http://www.gsdrc.org Academic and policy-relevant publications on governance and international development. en-uk Copyright © 2012 Governance and Social Development Resource Centre Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:09 GMT Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:00:09 GMT http://www.gsdrc.org/rss/open george@gsdrc.org george@gsdrc.org http://www.gsdrc.org/images/logos/logo_gsdrc.gif http://www.gsdrc.org 205 90 GSDRC logo Philip N. Howard and Muzammil M. Hussain What has the 'Arab Spring' taught us about the role of digital media in political uprisings and democratisation? What are the implications of these events for our understanding of how democratisation works today? This study argues that social media have become a significant tool for civil society. New information technologies give activists information networks not easily controlled by the state and coordination tools that are already embedded in trusted networks of family and friends. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4222&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4222&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Masud Mozammel (ed.) What is the role of communication in Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) processes? This study looks at communication in PRS processes in Ghana, Tanzania, Moldova and Nepal, and in Latin America and the Caribbean. It also explores how the use of strategic communication is being integrated into national development planning and implementation. The rise of new information technologies has helped make civil society even more central in the national development debate. Improving communication can provide opportunities to reconfigure the relationships among government, donors, and civil society. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4154&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4154&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Johanna Martinsson What strategies are needed for global norms in development to take root and become part of global and domestic agendas? This study explores global development norms from emergence to implementation. It argues that raising awareness alone is not sufficient to achieve transformational change: implementation and monitoring must be considered equally important to global agenda-setting. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4153&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4153&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Manuel Castells This article examines the development of a global public sphere (based on global communication networks), and of 'public diplomacy' in this sphere. Globalisation has shifted debate from the national to the global domain, prompting the emergence of a global civil society, of ad hoc forms of global governance, and of a global public sphere. Public diplomacy – the diplomacy of the public, not of the government – intervenes in this global sphere, laying the ground for traditional forms of diplomacy to act beyond the strict negotiation of power relationships by building on shared cultural meaning. The global public sphere could facilitate public debate to inform the emergence of consensual global governance. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4140&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4140&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT Kirsty Martin and Michael Wilmore Do community radio stations achieve the levels of representation and community engagement that they claim? This article describes the experience of the Hamro Lumbini ('Our Lumbini') series in Nepal, developed in response to differing local views on the development of the Buddhanagar World Heritage Site (WHS). The programme received positive feedback for its inclusion of local voices and the opportunity it provided to comment on and shape future local development. It was criticised for not providing enough content in local language and has struggled with financial sustainability. The government needs to provide a more sustainable enabling framework for community radio. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4139&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4139&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Herman Wasserman Do new media technologies, including mobile phones, facilitate political participation and create social change? Why is there renewed optimism in the potential for mobile phones to facilitate change when the sector is typified by inequalities? This paper explores the analytical frameworks for understanding the relationship between mobile phones and participatory democracy. It argues that mobile phones can ease communication by facilitating information transmission. Their greater potential, however, lies in their capacity to transgress cultural and social borders by refashioning identities and creating informal economies and communicative networks. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4138&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4138&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT UNESCO What has been the impact of communication – such as the media and the Internet – on cultural diversity? This chapter examines the rise of global communication, and new media. It argues that the greater prevalence of media holds opportunities and threats, especially in relation to audience fragmentation and the proliferation of stereotypes. Initiatives are needed to ensure that global audiences and cross-border programming contribute to pluralism and the free flow of ideas that foster cultural diversity. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4137&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4137&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT UNESCO How can intercultural dialogue be promoted? This chapter examines cultural interactions and the barriers to dialogue such as stereotyping and intolerance. It argues that the perceived traits or identities that can lead to isolation and stereotyping can also be the bases for dialogue. The success of intercultural dialogue is dependent on the ability to listen with empathy. Support should continue to be given to networks and initiatives for intercultural and interfaith dialogue at all levels. It is important to ensure the full involvement of new partners, especially women and young people. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4136&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4136&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT CommGAP How important is a government's capacity to communicate effectively with its constituents? What the role does communication play in good governance? This policy brief argues that good communication is a fundamental function of modern governance. Effective two-way communication between the government and the public strengthens legitimate public authority. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of attaining good governance outcomes. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4135&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4135&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT Usha Sundar Harris How can participatory media support empowerment, dialogue and community building? This study of a participatory video workshop involving rural women in Fiji found that women integrated local norms and practices in their video production. They used social capital – relationships and social networks – as a key element. Women presented themselves as active citizens who made significant contributions to their families and communities. The project highlighted the importance of encouraging multi-ethnic or heterogeneous social networks in Fiji. