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, Professor of Molecular, Cellular
& Developmental Biology at Yale University, has been an
activist concerned with overpopulation for a long time. While
he was on the Board of Planned Parenthood of Connecticut,
he met PMC’s President, Bill Ryerson, and started serving on
PMC’s Program Advisory Board. Bob said, “I knew right away
that PMC had a fantastically effective program.” At the end
of last year, Bob made an extraordinary gift to PMC, one that
will help us shape the future.
“Bob’s magnificent contribution allows us to support some
very high priority programs in Nigeria, Nepal, Haiti, and
Guatemala,” says Bill Ryerson. “The good this gift will
accomplish will be measured in dramatically improved lives
for women and children in all of these countries.”
Many years ago, Bob and three other scientists started a biotech
company. The first experiments were done in his basement.
Eventually, that firm developed a modern, molecular biology
method for making vaccines, replacing the method of growing
live viruses in chicken eggs. Their flu vaccine, Flublok, is now
widely available. Last year, the company was bought out and
Bob’s founder’s shares became quite valuable.
“I donated the proceeds to PMC. Rather than buying some
fancy toys, I get much more, and more lasting, pleasure
knowing the wonderful progress for the world that PMC will
achieve with the funds.”
Over the years, Bob and Bill have often connected over their
mutual concerns. Bill regularly gives guest lectures to Bob’s
class on Population Growth at Yale. The course centers on
the importance of addressing human population growth to
alleviate both human and environmental misery.
“The world’s population has been growing at the amazingly
constant rate of a BILLION people every dozen years since the
1960s. Each of these people needs to live somewhere, needs
food from somewhere, their wastes have to go somewhere,
they need a school, a job, some energy source, and maybe even
some outdoors recreation somewhere. All these ‘somewheres’
are the environment,” says Bob.
“I ask my students to imagine the environmental footprint
of an extra billion people every dozen years. Then, I ask
them to compare this with the total achievements of the
environmental movement in the same period. My reckoning
is that population growth swamps the environmental efforts.
Environmentalism is a losing battle unless population growth
is moderated. That is why I think PMC’s work is so crucial.
I’m a scientist. I cut right to the fundamental issues and
deepest questions. We can’t have healthy environmental
outcomes with ongoing rapid population growth, and PMC’s
use of emotionally compelling stories to change attitudes,
behaviors, and social norms around the population issue are
right at the cutting edge of innovation and effectiveness.”
Most gifts come when someone writes a check or makes an online
donation. Bob’s gift was in the form of shares of stock. There are
many vehicles for making gifts: charitable trusts, gift annuities,
life insurance policies, real estate, and bequests to name a few.
While we cannot give legal advice, the PMC Development Office
is happy to discuss options and find what is right for you. n
SPOTLIGHT: PAYING IT FORWARD
Population Media Center (PMC) is a leader in
entertainment-education, dedicated to women’s
rights, population stabilization, and the environment.
POPULATIONMEDIA.ORG
30 KIMBALL AVENUE, SUITE 302 | SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT 05403 USA
www.PopulationMedia.org
O
NEWSLETTER | SPRING 2018
TOGETHER, WE WILL GO FAR IN GUATEMALAn March 5, 2018, Guatemalans began listening to a new
156-episode radio show that will broadcast until September
2019. Toma Mi Mano (“Take My Hand”) follows Population
Media Center’s (PMC) methodology for entertainment to deliver
social and individual change. It addresses reproductive health,
teen pregnancy, rape, and gender-based and gang violence.
PMC has partnered with the Guatemalan advertising agency
Lafábrica&jotabequ, subsidiary of GREY International, to promote
and create the show.
Broadcast began on March 5, but people have been hearing about
the show in the press since February 22. That morning, members
of the media and other associated guests were invited to a launch
event unlike most press events.
The morning sun filtered through the glass domed roof as
attendees realized they were in Toma Mi Mano’s fictional town of
San Juan Renacimiento. They visited fictional
storefronts, listened to neighborhood stories,
got their pictures taken under the town sign
(souvenirs to take home), and found themselves
laughing beside the pen of goats who munched
fastidiously on hay.
As everyone sat down to breakfast, the emcees
prepared attendees to be transported to San
Juan Renacimiento and asked everyone to close their eyes and put
on the Toma Mi Mano eye masks. With their eyes blindfolded, the
story began to play, introducing the characters and the lives that
will unfold in San Juan Renacimiento.
