavior, but that culture often contradicts the
correct message and disrupts routes to needed behavior change.
• The final action-learning group sought to raise awareness about rape
and the abuse of women and their connection to HIV/AIDS (these issues were
part of the platform of an upcoming Woman’s Day event). At first, they
group used email to solicit information, but this strategy was ineffective.
They next distributed paper questionnaires in a single company and used Director
Meetings to probe for deeper explanations of questionnaire responses. The meetings
helped to raise awareness amongst men and many decided to become more involved
in these issues. Through this initial experience, the group found that face-to-face
interviews work best when trying to understand such complex issues and they
decided to target both men and women in their next phase. Preliminary results
suggest that customs are often used as a “smoke screen” to
hide HIV/AIDS issues.
Our work in Cambodia, by all accounts, is our greatest success story. We were able to take groups of people from their justified places of deep trauma and shock to new heights of hope and compassion. Through our work there, considerable energy and excitement could be seen in the eyes of facilitators eager to support and guide new projects and new results.
Specific Action-Learning Project Outcomes:
• An action-learning project targeted 26 women, mostly housewives, with the objective of helping them to speak in their family about HIV/AIDS. The group presented information on HIV/AIDS, STDs and family violence, and followed these women closely to see if their opinions about HIV/AIDS had changed and whether or not they were able to initiate conversations at home. Some opinions had certainly changed, there was less stigma and discrimination for PLWA and they saw clear economic advantages, but it was less clear whether or not the women were able to discuss HIV/AIDS with their families.
• For an action-learning group wanting to emphasize new ideas and new
ways of thinking, they devised a project designed to develop leaders of labor
unions within the garment industry while increasing their capacity to protect
themselves and their constituents against HIV/AIDS. The group organized a
workshop that had participant leaders create a ten-year vision of their industry.
Another workshop focused on gender topics and created space for mixed gender
and often-difficult discussions about the perceptions of the ideal man and the
ideal woman. The most important result for these participants was that they learned
to listen to one another and create ongoing dialogue (vs. continuing to hide
themselves). Each workshop encouraged spread of information regarding HIV/AIDS
with reports suggesting over 200 people have been thus informed.
• In the Unity Consensus Group, they chose to work with “Beer Promotion
Girls” who they believe, and incidence rates data supports their
belief, are very vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. They confirmed their suspicions
that sex was being served in addition to beer and that a vast majority
of these young women had very little knowledge about HIV/AIDS. The group
educated a group of women about HIV/AIDS and how to avoid infection, and
facilitated their involvement in weekly vocational education.
• The plight of orphaned children became the focus of the Klang Moeng
Group who initiated a project called “Your Child is My Child.” The
group learned that many orphans were parent-less because of AIDS and that there
are not enough resources allocated to meet the needs of these children. With
this knowledge, the group targeted four families (with a total of 19 children)
and sought resources from within the families’ commune. Meetings were
organized with the Provincial Governor’s office that helped to raise
awareness of the problem; a surprising number of people attended these meetings,
including representatives from the Red Cross, and helped to arrange support
for the orphans and total support for the group’s projects.
• Another action learning group chose to focus on transsexual sex workers
and developed a workshop to discuss HIV/AIDS, critical thinking and
problem solving skills, health and protection issues. Through a series of structured
exercises and role plays, the group had 25 participants first envision
their futures and then devise ways to protect and improve themselves and their
living conditions. The group learned a great deal about a previously unknown
segment of Cambodian society.
• Despite having very little money, time or technical ability, one action-learning
group chose to make a short video focusing on “the ideal Cambodian Man.” In
documentary fashion, the group filmed men who approximated their understanding
of an “ideal man” which they defined as one who takes
on household chores, child rearing tasks and other traditionally
female duties. The group plans to have the film professionally edited
and prepared for wider distribution.
• An action-learning group produced a play called “I want to live” that
was performed in front of a crowd of 300 on International Woman’s
Day. Their objective was to stimulate thinking and dialogue that
would reduce the stigma against orphans and children made vulnerable
due to AIDS. The film was also designed to educate people about
the facts regarding the transmission of HIV/AIDS. The group assessed
the impact of the play via a survey, disseminated the taped play
on the CTN channel and the script was printed in the Kampuchea
Times newspaper.
• Another group focused on creating a workshop model for reducing HIV/AIDS
related discrimination and domestic violence, which they tested
with 50 families in a single rural commune. After field visits and meetings with
public officials, they gained the support they needed. They facilitated various
dialogue groups that explored such topics as HIV, discrimination, gender roles,
domestic violence and its causes and care for PLWA.
• Another action learning group established a referral network designed
to facilitate ARV delivery to PLWA in a Siem Reap hospital.
