"The objective of this study is twofold –firstly to understand how women have found self-expression through community radio as a frugal technology and how, in turn, it has helped them serve the community and empower other women in the community to find their voices. Secondly, this study examines h
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ow radio stations in remote rural locations have enabled local communities to voice themselves which in turn has facilitated flow of information between the local authorities and the people during the pandemic. We have documented eight case studies of women broadcasters in different community radio stations across India. These case studies substantiate that women have overcome various societal and cultural barriers to associate themselves with community radio as a technology. These women act as agents of change in their communities and are followed as role models for other women and girls. It is observed that women in their roles as radio broadcasters feel enabled, empowered and are able to impact the community. All the women interviewed in this study felt comfortable using technology to record, edit and broadcast programmes. While they did not have any prior experience of using technology, they were quick to learn and adapt. Through our interviews we were able to infer that radio as medium supports frugal technology for its operation. Indeed, technology has the potential to empower people, it is evident that frugal technologies like community radio treat people as agents and not as mere users." (Abstract, page 6)
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"The concept of digital literacy has been defined in numerous ways over the last two decades to incorporate rapid technological changes, its versatility, and to bridge the global digital divide. Most approaches have been technology-centric with an inherent assumption of cultural and political neutra
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lity of new media technologies. There are multiple hurdles in every stage of digital literacy implementation. The lack of solutions such as local language digital interfaces, locally relevant content, digital literacy training, the use of icons and audio excludes a large fraction of illiterate people. In this article, we analyse case studies targeted at under-connected people in sub-Saharan Africa and India that use digital literacy programmes to build knowledge and health literacy, solve societal problems and foster development. In India, we focus on notable initiatives undertaken in the domain of digital literacy for rural populations. In Sub-Saharan Africa, we draw from an original project in Kenya aiming at developing digital literacy for youth from low-income backgrounds. We further focus on Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Tanzania, where field studies have been conducted on the use of digital technologies by low-literacy people and on how audio and icon-based interfaces and Internet lite standard could help them overcome their limitations. The main objective of this article is to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) in the context of digital literacy skills as one of the pillars for digital inclusion. We will learn how digital literacy programmes can be used to build digital literacy and how KPIs for sustainable development can be established. In the final discussion, we offer lessons learned from the case studies and further recommendation for stakeholders and decision-makers in the field of digital health literacy." (Abstract)
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"There is a large body of research that has examined digital inequities, inequalities, and divides—i.e., those countries, communities, and individuals digitally left behind or disadvantaged. Whereas we know quite a lot about what is lacking and for whom, there is less focus on what works to allevi
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ate these inequalities and divides in a variety of cultural contexts. This thematic issue brings together scholarship on digital inclusion initiatives and research from over 20 countries and in the context of numerous aspects, including different types of initiatives as well as different types of target audiences for these initiatives. Each article provides unique insights into what does and does not work in various communities, making recommendations on what could be done to improve the examined initiatives. We hope that the breadth and depth of articles presented here will be useful not just for academic audiences seeking to broaden their understanding of digital inclusion and ‘what can be done’ rather than focusing on ‘what is amiss,’ but also for policymakers and digital inclusion initiatives who are eager to expand and advance their digital inclusion work within their communities." (Abstract, page 132)
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"This volume is structured in two sections exploring benefits, challenges and opportunities for community networks and analysing a series of community network case studies and forward-looking proposals, from which useful recommendations can be drawn. As a conclusion, this book includes the updated v
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ersion of the Declaration on Community Connectivity, which was elaborated through a multistakeholder participatory process, featuring an online open consultation, between July and November 2016, a public debate and a feedbackcollection process, during the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2016, and a further online consultation, between December 2016 and March 2017." (Page 23)
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