"Since it was launched in 2000, the Bolivia Country Programme known as TICBolivia has helped over 50,000 people, mainly small farmers, teachers, students, indigenous leaders and local officials, use ICTs to improve their lives and contribute to their country’s development. All the ICT activities g
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enerated under the Country Programme have been developed by and for local people, with support and guidance from IICD and its enabling partners. The strategy has been to give local organisations the tools they need to develop the skills, knowledge and communications infrastructure required to set up a critical mass of locally-owned, sustainable ICT projects and activities in a specific sector such as education or good governance. Today, TICBolivia consists of fifteen projects, a training programme, networking activities, and monitoring and evaluation. The programme is active in three sectors: good governance, education and agricultural livelihoods. Among the participants in the programme are grassroots organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government bodies, and private companies. By the end of 2004, 86 information access points had been set up throughout the country, 4,400 individuals had been trained in the use of ICT, and a national ICT for development (ICT4D) information network called ‘Red TICBolivia’ was sharing knowledge, working on sector strategies, generating national visibility for the programme and raising awareness of the important role that ICTs play in the nation’s development." (Introduction, page 3-4)
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"During the last decade, development partners around the globe have gained rich experience and knowledge about the application of ICT for poverty reduction and its value for reaching the Millennium Development Goals and the goals of Poverty Reduction Strategies. But scaling up the results of success
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ful projects into programmes and policies that lead directly to poverty reduction on a country-wide scale is still a challenge. Lessons learned from experience so far can be summarised around the following themes: Prioritising poverty reduction; creating an enabling ICT policy environment; appropriate technology choices; local content development and the role of the media; mobilisation of financial resources and the role of microcredit." (Page 3)
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"This report aims to give an overview of what DAC members currently know about how Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use in developing economies can stimulate economic growth and poverty reduction. It draws attention to the cross-cutting applications of ICTs, to their role as tools, not
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goals, and links their use to development co-operation. The report presents three key discussions. Chapter 2 considers the contribution of ICTs to pro-poor growth. Chapter 3 discusses the contribution of ICTs to the Millennium Development Goals, drawing attention to the processes that lead to the goals. Chapter 4 looks specifically at poverty-reduction good practice and relates what is currently known to the role of ICTs. It is hoped that this text will clarify the debate on the role of ICTs, and give a framework for extending the discussion so that ICTs may find their rightful place in development co-operation." (Abstract)
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"¿Cómo se muestra la pobreza en los noticieros?, ¿Qué recursos periodísticos son utilizados en la construcción noticiosa?, ¿hablan técnicos o pobres?, ¿cuánto tiempo duran en promedio?, ¿qué temas específicos tratan? Son algunas de las interrogantes que se formularon al inicio de este e
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studio, que analizó los noticieros centrales de los cinco canales de TV abierta. Contamos con importantes apoyos para su desarrollo, en especial, del Consejo Nacional de Televisión que entregó su patrocinio y asesoramiento técnico, lo que fue fundamental para visionar los 565 noticieros que fueron objeto de este análisis [...] Descubrimos que habían más noticias en pobreza de lo que suponíamos, que la gran mayoría se emitían en el primer bloque de los noticieros y que las personas en situación de pobreza son una fuente de información abundante en la construcción de las noticias, en conjunto con los periodistas. Sin embargo, confirmamos que la mayoría de las noticias no tenían el foco informativo en la pobreza o en personas en situación de pobreza, sino en hechos con foco en otros temas pero en los cuales aparecían dimensiones del mundo de la pobreza, tales como problemas de cobertura y calidad de la Vivienda, noticias sobre personas en situación de pobreza tras hechos de Tragedias y Desastres Naturales y Delincuencia, sin duda temas de alto impacto humano, que explican el por qué aparecen en el principal bloque noticioso. Confirmamos asimismo, que la gran mayoría de las noticias corresponden a notas informativas, que no ahondan en el problema que buscan informar, sino más bien privilegian la constatación pura. En general, no se explora en las posibles soluciones a los problemas de la pobreza, ni tampoco se relevan sus causas. En su mayoría, las noticias analizadas parecen responder a pautas informativas pre-fijadas y no al producto de la iniciativa y/o investigación periodística. Cabe destacar también que los periodistas son claramente voceros privilegiados de sus propias construcciones periodísticas." (Presentación, página 7-8)
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"Los resultados de la Consulta muestran que los pobres atendidos por el Hogar de Cristo y por el Servicio País perciben negativamente las modalidades en que son representados en la televisión abierta. Los participantes opinan que la televisión los vincula con categorías sociales estigmatizadas (
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delincuentes, drogadictos, marginales), los asocia a sujetos que están en condiciones precarias de presentación y apariencia personal (sucios/cochinos, mal vestidos) y que se encuentran en situación de carencia (necesitados), y los presenta como personas que tienen atributos psicológicos, relacionales y existenciales deficitarios (desamparados, abandonados, flojos, irresponsables, incapaces). Al mismo tiempo, los asistentes a las asambleas no identifican atributos positivos o socialmente deseables del pobre representado en la televisión, y se pronuncian críticamente sobre la veracidad de las representaciones, señalando que la televisión solamente muestra lo negativo u oculta la pobreza. En lo relativo a las causas, la mayoría de las atribuciones que realizan los participantes en las asambleas son negativas, y tienden a centrarse en factores vinculados a los propósitos comerciales (búsqueda de rating e incremento de ventas), y al estilo dominante de hacer televisión (sensacionalismo, explotación de la morbosidad). Estas causas son señaladas para todos los atributos de la representación del pobre que alcanzaron los mayores pesos en la consulta, como se puede apreciar en la tabla 9. También se destaca la manipulación política (o de otro tipo), y se menciona, aunque en menor medida, el uso sistemático de lo peor de la vida de los pobres, la visibilidad de los problemas que los afectan y su alta vulnerabilidad (pocas posibilidades de hacer respetar sus derechos e impedir la utilización televisiva)." (Conclusiones, página 38)
