About Richard Yell – HIV+ Inspirational Speaker & trainer

What is an Inspirational Speaker & how does this roll fit into the big picture of HIV & AIDS? Why do we need such a player and not just stick to running with the educators?

To better understand my job, it is imperative to first look at what I do and then why I do it and finally, to look at why the person delivering this work should be me. To look at what I do would be more helpful if I first define my roll as an Inspirational Speaker.

Inspiration can reflect elements of stirring, rousing, moving, encouraging & motivating:

Motivation – incentive, reason, enthusiasm & stimulus

Encouragement – Support & motivation

Stimulation - Inspiration

Muse – Think over, ponder, consider, reflect on

Some of the prevention intervention strategies employed to deal with the serious issues around HIV/AIDS in South Africa primarily include education, training and fear management. Whilst these may have a meaningful effect to some extent, my considered opinion based on extensive experience is that these components alone will never cut it in terms of success & tangible outcomes. Since human beings are driven by emotion predominantly as opposed to logic, especially in the sexuality arena and other areas of our lives (driven by attitude and behaviour), the need to engage experiential inspiration and motivational methodologies is essential. Furthermore, since most of the general focus has been around prevention and treatment, it is time there was someone who pro-actively deals with living in the big space between the two. This is the art of living positively. The art of the Positive.

Examples of success with experiential inspirational intervention strategies could include alcoholism & drug addiction, driving, smoking, domestic violence and abuse & the challenge of street children. Neither education nor fear management has ever really managed to stop smokers from smoking, drug addicts from using or to obtain safer driving practices and least of all to get children off our streets. Hence in the HIV/AIDS arena, given the fact that most people do not like condoms, people are still having unprotected casual sex, in spite of knowing full well the possible outcomes. Similarly, if someone shows a smoker a photograph of sticky tar-filled lungs, this will not stop them smoking. There is however a thin line between inspiration and fear-management. A clear current example would be Drive Alive’s latest successful campaign, which combines the two in a tasteful way through portraying inspirational messages from victims of drunken driving tragedies. The thin line I refer to would be that if they had decided to say place paraplegic people who are accident victims at filling stations across the country, I believe this would have failed dismally. They realized that inspiration was required in this process. So it is with HIV/AIDS, and this is the roll that I play in this field.

Who am I and how do I operate?

I am an inspirational speaker first & formost and trainer second on the topics of and surrounding HIV/AIDS and alcoholism, synergistically complimenting each other in the given conclusion that people drink and people have sex. My strategy is experiential and empowerment-driven, reality-based and solutions-orientated. I am a sober alcoholic and I am HIV+. However, I never ever preach, and hence my title as Inspirational Speaker is of utmost importance. Whilst the blend of life and business experience along with the thoughts and teachings of many others constitutes aspects of my approach, the synthesis of methodology, process and the material I use, is essentially all my own. Most of what I know about myself along with social behaviour generally is based on my own experiences of successfully living with alcoholism as a sober alcoholic, along with the powerful teachings of AA’s 12 step programme. The parallels that run through the two dilemmas are both uncanny & scary in their remarkable similarities. Both dilemmas enjoy the following commonalities:

§         Both origins stem from and involve the power of choice

§         Both dilemmas involve elements of denial as obstacles to acceptance & recovery

§         Both dilemmas involve behavioural choices stemming from the social arena

§         Stigma and prejudice are by-products of both dilemmas

§         Both dilemmas require changes in behaviour and can include abstinence as a solution

§         Both require acceptance as a solution to denial

2004 theme: Practising the Art of the Positive+

My approach to successful and sustainable delivery has evolved, supported by my passionate desire to continually replace fear and denial with acceptance especially in rural South Africa, purely by bringing truth, hope and light to the people. As a friend of reality, I realize it is high time we stopped isolating parts of the whole and fighting them, as fighting causes contempt and drives people away from developing their own solutions. With the realisation that this could only be achieved by putting the truth on the reality table, the traditional approach to training appeared to be missing an essential ingredient necessary for sustainability. Endless training around the ABC model in the absence of any “meaning of life” connection, in most cases has not proved to be sustainable.

As a business involved in the transformation of attitudes, behaviour and perception, I believe that my uniqueness lies in my focused approach to changing socio-sexual culture by powerfully influencing individuals. What’s more, mine is an experiential and challenging approach to individual transformation. If we can’t transform individuals then we can’t possibly hope to transform whole organisations.

Whilst I understand that the theoretical & medical side of HIV/AIDS is an important part of the mix, I also recognise that there are just too many “knowledgeable delinquents” out there. Somehow we need to commit people to acting on their knowledge, otherwise it’s all for nothing. This means that a proportionately large part of my process is focused on committing people to actually doing things differently in their lives. Essentially this is an Inspirational-driven strategy.

What I have found is that if people can find a real purpose to their existence, then the shift is more likely to happen. For instance, in my powertalk sessions instant gratification is portrayed as illusionary, and focus is made on putting the spark back into an existing relationship as opposed to looking for substitute “fixes” on the (out)side. Purpose, or the game that we are playing with our life, is what will provide the inspiration that we need to make changes in our lives. If there’s purpose to our existence, then everything else tends to happen with a whole lot less effort. The art of the positive is a 4-pronged approach for people living with HIV and AIDS, and primarily involves physical, spiritual, emotional and mental fitness. Once people understand this concept, the empowerment side of my work kicks in, and solutions based on each individual’s culture, sexuality, age, & spirituality are created. This process has to be facilitated rather than instructed.

