Social media - Blogs, social networks (Facebook), micro-blogging (Twitter), You Tube, Flickr, Maps, and Mashups (combinations) - has changed the way we work and communicate. Social media are experiencing explosive growth rates and new prominence, not only in the lives of individuals but as tools in democratic processes and social change (Clark 2009, Gilmor 2004). Social media have been used for democratic campaigns in the US (Obama ), reporting natural disasters (Haiti , Tsunami ), responding to conflict and democratic crises (Kenya , Iran , Burma ) emergency fundraising (Haiti ) and others. Activists, NGOs and those in the development field are also using social media for social change. They offer a multiplicity of channels, easier and cheaper creation of content, and allow local and global linkages for those in this field. An innovative example of how social media are being used for fundraising is WildlifeDirect, a group of conservation blogs. Started in 2004, it provides an opportunity to secure funds for wildlife conservation through online giving, while at the same time providing a forum for like-minded people to discuss wildlife conservation. Limited funding for conservation contributes, alongside poaching, severe climatic conditions, and reduction of the conservation area, to declines in wildlife and habitats. Kenya has a natural resource-based economy, and its people depend on the environment for basic needs. Conservation of these resources and funding to carry it out is a key concern for Government, NGOs and Communities. WildlifeDirect has collaborated with organizations to help boost conservation funds by providing a platform through which people can support conservation.My involvement with WildlifeDirect begun about three years ago when I started using this platform to blog and attempt to fundraise for the organization I worked for - the Kenya Forests Working Group (part of the East African Wildlife Society). I am still today part of WildlifeDirect community, currently blogging at savingparadise.wildlifedirect.org for my current employer, although our blog is not used actively for fundraising. Through my involvement I witnessed firsthand how this media was being utilised for publicity and fundraising. I also became aware of the challenges intrinsic in the choice of blogs for fundraising. At the same time through my studies at Malmo on New Media and Development, and particularly our exploration of Social media, I became aware of just how powerful Social media can be for social change.My study’s principal purpose therefore is to explore the benefits of social media, while looking at its challenges. It places this effort within the context of conservation funding and improvements in the ICTs environment in Kenya. A limited number of research and theories shape this emerging and rapidly shifting media. Because the social/new media field keeps evolving, it is difficult to find a theoretical framework for its analysis. (Hassan and Thomas (eds) 2006:xviii). The study has therefore assumed that the media landscape has changed and attempted not to take an old versus new stance whose discourse found in most literature has been critiqued (by authors such as Holmes 2005). Instead, the dialectical view advanced by Fuchs is considered. In his seminal work, Internet and Society, Fuchs (2008) notes that the research field of ICT&S (Information and Communication Technologies and Society) deals with two interconnected aspects – society and technology. Fuchs posits that the relation of the two is inherently dynamic; the two are mutually connected and have constructive effects onto each other. Fuchs avoids the technological determinist view that sees technology as the driving force of society or the social shaping approaches, which consider technology as being invented, designed, changed, and used by humans and influenced by an overall societal context. Fuchs concludes that neither is appropriate because both have deterministic understandings of technology and society. On the one hand, ICTs are embedded into social systems and overall society; social forces and relations shape them. On the other hand, ICTs enable and constrain human social action. This relationship is an endless dynamical evolving loop (2008:345). Within the development field, there has been an equal application of optimism – (ICTs as freeing and democratising) and pessimism (ICTs as isolationist and elitists). A middle ground has however begun to emerge, one that sees the potential of ICTs while acknowledging their shortcomings. Case studies of how ICTs influence societies and how societies are shaping ICTs are also beginning to emerge (e.g Ushahidi and Mpesa in Kenya).The study is limited to Kenya although WildlifeDirect has blogs from the rest of Africa, Latin America and Asia. The following broad questions were asked: 1.What impact has social media had on fundraising for conservation? 2.Can it be an alternative to traditional sources or help in diversification of sources of funding? 3.Can it address the sustainability question? 4.What attracts donations – species, language, relationships, transparency, location?5.To what extent are the blogs affecting policies, publics and mainstream media?6.What offline communication practices are bloggers engaged in, if any? 7.Is social media replacing traditional media? Are they used together?8.What are the inherent power positions in peer to peer giving? and9.An exploration of the technology – its freedoms and limitations, the state and media regulations, and who governs new media.The study found that WildlifeDirect is an innovative platform. It has appropriated a relatively new technology for its use. It has had relative success in fundraising, has provided a voice for conservationists, and has served as alternative media bringing news about species and conservation areas from people working directly in the field. It is used to advocate for important issues affecting wildlife conservation. Success in fundraising has not been across the board, bringing the issue of return on investment of using the technology to the fore. Connectivity is still a challenge in rural areas even with the introduction of the fibre optics cable and so is transacting with Africa. Even then, bloggers acknowledge the role the blogs play for their publicity and raising profiles. The study is divided into an introduction (conceptual framework); existing research; theories and methodology; analysis of findings; emerging picture (interpretation of data); discussion of results vis a vis theories; and a conclusion based on other new media/ICTS theories, followed by references and appendices.