“We have developed communication strategies for different NGOs
and the way PMC approaches the topics and the methodology was
fascinating,” says Natalia Cereser, Director of Professional Services
of Lafábrica&jotabequ. “We both will bring this radio play together
that could change lives in Guatemala in a totally different way.”
The project’s advisory committee includes organizations such
as Plan International; Planned Parenthood Global; the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the Association Generating
Equity, Leadership and Opportunities (ASOGEN); and Fundacion
América Latina en Acción Solidaria (ALAS). The project funders
include the Weeden Foundation and the Erik and Edith Bergstrom
Foundation.
“We are delighted with this alliance,” said Wendi Stein, Program
Manager for PMC-Guatemala. “La Fábrica’s understanding of
the market and their talented team will contribute to a new radio
program that will help to improve the lives of some of the people
in most need in Guatemala.” n
“PMC’S USE OF EMOTIONALLY COMPELLING STORIES TO CHANGE ATTITUDES, BEHAVIORS, AND SOCIAL NORMS AROUND THE POPULATION ISSUE ARE RIGHT AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF INNOVATION AND EFFECTIVENESS.” – Bob Wyman
Above, Professor Robert Wyman. A long-time donor to PMC,
Robert recently donated a large number of shares of stock.
ROBERT WYMAN
EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH ENTERTAINMENT.
HELP US REACH MORE PEOPLE: WWW.POPULATIONMEDIA.ORG/DONATE
PMC is saddened by the loss of David
Poindexter. Knowing David as colleague
and friend for 47 years, Bill cites David’s
mentorship as what enabled him to make
PMC successful. We will miss him terribly.
REMEMBERING DAVID’S LEGACY
David Oldham Poindexter, a Methodist
minister who championed the use of
radio and television serial dramas to
promote family planning, gender equity,
and protection of the environment, died
February 8 at a hospital in Portland,
Oregon. He died from the effects of a stroke.
Poindexter was born in Hood River, Oregon
on January 30, 1929.
After receiving a Bachelor’s of Art at
Willamette University in 1951 and both
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Theology
at Boston University (where he became
friends with Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.), David served as pastor of Parkrose
Heights Methodist Church in Portland for
eight years. He then moved to New York
City to work with the National Council
of Churches for five years as Director of
Utilization of the NCC’s Broadcasting
and Film Commission and then Director
of Promotion Services, during which he
established close ties with the Hollywood
community.
At the request of his bishop, David became
Director of the Communication Center of
the Population Institute from 1970 to 1985. In
the early 1970s, he collaborated with John D.
Rockefeller III to hold a meeting of the three
network CEOs – a meeting also attended
by then UN ambassador George H.W. Bush
and Senator Robert Packwood – to discuss
treatment of gender, reproductive health,
and family planning issues in television. He
convinced the three major networks to host a
large gathering in New York of key network
entertainment producers and writers.
Following that event, he organized annual
awards ceremonies in collaboration with the
National Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences to recognize the best entertainment
shows addressing those issues.
Poindexter’s outreach to Hollywood led to
a long-standing relationship with Norman
Lear and his head of drama, Virginia Carter.
At Poindexter’s suggestion, the character
Maude, in the series by the same name,
had a mid-life abortion – six months before
the Roe vs. Wade decision by the U.S.
Supreme Court. As Norman Lear later put
it, “David got Maude pregnant.” Similarly,
he suggested the vasectomy of Rob Reiner’s
character, Michael, on All in the Family.
During his work in Hollywood, Poindexter
worked closely with Mary Tyler Moore, who
was a great supporter of his work, which
helped to bring about the discussion of
sexism in the workplace on the Mary Tyler
Moore Show.
In the mid-1970s, Poindexter began
working in Mexico, where he discovered
and promoted the work of Miguel Sabido,
a well-known television producer who
became a pioneer in entertainment-
education. As Vice President of Televisa,
Sabido produced six telenovelas in the
late 1970s and early 1980s, modeling family
planning use for Mexican audiences.
During that time, Mexico experienced the
most rapid decline in fertility rate of any
developing country in the 20th century
up until that time. These programs had
similar effects when they were broadcast
in several in Spanish-speaking countries in
Latin America. Thomas Donnelly, then with
USAID in Mexico, wrote, “The Televisa
family planning soap operas have made the
single most powerful contribution to the
Mexican population success story.”
