"This book offers an in-depth view of how intricate and intractable conflicts can be and how the communicative aspects of conflict are equally challenging. The author reviews and guides readers through classic and contemporary analysis in the field, providing a truly interdisciplinary work. Handbook
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of Conflict and Peace Communication is divided into five navigable sections - Theory Development, Method Development, Traditional/Digital Media and Peace and Conflict, Case Studies, and Innovative Approaches - that help illuminate workable and innovative peace communication strategies relevant to today's conflicts. Readers will also find: informative contributions from a collection of outstanding scholars, practitioners, and activists; comprehensive explorations of past conflict communication theory in the context of contemporary theory; practical tools to navigate complex local and global conflicts; in-depth examinations of strategies of peace communication from the margins that acknowledge and elevate solutions for and from the most vulnerable." (Publisher description)
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"What makes a piece of research decolonial? Do participatory or co-creative approaches make research participatory and co-creative? These reflections are raised in this article, which looks back at methodological choices made and adapted during a three-year study with riverside communities in the Am
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azon Forest, in Ecuador and Brazil. Originally designed as grounded research, the project was seriously impacted by restrictions imposed by the global Covid-19 pandemic and, in addition in the Brazilian case, by political issues arising during the 2022 national presidential elections. This article discusses how these unexpected limitations influenced the fieldwork approach and the resulting answers will be presented as a pedagogy of listening, inspired by the work of Paulo Freire. The recognition and experience of limitations triggered a reflection about disruptive theoretical frameworks and methods. Instead of advocating one precise method, this article advances the relevance of a trans-methodological approach that allows the emergence of new – and/or disruptive – knowledge." (Abstract)
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"En este libro, creado a muchas manos, nos centramos en la Comunicación Comunitaria, en sus aportes teóricos, epistémicos, políticos, metodológicos y prácticos, pensándola centralmente de cara a las organizaciones y movimientos sociales. Académicamente, este libro se gesta en el marco de la
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actividad de investigación denominada Comunicación Comunitaria: contribuciones teórico-epistémicas, inscrita en el Programa de Investigación llamado Procesos de Comunicación y Organización (PCO), del Centro de Investigación en Comunicación (CICOM) de la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR). El objetivo de la publicación es divulgar procesos y resultados de investigación académica reciente, así como ofrecer una serie de reflexiones teórico-epistemológicas, perspectivas críticas y experiencias prácticas vinculadas a la comunicación organizacional en clave comunitaria, para apoyar los procesos formativos de la Escuela de Ciencias de la Comunicación Colectiva (ECCC), de la Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR), tanto en el bachillerato como en la licenciatura y el posgrado." (Presentación, página 7)
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"'La verdad nos hizo libres' es una crónica rigurosa y conmovedora sobre los abusos cometidos dentro del Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana, la impunidad que los protegió durante décadas y su eventual caída tras la intervención del papa Francisco. A través de testimonios, documentos y una investigaci
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ón meticulosa, el libro expone los abusos de índole sexual, psicológica y emocional perpetrados por esta organización sectaria bajo una fachada religiosa. Además, revela el sistema de control totalitario que sometió a sus víctimas, la persecución que enfrentaron quienes se atrevieron a denunciar y el engranaje de poder mediático, judicial y económico que mantuvo la impunidad de la institución. Con el pulso de quien vivió la historia de cerca, el autor construye un relato absorbente que no solo denuncia, sino que reivindica la lucha por la verdad y la justicia. Este libro es, sin duda, un hito del periodismo de investigación que documenta más de dos décadas de lucha contra el silencio y el encubrimiento, y una lectura imprescindible para quienes buscan entender y enfrentar la violencia encubierta en nombre de la fe." (Tapa posterior)
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"This book shows how media literacy can improve the health of communication ecosystems amid information disorder. It makes the case for media literacy as a human right and a foundation for civic resilience and curates research and best practices to show how media literacy can counter misinformation,
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support public health, and prepare society for challenges like pandemics and AI. The book is structured around a theory of change with four interconnected media literacy domains: Access (how and where we engage with media), Awareness (critical understanding of media), Capability (life skills for education, employment, civic and digital participation), and Consequences (taking actions with media literacy that improve communication ecosystems for everybody). It includes six chapters and an introduction, presenting a comprehensive field review which maps 400 projects from all over the world to the theory of change, concluding with a forward-looking chapter on the possible healthier future. Ideal for educators, academics and researchers, librarians, activists, journalists, policymakers, and health professionals, this book offers a timely, actionable vision for strengthening media literacy and building more resilient, informed communities." (Publisher description)
