Democracy & Governance – Page 4

Syria: Virtual activism sustains global attention

Anti-government protesters have continued to take to the streets despite the crackdown

As international pressure mounts on the Syrian government to end the “bloody repression,” activists are using social media to ensure continued attention on events on the ground.

The UN estimates that more than 3500 people have died since protest started in March and there is a growing fear of civil war with the Free Syrian Army, formed in July, carrying out a number of attacks on government troops including ambushes. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that the international community hopes for a peaceful resolution and calls on all parties to end violence.

The popular Sham News Network, a grassroots news organizations that emerged during the Syrian revolution to aggregate and publish news footage–started an initiative that asks individuals to submit videos in solidarity with Syrian protesters, reports Global Voices.

A statement taken from one of the videos posted to the SyrianSitInYouTube account states, “I am in solidarity with the Syrian people. I reject the brutality and killing that the Syrian authorities are committing against the unarmed Syrian people. And because silence is participation in this crime, I declare my participation in the Syrian Sit-in on Youtube.”

So far the initiative has received 275 videos from across the Arab world, as well as from the United States, Germany, Iceland, and Canada.

For instance, Birgitta Jonsdottir, a member of Icelandic Parliament and NATO Parliamentary, contributed a video post, in which she says, “I wish to express my solidarity and my support to the brave Syrian people that have been protesting day after day, month after month, against all odds.”

At a meeting held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, on Wednesday, the Arab League’s 22 members suspended the Syrian government and gave Bashar al-Asad’s regime three days to end the violent repression. The Arab League has urged Syria to allow an international contingent to monitor the process or face sanctions.

The Syrian government is increasingly isolated as key allies such as France have now withdrawn their ambassadors and neighboring Turkey is calling for immediate action from the international community. According to BBC, France, Britain, Germany and a number of Arab states are to submit a draft resolution calling for a vote in the UN General Assembly condemning the violence.

November 17, 2011/by actualize

Mobile phones to lead a revolution in sub-Saharan Africa?

Social-media-driven Arab Spring uprisings brought an end to long-standing dictatorial regimes. If the movement is to spread south of the Sahara, it will be triggered by mobile phones.

A recent report by the GSM Association (GSMA), a global group representing the interests of mobile operators, claims that Africa is now the fastest growing mobile market and the second largest in the world with over 620 million mobile connections as of September, a figure expected to reach 735 million by the end of 2012.

“The mobile industry in Africa is booming and a catalyst for immense growth, but there is scope for far greater development,” said Peter Lyons, Director of Spectrum Policy, Africa and Middle East, GSMA.

The booming mobile industry is not only contributing to overall economic development but it is also empowering citizens.

For instance, the GSMA report estimates that the mobile ecosystem employs over 5 million Africans and contributes US$56bn to the regional economy, equivalent to 3.5% of total GDP.

Through m-Agri applications, farmers are able to access vital agricultural information, training, and advice on pests, diseases, weather, fertilizers, and best farming practices. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, 65% of the population on the continent relies on subsistence farming. This underlines how crucial mobile connectivity can be to the livelihoods of most Africans.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) in UN’s Millennium Villages in Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya receive professional training through m-Learning modules accessible on their mobile phones. CHWs do not have to travel in urban areas where they would have to pay exorbitant fees for an education.

Mobile technology is changing the way healthcare is delivered on the continent. In Rwanda, m-Health applications enable health workers in the field to use mobile phones in data collection related to outbreak of contagious diseases, for instance, and report the information in real time.

In Kenya, mobile phones have made money transfer as quickly and as easily as sending a text message. The most successful m-Banking initiative, and the first to operate on a large scale is, M-Pesa, a joint venture between mobile phone giant Vodafone and Kenya’s Safaricom. The M stands for mobile, and Pesa is Swahili for money.

The report credits market liberalization policies, foreign direct investment, rollout of mobile network infrastructure, affordability of mobile phones, and substantial regional economic growth for the mobile industry boom.