Why me?

Alcoholism has shown me that education alone, even if delivered by ‘absolute experts’ is not what changes attitude and behaviour in our society, particularly where youth interventions are concerned. Celebrity role-models have a better chance than educators do to achieve that! Experience is a far more influential component to academic knowledge to swing hearts and minds in the field of addiction, and hence I believe the same equation applies to HIV/AIDS interventions. A male gaenocologist would not really be able to discuss in depth the reality of childbirth as he has not experienced it, even though he may be an expert on the medical & theoretical side of his practise. Hence I believe it imperative to involve HIV+ people in any intervention that an organization may wish to implement, just as it is essential to involve alcoholics and addicts in any chemical dependency interventions. As an expert on dealing with STIGMA & prejudice based on my own life experience, I have discovered that STIGMA (defined as shame, disgrace, dishonour) is primarily made up of 5 major components in the context of HIV/AIDS and alcoholism:

• DENIAL -The age-old ‘it will never happen to me’ syndrome…the problem thus lies with others
• IGNORANCE – It is easier to sweep issues under the carpet that we do not wish to face
• FEAR – A deep fear that we may discover a truth about ourselves that we will not like/manage
• CONTEMPT – A fire so often fuelled by activists and campaigners who continually fight reality
• GUILT– A by-product of dilemmas we discover that apply to ourselves, often based on SHAME

Many HR practitioners realise they are affected by stigma, but due to a lack of deep understanding of what stigma actually is, it is hardly surprising therefore that most do not know how to deal with stigma nor how to overcome it. These are just some of the rolls I play in my holistic approach. As a public speaker of excellence, driven by passion for my topic; passionate about making a huge difference out there, I believe you should not hesitate to give me a chance! My results are tangible in terms of delivering staff to the testing unit, and essential follow-up with those who are diagnosed as HIV+ would clearly require ongoing interventions from my side.

Speak to me about what your challenges are, and lets put heads together and see how we can turn your situation around…

Khotso!

Yours truly

RICHARD YELL

Clients, Associates & strategic partners

Clients 2002 to 2004

• Anglo Mines Union section, Swartklip, NW Province
• Legacy Hotel Group: Bakubung, Kwa-Maritane, Tsukudu – NW Province
• Legacy Cape Town -Commodore, Portswood – V&A Waterfront
• RCI Gauteng
• Clinix, Vosloorus
• Crawford College Sandton – Peer Educators
• Reddam Primary & High, Bedfordview
• KAYA FM
• YFM
• Mustek-Mecer Midrand
• Amalgamated Appliances - National
• UTI-Sun Couriers – Leadership Group interventions
• Sun City Resorts

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS & ASSOCIATES

• www.gAL.co.za - partners in distribution & hosting of my newsletters
• STUART LEE MARKETING – My agent
• SUN CITY RESORTS - Resort trainer & Inspirational Speaker 2003/04
• The Lifesense Group – partners in hiv+ accidental exposure solutions
• Conny Setjeo & Associates– my partner who shares my passion, vision & strategy
• CIDA CITY CAMPUS – Volunteer & HIV+ consultant to Street Family
• Tu Nokwe Projects & Amajika – HIV+ portfolio-developmental
• Instameal- Soya-based complete nutritional products
• Andile Gaelisiwe’s Open Disclosure Foundation – HIV+ portfolio
• ICAS Hyde Park – Inspirational speaking for clients such as DULUX, ESKOM
• LIFELINE GAUTENG – HIV+ Inspirational Powertalks
• MOGWASE DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICE – Speaker and local PWA ‘mascot’
• THEMBA HIV/AIDS Projects – Building a working relationship
• www.positiveconnection.com - Working together for a better HIV+ society
• RED PEG WELLNESS - Building a brand new relationship

Besides my regular speaking engagements, I often speak on radio. My biggest supporters currently are YFM, SAFM and KAYA FM.

I write a bi-monthly inspirational newsletter…subscribe at www.gAL.co.za “The HIVe”. The publication used to be called ICE on FIRE, after my 2003 talks.

Have recently been featured on M-Net’s ‘FOOTPRINTS’ with Conny Setjeo, and can arrange a viewing of a VHS copy of the production by request.

Outlines & Methodologies for 2004 : Inspirational Powertalk Theme Series “The Art of the Positive”

Awareness

·        What HIV/Aids actually is, with clear differentiation between the two

·        How is the virus contracted? (During this section common myths are dispelled)

·        A disease of denial & complexity – Introducing the modus-operandi of the virus, the impact on the body, antiretrovirals & the “window period”

Prevention

·        Empowering yourself to make informed decisions at all times. During this section, the link between alcoholism and recreational drug dependencies with HIV are highlighted.

·        Testing: The “pros and cons”, your rights and how this impacts on the actions of the virus, and in particular, curbing the radical spread of HIV, including the destigmatisation process. (Caution: Most delegates will wish to test after this!)

·        The re-infection factor & alternative sexual solutions

Living with HIV

·        Post diagnosis – “So now what?”

·        Implementing and developing healthy new lifestyle and attitudes

·        Disclosure – Developing the support system & implementing a new freedom

·        Parental disclosure – The key to freedom & support

·        The road to total acceptance – “rising above the virus in your home &  others”

The Power of Choice

·        Living your life to the fullest, yet taking responsibility for your decisions and actions

A healthy lifestyle overview