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"Is there a spillover effect in multiperspectivity regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict among Israeli and Palestinian undergraduate students that results from playing a social impact game about a different conflictual context? We examined whether playing Fact Finders (Cyprus conflict) and Peac
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eMaker (Israeli-Palestinian conflict) in a different order and whether playing only one of the two games impacts multiperspectivity regarding these conflicts. 203 Israeli and Palestinian students participated in a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design. Israelis and Palestinians playing Fact Finders first developed significantly more multiperspectivity on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, than those playing PeaceMaker first. In addition, Israelis playing only Fact Finders developed significantly higher multiperspectivity regarding the Cyprus conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, unlike those playing only PeaceMaker. This is the first time multiperspectivity for direct parties to the conflict is observed for the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through digital games. Moreover, this is the first study to indicate a spillover effect in multiperspectivity from a different conflictual context to one’s own context. This research adds to our understanding of the effects of social impact games, suggesting that the multiperspectivity effect of the aforementioned games may extend well beyond a specific conflictual context." (Abstract)
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"El presente manual representa un importante y valioso esfuerzo por poner el foco en el relacionamiento con comunidades. Surge de una investigación de campo que resume acciones de empresas interesadas en conocer a sus grupos de interés externos y, de manera específica, a las comunidades a quienes
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impactan y por las cuales son impactadas, con quienes construyen de manera conjunta soluciones para fortalecer su entorno. Este manual es una guía práctica, muy accesible, para conocer los pasos básicos para el relacionamiento con la comunidad, desde la responsabilidad social. Nos facilita un marco de acción, que orienta con lineamientos específicos: cómo contemplar el contexto sociocultural, cómo analizarlo y cómo abordar y conjugar tanto las necesidades y expectativas de las empresas como de la sociedad. La medición es un aspecto elemental que se resalta también en este documento y que constituye la diferencia entre prácticas básicas y esporádicas, y un programa real de involucramiento efectivo con la comunidad." (Prólogo, página 2)
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"Misinformation can decrease public confidence in vaccines, and reduce vaccination intent and uptake. One strategy for countering these negative impacts comes from inoculation theory. Similar to biological vaccination, inoculation theory posits that exposure to a weakened form of misinformation can
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develop cognitive immunity, reducing the likelihood of being misled. Online games offer an interactive, technologydriven, and scalable solution using an active form of inoculation that engages and incentivizes players to build resilience against misinformation. We document the development of the critical thinking game Cranky Uncle Vaccine. The game applies research findings from inoculation theory, critical thinking, humor in science communication, and serious games. The game content was iterated through a series of co-design workshops in Kampala (Uganda), Kitale (Kenya), and Kigali (Rwanda). Workshop participants offered feedback on cartoon character design, gameplay experience, and the game’s content, helping to make the game more culturally relevant and avoid unintended consequences in East African countries. Our co-design methodology offers an approach for further adaptation of the Cranky Uncle Vaccine game to other regions, as well as a template for developing locally relevant interventions to counter future infodemics." (Abstract)
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"En moins de vingt ans, l'édition en sciences humaines et sociales a été considérablement bouleversée. Tout a été réinventé : le marché du livre s'est transformé, le cadre légal a été radicalement modifié, la publication et la lecture en ligne ont connu un formidable essor, l'écritur
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e même des sciences humaines s'est métamorphosée. Face à ces révolutions intellectuelles, techniques et socioéconomiques d'une ampleur inégalée, en faisant dialoguer éditeurs privés et publics, économistes, documentalistes, libraires, juristes, traducteurs, chercheurs, cet ouvrage collectif offre à celles et ceux qui se préoccupent du destin de l'édition en sciences humaines et sociales un premier bilan, à la fois clair et lucide, des changements survenus depuis le début du XXIe siècle." (Description de la maison d'édition)
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"This article explores the role of the radio listener clubs in the Rohingya refugee response in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The article demonstrates the unique potential of radio in reducing the challenges relevant to the lives of crisis-affected adolescents since the influx in 2017. Adolescents are
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the most vulnerable community in Cox’s Bazar. Drawing from findings derived from qualitative fieldwork in situ, the article demonstrates how the listener clubs serve as an inclusive environment where the affected youth can access life-saving information, express their needs, provide feedback for improvement of humanitarian response and act as change agents in the refugee context." (Abstract)
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"A clear indicator of Uganda's digital divide is that, even in 2023, radio remained both the primary and most trusted source of information in the country. This is why we, at TRAC FM, leverage radio and toll-free SMS technology to serve the increasingly isolated public spheres across Uganda's distri
