<p>This paper outlines the current situation of Internet usage and attitudes towards the Internet among ordinary people in Arusha, Tanzania, and examines the views of ordinary citizens on the effects of the arrival of Internet and the possible digital divide.</p><p>Using qualitative interviews with equal groups of ordinary Internet users and ordinary non- Internet users in Arusha, the authors found varying levels of awareness about Internet services and facilities and their availability. There was also a widespread concern about immoral western influences communicated by the Internet and how it may affect the domestic culture. It was clearly shown that Internet usage and the possibility to utilize the information found is dependent on education levels and the economic situation of the users, two closely related factors. To get additional views on the subject interviews were also carried out with representatives for Radio and TV stations as well as newspapers located in Arusha, institutions for higher education in the ICT field, Internet providers, and Arusha Municipal Council. To examine the actual Internet usage we extracted random samples of visited websites in several of the Internet cafés, which most of the Arushans use to access the Internet.</p><p>It was found that government action is necessary that the in order to bridge the digital divide, but as a result of systematic censorship of media government efforts meet a profound distrust among people, neither does the government consider this to be any of their responsibilities.</p>

<p>Knowledge is the Key</p><p>- Internet access, utilization and opinions in Grenada, West Indies</p><p>Information and knowledge contributes to growth and development through empowering individuals and communities, creating opportunities to improve their living conditions. Technology is advancing rapidly and the Information and Communication Technology, ICT, provides new ways to attain information. Especially the Internet is regarded to be a source of information and knowledge. However, there are still many places in the world where Internet access is not yet available to everyone. The consequences are that people in developing countries do not get the opportunity to benefit from the new technology and the possibilities it brings.</p><p>The research for this thesis was carried out in Grenada during November and December 2006. Grenada is a small independent island in the English speaking Caribbean, where only a small percentage of the population has Internet access. The purpose of the study is to examine if a selection of young individuals in Grenada can obtain enhanced knowledge through using the Internet. Furthermore, the study intends to depict what attitudes and opinions can be found among the youths, focusing on the possibilities as well as the negative effects of the Internet.</p><p>This study was conducted trough a qualitative orientated methodological perspective with strategically selected respondents between 11 and 35 years old. Qualitative interviews were being made with nine individuals who were using the Internet regularly.</p><p>The conclusion of this thesis is that organized strategies and projects are required, with the aim to create motives for the young generation of Grenada to obtain enhanced knowledge through Internet usage. The access and availability in itself is not enough, because seeking information and knowledge is not the main purpose when the youths are using the Internet. Nevertheless, the respondents stated that the Internet is considered to be a source of information and knowledge and that they know where and how to find information when using the Internet, if they wanted to. The result also reveals an overall positive attitude towards the Internet and the future among the youths, yet still well aware of the negative consequences. The respondents expressed a desire to be able to keep up with the technology and wished for increased and improved accessibility and connectivity in Grenada.</p><p>Another interesting conclusion this research generated is the confirmation of the digital divide as a matter of global stratification, rather than differences between countries. Regardless of the country of origin, people with Internet access will have advantages in life and benefit from the technology, unlike those who have no access and hence, will fall even further behind.</p>

