"This article deals with entertainment in the neo-liberal age. The key aim is to describe the emerging brokering practices of certain entrepreneurs within the entertainment industry in Ghana, and to explore the effects of these practices. On the one hand these entrepreneurs receive sponsorship from
...
major transnational corporations, in order to produce reality TV shows and major entertainment events. The shows are meant to appeal to the target market of the corporate sponsors, and in this way these entrepreneurs fill the role of a power broker. On the other hand, the entrepreneurs also fill the role of a culture broker as they try to tune into a larger market by producing entertainment that is aimed to be popular not only in Ghana, but to a larger market across Africa. In this article I refer to this shift in style of entertainment as a shift towards an Afro-Cosmopolitan style of entertainment. The strategic epicentre for the fieldwork of this study is one of Ghana’s major production houses, Charterhouse Productions." (Abstract)
more
"As the manuscript treasures in the libraries of Timbuktu and throughout the northwestern quarter of Africa become known, many questions are raised. How did a manuscript culture flourish in the Sahara and in Muslim Africa more generally? Under what conditions did African intellectuals thrive, and ho
...
w did they acquire scholarly works and the writing paper necessary to contribute to knowledge? By exploring the history of the trans-Saharan book and paper trades, the scholarly production and teaching curriculae of African Muslims and the formation, preservation and codicology of library collections, the authors of this original volume provide a variety of answers. The select number of invited contributions represents current research in the material, technological, economic, and cultural dimensions of manuscript production, circulation, and preservation, and the development of specific scholarly and intellectual traditions in Saharan and Sudanic Africa." (Publisher description)
more
"ILRI is working in 'a crowded field of providers of knowledge, technology, and capacity development'. It is crucial therefore that the organisation is crystal clear about the unique brand of knowledge and services it delivers in the field of science 'at the intersect of poverty and livestock' - and
...
up-front about its track record in delivering results. Purposeful and strategic communication around issues that ILRI has the reputation to speak about, and that resonate with current - and emerging - debates, is the key to being heard and advancing the position and potential of livestock farmers globally. The organisation has established for itself a professional brand and impressive publishing record for communicating its diverse research products and thinking 'in real time'. A two-pronged process of embedding strategic communication in all research programmes (through a combination of incentives and quality assurance protocols) and being more focused and strategic on key target audiences and issues, will create the necessary conditions for ILRI to effectively communicate its research. This process requires not so much radical overhauls as clear stewardship, leadership and support from management to enable more strategic communication to be required where it is absent, and to flourish where it is latent." (Executive summary)
more
Souvent considéré comme une activité des plus nuisibles, le piratage des contenus audiovisuels n’en constitue pas moins, depuis des décennies, pour de nombreuses populations aux quatre coins du monde, un moyen majeur d’accéder aux produits des industries culturelles. Nourri d’enquêtes de
...
terrain, cet ouvrage explore les enjeux que recèle ce phénomène complexe. Le point de vue adopté est multiple et international. Alors que le piratage est généralement pensé exclusivement à partir de la question du téléchargement sans paiement des droits en Amérique du Nord ou en Europe occidentale, il est ici appréhendé dans toute la variété de ses manifestations, en privilégiant les pays du Sud et de l’Est : des marchands de CDs et DVDs contrefaits de Bogotá ou Alger, jusqu’aux politiques de défense des droits de propriété artistique de Washington ou Séoul, en passant par les pratiques des adeptes moscovites des réseaux peer-to-peer.
more
"The report presents key findings of the research in six countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Findings were that most people believe public libraries have the potential to contribute to community development in important areas such as health, employment and agriculture.
...
However, libraries are small and under-resourced, and most people associate them with traditional book lending and reference services, rather than innovation and technology." (https://www.eifl.net)
more
"Community research projects are often initiated with action and change in mind. That is, the knowledge generated is intended to be used towards specific ends-- strengthening community programs, improving public policy, sharing vital information with community members. But the research is only usefu
...
l if it can be accessed and understood. Creating a research dissemination plan involves a collaborative effort between research partners to identify the best ways to share knowledge for the project’s particular purpose and target audience. Community Research Unit partners can use this document to develop a dissemination plan that ensures that their research is distributed to and understood by those who need it most." (Page 2)
more
"This new issue of Westminster Papers of Communication and Culture is dedicated for the first time to Latin America, and by re-visiting the cultural and communication standpoints undertaken in the region, it will help to address the ongoing questions on globalisation, and cultural hybridisation from
...
the local and regional cultures. The papers explore a range of important issues including media democracy, hybrid identity, media and migration, structure and agency, social change, technology, and resistance." (Editorial)
more