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cts. By posing multiple-choice poll questions on the radio, we provide people with a platform to voice their opinions on matters of public importance, and to hear how others, sometimes hundreds of kilmetres away, have responded. Here are some of the views we received from our radio listeners this year: 1. 64% of 18,000 polled citizens are uninformed about their rights, More than half of these individuals actively sought information but were unable to find it. 2. 60% of 18,000 polled citizens prioritise healthcare, education, and basic needs over political and wome's rights. 3. Tow-thirds of 4,000 respondents observed that accidental teenage pregnancies often lead to forced children marriages. However, Uganda's policy apporach assumes the reverse: that forced child marriages lead to teenage pregnancies." (Page 36)
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"In the Santiago River Basin of Peru’s Amazonas region, an ambitious initiative is underway to bridge the digital divide and bring reliable internet connectivity to rural communities. The “Connectivity for the Santiago River Basin” project, led by a multi-stakeholder alliance, aims to foster s
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ocio-economic development in this underserved area. This initiative is part of a broader effort to expand access to digital services and telecommunications, an essential component for reducing inequalities and improving lives in remote regions. The project takes inspiration from earlier successes in the Napo River in Loreto (Peru) and aims to develop a sustainable model for broadband deployment. With the involvement of national and local governments, academia, and national/international development cooperation, the project seeks to provide crucial internet connectivity, enabling enhanced educational, healthcare, and communication services to these isolated communities. In addition, the project was designed to be complementary to a major government initiative for the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure called the Amazonas Regional Project." (Introduction)
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"Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way we address complex societal challenges, offering new possibilities in areas such as healthcare, climate resilience, education, and digital inclusion. The Innovate for Impact project was launched in 2024 to identify, support, and showcase practical A
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I solutions that bring tangible benefits to people and communities. A key part of the initiative involves the sharing of use cases, impactful AI applications and global lessons and expertise from around the world. In 2025, building on the success of its first edition, the project expanded its scope through an open call for AI use cases and AI Scholars. We received 234 use case submissions from 32 countries, out of which 160 were selected for inclusion in this interim report. These use cases span eleven key domains and reflect both the diversity of global innovation, regional solutions with lessons learnt and the practical ways in which AI is being applied to solve real-world problems." (Foreword)
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"This white paper summarizes the outcomes of the initial phase of the Digital Infrastructure Investment Initiative (DIII), launched in 2024 by the ITU in collaboration with the International and Regional Development Finance community, and in coordination with the G20 Brazil Presidency. The initiativ
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e also benefitted from the advice and feedback of over 40 organizations who comprised the DIII Working Group.
The aims of the DIII in its initial stage are:
i) Understand the digital infrastructure investment gap and opportunity: Despite the increase in internet usage in recent years, 35% of the global population does not use the internet at sufficient speeds. This percentage increases to 54% in low and lower-middle-income countries, primarily due to the absence of necessary infrastructure. Developing this infrastructure is estimated to require at least USD 1.6 trillion, according to high-level calculations by the DIII.
ii) Develop a framework that describes the key areas that need to be addressed to increase investment and measure a country’s digital infrastructure investment readiness: By exploring the factors affecting investments, the DIII has identified five archetypal challenges that hinder investments in digital infrastructure. These challenges are demand fragmentation, significant gaps in core infrastructure, unclear digital agendas and policies, execution risks, and country risks. The presence and significance of these challenges depend on the context.
iii) Identify innovative financing mechanisms and instruments that international organizations and private or public plurilateral/multilateral financing institutions can implement to accelerate reaching the target of universal and meaningful connectivity by 2030: Closing the digital infrastructure investment gap will necessitate the identification and deployment of innovative financing mechanisms and instruments. Through a series of discussions, the DIII has identified a range of initiatives, including platforms for pooled digital investments and technical forums designed to enhance coordination and share best practices. Detailed in the report, these initiatives aim to enable stakeholders to improve coordination and collaboratively finance infrastructure projects.
With this document, the initiative aims to inspire multistakeholder solutions through innovative financing of digital infrastructure, moving toward the goal of providing universal, meaningful connectivity to the 2.6 billion unconnected individuals across the world by 2030." (Executive summary)
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"In 2011, working with the Communications Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA),1 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in cooperation with the European Commission (EC) published a toolkit on universal access funding and universal service implementation to provide guidance o
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n how to establish, manage and ensure good governance of universal access and service funds. It also offered advice on sources of traditional and new financing mechanisms with relevant good practices and country experiences.
