The social marketing approach differs greatly from how public well being agencies have normally gone about creating programs or materials. In the past, wellness educators usually focused on offering details to the general public about a specific subject, with the hope that the people who needed it would understand they are at risk and change their behavior as a result. In contrast, social marketers know that there is no such factor as “targeting” the general public. To be most efficient, a program ought to precisely specify its target audience and use extremely customized methods to reach those people. In addition, social marketing does not rely solely upon educating people about an problem, but uses persuasive messages developed via analysis with members of the target audience. The participation of the men … Read entire article »

Water is every thing for villagers living near Brazil’s Tapajós River. It is their highway, their livelihood and their primary source of food. And it is affecting their well being. Canadian researchers are working to solve this issue. In 1994, researchers in Brazil asked Dr. Donna Mergler, a neurotoxicologist, and Dr. Marc Lucotte, a biogeochemist, from the Université du Québec à Montréal to visit the Tapajós, a main tributary of the Amazon River, to uncover out why men and women living in the area had such high mercury levels in their bodies, and whether or not this mercury affected their wellness. Dr. Lucotte’s team discovered that deforestation was the source of the issue. “There’s mercury naturally in the soil, and when you take away the forest cover, soil erosion increases and the … Read entire article »

Soroptimist International is an international volunteer organization for enterprise and expert women who work to enhance the lives of ladies and girls, in local communities and throughout the word. Nearly 100,000 Soroptimists in roughly 120 countries and territories contribute time and monetary support to community-based and international projects benefiting women and girls. Clubs in Soroptimist International of the Americas receive numerous awards, such as the Women’s Opportunity Awards, for implementing projects benefiting girls and women looking for education. Soroptimist also offers funds for club projects via the Soroptimist Club Grant. Finally, individual clubs can select to conduct community projects to aid girls and girls seeking education in the surrounding area. Women’s Opportunity Awards … Read entire article »