Participatory communication through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been identified to enhance self-dependency and equality for local communities in development projects. As well, ICTs served as an accelerator for citizen participation in social movements, such as in Egypt. However, it is still questionable how participation and ICTs are understood on a global scale where structural inequalities between developing and developed countries might influence communication processes. Similarly, international organizations often address a global network of stakeholders with various economic and social backgrounds. However, it is unclear how participatory communication and ICTs are used in global organizations aiming to foster sustainable development. Hence, this thesis investigates the understanding and practices of participatory communication and the role of ICTs in a global network organization, the Global Water Partnership (GWP) based in Stockholm. The GWPs network consists of 2964 institutional partners in 172 countries worldwide. It can be seen that the GWP aims to achieve dialogic communication with local partners, but that they do not have a mechanism that ensures continuous participation in all working processes, although the local partners demand more possibilities to contribute and participate. As well, ICTs play a minor role in addressing the GWP network. In fact, most of the partner organizations do not have reliable internet access and insufficient English literacy, which makes communication through ICTs especially challenging.This suggests that globally operating organizations should be careful not to reproduce existing power relationship between developed and developing countries through the use of ICTs. As well, more mechanisms need to be established which ensure more participation in organization’s processes.

Les convertisseurs multicellulaires parallèles permettent de traiter des puissances importantes et de profiter d'une certaine standardisation des équipements. Ces dernières années, ces structures ont connu un regain d'intérêt lié notamment à la possibilité de couplage magnétique des inductances. Ce couplage aboutit à un composant magnétique aux propriétés très différentes appelé Transformateur Inter-Cellules (ICT) ; il ne modifie pas le courant de sortie, par contre il réduit l'ondulation de courant dans les bobines et l'ondulation de flux dans certaines parties du noyau. On peut montrer que ce couplage entraîne une réduction des pertes Joules dans les conducteurs et des pertes magnétiques dans le noyau. La réduction de l'ondulation de courant diminue également le courant efficace dans les semiconducteurs ce qui réduit les pertes par conduction, et la différence entre le courant à l'amorçage et au blocage des interrupteurs, ce qui permet la diminution des pertes dans les semiconducteurs lorsque les pertes au blocage sont supérieures aux pertes à l'amorçage. Le dimensionnement d'un ICT n'est pas fondamentalement différent de celui fait pour d'autres composants magnétiques en ce sens qu'il est basé sur le respect de certaines valeurs limites (induction, température) ce qui suppose une évaluation des différentes pertes et l'élaboration d'un modèle thermique. Par contre, la manière d'évaluer ces différentes grandeurs est tout à fait spécifique et n'a que quelques points communs avec les méthodes de calcul des inductances et des transformateurs Dans ce travail de thèse, on montre comment dimensionner ces ICTs en considérant plusieurs topologies et méthodes différentes, correspondant à différents niveaux de sophistication et de complexité. L'explication de ce dimensionnement est divisée en quatre parties : Pertes Cuivre, Pertes Fer, Densité de Flux de Saturation et Aspects Thermiques. L'évaluation des pertes cuivre liées aux composantes alternatives des ICTs constituent un point particulièrement délicat dans la mesure où elles résultent de la combinaison de deux facteurs eux-mêmes difficiles à évaluer ; l'inductance de fuite qui détermine l'amplitude des courants alternatifs mais dépend des flux principalement non canalisés et circulant dans l'air (volume d'étude important, effets 3D...), et la résistance équivalente des bobinages qui en haute fréquence est sujette à des phénomènes complexes comme les effets de peau et de proximité. En se basant sur l'utilisation d'un logiciel simple mais néanmoins robuste et fiable pour calculer précisément les résistances en haute fréquence et les inductances de fuite des ICTs, plusieurs astuces permettant de réduire les pertes cuivre non seulement des ICTs mais aussi des transformateurs et des inductances sont suggérées. Des tableaux simples sont développés pour aider le concepteur de transformateurs à identifier la meilleur configuration de conducteurs dans une fenêtre de bobinage en prenant en compte la forme d'onde du courant, le nombre de tours des enroulements, la fréquence des courants et les paramètres géométriques. Des formules analytiques et des outils de calcul adéquats ont ensuite été utilisés pour développer des routines d'optimisation ayant pour but la réduction de la masse, du volume, des pertes ou du coût des ICTs. Des interpolations multidimensionnelles des valeurs présimulées des résistances et inductances de fuite en haute fréquence sont utilisées afin de réduire le temps d'exécution de la routine d'optimisation. Plusieurs dimensionnements des ICTs ont été comparées vis-à-vis des matériaux du noyau et des conducteurs, du nombre de cellules de commutation et de la fréquence de découpage. Des comparaisons avec des selfs ont également été faites afin de montrer les avantages de ces ICTs. Des aspects de la commande des convertisseurs multi-niveaux triphasés ont également été étudiés vis-à- vis du flux circulant dans les ICTs. Des homopolaires, spécifiques pour chaque stratégie MLI et chaque topologie convertisseur/charge, sont créées afin de minimiser le flux dans les ICTs et par conséquent de réduire davantage la masse et la taille de ces composants. Des comparaisons entre différentes méthodes de MLI sont effectuées et vérifiées expérimentalement.

