"The community radio stations participating in the pilot project offer special dedication and greeting programs that allow community members to send greetings to friends and family on air. The main objective of this pilot was to understand whether these generally underfunded radio stations could mon
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etize these greetings systems through a mobile money technology that would be developed with another implementing partner, MobiKash, a mobile wallet service provider based in Nairobi." (Executive summary)
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"The project [...] was implemented in Kenya by the Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) from September 2008 to January 2011 [...] The project’s overarching goal is to promote women’s human rights by raising awareness in six communities in Kenya and strengthening social action using commun
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ity radio listening groups consisting of women, young people and media practitioners to enable them to identify human rights violations and gender inequality, voice their concerns and insist on stronger protection for human rights and hold the government accountable." (Introduction)
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"The findings of the study show that the Jimma community radio produces different entertainment and education programs with the social development messages. It also produces programs that promote the local language and culture through local music, and narration. Moreover, the study reveals that the
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Jimma community radio gives more air time for local issues. It also reveals that the Jimma community members participate in the administration of the station as well as in the production of the programs. Many of the volunteer journalists are from the community. What is more the community participates in giving comments via phone and personal visits. The practitioners who participated in the interview have also had a similar understanding about the role of community radio." (Abstract)
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"The chapter focuses on three East African countries: Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Radio broadcasting in these countries is typically divided into two categories: public and private. Although proponents of community radio are pushing for the sector to be recognised as an independent entity, community
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radio in the region is still viewed as local or private radio. The performance of community radio in the region is analysed with reference to the challenges facing the sector." (Introduction)
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"In this chapter, we argue that citizen access to information is a catalyst to the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) [...] We examine how citizen access to information varies across a range of population sub-groups, different countries, and across a variety of topics and the exte
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nt to which access to information is related to people's health, finance, livestock, and agricultural practices. We draw on data from the AudienceScapes Research Initiative, gathered in three countries. Zambia, Ghana, and Kenya." (Page 245)
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"This report [is] the first compilation of the global data on how women in developing countries access and use the Internet. I am convinced this report provides key insights for policy makers, the development community and industry. Based on interviews and surveys of 2,200 women in developing countr
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ies, as well as interviews with experts and a review of existing literature, this report found that, on average, 23 percent fewer women than men are online in developing countries. This represents 200 million fewer women than men who are online today. In some regions, the size of the gap exceeds 40 percent. In addition, in many regions, the Internet gender gap reflects and amplifies existing inequalities between the sexes. We know that many women who use the Internet derive profound benefits through it, including economic and educational opportunities, a community of support, and career prospects. As the report indicates, expanding Internet access for women would also provide a significant boost to national income." (Foreword)
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Presenting the challenges in meeting the information needs of the people of South Sudan, this report highlights a need for long-term and harmonised efforts to support media.
"This report addresses the challenges of supporting independent media in countries where media freedoms are restricted, based on country case studies in Bangladesh, Cambodia, South Sudan, Syria and Uganda. According to Myers, the dilemmas of foreign support include short-term donor strategies, the l
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ack of reliable local partners, the patchy evidence of the positive impact of past media support, the management of inflammatory media coverage and sometimes hate speech in countries that face inter-ethnic tensions or sectarian conflict. On the other hand, the publication also details strategies that have had some measure of success like foreign and UN broadcasting, training and advocacy from the outside, emphasizing neutral and 'public interest' topics when working from inside a country and supporting local rights organisations and media advocacy groups. The study concludes - among other factors - that media should be a key area of political economy analysis, that media assistance should be incorporated more explicitly within broader development systems, and that support should concentrate on media outlets and not just on individual journalists." (CAMECO Update 2-2012)
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"This article is a political economy critique that contributes to current scholarship on community radio and development by examining the question of the management of six networks from Mali, Mozambique and Uganda. This discussion argues that understanding the models and functions of management comm
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ittees will go a long way towards contributing to conversations on how community radios could achieve social, institutional, financial and ideological sustainability. The article also examines how management committees approach their work in the age of new Information Communication Technologies (especially mobile phones, computers and the Internet), and whether there is a gender digital divide within such committees. At the centre of the current discussion, therefore, is an attempt to understand the flow and contestation of power within community radio management committees." (Abstract)
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"The global success of the film KONY 2012 by Invisible Children, Inc., manifests far greater magical powers than those of Joseph Kony and his ruthless Lord’s Resistance Army, which it portrays. The most prominent feature of the Invisible Children lobby is the making and constant remaking of a mast
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er narrative that depoliticizes and dehistoricizes a murky reality of globalized war into an essentialized black-and-white story. The magic of such a digestible storyline, with Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony as a global poster boy for evil personified, not only plays into the hands of the oppressive Ugandan government but has also become handy for the US armed forces as they seek to increase their presence on the African continent. As the US-led war on terror is renewed and expanded, Invisible Children’s humanitarian slogan, “Stop at nothing”, has proven to be exceptionally selective, manifesting the occult economy of global activism that calls for military interventions." (Abstract)
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"In the twenty-first century, community radio is fulfilling an increasingly important role in the world’s mediascape. This book documents the ways in which community radio broadcasters and activists are using the medium in countries around the world to challenge political corruption, aid the trans
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ition to political democracy and broadcast voices that are otherwise unheard. The contributors to the volume are academics and practitioners from five continents, many with first-hand experience of community radio. Each chapter demonstrates the pivotal role that small radio stations can play in developing, sustaining and invigorating communities. The book charts campaigns for the legalisation of community radio and relates them to a theoretical context, while providing illustrations and examples from community radio stations around the world." (Publisher description)
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Examining Uganda’s increasingly fractured media landscape, this report finds that the media is vulnerable to government intimidation and self-censorship.