Through their efforts, they were able to have 10 men and 9 women from Battambang
and Bantay Meanchay, where ARV are unavailable, come to the Siem Reap hospital
for evaluation for ARV treatment. Of those, 10 were able to receive ARV and others
were treated for other medical issues before being able to qualify for ARV. While
the group faced some resistance from medical organizations, they were able to
leverage relationships built with public officials that has helped to sustain
and expand their fledgling network.
• In order to address misinformation, discrimination and a void of services
with the garment industry, a group chose to focus on a single factory district
with over 10,000 workers. They first targeted their training to 32 labor union
leaders In all, 900 workers benefited from this groups training and efforts
to spread accurate ILO-derived information and reduce discrimination and stigma.
The group successfully developed a strong relationship with the ILO who continues
to be supportive of their efforts. As a secondary benefit, due in part to the
group’s positive relational efforts, was generally
improved access to these factories; the way has been paved
for other health workers to do their work.
• The final action-learning group collected one-on-one interview information
about HIV/AIDS and gender in six provinces. They selected
communes in each province in both rural and urban areas and discovered a severe
shortage of basic information on HIV/AIDS issues as related to gender. As a result
of their data collection, the group was able to develop a conversational process
designed to impart the needed basic information. The group plans to continue
their activities by training people on how HIV/AIDS is transmitted, emphasizing
the importance of HIV testing, increasing knowledge of gender to reduce violence
in families, and reducing discrimination directed at PLWA.
Jamaica
The action learning teams in Jamaica engaged in five projects during which they learned a great deal. In their work with the prison population, they found that understanding the political hierarchy and the identity of key gatekeepers to be very important. They found it imperative to build relationships with gatekeepers and attend to who from the team was best positioned and skilled to influence these individuals. Prior to designing any intervention, the group found it useful to conduct a Dynamic Inquiry process to deepen their understanding of their target group’s needs. The groups learned a great deal about themselves as well. They found that the geographic proximity, level of commitment and the capacity to influence others were important factors to consider when devising action-learning groups. As leaders, they learned to be more democratic in their decision processes and to be more flexible, patient and open-minded.
Specific Action-Learning Project Outcomes:
• A particularly ambitious action-learning group sought to increase the awareness of STD/HIV/AIDS among inmates and staff of Correctional Institutions, while simultaneously reducing related stigma and discrimination. A sensitisation workshop was held with more than 50% of the staff of a correctional institution with the intent of risk reduction and behavioural change. Change Agents confronted their own fears of working in this environment, and they reported profoundly influencing a number of staff and inmates. The project also successfully increased educational capacity in the correctional institution by training Inmate Peer Educators.
• Another action-learning team identified 15 basic schools in which to
conduct a project intended to reduce stigma and discrimination in chosen inner
city communities. By involving diverse groups of persons living with or affected
by HIV/AIDS, they developed and implemented sensitisation workshops and provided
support to persons undergoing personal transformation. In the program, many
participants had their first experience seeing and relating to PLWHAs, and
many indicated that this was a major eye-opener for them. All school principals
involved in the project wanted further training, wanted themselves to become
Change Agents and have pledged to make a monthly donation to an organization
caring for PLWHAs. The members of this group have also organized a programme “mek
wi talk” (Let Us Talk) on the community radio “Roots FM,” a
discussion session focused on issues relating to HIV/AIDS.
• Seeing a major opportunity to increase the level of knowledge and awareness
and reduce stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS, and influence
behaviour change among children and youth, another action learning group sought
to sensitise teachers and students about HIV / AIDS, human sexuality, and substance
abuse. The group conducted a series of meetings with teachers, and one major
classroom session with students addressing the pertinent issues. Overall, group
members reported that they were shocked and troubled by the revelations of current
levels of sexual activity and the early sexual initiation of students.
Through this work, the action learning group partnered with educators in creating
age relevant HIV / AIDS and human sexuality material for children and will soon
plan and host a related workshop for teachers, parents and community leaders.
• An action-learning group conducted a half-day capacity building seminar
targeting line managers and policy makers drawn from critical areas within
a hospital community. They updated participants on HIV/AIDS and provide
an atmosphere for participants to evaluate their personal feelings and vulnerability
in relation to the virus, and thereby nurturing a caring and empathetic
environment for PLWHAs. While fifteen participants were directly trained, three
internal hospital groups were formed to pursue action planning for projects that
will influence patient care.