Au Burkina Faso la promotion des TIC donne lieu à une production de discours d'accompagnement de la part de divers acteurs issus d'associations, de structures étatiques, du secteur privé et d'institutions de coopération internationale. Ces discours sont à caractère promotionnel, normatif, prescriptif. Ces discours sont motivés par des enjeux, parfois divergents, qui conduisent à la mise en place de stratégies d'acteurs pour tirer le meilleur profit de cette promotion. Les discours promotionnels des TIC au Burkina soutiennent l'idée selon laquelle ces dispositifs contribueraient à l'amélioration des conditions de vie des Burkinabé. Ce travail confronte d'une part les discours notamment ceux de nature prescriptive et les actions menées par les promoteurs et d'autre part les usages réels des Burkinabé. Il est question ici de faire ressortir les écarts entre usages promus et usages réels ; pour montrer que ce qui détermine les « usages TIC » des Burkinabé, qu'il s'agisse d'usages allant dans le sens de l'amélioration de leurs conditions de vie ou non, relève plus de l'appréhension du potentiel apport de ces dispositifs pour leurs activités (privées ou professionnelles) que des discours d'accompagnement. Les différents promoteurs des TIC au Burkina en sont aussi utilisateurs. Ce travail analyse les usages de certains promoteurs et ceux de populations rencontrées. Les incidences socioculturelles des pratiques TIC des Burkinabé sont aussi analysées ici. / In Burkina Faso, the diverse ICTs' actors: state, associations, private sector and international cooperation institutions, produce an accompanying discourses. These discourses are about promotion, norms and prescriptions of uses. They are motivated by diverse issues, leadind into the conception of actors strategies to take full advantages of this promotion. The promotional discourses of the ICTs in the Burkina, is supporting the idea that these devices would contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of Burkinabe. This work confronts the real uses of Burkinabe with the actions of the promoters and the discourses in particular those of a prescriptive nature. The discussion here is to highlight the difference between promoted and real uses; to show what determines the " ICTs uses " of Burkinabe. It is about uses up in the direction of improving their living conditions or not, by understanding the potential contribution of these devices on their activities (private or professional), and not by an accompanying discourses. The various promoters of the ICTs in the Burkina are also users of these devices This work analyzes the uses of certain promoters and those of populations encountered. The sociocultural incidences of ICTs practices of the inhabitants Burkinabe are also analyzed here.

