Using the web to stimulate & sustain community initiatives

Introducing Participatory Web 2.0

Creative Commons Share AlikeDerek Moore http://www.weblearning.co.za

The Internet, as a many-to-many medium is radically altering the way

that we create, share, collaborate and publish.

Africans are not just media consumers

Africans are starting to produce media

Participatory Development

http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/14563IIED.pdf

Web 2.0 in Africa

Web 2.0 in Agriculture

Launch WebsiteAn eight minute Business Africa/CTA video production documenting actual cases on the use of Web 2.0 applications in the development sector, specifically among farmers in Africa.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-2469769595078354835#

BROSDI

Agriculture

Launch WebsiteBusoga Rural Open Source & Development Initiative (Brosdi) is an not for profit organization that works with government and the civil society in improving rural livelihoods. This is through the use of ICT and open development mediums that include effective knowledge sharing, information management and use of FOSS in rural settings.See http://brosdi.or.ug/

WikiForets

Environment

Launch WebsiteWikiforets is a dictionary and encyclopaedia that brings French speaking Africans together to share their knowledge of the indigenous forests in West and Central Africa.http://www.wikiforets.org/

HIV911

Health

Launch WebsiteHIV-911 is a national referral network of HIV/AIDS-related service providers across South Africa. HIV-911 focuses on giving you hope and connection in a time of need, and enabling like-minded organisations working in the sector to network with ease.http://www.hiv911.org.za/

Inzwa

Social Justice

Interactive voice service Inzwa is a project of an Kubatana, an online community for Zimbabwean activists. http://www.kubatana.net/html/archive/archinzwa_index.asp

Voices of Africa

Citizen Journalism

Launch WebsiteVoices of Africa aims to empower African men and women with limited media experience to pursue a career as community reporter. They train reporters to use the mobile phone to create objective news about their own communities. http://voicesofafrica.africanews.com/

BrandMonday

Customer Service

Launch WebsiteBrandMonday started out as a campaign to promote customer service in Cape Town. It is now becoming a South African campaign on brand reputation - ground up! Via Twitter.

http://www.brandmonday.biz/

Creating an Architecture of Participation

Participatory developmentParticipatory development is the process through which people, including the poor or the marginalized, shape projects, programmes and policies that affect their lives. (IDS)

Definition

Participatory communication modes

Monologic Dialogic

Participatory Web 2.0Participatory Web 2.0 for Development is a way of employing web services, in order to improve information sharing and collaborative production of content in the context of development work. (WikiPedia)

Definition

Passive participation

Primary stakeholders of a project participate by being informed about what is going to happen or has already happened.

Online, participation is illusive

According to Jacob Nielsen, participation often more or less follows a 90-9-1 rule: 90% of users are lurkers. 9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time. 1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html

Participation by consultation

Outside researchers or experts consult with stakeholders because they think something tangible and worthwhile will come out of it

Information literacy is required for online participation

Research suggests that a “barrier to the efficient utilisation of ICT in developing countries is the relatively low level of information literacy.” Information literacy skills are vital if developing countries are to make the best use of ICT for development initiatives

INFORMATION LITERACY IN KENYA - http://www.ejisdc.org/ojs2/index.php/ejisdc/article/viewFile/613/296

Participation by collaboration

Groups of primary stakeholders participate in the discussion and analysis of predetermined objectives set by the project.

Conditions required for collaboration

James Surowiecki suggests that if four basic conditions are met, a crowd's "collective intelligence" will produce better outcomes than a small group of experts. “

James Surowiecki – Wisdom of the Crowds

Empowerment participation

Primary stakeholders are capable and willing to initiate the process and take part in the analysis. These abilities lead to joint decision making about what should be achieved and how.

Empowerment participation

Participation by stake holders is technology-mediated. Social networking tools and media are employed by stakeholders in decision-making and resource development

Can the web be used for participatory development?

Information Conversation

Which route?

Passive EmpowermentConsultative Collaborative

It is not necessary that everybody participate, but it is crucial that everybody has the opportunity to participate;

Mefalopulos , P. (2009) Dialogic Approaches to Development: Beyond Media and Messages

Which route?

Passive EmpowermentConsultative Collaborative

Decisions shaping the design and implementation of the initiative should be made through a joint process

Mefalopulos , P. (2009) Dialogic Approaches to Development: Beyond Media and Messages

Which route?

Passive EmpowermentConsultative Collaborative

Communication should not be used simply, or mostly, to transmit information, but rather to generate new knowledge in a problem-solving mode

Mefalopulos , P. (2009) Dialogic Approaches to Development: Beyond Media and Messages

Which route?

Passive EmpowermentConsultative Collaborative

Change can only occur through people’s active involvement

Mefalopulos , P. (2009) Dialogic Approaches to Development: Beyond Media and Messages

1) Blogs, Microblogs2) Social Networks3) Social Bookmarking4) Podcasts 5) Feeds6) Mash-ups7) SMS, Mobile

What tools?

How do we travel?

Keep it Simple Be ModularOffer value Start Small

READY TO HOP ON?Prepared for Farmer Support Group by Derek Moore

CreditsSources • Mefalopulos , P. (2009) Dialogic Approaches to Development: Beyond Media and Messages

http://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/publicsphere/dialogic-approaches-development-beyond-media-and-messages

• IDS (2006) Higher Education and Participatory Development http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/template2/apeid/Conference/11thConference/docs/HE_and_Participatory_Development.pdf

• International Institute for Environment and Development (2009) Participatory Learning and Action http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/14563IIED.pdf

• Tufte, T & Mefalopulos, P. (2009) Participatory Communication, a practical guide http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTDEVCOMMENG/Resources/Participatorycommunication.pdf

• Web 2.0 for development http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web2fordev

Advice and Comments• David Ferguson (http://www.daveswhiteboard.com/)• Steve Flowers (http://twitter.com/xpconcept)• Kishyr Ramdial (http://kishyr.ramdial.co.za/)

Image Credits• Internet Taxi http://www.flickr.com/photos/zerihoun/229955045/• Two Hands http://www.iied.org/pubs/pdfs/14563IIED.pdf• Bulk SMS

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/3852330334/• Drip Tech http://www.flickr.com/photos/angelinux/2775117345/• Bar Graph http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshhough/788672384/• Radio Production |

http://www.flickr.com/photos/internews/3366553386/• Dell Computer http://www.flickr.com/photos/thaths/1665410518/• Satellite Dishes | http://www.flickr.com/photos/rytc/3237534938/• Arrow http://www.flickr.com/photos/b-tal/116220689/• Radio - http://www.flickr.com/photos/quareba/131908540/• TV - http://www.flickr.com/photos/brookebocast/171623512/• Dell Computer http://www.flickr.com/photos/thaths/1665410518/• Mobile phone

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whiteafrican/2736560904/• Street signs http://www.flickr.com/photos/tekmagika/491754641/• Street signs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/--stromberg--/2312262654/• Namibian Road | http://www.flickr.com/photos/coda/186602534/• CEAD Photographs http://www.cead.org.za