• One group chose to address fear and apathy towards HIV/AIDS in the workplace
through an awareness intervention; one workshop was held with 25 members
of staff of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The workshop was well
received and resulted in the planning of subsequent workshops to include
participants from the Jamaica Employers Federation, major Trade Union umbrella
organisations, and certain private sector companies. The group is also preparing
to lobby trade unions to include HIV/AIDS-related materials in memoranda of understanding
and collective agreements with employers.
Guyana
After the initial Change Agent training in Trinidad, the core group of Change Agents felt considerable energy and commitment, continued to meet every 2 weeks for several months, and immediately implemented a series of successful education projects in 5 schools. The Change Agents were integral to the organization of the in-country workshop and were consulted regarding the invitees. The in-country workshop multiplied the original energy for change and resulted in a “domino effect” of positive influence in all regions of Guyana. While groups were challenged with limited financial resources, consider geographic distances, cultural barriers between Indian, Black and Native peoples, and political instability, over 500 Guyanese were directly touched by the projects in only a two-month period.
Specific Action-Learning Project Outcomes:
• An action-learning group devised a creative process for involving parents and teachers in creating an educational program that imparted information about HIV/AIDS without necessarily discussing sex. Ninety-seven students from three regions in Guyana were brought together to learn how to become more aware of themselves and their peers and address their own stigmas about HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Change agents, parents, teachers and the children found the process and resulting educational methods to be quite effective which increased children’s desire to learn about their susceptibility to HIV/AIDS by actively engaging their parents and teachers. Many teachers, in particular, noted positive behavioral changes (e.g., increase self-control) and asked for continuation and expansion of the program.
• Another project was aimed at enhancing parent and children’s ability
to discuss issues of sex and sexuality. Nearly forty parents from three communities
participated in planning and eventual dialogue sessions facilitated by a group
of Change Agents. While outcomes are difficult to measure, considerable positive
response was heard about parent’s involvement in the planning process
and about the small group discussions that allowed for honest sharing of
personal experiences with regards to sexuality and HIV/AIDS.
• An action-learning group from the rural South of Guyana addressed multiple
challenges with several smaller projects. One sought to improve parent-child
communication and address the hesitancy to talk to each other about their children’s
sexuality. Through three, four-hour training and dialogue sessions, parents
became more comfortable discussion sex and associated risks and confronted
their own reservations about making “their business” more public.
Another project tested a training concept designed to increase adolescents’ understanding
of their bodies and their emotions while also discussing issues of self-identity,
self-image, and self-esteem. The change agents found girls to be much more
open than boys, yet the young people began to see how their lives could change
dramatically, especially since the health system in the region does not now
have the capacity to address HIV/AIDS issues effectively. A related project
associated with a church community tested the community’s openness
to discuss matters related to HIV/AIDS and sexuality. Using content that
covered topics like knowing oneself, the nine gates of the body, and condom
use, participants showed modest signs of improving their capacity and comfort
discuss these issues.
• Finally, the Brighter Days action-learning group aimed to increase knowledge
and personal feelings related to HIV/AIDS with larger numbers of people.
This team involved nearly 200 people of all ages in multiple session programs
focused addressing the myths and misconceptions related to HIV/AIDS using emotional
intelligence concepts and training methodologies. The team found that
by the end of the programs, people were better able to connect personally with
people living with HIV/AIDS and were more likely to spread the message to others
with whom they interact.
Barbados
Barbados launched four action-learning projects, yet chose to focus their energy and resources on HIV/AIDS education in school and the church, and a fatherhood program called “Dare to Dream.” The original action-learning teams learned much about setting realistic goals and the importance of attending to team composition and democratic decision-making – without 100% participation, projects tended to stall.
Specific Action-Learning Project Outcomes:
• The “Dare to Dream” action-learning project explored fatherhood, the men’s perspective, and the role men play in their families. This group had access to considerable resources, some through the Chief of the Welfare Department and the Head of the Workers’ Union. Men came together to talk about the responsibilities of fathering and spoke of the challenges they faced, their struggles with alcohol and drugs, and their difficulty taking responsibility for change. It was clear, however, that some men were unable to relinquish their unhealthy attitudes and behaviors, or to accept personal responsibility for their actions. The action-learning team learned to resolve their conflicts and became more flexible in their behavior and attitudes as they continually adapted their work plan to meet shifting conditions.
• A second action-learning team engaged leaders from schools and churches
and aimed to build capacity for change. Early in the project, Change Agents
recognized the churches’ role in instilling personal responsibility for
one’s actions. This insight led to the creation of a two-minute theatrical
production dealing with HIV/AIDS and the church; it won first prize in the
UNICEF mini-festival for drama on the subject of HIV/AIDS. As further result
of the projects and workshops, the Bishop of the Anglican Church, who chairs
the National HIV/AIDS Commission’s Faith-based Committee, produced a
pamphlet entitled “Coping with HIV/AIDS.