Esta tesis investiga los determinantes y los resultados que la interacción entre las TIC, los sistemas de información, la gestión del riesgo, los nuevos métodos de organización del trabajo y los de la gestión de las personas (todos ellos considerados como factores de co-innovación), así como las relaciones de complementariedad entre ellos, inciden en la prestación de servicios a los clientes de banca minorista y en la percepción de satisfacción de éstos. Incidencia expresada en función de la opinión de los empleados de la entidad financiera. El análisis de estos determinantes permite: (i) esclarecer las relaciones que se derivan de tales factores de co-innovación con respecto a la percepción que de la satisfacción del cliente tienen los empleados del sector financiero; (ii) conocer los factores explicativos de los nuevos modelos de negocio y de eficiencia en la prestación de servicios financieros y (iii) constatar las percepciones internas de cómo las TIC influyen en la gestión comercial en banca. / Aquesta tesi investiga els determinants i els resultats que la interacció entre les TIC, els sistemes d'informació, la gestió del risc, els nous mètodes d'organització del treball i els de la gestió de les persones (tots ells considerats com a factors de co-innovació), així com les relacions de complementarietat entre ells, incideixen en la prestació de serveis als clients de banca minorista i en la percepció de satisfacció d'aquests. Incidència expressada en funció de l'opinió dels empleats de l'entitat financera. L'anàlisi d'aquests determinants permet: (i) aclarir les relacions que es deriven de tals factors de co-innovació pel que fa a la percepció que de la satisfacció del client tenen els empleats del sector financer; (ii) conèixer els factors explicatius dels nous models de negoci i d'eficiència en la prestació de serveis financers i (iii) constatar les percepcions internes de com les TIC influeixen en la gestió comercial en banca. / This thesis investigates the determinants and results that the interaction between ICT, information systems, risk management, new methods of work organization and human resource management (all considered as co-innovation factors) as well as the complementary relationships between them, have an impact on the provision of services to retail customers in banking, and on the perception of their satisfaction. Incidence expressed in terms of the views of employees of the bank. The analysis of these determinants allows: (i) clarify the relationships that result from such co-innovation factors with respect to the perception that employees of the financial sector have about the customer satisfaction; (ii) know the factors explaining the new business models and efficiency in the provision of financial services and (iii) verify internal perceptions of how ICT influence the commercial management in banking.

No description available.

This research introduces a novel methodology to study the appropriation of new Information and Communication technologies (ICTs) or "Multimedia" in a natural setting. This includes computers, mobile phones and television, and any application and service based on these. Building on theoretical and empirical research in technology studies, diffusion of innovations and consumer research, the study investigates the processes of adoption, consumption and domestication across the life-space of individuals and natural groups. The BEAN approach is developed to investigate data from qualitative fieldwork that engaged with respondents in four natural social networks. This shows how a range of new ICTs are entering into the everyday world of these respondents, and how they engage with them: the way these technologies are appropriated, including adoption, learning and struggling, but also strategies of resistance, non-adoption, and arms-length appropriation. It shows the importance of the informal economy in providing access to technology, skills, knowledge and resources to deal with the complexities and difficulties of adopting and using ICTs. In particular, it finds the local expert is crucial to the adoption and use of many of these technologies, providing support that the commercial world fails or is unable to provide.

In the age of the risk society, when several actors at an international, national, and local level converge in order to find solutions that help mitigate the global effects of natural disasters, there is a need to study the patterns for communicating and interacting with the public that eventually feel the impact of crises. In the richer parts of the world ICTs have facilitated a framework for having instant information regarding threats that make crisis management a discipline that is centered more in preparing and planning, rather than mitigating actual crises.  In developing countries, the contextual idiosyncrasies of each nation provide a fragmented array of settings that prevents a rapid flow of information in the event of natural disasters. The phenomenal growth of mobile telephony use and its rapid diffusion in developing countries offers a game changing scenario where crisis managers could benefit from new applications and functionalities of mobile devices. In a confluence of multidisciplinary nature, this study aims to explore the role of mobile technology and internet in crisis management, as well as the state of accessibility of mobile technology when addressing the general public in Ghana. This study follows a three-pronged approach with the aim of answering its research questions. First, a qualitative study of the communication processes between crisis managers and the public and the role of mobile technologies during those processes. Second, a quantitative study of the uses of mobile internet and the current mobile internet infrastructure. Finally, a study on the accessibility level of Ghana’s national crisis management organization’s website. Several conclusions can be drawn from this study. Mobile technologies have an important role in the communication process of crisis managers and the public, however the use of internet still has no part in the flows of communication due to deficits in infrastructure and socio-economic factors, leading to a disconnection between international risk policy requirements and local needs. The lack of resources is seen as the biggest challenge for crisis managers; a challenge that leads to issues of trust in the public and non-compliance. Finally, while there have been improvements in accessibility efforts, there is still a wide gap between international web accessibility best practices and the one provided by authorities in Ghana.

