"Through the methodological framework of the Networked Readiness Index (NRI), the report measures the extent to which 144 economies, from both the developed and developing worlds, take advantage of ICTs and other new technologies to increase their growth and well-being. The NRI identifies the most r
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elevant factors driving ICT readiness and impacts, providing policymakers, business leaders, and civil society at large with a useful tool for designing national strategies for increased networked readiness and for benchmarking their country’s performance against other relevant comparators. The Global Information Technology Report 2013 features the latest computation and rankings of the NRI, and in referring to this year’s theme, dives deeper into the connection between ICTs and economic growth and job creation. As in previous years, it also showcases a number of ICT development stories of particular interest. In addition, the report includes detailed profiles for the 144 economies covered this year together with data tables for each of the 54 indicators used in the computation of the NRI." (Back cover)
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"The Pakistani media’s democratising function is constrained by its historic role as a state-building tool. The media remains vulnerable amid on-going threats to media professionals and the limitations imposed by the industry’s financial model, which must rely heavily on advertising revenue. The
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government, military, intelligence agencies, judiciary and non-state actors such as militant groups exploit this vulnerability as part of their competition for political power. The geographic imbalance of the broadcast media in Pakistan further limits the industry’s potential to play a truly national role. But the experience of the last decade shows there are many reasons to be hopeful about the media’s future as a driver of democratic inclusion and accountability in Pakistan. The growth of regional-language television and FM radio stations reflects the country’s ethnolinguistic diversity." (Executive summary)
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"In order to understand people’s needs and identify opportunities to communicate with them effectively, Climate Asia has analysed survey data from across the seven project countries – Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam, and China – and placed people into five discrete segme
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nts using a process called cluster analysis. Each segment varies in the factors that enable and prevent response. As such, each has different communication needs and can be supported in different ways. We have called these segments surviving, struggling, adapting, willing and unaffected. The proportions of these segments represent the extent to which people from the seven countries (regional analysis) perceive impacts and are taking action to respond to them. Across the region, the majority (78%) are currently feeling the impacts of changes in climate, the environment and resources now: surviving (17%), struggling (21%), adapting (20%) and willing (19%). The unaffected (23%) are feeling fewer impacts and are taking less action." (Page 2)
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"Obwohl die Medienmärkte in Pakistan nach der Liberalisierung 2002 einen regelrechten Boom erlebten, haben Medienschaffende bis heute mit zahlreichen Herausforderungen zu kämpfen. Die neue Meinungsfreiheit traf viele Medienschaffende unvorbereitet - Selbstzensur ersetzte häufig die vorherige staa
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tliche Einflussnahme. Ein knappes Budget, die wachsende Bedeutung von Online-Medien und Sozialen Netzwerken, aber auch der Druck durch radikale religiöse Gruppierungen oder durch das Militär beeinflussen die Medienlandschaft wesentlich. Zudem gilt Pakistan als eines der gefährlichsten Länder für Journalisten. Auf dem Deutsche Welle Media Dialogue 2013 diskutierten internationale Wissenschaftler und Experten über die Medienlandschaft Pakistans und die Herausforderungen für pakistanische Journalisten. Hierzu ist jetzt eine begleitende Publikation erschienen. Sie beinhaltet neun Aufsätze von Wissenschaftlern und Medienexperten aus Australien, Deutschland, Norwegen, und USA, die am Media Dialogue teilgenommen und ihre wissenschaftlichen Beiträge vorgestellt haben." (https://akademie.dw.com)
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"The first "theoretical perspectives" section has opinions and research articles by academic scholars and expert practitioners on new media and communication Issues and trends in Asia. Some of the topics covered include the dynamics arising out of the shift to the 'digilogue', mobile activism, corpo
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rate social responsibility, the television news industry, and state of development communication among other issues. The second section has 26 country profiles from all over the Asia-Pacific region. For the first time, Australia and New Zealand have been added to this edition. Each country chapter provides a snapshot into the communication and media landscape and includes a brief historical geography, political structure, economic indicators, and a more detailed media landscape. The media landscape profiles the current media and communication scene in the country, including the latest on the journalism, print media, broadcast media (radio, television, cinema), telecommunications, the Internet, new media, advertising, media training and media law sections. Statistical tables in each section present updated, key concise data for that country." (Back cover)
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"Ruling elites often try to co-opt civil society groups, and in times of political or military crises they can attempt to control the national information infrastructure. But a defining feature of civil society is independence from the authority of the state, even in countries such as Saudi Arabia a
