"The objectives of this handbook are as follows: to provide resources to civil society organisations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) which are seeking to achieve independent broadcasting regulation and an independent public broadcaster; to share South Africa’s experiences of s
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etting up and running independent statutory communications bodies, focusing specifically on teh Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC); to provide a user-friendly but in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the South African ‘model’ in relation to independent broadcasting; to explore the role of civil society activism in amplifying the strengths, while addressing the weaknesses of independent broadcasting in South Africa; to explore whether a balance has been struck between independence and accountability in relation to the SABC, and to look at what the challenges are on both these levels; to develop recommendations on how to strengthen the South African ‘model ‘ of public broadcasting and broadcasting regulation, while avoiding its pitfalls. Each section of the handbook will end with a series of discussion points." (Page iv)
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"The volume begins with a general overview of faith-based peacebuilding by pastor and peace-practitioner David Steele. Several CRS staff members provided input on the early drafts [...] The case studies that follow all deal with initiatives involving Catholic actors. This is the tradition out of whi
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ch CRS functions, and within which it learns. However, CRS and its church partners frequently and intentionally act in tandem with other civil society organizations, and they cooperate with other faith-based actors. Two of the case studies in this work (one from Uganda and one from The Philippines) deal with inter-religious efforts, while a third (India) deals with a broad ecumenical effort among leaders and members of diverse Christian denominations. In addition, many cases demonstrate how church partners are able to engage key decision-makers and leaders at different levels of society at critical moments in the course of a conflict. The central learning question for all the case studies is “what are the key factors that have contributed to, or impeded, the effectiveness of church peacebuilding action?” The intent is to surface lessons while helping to develop an internal, disciplined habit of reflection within the organization. The general guidelines for writing the studies emphasize four good learning practices: a) linking interventions to the context, b) articulating the implicit and explicit hypotheses or “theories of change,” c) using, building upon and/or complementing evaluation, and d) recognizing potential rival explanations for why things happened. It should be clear that the cases are exemplary, not representative. They provide a small sampling of the peacebuilding activities conducted by CRS and its partners in recent years. Each CRS region freely determined which particular case it would bring to the undertaking. Adherence to the initial qualifying criteria — including engagement with external actors (civil society, government or inter-religious) and commitments to social cohesion or equity — varied considerably." (Introduction, page 3-4)
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"Mit den ersten freien Wahlen im Jahr 1993 trat Kambodscha nach Jahren der Unterdrückung und des Krieges ein schwieriges Erbe an. Mitte der 90er Jahre vollzogen sich gleichzeitig drei Prozesse: die Friedenskonsolidierung, die Industrialisierung und die Demokratisierung. Welche Rolle Massenmedien be
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i diesen Entwicklungen einnehmen, ob sie diese hemmen oder beflügeln, ob Medien in ihrer Arbeit behindert oder ihnen freien Lauf gelassen wird, dies zeigt die vorliegende Analyse anhand des kambodschanischen Beispiels. Kambodscha entpuppt sich hierbei als komplexer Sonderfall, der aufgrund der zeitlich parallel ablaufenden Prozesse aufschlussreiche Ergebnisse erwarten lässt." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"This book is not a scientific study or complete documentation on Radio Veritas Asia - the only continental short wave radio station of the Catholic Church in the world. This presentation rather tries to paint a picture of this so-called “missionary of Asia” (John Paul II) using testimonies of p
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ersons who have been involved or are related with this initiative. It documents the remarks of Popes on the project, the broadcasting activities of the station, and the reactions of listeners to the programs. This book tries to paint a realistic picture of this undertaking which over the years drew enthusiastic supporters and listeners, but also critical comments. Critical moments including some all-too-human experiences are not hidden. The development of this project shows in many ways that the power of the Spirit and the dynamics of missionary support are alive not only for the Church communities in Asia, but also for the dignity and uplifting of peoples in different cultures from different religions and communities all over Asia." (Publisher description)
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"Stock taking of organisational forms, methodologies, intentions, themes and aesthetic form of Theatre for Development in Tanzania 1980 to 2002. In spite of the widely criticized dependency on funding organisations, Theatre for Development is still a vibrant form of theatre in Tanzania. The aestheti
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c forms of expression and dramaturgical characteristic make it a genuine artistic genre of its own, while the inherent contradictions of ideal form and pragmatics form part of its dynamic." (Publisher description)
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"This book brings together significant scholarly contributions on communication issues by researchers working across the region. It aims to create better understanding of what affects the communication and information flow in smaller nations and how these impact on national development, governance a
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nd the creation of more cohesive societies. The value of such a book lies in the comparison it enables between different regions and countries at different levels of development. The work of the contributing authors provides glimpses of the prevalent issues and perspectives without necessarily providing a definitive picture of this diverse region. The editors hope this book will draw out significant relational possibilities by bringing together scholarly writing on communication issues and highlighting the perspectives of Pacific scholars and media practitioners, thus contributing to the knowledge base in Pacific Media Studies." (Publisher description)
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"Journalisten statt Soldaten", so könnte man die neuen Maßnahmen der Friedenförderung im heutigen unruhigen Kongo bezeichnen. Die Stiftung Hirondelle ist eine Initiative zur Friedenssicherung und Völkerverständigung mit Hilfe des Radios. Aus diesem Grund wurde das Konzept “Radio Okapi” entw
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ickelt, welches im Krisengebiet mittlerweile einen hohen Bekanntheitsgrad hat. In Europa ist der Friedensjournalismus ein zwar bekanntes, aber selten eingesetztes Mittel. Erfolgreich zur Deeskalation kritischer Momente wurde er z.B. im ehemaligen Jugoslawien eingesetzt. Mit Radio Okapi, das flächendeckend in einem Land der Größe West-europas aufgebaut wurde, geht die Chance einher, das Grundrecht auf Information durchzusetzen: ein bedeutender Schritt in Richtung Friedensförderung und Deeskalierung." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Donor policies place great emphasis on the importance of state-building in post-Conflict states, and many donors also recognize the relevance civil society and a professional media sector have for successful transformation processes, says this report. However, operationally and conceptually these a
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reas are treated as separate sectors. Current post-Conflict assistance, this study argues, fails to pay sufficient attention to the links between state institutions, civil society and the media. In the first part, it reviews the current state-building debate and introduces the public sphere framework. For practitioners, the study provides a public sphere assessment toolkit and a toolbox for interventions. The second part provides the reader with a public sphere analysis of Timor Leste, Liberia and Burundi, and recommendations on how to address the specific challenges observed in these countries." (CAMECO Update 5-2008)
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"Gli studi sul rapporto tra famiglia e mass-media solitamente limitano il loro campo di ricerca a questioni come l'effetto della violenza televisiva sui minori, la violenza domestica e il consumo familiare dei mezzi di comunicazione. Il progetto qui proposto considera la famiglia come istituzione un
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itaria e non solo, quindi, da una determinata e limitata prospettiva. Alla base di questa considerazione c'e' la convinzione che conoscere il modo in cui i mass-media rappresentano la famiglia ha un interesse non solo descrittivo ma anche operativo. Da un lato, infatti, può offrire strumenti che facilitino e orientino l'azione della famiglia come agente sociale, formativo e pubblico. Dall'altro, va ad arricchire il background dei professionisti della comunicazione." (Descrizione della casa editrice)
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