It is clear that a digital revolution is already underway and as mobile phones promotes information exchange within and among nations, and continue to empower citizens in the process, African will demand more from their leaders. That is a good enough reason to hope for revolutionary changes towards democratic governance.

November 14, 2011/by actualize

Democracy & Governance, Elections, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

DRC elections: ICTs to inspire women to run for office

Female candidates are turning out in numbers to learn how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can enhance their candidacies in upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The country will be holding its presidential and parliamentary elections for the second time in its history on November 28. Women were significantly under-represented during the 2006 elections. According to the National Democratic Institute (NDI), less than 1,100 out of 9,000 candidates for parliament were women.

In the hope of building on previous elections’ outcomes, the International Knowledge Network of Women in Politics (iKNOW Politics) conducted a campaign workshop aimed at inspiring DRC women to run for office, training them in ICT skills.

Mariam Diallo, the sub-Saharan Africa coordinator for iKNOW Politics, gave participants tutorials on how to use the network’s website which allows users to share information, ask questions to international experts, and take part in e-discussion on various political topics.

According to NDI, participants were also taught how to use social media and the Internet for political campaigning, to manage and plan an election campaign; and conduct political communications.

A similar campaign was conducted in Afghanistan during the 2009 provincial council elections with positive results.

Salam Watandar, Internews’ radio programming service funded by USAID, carried out an outreach campaign encouraging women to run for office after it emerged that not a single female candidate had registered for provincial council elections in eight provinces. The message to women was clear: it is your duty to run for council, Internews press release reveals.

Afghan women responded to the call. The Independent Election Commission reported that a total of 342 women had registered for 124 seats on provincial councils around the country.

November 1, 2011/by actualize

Democracy & Governance, Elections, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Liberia Elections: ICTs to ensure transparency

As Liberians prepare to elect a new President during the November 8 election run-off, the African Election Project (AEP) is using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to assist in monitoring the electoral process.

According to Africa News, citizens will be able to report election violence to the “Incidence Monitoring Platform”, a newly-established call center, and via SMS. Election observers and field officers are using social media tools to co-ordinate information transmission throughout the country. Moreover, cutting-edge call center software and a news database software are in place to track elections activities in real time.

“The use of ICT during this elections coverage will bring about transparency in the whole electoral process, ensure the timely release of electoral news to citizens residing in Liberia and in the Diaspora, issue alerts to the relevant institutions to prevent potential incidence of violence and to ensure credibility in the final outcome of the elections,” Mr Jerry Sam Director of AEP, said.

Established in 2008 by the Institute for ICT Journalism in strategic partnership with the Open Society Initiative, AEP aims to enable citizen and journalists to provide timely and relevant information and knowledge while undertaking monitoring specific and important aspects of governance. One of its objectives consist of providing relevant ICT tools for stakeholders involved in the electoral process.

Incumbent and recent Nobel Laureate, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, gained the most votes but failed to pass the 50% threshold needed for outright victory in last week’s elections. Despite fraud allegations, opposition leader Winston Tubman, a former UN diplomat, has agreed to contest the run off.

BBC reports that with 96% of the vote counted, Johnson-Sirleaf has 44% against 32% for Mr Tubman, the electoral commission announced. Turnout was 71%.

October 25, 2011/by actualize

Democracy & Governance, Elections, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Tunisia Elections: Politicians engage voters through YouTube

Tunisians are set to vote on Sunday in first landmark elections since the Arab Spring. Google has partnered with Tunisia Live to offer training workshops on Google tools and social media for politicians to engage with voters.

Photo of woman showing inked fingers, indicating she's voted in the Tunisian election

Photo Credit: Tunisia Live

Tunisia Live, a startup news portal, launched Tunisia Talks on YouTube where citizens ask questions to politicians. According to Google’s official Blog, so far more than 400 questions have been submitted and over 40 members of political parties and independent coalitions have taken part in the initiative.

In the upcoming elections, Tunisians will select representatives for the new Constituent Assembly, which will ratify a new constitution and appoint a new transitional government that will schedule elections for a permanent government.