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nd Egypt. And in important ways, digital communication networks are also independent of any particular state authority. What has been the impact of digital media on political communication in Muslim media systems? How have tools such as mobile phones and the internet affected the process of forming political identity, particularly for the young? When do such tools change the opportunity for civic action, and when do they simply empower ruling elites to be more effective censors? In this chapter, we analyze the best available micro-level data on technology use and changing patterns of political identity and macro-level data on networks of civil society actors." (Introduction)
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"This report is part of an ongoing project to monitor various types of conflicts as covered by select samples of media in Pakistan, including newspapers and TV channels the media. In this report, the focus is on terrorism related conflict. The report contains in depth content analysis of terrorism r
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elated news coverage in three newspapers and three news channels, over the period of three months - i.e. from January 1st 2012 to March 31st 2012. The report has been prepared by Intermedia Pakistan, a Pakistani media development organization focusing on advocacy, research and training on media issues." (Page 2)
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"This report documents the findings, analysis and recommendations regarding key aspects of humanitarian communications gleaned from an assessment conducted in the aftermath of the 2010 and 2011 monsoon floods in Pakistan. The aim of the assessment was to assess communities' access to information aft
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er the floods and to analyse gaps in communications during the rollout of the Citizen Damage Compensation Program (CDCP), launched by the Government of Pakistan. This report also enabled IOM and other stakeholders to extract learning and good practices for communicating with disaster affected communities in the event of an emergency." (http://cdac.trust.org)
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"Der Autor untersucht in dieser Studie die spezielle Dynamik der Theokratisierung von Staat und Recht – mit besonderem Schwerpunkt auf den in Pakistan geltenden Blasphemiegesetzen. Welchen Einfluss hatten die Blasphemiegesetze, die mir der staatlichen und politischen Bevorzugung einer einzigen Rel
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igion einhergehen, auf die pakistanische Gesellschaft? Der Überblick über die damit zusammenhängenden Menschenrechtsverletzungen wird mit der Schilderung von Einzelschicksalen ergänzt, die das Ausmaß des Versagens der Justiz und des Missbrauchs dieser Gesetze eindrucksvoll veranschaulichen. Neben einer logischen Analyse der Blasphemiegesetze untersucht der Autor die psychologische Verfassung bzw. die Denkmuster, die dem Status quo Vorschub leisten und sich gegen eine Änderung dieser Gesetze sperren. Dabei wird auch der Standpunkt der gebildeten Schichten unter den Muslimen erörtert. Auf der Basis empirischer Daten geht der Autor der Frage nach, warum die Provinz Punjab ein Brennpunkt des Missbrauchs der Blasphemiegesetze und des religiösen Fundamentalismus ist. Kapitel 1 widmet sich den weltweiten Entwicklungen und Ansätzen im Umgang mit der Frage der Diffamierung von Religionen. Kapitel 7 untersucht die umstrittenen Resolutionen zur ‚Diffamierung von Religionen‘, die zwischen 1999 und 2010 nicht weniger als zwölf Mal bei UN-Gremien zur Abstimmung kamen. Abschließend erläutert der Autor die von den einzelnen Regierungen ergriffenen Maßnahmen und den Versuch der Verabschiedung einer entsprechenden Gesetzesnovelle im pakistanischen Parlament. Davon ausgehend entwickelt der Autor praktische Vorschläge zum weiteren Vorgehen für die beteiligten Interessengruppen – die Zivilgesellschaft und die Regierung Pakistans sowie die internationale Gemeinschaft." (Zusammenfassung)
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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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"Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are criticised for being discriminatory against religious minorities and inconsistent with human rights standards. There have been attempts in the past to amend these laws. However, after protests by religious parties, each of these attempts failed. In 2011 the debate to
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amend the blasphemy laws resulted in the killings of governor Salman Taseer and the federal minister for minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti. Such incidents have shocked the international community and caused a major blow to the efforts of civil society in Pakistan lobbying for the repeal of these laws. After Pakistan’s ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in June 2010, there is indeed a need to reassess the gamut of human rights violations under the blasphemy laws. This article critically analyses the impact of blasphemy laws on the core human rights enshrined in these treaties, with a view to build a case for repeal of these discriminatory laws." (Abstract)
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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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"This report is the third in a series of comprehensive studies of internet freedom around the globe and covers developments in 47 countries that occurred between January 2011 and May 2012. Over 50 researchers, nearly all based in the countries they analyzed, contributed to the project by researching
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laws and practices relevant to the internet, testing the accessibility of select websites, and interviewing a wide range of sources. This year's findings indicate that restrictions on internet freedom in many countries have continued to grow, though the methods of control are slowly evolving, becoming more sophisticated and less visible. Brutal attacks against bloggers, politically motivated surveillance, proactive manipulation of web content, and restrictive laws regulating speech online are among the diverse threats to internet freedom emerging over the past two years. Nevertheless, several notable victories have also occurred as a result of greater activism by civil society, technology companies, and independent courts, illustrating that efforts to advance internet freedom can yield results." (www.freedomhouse.org, January 14, 2013)
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