In the early 1980s, Poindexter took Sabido
to meet with Indian Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi, and following a training
program they organized, the country
began broadcasting India’s first social
content soap opera in July 1984. Research
conducted by the Annenberg School for
Communication and Journalism of the
University of Southern California found
dramatic impacts on audience attitudes
about women’s rights and ideal family size.
The program spurred over 400,000 people
to write to the Indian Television Authority.
In 1986, Poindexter helped to organize a
second serial drama in India. A Rockefeller
Foundation-funded study showed that
viewers, contrasted with non-viewers,
changed significantly in their attitudes
regarding the ideal age of marriage and the
acceptability of women in the work place.
At the Population Institute, and later
as founder and President of Population
Communications International (1985-1998),
Poindexter worked to bring about similar
programs in numerous countries. Following
retirement in 1998, Poindexter served as
Honorary Chair of Population Media
Center, where he helped establish new
programs and continued to support PMC’s
work until his death.
Poindexter chaired the U.S. NGO
Committee for the UN Population
Conference in 1974. He also served as
Convener of the NGO Planning Committee
for the 1984 Population Conference, and as
Convener of the NGO Planning Committee
for the 1994 UN Conference on Population
and Development, the largest NGO forum
in UN history. He received numerous
awards from public and private institutions.
Poindexter’s life and work are captured
in his autobiographical book, Out of the
Darkness of Centuries, published in 2009.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years,
Marian Sayer Poindexter, and his son, Jim.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested
memorial contributions may be made to PMC.
*Remembering David’s Legacy is an excerpt
from David’s obituary. David’s passing was
covered in the February 19 edition of The
New York Times. n
DAVID POINDEXTER: FRIEND & COLLEAGUE
PMC PEOPLE
PMC PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
REVEREND ITANG YOUNG JOINS PMC’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Reverend Itang Young tends to be drawn to big
challenges. That’s why she has dedicated much
of her time and talents toward advocating for
youth, environmental justice, and women and
girls in marginalized communities. She has
built her personal and professional life around
a unique view of the interdependency of faith
and science and the universal value of creating community.
“I’m looking forward to working with PMC to change social
perceptions,” says Reverend Young. “This is in alignment with my
personal and professional goals. I’m excited about the opportunity to
share and bring a different perspective to the work.”
Reverend Young began her career working for The Goodyear Tire
& Rubber Company before pursuing her theological education at
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. She currently
serves as the Assistant Minister for Youth at The Abyssinian
Baptist Church in Harlem as well as the Executive Director of The
Abyssinian Fund, Inc., which works to reduce poverty in Ethiopia.
For Reverend Young, the transition from engineer to reverend
reflected the complimentary nature of science and faith. n
REPROS FIGHT BACK: A PODCAST FOR EVERYTHING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS
The first year of the Trump/Pence administration brought with it
incredible attacks on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
With policies, both international and domestic in scope, that are
impacting the health and lives of people around the world, our sister
organization Population Institute has launched rePROS Fight Back.
Its host, Jennie Wetter, says it’s a podcast on “all things ‘repro’.”
“Everything related to reproductive health care is under assault:
birth control, maternal health care, rights of the LGBTQ
community, and immigrant access to reproductive health care
services,” Wetter says of the U.S. administration. “Our podcast
gives listeners a chance to learn about a wide range of sexual and
reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues and what they can do
to fight back.”
rePROS Fight Back episodes are released every other Tuesday. You
can listen on their website, through traditional sources like iTunes
or Google Play, and follow them on Twitter.
“The information we provide leads to active engagement on these
issues,” says Wetter. “This is no time to be sitting on the sidelines. If
you are, you must act.” Visit www.reprosfightback.com. n
EAST LOS HIGH FINALE NOMINATED FOR DAYTIME EMMY On March 21, 2018, the National Academy
of Television Arts and Sciences announced
East Los High as a nominee for “Outstanding
Directing Special Class.” This is the sixth
Daytime Emmy nomination for the East Los
High series, which finished its U.S. broadcast
in December 2017. The conclusion of East Los
High on Hulu marks a bittersweet moment
for PMC, which was behind this popular
show.
