Posted 15 April 1999
A publication which surveys modern telecommunication infrastructure in Africa as well as rich traditional methods of communication. It suggests both a journey to the future and an appreciation of the past. The book includes an inspiring message from Nelson Mandela, President of South Africa, who states: "Once people are armed with information and know-how, they will be able to use their ingenuity and resourcefulness to develop their economic potential, to guard their hard earned liberty and to build sustainable democracies." The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, also shares his perspective on the role of communication stating "Africa has reached a critical turning point in its history. We must use the possibilities of technology, and the power of communications to give new hope to the upcoming generations of Africans. The role and responsibility of the United Nations system in this effort are clear: to ensure that the gains of the information and communication revolutions are placed at the service of all Africans and all the world's people, so that they may live lives of knowledge and understanding."
The publication includes contributions from Unesco, ITU, FAO, WHO as well as telecommunications agencies, corporations and communication consultants. It was published by Betam Communications, in partnership with Mafube publishing of South Africa (1998). For copies contact:
Mafube Publishing and Marketing Ltd.
91 Central Street, Houghton
P.O.Box 2185, Houghton 2141.
Johannesburg, S. Africa.
Fax: +2711 483-3194
A book which describes advancing telecommunications for rural development through a participatory communication approach. The term "first mile of connectivity" challenges the prevailing notion that rural people, rural communities and rural infrastructure are always backward and always last. The book was edited by Don Richardson and Lynnita Paisley of the Don Snowden Program for Development Communication at the University of Guelph, Canada, in collaboration with the Communication for Development Group at FAO.
For more information and copies contact:
Communication for Development Group
Extension, Education and Communication Service, FAO
E-mail: loyvan.crowder@fao.org
The proceedings of the Conference on "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunication for Rural Development", organized by the Don Snowden Program for Development Communication at the University of Guelph, Canada (26 to 27 October 1998), are now available on line at: http://www.telecommons.com. Proceedings include conference papers, list of participants, participant recommendations and archives of the on-line pre-conference discussion that ran from 1-21 October, 1998.
Knowledge and information for food security in Africa: from traditional media to the Internet. This publication draws on experiences with a range of communication technologies in Africa - from traditional media to the Internet - to examine the important role of knowledge and information for food security. Published by FAO in English in 1998.
For more information and copies contact:
Communication for Development Group
Extension, Education and Communication Service, FAO
E-mail: loyvan.crowder@fao.org
This paper recommends an integrated approach to facilitating Internet services and applications that will benefit rural communities and agricultural organizations. The paper includes recommendations for strategies, funding mechanisms and support systems, together with innovative approaches in Mexico and Chile. The paper was produced by Dr. Don Richardson of Guelph University, Canada in collaboration with the Communication for Development Group of FAO. Published by FAO in English in 1997.
For more information and copies contact:
Communication for Development Group
Extension, Education and Communication Service, FAO
E-mail: loyvan.crowder@fao.org
UNESCO continues to play a leading role in placing cultural considerations at the forefront of development. One of the most important initiatives in this issue was the International Conference on Cultural Policies for Development, organized by UNESCO and hosted by the Swedish Government (Stockholm, 30 March - 2 April 1998), which served as a landmark for future concerted action. Meeting participants - including decision-makers from 149 governments, NGOs, artists, scholars, foundations and business leaders - held discussions on the multiple and complex spiritual, emotional and intellectual aspects that distinguish every society and every social group within a given society. At the same time, delegates stressed the critical importance of reaching a global agreement on an innovative and development-based vision of culture.
As a result, the Conference adopted an Action Plan on Cultural Policies for Development, which recommended that Member States should:
The Action Plan promises to be the benchmark against which the global community, UNESCO and its Member States can measure their efforts aimed at bringing culture to the heart of development strategies, promoting cultural empowerment and upholding cultural diversity in the coming decades.
UNESCO was called on to promote the kinds of intellectual cooperation needed to help Member States to attain these recommendations. The agency has already set the stage with its World Decade for Cultural Development as well as the Report of the World Commission on Cultural Development (1996). However, meeting the challenges stated in the Plan of Action will be a long-term process, analagous to the preparation of Agenda 21, which was set in motion by the World Commission on Environment and Development. It must be a process through which understanding and commitment are imparted at the highest level to legislators, political leaders and senior officials, as well as the partners of governments in all sectors of society. This also implies that UNESCO's efforts in this domain must be strengthened and renewed, as befits its role as primary global forum that tables the key issues; pools the knowledge and information needed to generate innovative thinking; mobilizes both the political will and the local capacities required and, in so doing, sets the international agenda in 'culture and development'.
A new programme to launch the strategy begins in the year 2000 and is based on the following three criteria: