"Broadband for Africa focuses on one part of the broadband policy jigsaw puzzle—backbone networks. These are the high-capacity communications networks that form the heart of the internet. This book addresses three specific questions: What role do backbone networks play in the provision of broadban
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d services? What is the current state of backbone network development in Africa and the reasons for this? What can be done to promote the development of backbone networks? This volume places backbone networks in the overall context of broadband policy in Africa. It outlines their importance and provides a policy framework for accelerating their development." (Back cover)
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"Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the Afghan media sector has experienced dramatic growth in all areas: television, radio, print, internet, mobile phones. As such, the sector holds tremendous potential for making significant contributions to peacebuilding in the country. However, the media sec
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tor also confronts numerous challenges that impede its ability to realize this potential – which can only be addressed through the combined efforts and attention of international and domestic stakeholders alike. Among the most pressing challenges is resolving the tension between information operations and counterinsurgency, on the one hand, and developing a viable, credible media sector on the other. All too often efforts to counter extremist messages through expanded military and government access to the airwaves (via purchased air time and proliferating “radio in a box” broadcasts from military outposts) have had a negative impact on both media market economics and media credibility. Sustainability is also a significant issue. A glut of media outlets has arisen that are privately licensed yet sustained by international donor funds and strategic communications money. This has had a deleterious effect on the perception of media, and its effectiveness as a guardian of public interests. The shortcomings of state-owned RTA as a public broadcaster further contribute to this, leading many experts to call for greater investment in long-term training and mentoring as well as regulatory reform to limit government manipulation of the airwaves." (Summary)
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"Much violent conflict today takes place in or near civilian populations with access to global information networks, so the information gathered by various parties to conflict may potentially be distributed in real time around the globe. The ability to communicate, and to produce and receive diverse
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information through participatory media, is part of a struggle within conflictprone societies between allowing for non-coercive debates and dialogue that focus on endemic weak-state problems and enabling those seeking power to organize for political influence, recruitment, demonstrations, political violence, and terror [...] The question of whether the presence of digital media networks will encourage violence or lead to peaceful solutions may be viewed as a contest between the two possible outcomes. It is possible to build communications architectures that encourage dialogue and nonviolent political solutions. However, it is equally possible for digital media to increase polarization, strengthen biases, and foment violence." (Executive summary, page 8)
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"This Working Paper from DFID’s Evaluation Department offers a menu of Voice & Accountability (V&A) indicators, and suggests steps for building monitoring and evaluation frameworks for V&A interventions. It provides a check list of management issues, and some ideas for data collection. It does not
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attempt to make any judgement about the indicators identified, as this work will be further developed under DFID’s ‘Suggested Indicators for Governance’ work, due in 2010. The paper is intended for DFID advisers and managers working on V&A initiatives at the country level. It will also be of use to people outside DFID who are interested in understanding how V&A work contributes to development outcomes; or who want more information about data collection methods for V&A measurement. V&A interventions range from work with governments on policy and reform processes, to activities at community level on civic education and rights awareness. DFID supports a significant amount of V&A work through government and non-state actors, in sector programmes and in work with civil society organisations including the media. We now need to establish the evidence base to show what change has resulted." (Executive summary)
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"Government agencies, NGOs, foundations, and private developers looking to support civic and democratic endeavors in the developing world should be made aware of media literacy as a key educational component for developing stable democratic discourse. This report explores support and development of
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media literacy education and curriculum initiatives for youth in the developing world." (Executive summary, page 4)
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"Martin Chautari (MC) has been researching various aspects of Nepali media for almost a decade now. In this study, MC’s focus is on one of the major components of the media sector in Nepal, namely, media training, a subject which has so far been neglected by academics and other researchers. In thi
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s study, we focus on various aspects of the current practices of media training in Nepal: institutions involved in media training, training curricula, trainers, trainees, as well as the financial aspects of the training business. Though the research was largely concentrated in the Kathmandu valley (the capital of Nepal) where a majority of the media training providers are located, field research was also carried out in six other urban centers—namely, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi in western Nepal, Butwal and Pokhara in central Nepal, and Dharan and Biratnagar in eastern Nepal (see appendix 3 for a map of Nepal where the field research sites are shown). Hence major cities for media training in all the five development regions of the country were covered in this study. To assess the quality and availability of the media trainings, our research team visited most of the institutions involved in media training in Nepal and interviewed 166 persons in total (see appendices 1 and 2 for lists of the institutions and individuals) between September and November 2009." (Preface, page vi-vii)