Through interviews, research, observations and the use of service design methods the author of this report, Jenny Annebäck, executed a Minor Field Study within the field of recycling of PET bottles in Uganda. The project work resulted in thorough studies of service design thinking and methodology, sustainable development, the market and situation in Uganda as well as the consumer group concerned about sustainable development. The result was a pre-study of a future development of a recycling service, visualized through two stakeholder maps, personas and a customer journey map. These three tools constitutes a beginning and a solid ground for further work with developing the service. A service that can contribute to a more sustainable development in the country of Uganda. In the report, examples are stated how to continue with the project as well as how it can be applied in other developing countries. The project work of this Minor Field Study(MFS) lasted from November 2011 until June 2012, as a degree project of 22,5 ECTS credits for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Innovation and Design Engineering at Karlstad University. The MFS program is organized by the Swedish International Programme Office for Education and Training and financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, enabling graduating students to perform a thesis in a developing country. Jenny Annebäck spent the first two months of the project time in Jinja, Uganda, together with her project partner Olga Sabirova Höjerström, both students at Karlstad University. The two project group members performed this Minor Field Study together with Sarah Keller, industrial designer and general manager at Uganda Innovation Factory(UIF). UIF is a product and graphic design company situated in Jinja, working with local designers to encourage Ugandan design and production for the global market. The supervising teacher of this project has been Monica Jakobsson and the examiner professor Fredrik Thuvander, both belonging to the Faculty of Technology and Science at Karlstad University. / Genom intervjuer, undersökningar, observationer och användning av tjänstedesignmetoder utförde författaren av denna rapport, Jenny Annebäck, en Minor Field Study inom återvinning av PET-flaskor i Uganda. Projektarbetet resulterade i noggranna studier av tjänstedesignmetodik, hållbar utveckling, situationen och marknaden i Uganda samt konsumentgruppen upptagna av just hållbar utveckling. Slutresultatet blev i form av en förstudie för en framtida utveckling av en återvinningstjänst för PET-flaskor. Detta visualiserades med hjälp av två intressentkartor (stakeholder maps), personas och en kundresekartläggning (customer journey map). Dessa tre verktyg utgör en början och en solid grund för framtida arbete med utveckling av tjänsten. En tjänst som kan bidra till en hållbar utveckling i landet. I rapporten ges exempel på hur man kan gå vidare med projektet samt hur man kan applicera det i andra utvecklingsländer. Projektarbetet inom denna Minor Field Study(MFS) varade från november 2011 till juni 2012 och utgjorde författarens examensarbete på 22,5 hp på Högskoleingenjörsprogrammet i Innovationsteknik och Design vid Karlstads universitet. MFS organiseras av Internationella programkontoret och finansieras av Sida, Styrelsen för Internationellt utvecklingssamarbete, och möjliggör för kandidatstudenter vid svenska universitet och högskolor att göra ett examensarbete genom en fältstudie i ett utvecklingsland. Jenny Annebäck spenderade de först två månaderna av projektet i Jinja, Uganda, tillsammans med Olga Sabirova Höjerström, studiekamrat på Karlstads universitet. De två projektmedlemmarna utförde MFS projektet tillsammans med Sarah Keller, verksamhetschef på Uganda Innovation Factory (UIF). UIF är en produkt och grafisk designbyrå i Jinja, som arbetar med lokala designers för att främja ugandisk design och produktion för en global marknad. Handledare för Jenny Annebäck har varit Monica Jakobsson och examinator har varit professor Fredrik Thuvander, båda tillhörande Fakulteten för teknik- och naturvetenskap vid Karlstads universitet.

Of all the countries studied in the large-scale WHO Multi-country Study on Women´s Health and Domestic Violence against Women (2005), Ethiopian women had the highest numbers of acceptance of intimate partner violence. And according to previous research on the subject, Ethiopian women have a high tolerance for and acceptance of the violence they endure. Yet when I interviewed women in Ethiopia (all of whom had been victims of violence) I discovered multiple forms of resistance to - rather than acceptance of - violence. Rather than confirming how women come to accept violence, my study uncovers many ways in which women resist violence, even in contexts where the available means of resistance are extremely limited.The aim of my inductive study is to begin to do justice to these forms of resistance, which are easily overlooked. First, as I argue in the analyses of my interviews with the women, our ability to discern forms of resistance in situations of intimate partner violence requires a more capacious notion of resistance than the one usually employed. Second, as I argue through my engagement with the previous research and the analyses of my interviews with women’s organizations in Ethiopia, the inability to discern multiple and varied forms of resistance leads one to underestimate the degree of non-acceptance and active resistance in situations of intimate partner violence. Thus, while my limited study does not permit general conclusions about violence against women in Ethiopia, I conclude by suggesting that my findings have two important implications for social work, one theoretical and one practical.

This is a Minor Field Study (MFS) which is a scholarship financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). It was conducted in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in 2007/2008. The purpose of this study is to understand the role of the political representative in the system of political representation and it will test the different theories of political representation based on interests or identity. This study is concerned with the function of the political representatives as they are the link between the system of representation and the electorate. Since the election system is designed for political representation based on interest and the voting in South Africa suggests voting based on identity/race the representatives must balance these different signals.

