"In this chapter we have offered an interpretation of the first twenty years of mobile telephony in marginal zones in Africa. With case-studies from central Mali, anglophone Cameroon and south-east Angola, we focused on the changes in both communication and mobility patterns, specifically in connect
...
ion with marginality and social hierarchies. We started the chapter with a discussion of the concepts of marginality and mobility. The two next sections offered both positive evaluations of mobile telephony and more balanced or even negative views. Our subsequent discussion of social hierarchies made it clear that the mobile phone has indeed offered possibilities for marginalised people in Africa. Yet at the same time, social hierarchies have been reinforced through the new means of communication, and in some cases even deepened. We then showed that the changes in the realm of mobility have not overcome the patterns of inequality. Social hierarchies may even be exported into new contexts, and the possibilities therefore have not increased." (Conclusion, page 237)
more
"This study analyses if people on the move in the northeastern region of Mali, more specifically in the city of Gao, have accurate information at their disposal. It maps information needs and habits of migrant communities in Gao to better understand how these individuals and communities receive info
...
rmation, which sources they trust, and what kind of communication channels or platforms they use. Gaining accurate information in this largely informal and insecure environment is one of the key issues for people on the move in Gao. Both Malian and international respondents to this study appeared to be in critical need of alternative sources of information in order to make proper decisions." executive summary, page 4)
more
"This article offers a critique of widely disseminated portrayals of northern Malian Tuareg by outside media, which tend to portray all Tuareg as warriors and criminals and to project pseudo-scientific concepts of “race” onto relationships between Tuareg and other Malians, recalling the now disc
...
redited colonial “Hamitic Myth” in Rwanda. It also analyzes local oral historical accounts that present themes of Mali as both a protected fortress and welcoming crossroads, a country that both resists and absorbs intruders, and that also express concepts of identity based on language, culture, and flexible social affiliation. The article is based partly on interviews with internationally known local musicians who function as mediating “third voices,” and concludes with a discussion of wider implications of these findings for notions of voice, authority, and the mutual construction of ideas of Africa." (Abstract)
more
"I am glad to introduce the third edition of a series of reports aimed at discussing macroeconomic developments in the Central African Republic, Chad, Guinea, Mali, and Niger. This series intends to foster public debates on key macroeconomic and fiscal policy options in support of poverty reduction.
...
It disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. One of the objectives of the series is to appraise regional trends and analysis quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. In short, this new series is a novel vehicle for the Bank to pitch priority policy reforms not yet properly tackled or even debated in those countries [...] Because economic diversification is slow and ongoing electoral processes are complex, joint efforts are currently underway to construct new development strategies. In this regard, this report analyzes the status of the “digital revolution,” i.e., the rapid penetration of information and communication technologies (ICT) services in these countries. Such services weigh heavily on future growth and poverty reduction prospects. However, complex regulation and heavy taxation by international standards are placing major obstacles on ICT development and the industry’s competitiveness in these countries that need to be removed. In addition, our special section entitled “Country Focus” addresses a common regional problem in these agriculture-based economies, namely Mali’s low agricultural productivity. Many lessons are learned from its major determinants, and multiple policies to accelerate it are proposed." (Foreword)
more
"In a world where new technologies are being developed at a dizzying pace, how can we best approach oral genres that represent heritage? Taking an innovative and interdisciplinary approach, this volume explores the idea of sharing as a model to construct and disseminate the knowledge of literary her
...
itage with the people who are represented by and in it. Expert contributors interweave sociological analysis with an appraisal of the transformative impact of technology on literary and cultural production. Does technology restrict, constraining the experience of an oral performance, or does it afford new openings for different aesthetic experiences? Topics explored include the Mara Cultural Heritage Digital Library, the preservation of Ewe heritage material, new eresources for texts in Manding languages, and the possibilities of technauriture." (Publisher description)
more
"Ce compte-rendu présente les résultats d'une étude s'appuyant sur une méthode à la fois innovante et éprouvée pour mettre en lumière les effets d'un programme radiophonique d'informations et de débats au mali. La présente étude poursuit deux objectifs : d’une part, il s’agit d’iden
...