En ce début de siècle, l'information a pris une dimension capitale grâce aux nouvelles technologies. On parle de la société mondiale de l'information, réduisant la planète en un « village global ». Cependant, les pays des Suds, à la périphérie de ce processus, souffrent de la fracture numérique. Néanmoins, une dynamique des Tic s’y développe à travers des modèles d’accès adaptés aux réalités socio-économiques. A Dakar, ces modèles populaires ont permis une appropriation profonde du mobile alors qu’Internet, l’élément essentiel de cette révolution numérique, tarde à s’ancrer dans l’espace urbain. Dakar, ville primatiale est marquée par une forte polarisation des activités au niveau du centre historique. Cette répartition déséquilibrée est à l’origine des dysfonctionnements territoriaux quotidiens. Le caractère immatériel de la manifestation des nouvelles technologies semble représenter alors un moyen pour atténuer les effets de la question cruciale de la déficience de l’aménagement du territoire, notamment en termes de mobilités. Ainsi, grâce aux usages d’Internet, quelques pratiques urbaines dans divers domaines d’activités se déroulent sur le cyberespace. Mais en raison de leurs impacts peu conséquents sur les territoires réels, les attentes parfois exagérés des acteurs gouvernementaux, la société civile et les opérateurs, tardent à se concrétiser. En effet, malgré la bonne connexion du pays à la dorsale internationale, le taux de pénétration d’Internet au Sénégal ne permet pas pour le moment d’infléchir les dysfonctionnements. En réalité, sur le web sénégalais, la dynamique des usages associés aux pratiques urbaines n’a pas fait émerger de véritables liens entre Internet et l’aménagement territorial urbain à Dakar / Since the turn of the century, communications play a key role thanks to information technology. We now talk of a global community of information, shrinking our planet to a mere ‘global village’. Nevertheless, the countries of the developing countries still lingering outside this network, have trouble catching up. However IT industries are picking up slowly in keeping with the reality of the social and economic developments in these countries. In Dakar, for instance, mobile phones have become increasingly popular while the Internet, the key element to a numerical revolution, has been rather slow to take root in the urban environment. Moreover, Dakar seems to suffer from a lack of balance when it comes to the activities of its historical city center, due to a seemingly malfunctioning of its territorial administration. Information technology which requires few material investments could reduce the effects of this imbalance and the deficiency in its infra structure, making it possible for a variety of activities to take place in a cyberspace. In fact, inspite of efficient connection of the country with the international networking, it still is not enough to cope with the malfunctions of its local infrastructure. Thus the network in Senegal does not reveal truly strong links between the Internet and urban territorial infrastructures in Dakar

This study is about the impact of information and communications technologies (ICT) in developing countries, in light of development expectations in healthcare, education, commerce, government services, and other activities that can improve the lives of citizens. However, the deployment of these ICTs have not always resulted in the anticipated ends i.e. development outcomes. Also, expectations and deployment experiences vary amongst developing countries - indicating a need to understand what is locally relevant, meaningful and achievable within development initiatives. These ideas are explored within this study, with intent to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of ICTs and Development. The study is particularly concerned with the current efforts at deploying a National Identity system in Nigeria, in light of failed attempts over the past 34 years. This is an essential initiative due to the lack of a secure, reliable, or cost effective system of identification within the country (e.g. international passports and drivers’ licenses). The case is explored using Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) to development, which advocates the expansion of people’s freedoms (and opportunities) to engage in valued activities that improve lives. The unique application of the CA for a comprehensive study of the deployment and outcomes of the National Identity system constitutes a theoretical contribution (amongst others) to research - in light of previous applications which only evaluate the latter. Also, the findings reveal deep seated socio-cultural issues (such as corruption and tribalism) as sources of commonly reported technical and managerial problems within IS projects. These offer useful insights and advice for both policy makers and practitioners involved with the ICTs and Development agenda.