Lausanne World Pulse – Perspectives Articles – Using Mass Media to Flood South Africa with Godly Values
The combined intervention supported by international and local funding has arguably been the largest, most cohesive and coherent media and social partnership in South Africa history.
Time for Action—the Best Is yet to Come
An overwhelming response for the Mass Media Project initiative to continue has come from the country’s entire societal and government spectrum. The HEARTLINES strategy over the next three years will be directed not only at preparation for the 2010 soccer World Cup, but more importantly, on this and future generations in South Africa.
The aim—through the on-going implementation of godly values—is to strive toward becoming a nation that embraces the humanity of all fellow citizens and visitors to the country. Over the next three years, the slogan of the campaign will be “Have the Courage to Live Our Values.” Underscoring all activities will be the virtues of respect and hospitality.
More films linking crime and values, a comedy reality television series based on courage and a youth series will be produced. Public service announcements on values will be aired on the public broadcaster and “The HEARTLINES News Minute” will precede all news bulletins on television.
Once again, the role and buy-in of the Church in the second phase of HEARTLINES will be pivotal. Apart from mobilising prayer (the ingredient undoubtedly responsible for the enormous success of the first phase), church leader’s breakfasts will be held around South Africa at which the new roll-out strategy will be unpacked.
To capture the imagination of the nation and to spur it on to an active values lifestyle, another priority will be to take godly values into schools, institutions of higher learning, correctional facilities and the business community. To achieve this, shorter versions of the eight films will be used in conjunction with a secular values discussion guide.
Seeking to transform a nation through activating godly values may seem almost impossible. However, based on God’s miraculous intervention and answer to the prayers of the saints in South Africa’s history, nothing is impossible for the author of values. Just as God worked in the first phase of HEARTLINES, we are sure that he will once again go before and overcome the human frailties of a team that is passionate about seeing his kingdom come in this and future generations in South Africa and beyond.
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Val Pauquet is head of communications for FBO Mobilisation, HEARTLINES, the Mass Media Project. She is also a journalist in South African Christian media. Pauquet was a member of the South African Presidential Task Group on Government Information and involved in the historic National Peace Accord and CODESA, which led to the dawn of democracy in South Africa. |