These elections are not only significant to Tunisia’s political future but their success would further advance regional democratization.

Uprisings triggered by the actions of Sidi Bouzid, a unemployed Tunisian who set himself on fire to protest against joblessness, brought an end to 23-year regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January.

October 21, 2011/by actualize

Asia, Democracy & Governance, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Where we work

Solomon Islands: radio mail drive peace & development

Rural operators on discovery training into connecting with the rest around the globe

Frequency radio and e-mail maybe “simple” technologies but they are driving peacebuilding and development efforts in the Solomon Islands.

The People First Network (PFnet) is a UNDP funded project set up in 2001. PFnet promotes rural development and peacebuilding by enabling affordable and sustainable connectivity and facilitating information exchange between communities across the Solomon Islands.

PFnet has established a growing rural communications system based on wireless e-mail networking in the HF band, which enjoys full community ownership.

The PFnet community e-mail are the only link to the outside world, providing communities with access to information regarding health, public services and education, and enabling essential contact with family and professional peers.

Gender equality & rural development

PFnet plays particular attention to gender equity and democratic governance, helping women, especially disadvantaged rural women, to network, access services relevant to them and connect with women’s group.

A network of rural community e-mail stations is located on remote islands across the country, usually hosted in secure public facilities. The stations are pretty basic and consist of an old laptop, radio and modem, powered by a car battery, which runs off a solar panel as in most areas there is no electricity. The total cost of the equipment runs to around $8,000.

At the heart of the operation is an Internet café in the capital Honiara, which connects to the Internet via satellite. The connection speed is around 2Kbps, meaning a typical text e-mail sent by rural villages takes about 10 seconds to transmit.

“We are using old technology but it is robust,” said Joe Rausi, staff on the PFnet project.

“This laptop is quite old but it does the work. In the end we have to look at what is affordable in villages.”

“The People First Network is not about technology. It is about improving the standard of living of people in rural areas,” added Rausi.

Peace promotion

In a country where the only means of communication with the outside world for most remote areas consist of unreliable short-wave radios, and expensive statellite telephones, the PFnet project helped overcome the legacy of fear and mistrust created by years of fighting between rival ethnic gangs.

“We thought that by connecting people together, they would know more about each other and bring peace to the country,” said Rausi.

Map of the Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands consist of roughly 850 islands and is one of the least developed nations in the South Pacific region. A quest for land and power fueled ethnic violence between 1998 and 2003 where hundreds were killed and thousands made homeless. Australian-led forces arrived in 2003 to restore order. Since then the country has enjoyed relative stability.

PFnet project illustrates how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can play a role in developing rural areas and driving peacebuilding initiatives. The project hopes to move beyond e-mail and explore using the system for distance-learning and e-commerce but bandwidth remains the biggest hurdle to this goal.

October 14, 2011/by actualize

Anti-corruption, Democracy & Governance, Elections, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Social media buzz about Cameroon’s elections reveals widespread concerns

Cameroon’s October 9^th presidential election is fast approaching, and social media is being used to create a dialogue, raise concerns and share information about the event.

Paul Baya billboard, running for Cameroonians elections

Photo credit: CNN

The country’s incumbent, Paul Biya of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, has been in power for 30 years despite general dissatisfaction and outcries for the president to step down. There are currently 23 candidates in the race with John Fru Ndi of the Social Democratic Front running a distant second to Biya.

The blogging community, Global Voices, is running special coverage entitled Cameroon Elections 2011 that features blog posts from citizens around the world about the elections. The bloggers have discussed various issues surrounding the election, many accusing Biya of election corruption such as paying off politicians to falsely run against him.

CNN has reported on Biya’s “complacent attitude” since he has not been campaigning in the field. His behavior implies that Biya “plans to win through election rigging and fraud.” Youth are allegedly being paid by Biya to support the leader in the streets, and nearly all government campaigning money has been distributed to his party alone.