tifier les effets relatifs à la résolution des conflits et au processus de paix à différents niveaux (individu et société d’un côté, concernant les savoirs, les opinions et les comportements d’un autre côté). D’autre part, elle vise à acquérir de nouvelles connaissances méthodologiques pour permettre à l’avenir de développer des études similaires sur les effets des médias. Au-delà des résultats obtenus, ce projet doit également servir de base concrète pour améliorer la pratique des programmes d’informations de Studio Tamani au Mali dans le but d’amplifier leur impact. Le concept de l'étude a été élaboré en prenant en compte d'une part les hypothèses de travail du programme de la fondation Hirondelle au Mali et d'autre part les publications actuelles concernant les effets des médias. Ainsi, les thèses examinées portent à la fois sur les effets visés par le programme de la fondation Hirondelle au Mali et les hypothèses plus générales avancées par la recherche en matière d'effets médiatiques. Parallèlement, cette étude se veut explorative, intégrant ainsi dans toutes ses étapes la possibilité de découvrir de nouveaux effets jusqu'ici inconnus. À cet effet, deux méthodes couramment utilisées dans les études médiatiques ont été combinées : l'enquête et l'analyse de contenus. L'étude permet de dégager quatre conclusions principales :
1 : Studio Tamani fournit plus d‘informations sur le conflit et ses auditeurs se sentent mieux informés, de façon significative
2 : L’écoute de Studio Tamani éveille donc l’intérêt politique en général, consolidant ainsi une condition pour que les citoyens prennent part au dialogue politique et à la recherche de solutions.
3 : L’écoute aux émissions de Studio Tamani incite plus aux discussions à propos du conflit. Cet effet se restreint toutefois au cercle de la famille et des amis.
4 : Il y a une préférence significante parmis les écouteurs des émissions de Studio Tamani pour le «dialogue » comme solution au conflit inter-malien.
Si l’étude n’a pas pu vérifier certaines hypothèses de travail trop ambitieuses du programme Hirondelle, comme l’idée que Studio Tamani encourageait un « engagement vers la paix » ou encore une « culture de la paix », elle prouve toutefois qu’écouter les émissions de Studio Tamani a des effets favorables au processus de paix." (Résumé)
more
"This article tries to understand the development of political agency in relation to the unprecedented access to new ICT of the Fulani nomads and urbanites in the Mopti region (Hayre), who engage increasingly with new actors and networks present in the war zone: ‘rebels’ and jihadists; the diasp
...
ora from that region; and the journalistic and academic communities who visit the region. We argue that political agency is emerging in the relation between (newly appearing) information networks in both the on- and off-line worlds. These networked societies are embedded in cultural and social historical specificities of the Sudan-Sahel zone in conflict." (Abstract)
more
"Gerade in Ländern des Globalen Südens gibt es eine beeindruckende Vielfalt kritischer Spielfilme aller Genres, vom Roadmovie bis zur Groteske. Mal sind sie explizit politisch, mal eher angedeutet und metaphorisch, um die Zensur zu umgehen oder um eindimensionale Interpretationen zu unterlaufen. I
...
hre Filmstile, Themen, Kameraperspektiven, Schnitttechniken, Sprachen und Schauspielkünste mögen hiesige Sehgewohnheiten bisweilen irritieren – aber das ist gut so! Die postkolonialen hybriden Formen all dieser filmgestaltenden Mittel laden zu immer neuen gegenseitigen Entdeckungsreisen ein. Spielfilme sind ein wunderbares Medium der Verständigung über gesellschaftliche Unterschiede und Süd-Nord-Bezüge hinweg." (Editorial, seite 17)
more
"New Media and Religious Transformations in Africa casts a critical look at Africa's rapidly evolving religious media scene. Following political liberalization, media deregulation, and the proliferation of new media technologies, many African religious leaders and activists have appropriated such me
...
