Dr Epprecht began his talk by relating his experiences as a teacher at
The University of Zimbabwe in the mid-1990s. The realization that many
of his pupils, whom he was teaching history, would be directly
affected (if not killed) by the AIDS pandemic in Southern Africa drove
him to seek another venue of action.  After publishing an academic
article that detailed some of the issues surrounding cultural aspects
of sexual education and culture in these countries and how it could
influence the spread of HIV, Dr Epprecht realized that such
publications would have little impact on the issues he wanted to
address.  Moving outside of the world of academic publishing and
confronting the difficulties of this within an academic system that is
based around journal publications, he created a book of parables in
conjunction with individuals from around Africa. These stories relate
real-life events of sexual issues that are controversial, if not
taboo, in most African countries.  They help these populations learn
about the very real relationships and encounters that are taking place
within their own communities, stories that are in most cases kept
secret for personal safety.