"Asia Pacific is the world’s largest mobile region but also one of the most diverse regions in terms of the levels of both economic and mobile market development. Asia Pacific dominates the global mobile industry in terms of both unique subscribers and connections, having seen significant growth o
...
ver recent years and with it set to remain the second fastest growing region over the period out to 2020 (during which time it will add over 750 million new subscribers)." (Executive summary)
more
"The Pacific Media and Climate Change Project provided face-to-face training for 60 Pacific climate change practitioners on communicating climate science and adaptation knowledge and supported nearly 100 media people in reporting climate change issues. This hands-on training will be supported by thi
...
s toolkit, which includes a Media and Climate Change Activities Manual and factsheets. The manual includes activities to improve journalists’ climate change reporting and interview techniques, while a series of factsheets contain concise, accurate and accessible information on issues such as climate mitigation, adaptation, ocean acidification and sea level rise. The material will support journalists’ ability to effectively communicate stories linking climate change to broader environmental issues." (Foreword)
more
"Media Literacy Education in Action brings together the field’s leading scholars and advocates to present a snapshot of the theoretical and conceptual development of media literacy education—what has influenced it, current trends, and ideas about its future. Featuring a mix of perspectives, it e
...
xplores the divergent ways in which media literacy is connected to educational communities and academic areas in both local and global contexts. The volume is structured around seven themes: Media Literacy: Past and Present; Digital Media and Learning; Global Perspectives; Public Spaces; Civic Activism; Policy and Digital Citizenship; Future Connections. Compelling, well-organized, and authoritative, this one-stop resource for understanding more about media literacy education across disciplines, cultures, and divides offers the fresh outlook that is needed at this point in time. Globally, as more and more states and countries call for media literacy education more explicitly in their curriculum guidelines, educators are being required to teach media literacy in both elementary and secondary education contexts." (Publisher description)
more
"Faith-based broadcasters comprise half of all community radio stations in the South Pacific islands. As such, they reflect the deep indigenisation of Christianity and its central role in Pacific cultural identity. But their position within the media environment is surprisingly contentious. For secu
...
lar community media practitioners, Pacific faith-based media are seen to interject foreign voices and capital into island communities. For the international development sector, partnership with faith-based organisations around development agendas brings fears that aid funds will be used for evangelism. This article explores the role of faith-based community radio in the South Pacific, and argues that they have achieved levels of sustainability that have thus far eluded secular community media through application of culturally appropriate and self-defined development pathways." (Abstract)
more
"How do memories circulate transnationally and to what effect? How to understand the enduring role of national memories and their simultaneous reconfiguration under globalization? Challenging the methodological nationalism that has until recently dominated the study of memory and heritage, this book
...
charts the rich production of memory across and beyond national borders. Arguing for the fruitfulness of a transnational as distinct from a global approach, it places the issues of circulation, articulation and the scales of remembrance at the centre of its inquiry. In the process, it sheds new light on the ways in which mediation, post-coloniality, migration and regional integration affect both the way we remember and the role of memory in contemporary societies. In this interdisciplinary collection, humanities and social science scholars examine a rich sample of cases from the nineteenth century on, stretching across the globe from Vietnam to Europe and the Middle East, to the USA and the Pacific, and involving a wide range of cultural practices from quilting to films, from photography to heritage sites and monuments. In the process, the volume develops a new theoretical framework while proposing new methodological tools and resources for studying collective remembrance beyond the nation-state." (Publisher description)
more
"The Update reveals that the challenges faced by advocates, and the campaigning tactics used in each region, are at times remarkably similar. National civil society coalitions, for example, are mentioned by many authors as having made a central contribution to campaigns. In other cases, challenges d
...
iffer greatly depending on cultural context. For example, in South Asia, a problem has been identified of a lack of NGO transparency, which has created an environment where some civil society groups are leading by example; this issue is further complicated by the fact that, in some countries in the region, civil society is formally covered within the scope of the national Right to Information law. In many regions there are relatively strong relations among advocates from different countries; the Update seeks to foster better understanding and to stimulate international dialogue among the different regions of the world about this core human rights issue and its development going forward. We note that while there are plenty of national publications about RTI developments, this is far less true at the regional level. The Update also aims to draw attention to the global nature of the movement for the right to information. We hope that this will assist advocates both within and outside of FOIAnet find out about each other, and thereby further build and strengthen the movement." (Introduction, page 8)
more
"Freedom House has conducted a comprehensive study of internet freedom in 60 countries around the world. This report is the fourth in a series and focuses on developments that occurred between May 2012 and April 2013. The previous edition, covering 47 countries, was published in September 2012. 'Fre
...
edom on the Net 2013' assesses a greater variety of political systems than its predecessors, while tracing improvements and declines in the countries examined in the previous editions. Over 70 researchers, nearly all based in the countries they analyzed, contributed to the project examining laws and practices relevant to the internet, testing the accessibility of select websites, and interviewing a wide range of sources. Of the 60 countries assessed, 34 have experienced a negative trajectory since May 2012." (Page 2)
more
"GISWatch 2013 shows that gains in women’s rights made online are not always certain or stable. While access to the internet for women has increased their participation in the social, economic and governance spheres, there is another side to these opportunities: online harassment, cyberstalking, a
...
nd violence against women online all of which are on the increase globally." (www.giswatch.org, July 6, 2014)
more
"The research for this report was developed and undertaken between June 2012 and April 2013 across 14 Pacific Island nations: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, Niue, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon I
...
slands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The report provides a regional overview of the PACMAS key components (Media Policy, Media Systems, Media Capacity Building and Media Content) as they emerged through 212 interviews focused upon the six PACMAS strategic areas. It also provides basic background information, an overview of the media and communications landscape and discusses in detail media and communications technicians; emergency broadcast systems, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs), media associations, climate change and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). For this reason, observations on the four PACMAS components should be understood to represent changes in the media and communication environment based upon an investigation focused on the PACMAS strategic activities." (www.pacmas.org)
more
"This report assesses current information materials on natural disasters in Solomon Islands, identifies the key factors in disseminating information during a disaster and provides recommendations for future disaster content and communications." (Page 2)