The Twitter community is also closely following the election, sharing articles, information, and social media tools with one another. A site that has been Tweeted frequently is one that keeps track of the election search trends. Through the tool, anyone can see which party leader or election issues are being searched the most on Google.

Cameroon election search trends on Google

Cameroon Election Search Trends, from http://www.google.cm/intl/en/landing/elections/2011/

Social media has allowed those interested in Cameroon’s elections to share information in ways that were never possible before. But the country lags far behind others in the region in terms of Internet penetration rates. With only 5% of the country having Internet access, most citizens will not be able to follow the social media that is providing critical perspectives on the election. Were the majority of the country’s citizens able to follow the elections online, there might be more potential for a nation-wide movement against Biya and his alleged election rigging.

October 5, 2011/by actualize

Anti-corruption, Civil Society, Democracy & Governance, Elections, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Recipe for Democratic Entrenchment: Expert discusses the role of ICTS in advancing democratization

On September 15^th, George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs presented a guest lecture by Dr. Philip N. Howard about the role of ICTs in advancing democratization, especially in Muslim countries.

Howard, an expert scholar on the role of ICTs in political systems, based his lecture on research conducted in 75 countries in transition. The findings can be found in full in his book, The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. An aspect of the lecture that was particularly fascinating was Howard’s “recipe” for democratic entrenchment – one that involves state capacity and a vibrant, tech-savvy wired civil society. He highlighted the ability of social media to monitor government elections.

The lecture, which emphasized the use of ICTs as a successful tool in promoting democratic societies, can be found in the video below.

So who’s next on the agenda for a revolution using Howard’s recipe? He says to think of countries that have a wired civil society + active online journalists + good state capacity; then watch those countries during the next major elections. If the heads of the countries try to rig the elections, there is a good possibility that their citizens will protest, creating chaos, uprisings, and possible transition to a new state in the same vein as Egypt. Howard lists several countries to look out for, such as Algeria, Iran and Kuwait.

Howard’s research focused primarily on Muslim countries, but one wonders if other countries might fit the recipe for civil society protests and/or revolution. Several African countries have elections coming up. Kenya, which has one of the most vibrant and open technology sectors, but a history of allegedly rigged elections, could be one to watch during the 2012 elections.

October 5, 2011/by actualize

Anti-corruption, Asia, Civil Society, Democracy & Governance, Eastern Europe, Elections, Governances, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Where we work

e-Government: a novel approach in tackling governance challenges?

The World Bank approved in June a $20 million credit to support Moldova’s Governance e-Transformation (GeT) project. According to Philippe Dongier, World Bank ICT sector manager, eTransformation is “about leadership commitment for institutional reform and for citizen-centric governance.”

The project is part of a Government initiative to address Moldova’s legacy of corruption and bureaucracy inherited during the Soviet Union era by improving and modernizing public sector governance and increasing citizen access to government services.

As part of an institutional reform, the Government established in August 2010 an e-Government Center charged to develop a “digital transformation policy, a government IT strategy, and an open data roadmap”. In April, Moldova became one of the first countries in the region to launch an open data portal.

“The initiative is aimed at opening government data for citizens and improving governance and service delivery,” says Stela Mocan, executive director of the e-Government Center.

Benefits of GeT

GeT has several intended benefits that include increased transparency. The Ministry of Finance recently released a spreadsheet of more than one million lines, detailing all public spending data from the past five years.

“Publishing information about public funds will increase transparency,” says Prime Minister Vlad Filat

GeT also intends to reduce the cost of public service delivery. Through “cloud computing” infrastructure—in which applications and data are accessible from multiple network devices—the Government also expects significant savings in public sector IT expenditure.

Promoting innovation in the civil society sector is another key feature of the project. The Bank’s Civil Society Fund in Moldova—which provides grants to nongovernmental and civil society organizations—is supporting the National Environment Center in the collection and mapping of information on pollution of water resources. Since 80% of Modova’s rural population use water from nitrate-polutated wells, this initiative aims to empower citizens with the necessary tools to hold the Government accountable on the environmental policy.