This paper outlines the current situation of Internet usage and attitudes towards the Internet among ordinary people in Arusha, Tanzania, and examines the views of ordinary citizens on the effects of the arrival of Internet and the possible digital divide. Using qualitative interviews with equal groups of ordinary Internet users and ordinary non- Internet users in Arusha, the authors found varying levels of awareness about Internet services and facilities and their availability. There was also a widespread concern about immoral western influences communicated by the Internet and how it may affect the domestic culture. It was clearly shown that Internet usage and the possibility to utilize the information found is dependent on education levels and the economic situation of the users, two closely related factors. To get additional views on the subject interviews were also carried out with representatives for Radio and TV stations as well as newspapers located in Arusha, institutions for higher education in the ICT field, Internet providers, and Arusha Municipal Council. To examine the actual Internet usage we extracted random samples of visited websites in several of the Internet cafés, which most of the Arushans use to access the Internet. It was found that government action is necessary that the in order to bridge the digital divide, but as a result of systematic censorship of media government efforts meet a profound distrust among people, neither does the government consider this to be any of their responsibilities.

In 2009 a member of the Ugandan parliament presented a draft law called ”the Anti-homosexuality bill”. The bill included further restrictions against homosexuality, which already is a crime in Uganda. For instance it suggested that homosexuals should be sentenced to death. The world reacted strongly to this draft law and proclaimed it to violate principles of universal human rights. Media, political leaders and non-governmental organisations all over the world condemned the draft law and a discussion about human rights in Uganda rose. The perception of the international society, criticising the draft law, seemed to be that human rights are universal and should be valid in every state of the world, whereas the message from Ugandan politicians indicated that they ought to be able to legislate without any external interference. This thesis aims to define discourses of human rights within the Ugandan society. We will focus on the Ugandan government and the Ugandan civil society and we will distinguish differences between urban and rural areas. To be able to define a discourse of human right in the Ugandan civil society we performed a field study in the country during eight weeks from April to June 2010. This was made possible through a minor field study scholarship (MFS), funded by SIDA. With our base in the capital Kampala we travelled around the country to visit and interview organisations in both urban and rural areas. The gathered data was then analysed and compared with the data of the Ugandan government, which was achieved through text analyses. Our thesis will show that there are apparent differences in discourses and perceptions of human rights. We divide the studied areas into three discourses; the government, national NGOs and regional NGOs. In the last part of our thesis we will present conclusions and reflections about the result of the field study.

Knowledge is the Key - Internet access, utilization and opinions in Grenada, West Indies Information and knowledge contributes to growth and development through empowering individuals and communities, creating opportunities to improve their living conditions. Technology is advancing rapidly and the Information and Communication Technology, ICT, provides new ways to attain information. Especially the Internet is regarded to be a source of information and knowledge. However, there are still many places in the world where Internet access is not yet available to everyone. The consequences are that people in developing countries do not get the opportunity to benefit from the new technology and the possibilities it brings. The research for this thesis was carried out in Grenada during November and December 2006. Grenada is a small independent island in the English speaking Caribbean, where only a small percentage of the population has Internet access. The purpose of the study is to examine if a selection of young individuals in Grenada can obtain enhanced knowledge through using the Internet. Furthermore, the study intends to depict what attitudes and opinions can be found among the youths, focusing on the possibilities as well as the negative effects of the Internet. This study was conducted trough a qualitative orientated methodological perspective with strategically selected respondents between 11 and 35 years old. Qualitative interviews were being made with nine individuals who were using the Internet regularly. The conclusion of this thesis is that organized strategies and projects are required, with the aim to create motives for the young generation of Grenada to obtain enhanced knowledge through Internet usage. The access and availability in itself is not enough, because seeking information and knowledge is not the main purpose when the youths are using the Internet. Nevertheless, the respondents stated that the Internet is considered to be a source of information and knowledge and that they know where and how to find information when using the Internet, if they wanted to. The result also reveals an overall positive attitude towards the Internet and the future among the youths, yet still well aware of the negative consequences. The respondents expressed a desire to be able to keep up with the technology and wished for increased and improved accessibility and connectivity in Grenada. Another interesting conclusion this research generated is the confirmation of the digital divide as a matter of global stratification, rather than differences between countries. Regardless of the country of origin, people with Internet access will have advantages in life and benefit from the technology, unlike those who have no access and hence, will fall even further behind.