[.] Over the past decade, countries have taken different approaches to universal access and service funding. Ongoing, and in some cases worsened, socio-economic conditions have meant bridging the digital divide is more difficult – the Covid-19 pandemic, systemic poverty and global political uncertainty have all taken a toll.
By the end of 2023, of the 14 CRASA Member States, all part of the Southern African Development Community known as “SADC”, 11 had reported having operational access and service funds. In these countries, laws have been passed establishing funds and setting out specific mandates, the scope of funding, eligible beneficiaries and the governance frameworks for fund operations. The toolkit has been updated to reflect ICT sector changes, such as the evolution of universal access and service, and a wider scope of universal access funding that now covers not only connectivity but also adoption, innovation, and inclusivity. The revised SADC toolkit also addresses the different institutional and legal setups across CRASA Member States and the diverse roles and responsibilities of fund managers. Some of the challenges experienced by fund managers and how these could be addressed are also considered." (Summary)
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"We report on an experiment that used podcast audio-drama as a medium to generate impact from academic outputs in a creative, inclusive and collaborative way. Tobias and Syd was a serialized podcast audio-drama published in January 2023 based on ideas contained in the book Anthropology of Tobacco an
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d personal narratives from the Wellcome Trust funded ‘Letter to the Breath’ project. The series aimed to generate conversations and discussions, rather than conclusions, about the role of tobacco in society today. It was a collaborative project involving contributions from diverse stakeholders. In addition to developing, producing and promoting the play, the educational value and dialogic space of the podcast was enhanced through four recorded webinar events based on key themes in the drama. Podcast audio-drama has the potential to open up new perspectives on contentious public health issues like tobacco use and abuse. We reflect on some of the processes involved and the challenges encountered in this case." (Abstract)
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"Los pódcast se han convertido en una modalidad de reposición, distribución y difusión de contenidos derivada de la práctica productiva de la radio. El trabajo de laboratorio realizado en Infinito Radio adoptó como propuesta formativa la elaboración de series de narrativas sonoras que perfecc
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ionan los aprendizajes de las y los comunicadores de la Universidad Politécnica Salesiana. Estas producciones evidencian el uso de espacios virtuales con agendas temáticas contemporáneas, variedad de estructuras narrativas e interactividad, características propias de la transmedia actual. Las experiencias expuestas contribuyen a los procesos educativos, resaltan las mediaciones de situaciones reales que no son abordadas con frecuencia en los medios convencionales y potencian la inclusión de realidades y visiones juveniles vinculadas con la era de la tecnología digital. Cada práctica documentada por los estudiantes de la carrera de Comunicación de la UPS recopilada en este libro fomenta el ejercicio comunicacional y el uso de una estética multisensorial, promoviendo el desarrollo de competencias y habilidades que superan las dificultades en la divulgación del talento universitario." (Descripción de la casa editorial)
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"For decades, Georgia has been one of the largest per capita recipients of U.S. assistance. In 2012-2023, the years in which the Georgian Dream has been in power, total U.S. overseas development assistance (ODA) stands at USD 1 billion 920 mil lion, according to official data. Of course, the lion’
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s share of that assistance went to the government and public administration. In 2023, the U.S. government disbursed USD 143.8 million in aid to Georgia, with USD 84.5 million flowing through USAID as the primary administra tive channel. USD 77 million of that was allocated to governance-related programs, but where did all that money go? Once again, most of the assistance went to the government and public administration. To give a representative example in 2023, the last fiscal year when complete data is available, the largest share, at USD 42 million, was spent under “conflict, peace, and security” umbrella, while USD 34 million fell under “government and civil society.” Of this amount, USD 15 million support ed democratic participation and civil society, USD 6.5 million went toward legal and judicial develop ment, and USD 3.5 million was directed at media and freedom of information. Human rights programs received USD 2.1 million, while decentralization efforts got USD 600,000. Meanwhile, USD 470,000 was allocated to domestic revenue mo bilization and USD 450,000 was used to combat transnational organized crime [...] Our considered estimate is that over 2,000 Georgians are likely to lose jobs due to culling USAID, given the average number of programs, grants, and sub-grants, and the average number of people required to implement them. Most of them are qualified (first and medium-level) project and program managers with foreign language skills as well as administrative personnel (e.g., financial officers), and other support professions (e.g., media managers)." (Pages 1-3)
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