“East Los High marked a turning point for
PMC,” says Bill Ryerson, PMC President
and Founder. “It was our first foray into the
U.S. market. The impact of East Los High
affirmed that we have a responsibility to work
in the U.S. and we’re pleased to have recently
hired Lisa Caruso as our new Head of U.S.
Programs.”
PMC creates entertaining shows to address
social and environmental issues, and it has
broadcast shows in more than 50 countries.
East Los High’s first season launched in June
2013. Following PMC’s methodology, it was
based on formative research that at that time
revealed more than 50 percent of Latinas
under 20 had at least one pregnancy. The high
rate of teen pregnancy was also contributing to
high rates of high school incompletion.
The resulting show, set in a high school in
East L.A., was Hollywood’s first series with
an all Latino cast and one of Hulu’s top 10
shows. It was featured in publications like
the American Journal of Public Health for
its impact on issues like adolescent sexual
and reproductive health. StayTeen.org’s
website traffic doubled on the day East Los
High launched and 22 percent of Planned
Parenthood’s total visits to “the check” widget
during the first season were accessed through
the East Los High website. n
MORE THAN 350,000 CONGOLESE TUNED IN WEEKLY FOR PAMBAZUKOAn estimated 350,000 Congolese listened
at least weekly for 1.5 years to Pambazuko
(“The Dawn”), an entertaining radio show
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC) that was designed to educate as well
as entertain.
“Pambazuko brought powerful and fun
storylines to life,” says PMC Program
Manager Lindsay Reid. “Our first rule
is that we need to be some of the best
entertainment on the air. But Pambazuko
also provided information, or corrected
misinformation, about a variety of issues.”
Pambazuko ran for 1.5 years, broadcasting
156 episodes over 14 radio stations in
Swahili. When the broadcast ended,
PMC began conducting a national cross-
sectional survey that was representative
of the target population. The survey
sample collected information from more
than 2,500 individuals on demographic
factors, key programming indicators, as
well as exposure to the show. The depth of
information allowed researchers to conduct
multivariate comparisons to confirm that
differences between listeners and non-
listeners were statistically significant
because of the show and not because of
other factors, such as sex, age, education,
religion, and others.
Some of the results included finding that
listeners were 2.4 times more likely than
non-listeners to approve of family planning.
They were 2.4 times more likely to say that
they could ask their spouse or partner to use
contraception if they wanted to.
When probing about girls’ education and
gender equality, researchers found that
listeners were 3.2 times more likely than
non-listeners to state that girls should be
encouraged to pursue their education to a
high level, and they were 2.1 times more
likely to agree that investing in a girl’s
education benefits the entire family.
On environmental topics, listeners were
1.7 times more likely than non-listeners to
agree that poachers who traffic in protected
species should be reported to the police,
twice as likely to say they have been involved
with planting trees, and they were 2.9 times
more likely to say they have been involved in
protecting animal species such as gorillas.
More results can be found at
populationmedia.org/projects/pambazuko. n
People crowd around Pambazuko’s producer, Mathy Babaka, during a press conference.
WELCOMING KIREN BANSALWe are pleased to welcome Kiren Bansal as Associate Vice
President of Development. Kiren oversees PMC’s development
team and the strategy for philanthropic contributions.
WELCOMING LISA CARUSOWe are pleased to welcome Lisa Caruso as Head of U.S. Programs.
Lisa oversees all content development and production for the
U.S. market.
WELCOMING SUSAN JONESWe are pleased to welcome Susan Jones as PMC’s Finance
Associate. Susan manages project accounting in all countries
where PMC operates.
WELL-WISHES TO PAUL UGALDEWe are sad to announce the departure of Paul Ugalde, PMC’s
Director of Development for the past 12 years. We wish him the
best of luck at Vermont’s Shelburne Museum.
PMC CURRENT EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
YOU MADE THE #GETREEL CAMPAIGN A SUCCESS
PMC launched its #GETREEL campaign in the fall of 2017. The 6-week
effort was designed to increase awareness about the realities faced by
women and girls and raise $200,000 for addressing gender inequality
around the world. #GETREEL succeeded in reaching thousands of
people, raising more than $240,000 from more than 130 donors.
“The #GETREEL campaign was a great opportunity for PMC to
show current and potential donors how our unique approach to
entertainment can #ChangeHerStory,” said Jeff Burrow, PMC Board
member and Development Committee chairman. “We can empower
women and girls around the world to live happier and healthier
lives.” n
Together, we raised more than $240,000.