E-Government: a worldwide phenomen

According to the Wolrd Bank, “e-Government” is the use by government agencies of information technologies—such as Internet, and mobile computing—that have the ability to transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.

Moldova is not the only country using ICTs as part of an innovative approach to address corruption and strengthen democracy.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan of the State of Maharashtra in Western India recently launched an e-Governance program that aims to tackle corruption by reducing personal interaction between the public and government officials and requiring government officials to use computers in their day-to-day operations. Limiting discretion and facilitating the process of tracking all transactions decrease the incidence of corruption.

To combat fraudulent activities during elections, the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) upgraded its computer and communication network in 2002 to verify the eligibility of voters who had lost their voting cards or whose names were missing from the manual voter registers in the respective polling stations.

ICTs’ potential for addressing governance challenges is significant. Through increased transparency and accountability, governments can better serve their citizens. Implementing successful e-Government initiatives in developing countries is a challenging endeavor. However, sustained political commitment to institutional reform, citizen-centric policies, and financial backing create an environment where ICT applications can improve governance.

September 20, 2011/by actualize

Anti-corruption, Civil Society, Democracy & Governance, Economic Growth & Trade, Originally posted on the GBI Portal, Rule of Law

Raising the Barcode: Using Smartphones to Monitor Labor Practices

Chocolate giant Hershey has been the target of unwanted smart phone campaigns recently in a battle to combat child labor violations. The Raise the Bar Hershey campaign, started by four activist organizations, developed “Consumer Alert” cards that include a QR code (like a barcode) to warn shoppers about the labor practices.

With the ability of ICTs to distribute information faster and farther than ever, it is no surprise that people all over the world are able to start campaigns that promote fair labor practices, transparency and equality, often gaining followers and media attention almost immediately. Those informed about a particular issue can raise awareness on it using social media like Facebook, posting a video on YouTube, or starting their own campaign on sites like Change.org, an organization that helps individuals or groups run social change campaigns. Knowmore.org empowers consumers to purchase products and support companies that promote fair trade, human rights, and democracy. The site makes it easy to determine which corporations use unethical (or ethical) practices through its browser extension that alerts consumers on where companies stand on particular issues as they browse the company websites.

Consumer alert placed next to Hershey displays in supermarkets

Photo credit: news.change.org

The Raise the Bar campaigners claim that Hershey “lags behind its competitors” in enforcing labor rights standards among its suppliers and in tracing the source of its cocoa which comes largely from West Africa, an area known for forced labor, child labor and human trafficking. Volunteers have been placing the alert cards next to Hershey products and displays, and shoppers are able to scan the code by using smartphone applications. The QR code on the cards opens a web page on the campaign’s website, allowing consumers to take action immediately by signing a petition on Change.org or getting involved in other ways.

QR codes have been used by shop owners to offer information and coupons to shoppers as they pass by as well as to show pictures of meals on restaurant menus. The codes can be easily built by anyone using free online tools.

Raise the Bar Hershey QR code- smart phone app takes consumers to website

Photo credit: raisethebarhershey.org

Other organizations also use smartphones in order to monitor businesses to ensure they are following labor laws. Free2Work evaluates major companies around the world based on their labor policies and has established a mobile app that allows consumers to easily find companies, share information, and receive updates. The United States Department of Labor has its own smartphone application for workers to keep track of their wages to help guarantee that they receive proper compensation. Through the app, employees can track their work hours for any of their employers, as well as access information on wage laws.

As smartphones become more advanced, the potential for increasing transparency and promoting fair labor practices worldwide grows. Concerned citizens have a plethora of tools at their disposal to gain and redistribute information on a topic, allowing them to hold companies, as well as governments, accountable to fair labor standards. Time will tell whether this will force companies to step up their standards.

September 20, 2011/by actualize

Case Studies

Contact Details

Quick Links

About

Expertise

Impact

Join

Sign up for Updates