When we hosted MobileActive07 in Brazil last year, this beautiful mobile baby was still in his mother's belly -- Graziela from Avaaz.org who was a MobileActive07 participant.
As we are getting ready for MobileActive08 in Johannesburg, we are happy to report that, in true MobileActive.org fashion, this child (a baby no more) MOVES! We hope to see more of the next generation of MobileActives in South Africa! Register now for MobileActive08 as the spaces (and baby motos) are filling up fast! And congratulations, Mama Graziela!
We are the organizers of MobileActive08 and M4D, and are jointly hoping that our events will advance the exploration of the emerging field of mobile technology for social impact. Both of our events are interdisciplinary and include NGO practitioners, technologists and researchers. Together we will explore how mobile technology can advance work in a wide variety of issue areas such as health, advocacy, livelihoods, environmental protection and citizen media.
In our exploration this week of the social impact of mobiles phones on livelihoods, the GSMA Development Fund has aggregated key research studies from the last few years on the social and economic impact of mobile telephony in developing countries.
There is a growing body of impact studies that indicate the substantial effect that mobile telephony has on the lives and livelihoods of poor people. The GSMA Development Fund compendium (attached for easy download) lists 20 studies conducted between 2005 and early 2008, and cites other, related reseaech in a well-done overview.
We had an overwhelming number of submissons for sessions, talks, and SIMlab and SIMSpace spots and had to make very hard choices. We appreciate the many superb session that were suggested by so many of you and thank you sincerely!
If you are thinking of coming, please register now. MobileActive08 is the largest event to date focused on mobile technology for social development. This global gathering brings together people like you - practitioners, researchers, technologists and donors experienced and interested in the use and application of mobile technology for social impact. Register now!
"However, in order to reap the full benefits from connectivity in a long-lasting manner, underlying issues of policy, affordability and technology need to be addressed," LIRNAsia's Executive Director Rohan Samarajiva and co-editor of the book with Ayesha Zainudeen, told Mobileactive.org in an email interview.
Currently Asia is the fastest growing region in the world in terms of connectivity. Between 1984 and 1993, the Asia Pacific as a region overtook the other regions of the world (mainly due to mobiles), and it continues to grow, he noted.
"The book looks at the recent experiences of some countries in emerging Asia that are improving connectivity.
We welcome to our team two new occasional bloggers from India and Uganda: Frederick Noronha and Esther Nasikye. You will see blog posts and stories from them starting today. Both are experienced in ICT for Development and have a special interest in mobiles for social change. We are looking forward to your contributions, Esther and Frederick, and welcome you to the MobileActive community!
We also say the warmest of Goodbyes to Cory Ramey, who, for the past year, has been an incredible team member, blogger, writer and researcher here at MobileActive. She is returning to graduate school for her Master's in Journalism in New York City. We very much hope she'll stay in touch with an occasional contribution about how mobiles are changing the way we organize ourselves as a people - as a full-fledged reporter! We'll miss you, Cory!
Below are some awards and funding opportunities that we have come across that might be of interest to the MobileActive community. None of the opportunities listed are adinistered by MobileActive; we are just the messenger!
Women in Science Competition Recognising women scientists in sub-Saharan Africa who are "engaged in innovative and pioneering research and communicating the outputs - knowledge, technologies, approaches - for enhancing agricultural performance in sub-Saharan Africa." This competition is also designed for women scientists who are repackaging and communicating existing knowledge to improve the agricultural productivity and livelihoods of rural communities, or who are advocating for policy change to optimise the benefits of scientific and technological developments. Deadline: August 15 2008, more information here.
An overview of the use of mobiles in citizen media.
What is Mobile Citizen Media?
Mobile citizen media has emerged as a powerful form of citizen journalism. While there are many titles for this new form of journalism, such as mobile citizen media, mobile citizen journalism, and mobile reporting, the basic concept is the same: everyday citizens posting news media directly from a mobile phone to the Internet or people’s cell phones and thus, an online public. The media published usually includes stories and information that is neglected by mainstream media organizations.
For the last year there has been quite a bit of talk about mobile phone reporting in Africa. For good reason too, since this lowers the technology barrier to getting stories out of hard-to-reach places. Imagine, all you need to do is find a journalist and equip them with an adequate mobile phone Now you can record interviews in video and audio, take pictures and upload in almost any part of the continent.
At first glance SMS text messages would seem like a natural for inclusion in a community radio station’s essential toolkit. SMS messages are inexpensive and easy-to-use and in recent years the mobile phones that are needed for sending and receiving them have become ubiquitous. However, an informal survey of recent projects indicates that use of SMS messages among community media in the developing world is still at an early stage. In most stations SMS use is informal. The few cases identified of community stations making more complex use of SMS messages have accompanied political crises or natural disasters and have inevitably been donor financed. There are few, if any, experiences of complex uses of SMS by community media without external funding and technical support, even though the financial and technical resources required are minimal.
The news is coming. Or at least that's what Guy Berger titled his Knight News Challenge project, which aims to connect diverse populations in Grahamstown, South Africa to news through mobile phone- based citizen journalism and news delivery. Berger, head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University was recently awarded a Knight News Challenge grant, which funds "digital information innovations that transform community life."
Berger talked with MobileActive about the project. "This is hyperlocal," he said. "It is to expand the town square of Grahamstown in terms of information and opinion flows." The "citizen journalists" will be high school students. In August, Berger's group will conduct workshops with 80 students separated into classes of 20. Each class will have two Saturday workshops about what it means to be a citizen journalist. The students will then submit news stories via SMS.