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"Media literacy training is a tool the development sector can use to educate citizens and other stakeholders to better understand the role of information in a democracy and pressure governments to be accountable and to root out corruption. A media literate citizenry is essential to building and sust
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aining democracy." (Executive summary)
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"This report is intended to serve as a guide for organizations considering establishing journalist-training programs in Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda. The report provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities in the journalism profession in these three countries. Generalizations across countri
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es are difficult. Thus, we encourage anyone making use of this report for program planning to consider the findings on each country as a distinct entity." (Executive summary)
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"The report examines how authorities and humanitarian and aid organizations can best balance the opportunities and challenges of exploiting different technologies at the key stages on the timeline of crisis—early warning and preparedness, immediate humanitarian relief, and reconstruction and long-
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term development." (Executive summary)
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"Las desmovilizaciones de los grupos paramilitares y la implementación de la Ley de Justicia y Paz, en medio de condiciones muy complejas, han puesto sobre la mesa – nuevamente – la pregunta sobre el papel que juegan los medios de comunicación en Colombia. Y en este punto es importante hacer u
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na distinción crucial: uno es el rol que asumen los medios de comunicación nacionales y de las grandes ciudades del país, y otro el que pueden asumir los medios de comunicación y los periodistas de las ciudades pequeñas, los municipios y las poblaciones apartadas. En este último caso, el periodismo se ejerce en condiciones de precariedad y en medio de un peligro latente. Basta con recordar que en los últimos 20 años en Colombia, más de 110 periodistas fueron asesinados por razones de oficio. Cientos más han sido amenazados, intimidados o agredidos. El presente texto está dirigido principalmente a esos periodistas, que a pesar de las amenazas y las intimidaciones, y en un contexto adverso, vienen cubriendo desde 2002 este proceso. El objetivo es abordar el papel del periodismo en la búsqueda de la verdad y la construcción de la memoria en ese contexto colombiano. Para hacerlo, es esencial abrir el foco y mirar las experiencias internacionales." (Introducción, página 7)
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"To navigate a complex and an ever-evolving media landscape, citizens must obtain the critical abilities and necessary communicative skills to participate actively and meaningfully in a democratic public sphere—the space where free and equal citizens come together to discuss and debate current aff
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airs. Fueled by media literacy, this informed discussion in the public sphere can engage citizens as active stakeholders in governance reforms. This paper argues that media literacy, therefore, plays a crucial role in the governance reform agenda. To assist development practitioners, the paper also makes recommendations for steps to improve governance through media literacy." (Page 3)
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"Following an initiative of the Committee on Economic Co-operation and Development, the Office of Technology Assessment (TAB) at the German Bundestag (i.e. the German parliament) has carried out a project on the relevance of the Internet and other new information and communication technologies (ICTs
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) for social advancement in developing countries. This final report documents the results of the project. [...] In the first place, the report analyses and discusses the use of ICT and how it can contribute to social development in the context of the situation in developing countries. Secondly, a more detailed examination is undertaken of contributions relating in particular to the areas of democracy, good governance and civil society, of industry and trade, and of education, research and technological development. Thirdly, the results of these analyses are used to draw conclusions about concrete and strategic courses of action and challenges for German development co-operation within the context of general issues relevant to research and education policy." (Preface)
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"El texto resalta la necesidad de dejar de culparle a la naturaleza como la responsable de los desastres, y asumir que los riesgos son procesos construidos socialmente. Es decir, que para que el riesgo exista se necesitan fenómenos peligrosos y condiciones de vulnerabilidad que son generadas por lo
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s seres humanos. Siendo así la realidad, esnecesario un cambio en la actitud de los diferentes actores, mostrándonos como parte que provoca el problema, para asumir nuestras responsabilidades, y luego intervenir en sus soluciones. La base del Periodismo Público relacionado con la prevención de desastres parte del reconocimiento que todos los individuos, sin importar nuestro rol en la sociedad, tenemos la responsabilidad de contribuir a la reducción del riesgo, en primer lugar, desde una mirada prospectiva, evitando aportar a los factores de generación de situaciones de desequilibrio en nuestro territorio y en nuestra sociedad; en segundo lugar, actuando de manera responsable para reducir las situaciones de riesgo existentes; y finalmente, estando preparados para cuando los riesgos se materialicen en desastres, a sabiendas que es imposible reducir las situaciones de riesgo existentes a cero. Es por esto necesario cambiar la forma como se ha venido haciendo periodismo alrededor del tema de riesgo y contribuir al cambio social a través del debate público, la deliberación y la participación, ejes del Periodismo Público que se propone el debate público promovido por los medios para incluir las propuestas ciudadanas en las agendas y políticas públicas." (Prólogo)
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