Selected articles from news media coverage of communication, development and change trends, programmes and policies. Articles compiled by The Communication Initiative

This selection of news media articles and links can also be found with other current and past articles in their summarised, full and archived forms at: The Communication Initiative. This may be particularly useful for those articles that are periodically removed from their host server.

A. COMMUNICATION TRENDS

1. Special Report on World Media

The Earth Times - by Rahul Sungh
India has the world's largest number of newspapers and magazines. As literacy increases, readership of newspapers and magazines is growing; and television is becoming more ubiquitous. The Web is catching on, particularly in urban areas. This in-depth feature looks at the history of newspapers and magasines in India, and how modern information technologies are changing the way media works in India. More Info

2. Internet Access Increases Tenfold - Mali

Balancing Act News Update 18 - August 2000 - by Emmanuel Dabou

Mali is a classic example of an African country where the Internet would appear to have little relevance. It has only 30,000 telephone lines and it takes 3 months to get one. Nonetheless the number of people with Internet access has gone from 500 to 5000 over two years. More Info

3. Net Device Below Us$200 - Global Bytes for All - July 31, 2000

The Simputer is a sub-US$200 Internet device to help non-literate computer users. In an effort to bring the Internet to the masses in India and other developing countries, several academics and engineers have used their spare time to design a sub-$200 handheld Net appliance. More info

4. IT Sector Merger Activities - South Africa Business Day - August 19, 2000 - by Lesley Stones

Wheeling and dealing in SA's information technology sector accounted for 13.5% of all merger activities in the past year, says auditors Ernst & Young. That figure is likely to be eclipsed in the coming year as technology companies continue to consolidate, fall prey to takeovers and strike up global partnerships, says the company.More Info

5. Internet Mailboxes - Arabia - PC World Egypt - July 16, 2000

A 20MB mailbox, the largest free mailbox available to Arab Internet users, is one of the main features of a new mail service from arabia.com. Other popular features include POP mail retrieval and the virtual Arabic keyboard function. More Info

6. AIDS Impact Calculator - South Africa -WOZA Internet - August 18, 2000

An "AIDS Impact Calculator", a simple tool with which companies can predict and plan for the impact of HIV/AIDS on their workforce, was launched in Johannesburg on Thursday. Designed by lifeworks, a simple Excel spreadsheet programme can address vague estimates in a more practical, realistic way.More Info

7. Fund Information Online - South Africa - IT Web - August 3, 2000

Medical aid administrator Medscheme has joined forces with Business Objects to launch iFundi, a Web-based reporting mechanism which will provide healthcare sector trustees, brokers and fund managers with immediate access to online fund-level information. More Info

8. Mobile Exchange - Bangladesh - The Daily Star - August 19, 2000

For the very first time in the country's GSM industry, Siemens Bangladesh Ltd has announced a mobile phone handset exchange programme. For a limited period, the users of Siemens' S6 can exchange their sets for the very sophisticated and small C25 at an extremely attractive price. At present there are 40,000 customers in Bangladesh who are using the S6. But the demand for the smart C25, the smallest phone in its class, has been growing steadily. More info

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There are profiles of communication trends in 64 countries on The Communication Initiative web site. Go to The Communication Initiative and scroll down, click on Country Profiles in the Communication Trends Section and then click on the search button. You can narrow the search within the Geography section.

We are updating these and would welcome any information from your country that you can provide.

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B. REPORTING DEVELOPMENT

9. Unseen Women Break the Silence - Sri Lanka

Women's Feature Service - August 16, 2000

The Television Trust for the Environment and the Sri Lanka Environment Television Project have produced a five-part television programme on women's economic and legal rights in the informal sector. The programme is being aired on the national television network Rupavahini through August. More Info

10. Rural Credit Scheme - Papua New Guinea - The National - August 17, 2000 - by Metahera Lahari

"PUTIM na Kisim" (PnK) is a credit union project initiated under the Lutheran Development Services (LDS) to help increase savings and credit facilities in rural areas. Interested motivators mobilised and formed themselves into houseline, clan and associations and started their savings cell groups. More Info

11. Women Demand Share of Benefits - Burkina Faso - Oneworld - August 9, 2000 - by Abdoulaye Gandema

12. Amin.org in New York Times Internews - August 1, 2000

"While all eyes are on the Arab-Israeli peace process, there is a whole other process - democratization - percolating in the Arab world, in which the Internet and globalization are acting like nutcrackers to open societies and empower Arab democrats with new tools". More Info

13. Internet Promotes Development - Jamaica Caribbean News Agency - August 18, 2000

Stressing that the rapid growth of information technology provides unprecedented opportunity for economic development, the Chairman of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission challenged the countries of the Organisation of American States to use that technology to speed up development. More Info

14. Women in Anti-Poverty Drive - China - China Daily - August 19, 2000 - by Shao Zongwei

China's poverty-alleviation experts and gender advisers have asked for more attention be given to poor women as part of a programme to help people out of poverty. Professor Du Xiaoshan, with the Poverty Research Centre of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said income-generating projects, education and medical services need assistance to lift women from poverty. More Info

15. Cost of AIDS Treatment - Seychelles - Seychelles Nation - August 18, 2000

Government is considering to provide medical treatment at the estimated rate of R4,500 per month per AIDS patient, while continuing to encourage the change of attitude and behaviour necessary to prevent infection with the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV).More Info

16. Chinese Team Adopts Programmes - India - The Times of India News Service - August 19, 2000

On the invitation of the UNICEF, an eleven-member Chinese team visited six development blocks during their two-day visit here. The objective of the Chinese delegation was to study the cleanliness programme in the rural sector, run with the help of the UNICEF. More Info

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