St. Kitts and Nevis
The action-learning group from St. Kitts and Nevis discussed a successful
reproductive health project, in which they helped to bridge the gap between
poverty and HIV/AIDS. Their target population was industrial workers and
at-risk women. Through the project, the group conducted a needs assessment
and provided various educational services including: financial management,
health screening, computer skills training, sewing skills training, and HIV/AIDS
awareness training. Amongst its most significant successes, the group was
able to provide housing to 500 low-income workers, increased access to condoms,
helped to decrease the pregnancy rate, to decrease job site conflict, and
identified myriads of potentially fatal health problems. As an action-learning
group, they learned to be more open, democratic, tolerant, empathetic, compassionate
and less judgmental and controlling.
Suriname
The single
Surinamese action-learning group chose to tackle HIV/AIDS in the workplace
with emphasis on sensitization of the human rights of PLWHA. They first
gathered data through a survey, of 400 people within the main capital,
and their core question was: “How would you respond to the
fact that your partner was HIV positive?” The overwhelming response,
nearly ninety percent, was that respondents would end any sexual contact,
but would support the HIV positive person. Armed with this information, the
group designed a workshop to help sensitive people to a number of HIV/AIDS
related issues, for members of Parliament and representatives from the media
and labor organizations. The group overcame miscommunication within their
change team and personality conflicts and report successfully influencing
media opinion, news stories and their country’s political agenda.
Trinidad and Tobago
The Change
Agents from T and T also consolidated their learning from multiple projects.
A few projects were either difficult to get started or “bombed” in
process. When this happened, many of the change agents went back to their
individual efforts to address HIV/AIDS issues. Successful projects seemed
to be characterized by strong, yet not dictatorial leadership with considerable
effort made to coordinate tasks and continually communicate. One group learned
that a team consisting of only powerful, influential people could stall when
there was nobody within the group to whom the leaders could delegate. Teams
seem to be most effective when they are made up of a diverse people and “power” levels.
The Tobago team had success changing misconceptions about PLWHA and was quite
proud of their “Zero Horn” (horn = cheating on your primary partner)
song routine that directly touched 500 people.
Dominican Republic
The Change Agent group from the Dominican Republic (DR) reports of recent reductions in the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in their country, reduced from 2.2% to 1.2%. While the group does attribute this change to their efforts alone, they are quite proud of their capacity to influence and coordinate the complex and disconnected political and health systems. However, the group recognizes considerable challenges ahead, particularly with the vulnerable sectors of society, namely Bateyes (native people), women, sugar workers, and young children.
Specific Action-Learning Project Outcomes:
• One action-learning group felt the need to improve and coordinate responses to HIV/AIDS throughout the country by introducing programs and dialogue sessions designed to increase awareness and competency in regard to emotional intelligence. Forty-five people from multiple sectors of society, each working in the field of HIV/AIDS, were involved in multiple programs. These programs allowed them to reflect on projects already in execution and how to improve their personal leadership and better implement their responses to HIV/AIDS. The programs were very well received and participants believed they helped to improve their leadership capacity and coordination abilities.
• The Social Empowerment action-learning group sought ways to overcome social factors that lead people to be vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. They involved young people in a process that helped to mobilize society to different ways of life and facilitated change in the factors of HIV/AIDS-related social vulnerability. The group feels that they were successful, through workshops and discussion mechanisms, in engaging nearly 100 young people and challenging them to take individual and collective actions that helped to reduce stigma, teen pregnancy, and behavior that led them to be susceptible to HIV/AIDS.
• Still another action-learning group focused on educating and changing
the behaviors and attitudes of Armed Forces personnel of the Dominican
Republic. They feel that they succeeded in getting nearly 250 enlisted persons
to incorporate new values and healthy habits that modified their sexual conduct
with the purpose of diminishing the effects of STDs and HIV/AIDS. This group
researched and borrowed significantly from successful techniques of the armed
forces of such countries as Peru, Uganda, and Zambia.
• The final DR action-learning team sought to directly address fear, misinformation,
discrimination, and the lack of quality of attention that limits effective
strategies to improve the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA).
Working in selected communities, the team used educational seminars to promote
positive approaches to working with PLWAs and helped to sensitise hospital directors,
doctors, nurses, and other paraprofessionals.
Dr. Michael McElhenie works with leaders to manage individual, team, and organizational change through executive coaching and collaborative leadership development. A key area of Michael’s expertise is in helping executives assess the current, dynamic state of their organization’s culture, uncover the mission-aligned optimal state, and begin the steps to bridge the gap between the two through intentional, resonant leadership. McElhenie@lorenet.com