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"El monitoreo sobre la información explícita de la pobreza en el periódico El Tiempo se propuso tres objetivos: en primer lugar, estudiar la representación que el periódico hace de la pobreza en sus páginas todos los días; en segundo lugar facilitar, a través del análisis de la información
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, un proceso de diálogo sobre el tema con otros medios y periodistas, y en tercero, aportar al mejoramiento de la calidad de la información periodística sobre el tema. El estudio se hizo sobre la información y las páginas de opinión del periódico durante el año 2002. Para ello se tomó como base muestral la información publicada en la edición de Bogotá durante cuatro meses, uno por cada trimestre del año." (Página 15)
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"It is widely acknowledged that a livelihoods approach provides a useful, logically consistent framework for thinking through the complex issues influencing the lives of the poor. In particular it draws attention to ways in which policies, institutions and decision-making processes influence resourc
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e access and ownership, and determine strategic livelihood options available to poor households. Information and communication systems are crucial in this regard, both in generating information required by the rural poor to make decisions on livelihood strategies, and in generating information required by institutions responsible for making decisions about policies and processes that affect those strategies. In each case, it is only through improved information that individuals and institutions can make informed choices about the opportunities and constraints associated with agriculture-based strategies. However, improved information alone is not sufficient for improved decision-making. Decision-making is a political process and promoting multi-stakeholder participation in decision-making processes is a key concern. Furthermore, different stakeholder groups each have specific information needs and delivery preferences. Highly differentiated information needs assessment is essential in order to effectively support decision-making at different levels. It is evident that effective promotion of poverty reduction and food security requires changes in institutions and attitudes, knowledge and information levels, processes and skills. Improved understanding of the capacity of decision-makers at different levels to make use of the information provided is key for the identification of appropriate systems and institutions for the delivery of relevant information. Enhancing the quality and quantity of information also relies on attention to the flow of information, such as the means of communication, format and content. Information can potentially have a catalytic role but much depends on its reliability and relevance to the needs of particular user groups. There is a necessary trade-off between the level of technical detail involved in information collection and analysis, and the practical usefulness of that information. Standardisation of techniques of information collection, storage and presentation is important, both to improve efficiency in information handling within agencies and also to ensure that information can be used externally by other agencies, thereby facilitating greater cross-sectoral communication and coordination. Equally important is developing effective means of prioritising information needs at different levels. Improved information can enable people to better defend their interests and articulate their needs; it increases their bargaining power and ability to influence decision-making processes which affect them. Transparency is equally important if information is to empower people to make better decisions. Improved communication systems can enable individuals to organise as groups and use information to hold institutions and authorities accountable." (Executive summary, page vi)
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"This paper argues that heightened media involvement in the PRSP (Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers) process could help build a stronger independent media sector while preparing citizens to take an active role in dialogues that will have a huge impact on their lives. Media involvement would help fra
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me issues for discussion; provide background analysis; and disseminate results of the consultations, noting minority or dissenting points of view. In addition, similar to the steps taken to strengthen the private sector in developing countries, the resulting PRSP itself could include legal and regulatory reforms that would facilitate the development of an independent media sector. A skilled and viable independent media sector is a society’s most promising tool for providing citizens the information they need to bring about and sustain government reform and poverty reduction." (Page 1)
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"The objective of this document is to outline a framework for a communication policy (content regulation) that can tackle portrayal and representation issues. The main obstacle in the way to do sensible content regulation concerning stereotyped representations is that these portrayals perform their
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effect in a longitudinal and cumulative way – features that make these phenomena as social facts easy to analyze for social scientists, but make it rather difficult to be addressed by media regulators, because content restrictions –on human dignity, privacy, and professional standards– seek to address content issues through the portrayed individual’s right to appropriate media treatment. This discrepancy results in serious moral and justice-related concerns especially in the case of the portrayal of economically disadvantaged groups by television factual entertainment programs, such as current affair entertainment and human interest magazines, confessional chat shows, police magazines, crime buster shows, docusoaps, ambulance and hospital reality programs, etc; programs which have occupied solid positions in commercial stations’ prime time program." (Results of content and production analysis, page 3)
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