SANGONeT and MobileActive.org invite you to register now for MobileActive08. MobileActive08 is the only global gathering that is connecting leaders who are working at the convergence of civil society, mobile technology and social change. If you:
have expertise in the field of mobile technology for social development,
are a researcher working on mobile technology for social impact, or
are a mobile service provider with interest in the social market,
MobileActive08 is the largest event to date focused on mobile technology for social development. This global gathering brings together people like you - practitioners, researchers, technologists and donors experienced and interested in the use and application of mobile technology for social impact. Register now!
At MobileActive08 you will explore how mobile phones are effectively used to advance civil society work, assess the current state of knowledge in the use of mobile technology to advance social development, and investigate trends, needs and investment opportunities.
We will cap attendance at 350 people and we expect to fill up quickly, so please register now to ensure your participation. Our partners at SANGONet and we at MobileActive.og look forward to welcoming you to South Africa!
Preparations for MobileActive08 are in full swing! MobileActive08 is all about mobiles for social impact - and submissions for some great sessions on mobiles in health, data collection, humanitarian relief, advocacy, human rights, environmental protection and other areas.
We are still accepting proposals for sessions for MobileActive08 with YOUR ideas for mobiles of social impact until June 30th. MobileActive08 will take place in Johannesburg October 13-15.
If you want to run a workshop, give a talk, showcase your project or product in the SIMplace or SIMlab, submit a proposal! Deadline is June 30th for submission of proposals; general event registration will open AFTER that date.
We've gotten dozens of great proposals from some of the most stellar names in the field. But we want to hear from you! Here is how it works:
MobileActive08 session submissions are looking amazing. We have received suggestions from some of the most interesting people and projects in the field. We are still accepting submissions for workshops, talks, the SIMplace and SIMlab - the deadline for submissions is June 30th. But we are filling up, so please go ahead and submit your sessions!
Dr. Joel Selanikio believes in the value of the news. "It's one of my core beliefs that the more people know, the better decisions people are going to make," he said. Selanikio, the director of DataDyne.org, was recently awarded a Knight News Challenge grant for a project that distributes news on mobile phones.
Selanikio sat down with MobileActive for a discussion about his project. Selanikio isn't new to mobile phones. As director of DataDyne.org, he has used mobile phones for data collection with EpiSurveyor (read more about this in Wireless for Social Change: Trends in NGO Mobile Use.) He is also part of a consortium on mobile data collection, OpenROSA.
SANGONeT and MobileActive.org invite you to contribute your expertise to MobileActive08 that will take place from 13-15 October 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Do you have expertise in the field of mobile technologies for social development?
Are you a researcher with research findings to showcase about mobile technology for social impact?
Are you a mobile service provider with specific products to exhibit that benefit the social market?
If so, we invite you to submit your ideas to be part of MobileActive08!
MobileActive08 is the largest event to date focused on mobile technology for social development. This global gathering brings together practitioners, researchers, technologists, and donors interested in the use and application of mobile technology for social impact. At MobileActive08 participants will explore how mobile phones are effectively used to advance civil society work, assess the current state of knowledge in the use of mobile technology to advance social development, and investigate trends, needs and investment opportunities.
Danny Quah is Head of Department and Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics. I had the pleasure of meeting Danny at the recent release of "Wireless for Social Change: Trends in NGO Mobile Use," in London. This report is an exploration of how mobile technology is changing the way NGOs do their work, and includes case studies of how mobiles are used in social development. Danny had an articulate and cogent critique of our findings. We thought it would be interesting to MobileActive readers to hear his thoughts -- with which I could not agree more -- re-published here with permission.
Guest Blogger Sanjana Hattotuwa from ICT4Peacebuilding is reviewing Frontline SMS, a software that allows you to run an SMS campaign from your computer. It is one of a class of do-it-yourself SMS campaign tools that we have previously reviewed on MobileActive.org. Sanjana took a look at the new release of Frontline SMS and had this to say.
"I’ve written on FrontlineSMS before, so I won’t go into details about what it is and how great a programme I think it is. Ken Banks, the programmer, launched the new version of FrontlineSMS and it’s got a spiffy new website to boot.
Mobile technology is transforming the way advocacy, development and relief organizations accomplish their institutional missions. This is nothing new to readers of MobileActive. Our recent report Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in NGO Mobile Use, released today by the United Nations Foundation and The Vodafone Group Foundation, brings this point home.
Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in NGO Mobile Use was written by Sheila Kinkade (ShareIdeas.org) and Katrin Verclas (MobileActive.org), and commissioned by the United Nations Foundation-Vodafone Group Foundation Technology Partnership. The report examines emerging trends in “mobile activism” by looking at 11 case studies of groups active in the areas of public health, humanitarian assistance and environmental conservation.
Ben Rigby imagines people sitting in airports during a layover, using their mobile phones to do something for a cause. Using an application called Volunteer Now!, potential volunteers could instantly be connected with short-term "mini" volunteer opportunities near their present location. "We could utilize people's spare time to do good in the world," he said. "There's no method right now for that kind of thing, but there should be."
The application doesn't exist yet -- it's still in the planning stages -- but Rigby told MobileActive that the Google Android Developer Challenge deadline has been a motivating factor for the project and that he plans to submit a draft of the application for the competition's April 14th deadline. Volunteer Now!
