The Drum Beat 24 - International Students at Ohio University

This Drum Beat presents research and commentary by international students at the School of Communication at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, USA. Access URLs and contact students for further information on each item.





1. Wongonyi - Kenya - demonstrates how, with creativity, modern themes can be fashioned into traditional dances to mobilize a community in national development. It builds on the traditional role of dance and music as communication tools.

Student: Leonard M. Mjomba lm349391@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



2. The Hope Project - China - identifies the communication strategy and design aplied to a programme related to "dropouts". Seeks to do this in the Chinese cultural context.

Student: Qing Ma qm253693@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



3. Pre-Birth To Age Three Initiative - West Africa - uses focus groups to design an effective, conversation initiating campaign using interpersonal communication, print and promotional materials and the mass media on issues affecting children under three years.

Student: Adam Wolkon shempus@hotmail.com

Click here for more details.



4. Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding - West Africa - examines whether communication provides an answer to the quest for long term solutions to war and conflict situations. Although efforts like regional peacekeeping and military action have provided immediate responses; they are only useful as short-term measures.

Student: Abu Bakar Kolokoh ak341692@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



5. Media in Conflict Situations - Sri Lanka - with the advancement of new technologies, there is a faster and wider dissemination of news. It is important to be aware of the role of media especially in an ethnic and terrorist crisis.

Student: Samanthi Hewakapuge sh335392@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



6. Internet - investigates a different understanding of the Internet as a mass medium between developed and developing countries and how the use of the Internet can open or close links between developed and developing countries.

Student: Irma Larrea-Ona il349191@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



7. Internet - Africa - highlights the Internet's status, its effect on various sectors of the economy and constraints and challenges faced in Africa. Ultimately most policy questions and most of the important issues and social changes will revolve around services enabled by the Internet.

Student: Catherine Kimuna ck348593@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



8. Yahoo.com - evaluates and analyses the educational content on the Internet as this new means of communication becomes more and more popular in our daily life.

Student: Xing Liu xl325192@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



9. Community Radio - Caribbean - examines the role and potential of Community Radio in the Caribbean region. Given the history of this region, deeply rooted in slavery, colonialism and imperialism, community radio could prove to be an important tool in giving a previously "powerless" people a voice.

Student: Denise Hughes dh318192@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



10. International Education - examines present international education programs to see in what ways they contribute to communication and development goals. These programs provide the development training and communication skills that are needed for social change.

Student: Jana Moser wurmbabee@hotmail.com

Click here for more details.



11. Women - India - women's organisations have played a crucial role in influencing the values and attitudes of women through their own creative media. The women's movement in India in the last decade has been of great significance.

Student: Devika Thayanban dt350192@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



12. Women's Empowerment - Africa - to achieve the goal of women's empowerment, through access to health care, education and technology, there is a perceived need for mounting systematic and sustainable communication campaigns using the relevant media channels.

Student: Wenceslous Kaswoswe wk349291@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



13. Youth - Ghana - a critical examination of the situation of youth in Ghana gives much room for concern. There is the need for a strategy to mobilize through effective communication this large proportion of the population to contribute their quota towards the development of the country.

Student: Ephraim Nikoi Kotey ek350392@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



14. Print and Literacy - Beijing - a crucial factor in promoting human development was encouraged and enhanced with the increasing output of the press. Book-use increased with enlarged access to knowledge. The ability to read and the ability to understand what is being read are developmental skills that empower humans.

Student: Jing Tian jt342492@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



15. FAO Against Poverty - looks at the communication strategies used by FAO in its campaign against poverty and how these strategies have been effective in alleviating poverty in developing countries.

Student: Joseph Adongo ja338992@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



16. HIV/AIDS - East Africa - concludes that the danger of overemphasizing women as victims of HIV/AIDS reinforces their helpless and passive image. Taking part as vessels of HIV/AIDS prevention encourages women as active participants in this struggle because they are taking an active role in empowering each other.

Student: Juliet Evusa je230591@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



17. HIV/AIDS - Madagascar - analyzes the use of global communication channels to draw lessons for Madagascar. Results indicate that communicating about sex, condoms and related topics is not an easy task. Message-designers have to be very creative and adapt to the social norms of the target population.

Student: Lila Andrianantoandro la345898@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



18. Media Journalists in Advocacy - Global - seeks to reflect aspects of agenda-setting on development issues from a global perspective. It also aims to connect with the media process related to women and issues discussed, analyzed and projected from Platform of Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China 1995.

Student: Karen Nava nava@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



19. Environmental Degradation - Ogoniland - communication is a powerful tool to bring about social change. It has a stake in the Ogoni's struggle. Ogoni people, since 1958, have suffered from what Ken Saro-Wiwa called "environmental genocide" and "developmental racism".

Student: Matthew Asare ma349892@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



20. Structural Adjustment Programmes - explores the role communication can play in the implementation of structural adjustment programs (SAPs) recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and sister institution, the World Bank.

Student: Patrick Mwanza pm339692@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



21. Child Prostitution - Thailand - analyzes and discusses the problem of child prostitution and trafficking in terms of the economic, social, political, and cultural reasons that aided in its perpetuation and the current communication actions being taken to address the problem.

Student: Rachna Nanglia rn259192@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



22. Telecommunications - Sub-Saharan Africa - with an urgent call for telecom reforms in the region, some initiatives have been put in place for financial and technical assistance. These are expected to empower sub-Saharan African countries with the ability to apply ICTs to their own socio-economic development.

Student: Raymond Akondo ra249991@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



23. Mass Media Developments - Cuba - examines the policies of the Cuban government regarding control of information and development. The mass media are tightly controlled in Cuba, and most of the data generated about Cuba outside the country is heavily biased.

Student: Rex Jackman rj329692@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



24. Information Transfer - reviews the emerging literature regarding the information society and information transfer, trying to explore the rationale behind them and find out to what degree information transfer can play an important role in development.

Student: Thelma (Xiaodong) Tang xt346492@oak.cats.ohiou.edu

Click here for more details.



**



Use The Communication Initiative web site.



Programmes, Impact Data and Communication Trends

Click here.



Planning Frameworks

Click here.



Change Theories

Click here.



**



The material for this Drum Beat was drafted by students in the School of Communication at The University of Ohio. Many thanks to all those involved, especially to Adam Wolkon and Professor Vibert Cambridge.



This Drum Beat edited by Brooke Hayes