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The barefoot guide 4 : exploring the real work of social change

KLUGMAN, Barbara
et al
March 2015

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“This is a book about social change practices from many countries. It contains a variety of stories, analyses, and ideas, with many poems and illustrations to illuminate and enhance the text. For activists, civil society leaders, practitioners and students, this is not a book of easy answers, but one of experiences, learnings and questions, all asking “What is the real work of social change?”  The writers have not attempted to provide “best practice models”, but rather something to be learned from, to deepen our questions, and to be more thoughtful in our practice”

networklearning.org

NETWORK LEARNING
December 2005

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This website aims to make high quality manuals, field books and training courses easily available to groups who need them (free of cost to those in the South but with a contribution of $25 requested from those in the North); to encourage colleagues to be open to new knowledge and skills, to plan and stick to self-guided learning; to introduce topics which may be new to some people an to link users to resources, useful organisations, websites and materials; and to provide a place for users working in different countries in the South to stay informed. The resources are available online and cover a variety of topics in a clear, easy to understand format. It provides a number of guidelines including guidelines for writing reports [http://www.networklearning.org/writing-reports.html] and a simple guide to the web [http://www.networklearning.org/web.html]

ICTs : information and communication technologies for the poor

TORERO, Maximo
VON BRAUN, Joachim
November 2005

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This 'issue brief' describes the proliferation of electronically communicated information, which has accelerated economic and social change across all areas of human activity worldwide. It observes that the rapid growth of ICTs in developing countries is partly a result of very low initial access, and therefore in absolute terms developing countries are still well behind the developed world in access to ICTs. It concludes that ICTs offer an opportunity for development, but not a panacea. For the potential benefits of ICTs to be realized in developing countries, many prerequisites need to be put in place: prompt deregulation, effective competition among service providers, free movement and adoption of technologies, targeted and competitive subsidies to reduce the access gap, and institutional arrangements to increase the use of ICTs in the provision of public goods. The paper advocates for the importance of all three "Cs": connectivity, capability to use the new tools, and relevant content provided in accessible and useful forms

Internet and society in Latin America and the Caribbean

BONILLA, Marcelo
CLICHE, Gilles
Eds
2004

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The research contained in this book is designed to foster discussion about the policies and actions that must be promoted for building an Internet culture in Latin America and the Caribbean based on the principles of social and cultural equity. The book also includes the results of development work on two information tools: the first is designed to facilitate mediation of the Internet's social impacts, and the second to develop a citizen habitus among children

Participation, relationships and dynamic change : new thinking on evaluating the work of international networks

CHURCH, Madeline
et al
2003

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Gives an overview discussion of the key characteristics of networks, noting that international development increasingly takes a network form. Networks typically put an emphasis on: facilitative leadership; building relationships and trust; light co-ordinating structure that allows decentralisation, autonomy and voluntary participation. However, these are charactersitics that traditional evaluation approaches have not been developed to address. Provides a useful check-list for evaluating networks and suggests some useful practical tools to approach the evaluation of networks, such as: ‘Contributions assessment’ to guage how effectively the network facilitates the circulation of resources, and enables people to make the contribution that they are capable of; ‘Clarification of aims and activities’ (adapted Weaver’s Triangle) tool to clarify how participants perspectives and activities diverge or converge over time; ‘Channels of Participation’ tool to assess how and were members interact in a network and look at changes over time; ‘Monitoring the edges’ to track independent networking stimulated but not through the centre

Strengthening the knowledge and information systems of the urban poor : policy paper

SCHILDERMAN, Theo
April 2002

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This brief policy paper summarises the findings of a research project that focused on the information needs of the urban poor, and the information sources they access. The study found that the main sources of information were social networks, key informants, and infomediaries. It ends with six suggestions for development agencies seeking to share their knowledge and information with the urban poor

Strengthening the knowledge and information systems of the urban poor

SCHILDERMAN, Theo
March 2002

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Presents the findings of a research project that focused on the information needs of the urban poor, and the information sources they access. The study found that the main sources of information were social networks, key informants, and infomediaries. It considers the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs), and impact assessment methods. It ends with suggestions for development agencies seeking to share their knowledge and information with the urban poor

Measuring social capital : towards a theoretically informed measurement framework for researching social capacity in family and community life

STONE, Wendy
February 2001

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This paper is based on a study carried out in Australia to develop a measurement framework for social capital. It considers relations such as families, neighbours and friends, group and non-group relations, and work associations; and trust and relationship are examined. The study ends with principles for measuring social capital

Voices for change : rural woman and communication

BALIT, Silvia
COMMUNICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT GROUP
1999

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This book describes how, in the current climate of political and socio-economic change, communication can play a decisive role in promoting food security and rural development. By fostering a dialogue between rural people and other sectors of society, communication processes can empower both women and men to provide information and knowledge as a basis for change and innovation. It can give rural women a voice to advocate changes in policies, attitudes and social behaviour or customs that negatively affect them. The book briefly explores these complicated ideas, focussing on how communication processes can be harnessed. It then describes how different technologies, from the internet, video and radio, to traditional media, can be used. It is illustrated with brief case studies throughout

The Communication Initiative

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The Communication Initiative (CI) is a partnership of development organisations seeking to support advances in the effectiveness and scale of communication interventions for positive international development. The CI strategy includes provision of real-time information on communication and development experiences and thinking, facilitating horizontal linkages between people engaged in communication action, peer commentary on programmes and strategies and taking opportunities to promote strategic thinking on communication and development issues and problems. Themed sites within this website relate to: avian flu; HIV & AIDS; democracy & governance; early childhood development; health communication; ICT policies and studies; ICT for development; natural resource management; polio; and community radio and edutainment in Africa

Canadian working group on HIV and rehabilitation

THE CANADIAN WORKING GROUP ON HIV AND REHABILITATION (CWGHR)

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The Canadian working group on HIV and rehabilitation (CWGHR) is a national, charitable organization that responds to the rehabilitation needs of people living with HIV/AIDS. This website presents general information about the working group, featuring their members, publications, research and newsletters. It also provides detailed education information and resources for people living with HIV, health and social care providers and employers. This resource is useful for anyone interested in HIV and rehabilitation

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