"This report finds that while media ownership is sometimes obvious, media owners often use their spouse, parents or trusted friends to register their media outlets, making it difficult to obtain clear data on media ownership. For instance, the researcher notes that the connection of presidential can
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didate Uhuru Kenyatta with MediaMax (owner of Kameme FM, Milele FM, The People and K24 among others) is factually true but legally untrue because the name of Uhuru Kenyatta does not appear in any legal document." (Internews website)
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"The Handbook of Global Health Communication offers a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the role of communication processes in global public health, development and social change. It brings together 32 contributions from well-respected scholars and practitioners in the field, addressing a wid
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e range of communication approaches in current global health programs; offers an integrated view that links communication to the strengthening of health services, the involvement of affected communities in shaping health policies and improving care, and the empowerment of citizens in making decisions about health; ddopts a broad understanding of communication that goes beyond conventional divisions between informational and participatory approaches." (Publisher description)
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"GISWatch 2012 explores how the internet is being used to ensure transparency and accountability, the challenges that civil society activists face in fighting corruption, and when the internet fails as an enabler of a transparent and fair society. The eight thematic reports and 48 country reports pu
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blished ask provocative questions such as: Is a surveillance society necessarily a bad thing if it fights corruption? And how successful have e-government programmes been in fighting corruption? They explore options for activism by youth and musicians online, as well as the art of using visual evidence to expose delusions of power. By focusing on individual cases or stories of corruption, the country reports take a practical look at the role of the internet in combating corruption at all levels." (Back cover)
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"Freedom of expression in Kenya has witnessed several phases of development, ranging from the autocratic to a proactive new media regime. This transformation has been enabled by governance reforms, including repeals and amendment of laws, as well as the promulgation of a new Constitution in 2010. Wi
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th respect to media, these reforms are reflected in the diversity of the Kenya media, which includes FM stations covering almost all the 42 ethnic dialects spoken in Kenya, mobile telephones, and the internet. These channels have expanded space for freedom of expression and engagement in public affairs, although many citizens still do not contribute to public issues and debates via these channels. New media, in particular the internet and interactive media, has been a focus of research and debate. However, the findings from this study reveal that the old media, in particular radio, remain the dominant channel for accessing news and expanding space for freedom of expression. This is largely due to the widespread availability and low cost of radio infrastructure compared to other communication channels. Newspapers, which also fall under old media, are minimally used, but are still more accessible than the internet Access to interactive media is now relatively widespread (56 per cent are regular listeners), but actual use and interaction via this channel still seems to be a preserve of a selected few, with only 3 per cent calling in or joining discussions. A unique unexplained aspect is the marginal differences across rural/urban, gender and age groups." (Conclusion)
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"The Report is composed of four thematic parts. Part 1 describes the conceptual framework and relates the findings of the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) 2012. In addition, Part 1 features selected expert contributions on the general theme of hyperconnectivity. Part 2 includes two case studies showi
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ng the efforts that two countries, Azerbaijan and Mauritius, are making to develop ICT and fully leverage their potential benefits. Part 3 comprises detailed profiles for the 142 economies covered in this year’s Report, providing a thorough picture of each economy’s current networked readiness landscape and allowing for international comparisons of specific variables or components of the NRI. Part 4 includes data tables for each of the 53 variables composing the NRI, with rankings for the economies covered as well as technical notes and sources for the quantitative variables used." (Executive summary, page xi)
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