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4134&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4134&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Silvio Waisbord Why does the use of participatory communication in development remain limited? Why are informational approaches still favoured in practice? This article takes an institutional perspective, examining prevalent notions about communication in international aid organisations. The selection of communication approaches is based on institutional factors and expectations, rather than on their analytical value. Institutional dynamics therefore undermine the potential of participatory communication. Researchers and practitioners need to broaden their understanding of communication in international development. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4133&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4133&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT R. K. Garrett New information and communications technologies (ICTs) are changing how activists communicate, collaborate and demonstrate. How can we understand these changes? This paper focuses on three factors: mobilising structures, opportunity structures and framing processes. Activists have devised numerous ways to use new technologies for mobilising, realising new political opportunities, and shaping the language in which movements are discussed. Situating existing studies within a unifying framework will provide a more coherent overview of the field. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4132&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4132&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT Guy Berger What does 'media development' mean? This article argues that the concept of media development is marred by lack of definition and conflation of means and ends. A better understanding involves the concepts of 'media density' and 'media mobilisation' and consideration of new media. If media development interventions are to impact journalism, democracy and development, clarity is essential. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4131&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4131&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT Alfonso Gumucio Dagron Communication is essential to participatory development. So why is the role of communication in development still poorly understood? Why the lack of support from large development players? This paper highlights gaps between discourse and action, along with outdated evaluation methods, short timeframes and problems of power relations and culture. Participatory communication for development and social change needs to move beyond newly acquired jargon: it must be part of development organisations' policies, strategies, budgets and staffing. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4130&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4130&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Jan Servaes How can communication support sustainable development? This article assesses different communication strategies in terms of short- and long-term development objectives. It outlines media performance indicators, and refers to recent events in Kenya to argue for a communication for development perspective that focuses on the self-development of local communities. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4129&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4129&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Michelle D. Bonner What is the role of the media as a mechanism of social accountability? This article examines media reaction to an incident of police violence in Argentina. It argues that such media debates can help to establish a form of preventive accountability. They do this by providing a forum for debate for a plurality of actors to establish who should be held accountable, what they should be held accountable for, and how they should be held accountable. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4128&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4128&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Ivan Sigal Can digital media help to build peace in weak and conflict-ridden states or will they foment violence? This paper discusses participatory digital media in the context of 21st century conflicts. It argues that successful intervention cannot be based on the operating frameworks of traditional media support. Evidence from case studies in Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Burma demonstrates that digital media strategies require dynamism, flexibility and close attention to grassroots reality if they are to build political participation, openness and trust. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4127&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4127&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Laura Cornish and Alison Dunn What is participatory communication? Does the application of participatory communication methods to research programmes really produce more effective results? This paper traces the history of participatory communication and describes its contemporary meaning as a citizen-led approach to creating and expressing new knowledge. Examples from the Citizenship Development Research Centre (DRC) suggest that, in the context of civil society, participatory communication can increase activism and action and contribute to sustainable development. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4126&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4126&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT Manuel Castells How has the relationship between power, the media and politics changed in the context of globalisation, the crisis of political legitimacy and the emergence of new media technologies? What opportunities do these technologies provide for non-traditional actors to set the political agenda? This paper argues that politics and power relations has historically involved a battle over values and ideas played out in the media. The rise of new mass self-communication via new technologies provides opportunities for non-institutional forms of social movements to gain influence. Corporate media and mainstream politics recognise the power of this influence, leading to convergence between traditional and mass self-communication. The battle for power will in future be played out in non-traditional and dynamic forms. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4125&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4125&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT Simon Haselock This paper analyses media reform programmes as part of wider peace-building interventions in the Balkans, the Middle East, and Africa. It concludes that the most effective interventions were those where local populations participated and took ownership of the projects, ensuring that the media initiatives were culturally relevant and demand-driven. The impact of projects can be sustained after international assistance is over only if they are wholly owned by the people, professions, and communities that they were designed to help. http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4122&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed http://www.gsdrc.org/go/display&type=Document&id=4122&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gsdrc&utm_source=newsfeed Communication Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT