The Respect Campaign was developed to promote respectful ways of interacting amongst different people in the community. Sinani recently launched a campaign called “Hlonipha” (respect). Sinani believes that one of the key factors in these areas is that the social fabric of communities was affected by violence and Apartheid oppression. In particular, there is a lack of dignity and respect. This affects relationships within the family, between older and younger people, power relationships between men and women and the way children are treated. The topic of respect (hlonipha) is one which generates a lot of interest amongst many sectors of such communities. Leadership desire respect. Men, women and youth speak about the need for respect. Respect is a common element which may be raised to restore dignity and address relationship problems. It is a culturally appropriate manner to address even sensitive topics such as domestic violence and safe sex practices. Together with leadership, men, women and youth, Sinani has developed a creative campaign which uses messages of respect to address sensitive topics around:

• HIV prevention
• Care of people affected by HIV and Aids
• Gender equality
• Gender based violence

The value of the campaign is that it involves community representatives addressing their own communities. The messages were carefully developed to be locally appropriate. They tackle difficult matters that were seen as priorities, but in a sensitive manner.

A poster series was designed to bring different voices of leaders, women, youth and children into promoting respect. The testimonies of community partners are used to highlight specific messages around respect. These posters can be viewed below.