dia to strengthen and expand their communities and gain public recognition. Media have also been used to marginalize and restrict the activities of other groups, which has sometimes led to tension, conflict, and even violence. Showing how media are rarely neutral vehicles of expression, the contributors to this multidisciplinary volume analyze the mutual imbrications of media and religion during times of rapid technological and social change in various places throughout Africa." (Publisher description)
more
"En février et en mars 2015 Media in Transition and Cooperation (MiCT) et la Fondation Friedrich Ebert à Bamako (FES) en coopération avec l’Institut d’Economie rurale malien ont procédé à une analyse de l’usage des médias à Bamako et dans sept chefs-lieux régionaux ainsi que dans troi
...
s agglomérations rurales au Mali. 1.800 personnes ont eu l’occassion de s’exprimer sur leur propre écoute des médias et de donner leur opinion. Les résultats présentés dans ce rapport démontrent que la radio demeure le média le plus populaire et que presque tout le monde y a accès mais que la télévision progresse et qu’en particulier dans les zones urbaines de plus en plus de gens ont accès à un téléviseur. La distribution de la presse et l’extension du réseau Internet restent limités mais l’usage d’Internet et des réseaux sociaux se développe en particulier dans les classes de la population plus jeune et jouissant d’un niveau d’éducation plus élevé. La téléphonie mobile gagne en ampleur mais la plupart des personnes interrogées utilisent des modèles de téléphones portables simples parce que l’usage de Smartphones et de Tablets présuppose la capacité de lire et d’écrire. L’éducation reste la clé qui amène à l’usage des nouveaux médias : l’étude démontre de prime abord que ce sont les personnes ayant achevé leur cycle scolaire qui se servent de toute la panoplie des médias, de la radio à la téléphonie portable et que ce sont eux aussi qui se montrent les plus critiques par rapport à l’offre médiatique (y compris des programmes francophones tels que TV5 Monde, RFI ou France 24). L’émetteur public ORTM domine le marché grâce à l’extension de son réseau et de sa position de monopole en tant que télévision." (Résumé)
more
"This volume celebrates the tenth anniversary of the Endangered Archives Programme at the British Library, established to document and publish online formerly inaccessible and neglected archives from across the globe. From Dust to Digital showcases the historical signifi cance of the collections ide
...
ntified, catalogued and digiti sed through the Programme, bringing together articles on 19 of the 244 projects supported since its inception. These contributions demonstrate the range of materials documented — including rock inscriptions, manuscripts, archival records, newspapers, photographs and sound archives — and the wide geographical scope of the Programme. Many of the documents are published here for the first time, illustrating the potential these collections have to further our understanding of history." (Back cover)
more
"Across the global South, new media technologies have brought about new forms of cultural production, distribution and reception. The spread of cassette recorders in the 1970s; the introduction of analogue and digital video formats in the 80s and 90s; the pervasive availability of recycled computer
...
hardware; the global dissemination of the internet and mobile phones in the new millennium: all these have revolutionised the access of previously marginalised populations to the cultural flows of global modernity. Yet this access also engenders a pirate occupation of the modern: it ducks and deranges the globalised designs of property, capitalism and personhood set by the North. Positioning itself against Eurocentric critiques by corporate lobbies, libertarian readings or classical Marxist interventions, this volume offers a profound postcolonial revaluation of the social, epistemic and aesthetic workings of piracy. It projects how postcolonial piracy persistently negotiates different trajectories of property and self at the crossroads of the global and the local." (Publisher description)
more
"Education and language skills are the main factors that influence which platform women access most frequently. Daily TV use is similar for men and women but women tend to lag men in frequent radio and internet use. Once a country reaches a critical mass in mobile penetration, gaps between both male
...
and female ownership levels decrease. The largest gaps exist in countries that are still developing mobile capacity." (Summary, page 35)
more