What are the aims of the Communication Initiative?
To improve young people’s capacity to think and act responsibly for their own health and development. Critical thinking, for instance, is important when friends pressure you to try marijuana, or when a girl is pressured by her partner to have unprotected sex. HIV/AIDS prevention is one goal, but the initiative will bring wider benefits to our target audience, such as helping them cultivate healthy relationships and build self-confidence. Q. How is the Initiative reaching young people in Nepal? It started with a radio program designed especially for young people, called “Chatting with My Best Friend.” The idea of creating a “best friend” for young people comes from the analysis of the major relationships that dominate an adolescent’s life: parents, peers and love. The programme, which speaks to the listeners as a non-judgmental peer, attracts a growing following among young people. From the hundreds of letters we receive each week, we also realize that many young people have taken the i