Social variables are a predominant force to community development in rural areas. However, research on how social aspects affect the energy situation as a community expands is to date limited. This study aims explore this void and investigate the following question: “What could be a feasible pathway to reach a sustainable and resilient future state in Micaya, based on the impact of key variables within three different sectors: education, health and production?” In this study, theories and models of rural electrification and scenario analysis are transposed and applied to community operated rural electrification in order to frame development. The investigation is restricted to focus on three social sectors, healthcare, education and production. Current literature confirmed that social aspects are missing in rural electrification programs.  Through interview and discussion with an established expert group important social variables have been identified in the study community. These variables lay the foundation for the scenario building used to define a desirable future in the case study community. It was found that the variables within the production sector are most influential to future developments in the study community.  The study revealed that energy access, especially access to electricity, is an essential condition for the development of rural communities. However, it does not guarantee an increase in productivity or effectiveness in social institutions in the absence of other development programs. The study also concludes that well-planned, carefully implemented rural electrification programs provide enormous benefits to rural people. Once an area has reached a certain level of development, further improvement of societal institutions depends on the availability of a secure and stable energy supply.

The majority of low income households in South Africa have limited access to electricity, and typically cook on stoves fuelled by paraffin. Paraffin represents a fossil fuel. It is a relatively cheap fuel in South Africa. Another fuel that can also be used for cooking is wood pellets, which is a renewable fuel. It can be used in a similar way to that of paraffin and is relatively cheap compared to other renewable energy sources. To investigate if living conditions among low income households can be improved the focus of the study was to evaluate the sustainability of cooking on paraffin and wood pellets. This was done by comparing social, environmental and economic aspects associated with the two cooking fuels. The social aspects were investigated through an interview study, the environmental aspect through a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) and the economic aspects through a partial life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) focusing on the user phase.   The interview study showed that paraffin users considered four aspects as the most important when cooking, namely safety, health, affordability and quality. The study also found that the majority were willing to change to another cooking fuel if these aspects were fulfilled. The LCA showed that both systems score the highest on 9 out of 18 environmental impact categories over a 16-year perspective. The economic analysis showed that the user phase of the wood pellet system is more economically beneficial during the 16-year time period than the paraffin system. It was concluded that wood pellets could be used as an option to paraffin for cooking and would most likely increase living conditions for low income households. / Majoriteten av låginkomsthushåll i Sydafrika har begränsad tillgång till elektricitet och vanligtvis sker matlagningen på paraffinspisar. Paraffin är ett fossilt bränsle. Det är ett relativt billigt bränsle i Sydafrika. Ett annat bränsle som också kan användas för matlagning är träpellets som är ett förnyelsebart bränsle. Det kan användas på liknande sätt som för paraffin och är ganska billigt i jämförelse med andra förnybara energikällor. För att undersöka om levnadsförhållanden för låginkomsthushåll kan förbättras låg fokus för denna studie på att utvärdera hållbarheten för att laga mat på paraffin och träpellets. Detta genomfördes genom att jämföra sociala, miljömässiga och ekonomiska aspekter associerade med dessa bränslen för matlagning. De sociala aspekterna undersöktes genom en intervjustudie, de miljömässiga aspekterna genom en jämförande livscykelanalys (LCA) och de ekonomiska aspekterna gjordes genom en livscykelkostnadsanalys (LCCA) för användarfasen.   Intervjustudien visade att paraffinanvändare anser att fyra aspekter är de viktigaste vid matlagning, nämligen säkerhet, hälsa, kostnad och kvalitet. Studien visade också att majoriteten var villiga att byta till ett annat bränsle för matlagning om dessa aspekter var uppfyllda. Livscykelanalysen visade att båda systemen hade högst miljöpåverkan i 9 av 18 miljöpåverkanskategorier vardera inom ett 16-årsperspektiv. Den ekonomiska analysen visade att under en 16-årsperiod var användarfasen mer kostnadseffektiv för matlagning på träpellets jämfört med paraffin. Studien visade att träpellets kan användas som ett alternativ för paraffin vid matlagning och kommer troligtvis öka levnadsförhållanden för låginkomsthushåll.