communities

Basic Black: Ebola and Race | Policing Communities of Color

October 10, 2014 This week on Basic Black: perceptions and realities on two fronts. First, we take a look at Ebola and race. With the death of Thomas Duncan attention has focused even more closely on his initial and subsequent contact with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas; although Mr. Duncan received round-the-clock care once admitted to the hospital, his case has raised questions about the relationship of communities of color, the poor, and the uninsured to the US health care system. Also, the ACLU of Massachusetts released a report charging the Boston Police Department with racial bias, a charge the Department vigorously rejects, pointing to advances made in the last few years under the leadership of Commissioner William Evans. But beyond the report, which only uses data from 2007-2010, how should we look at Boston's policing of communities of color in the context of the national conversation that sprung from events in Ferguson?

Panelists: - Latoyia Edwards, Anchor, New England Cable News - Kim McLarin, Assistant Professor of Writing, Emerson College - Phillip Martin, Senior Reporter, WGBH News - Peniel Joseph, Professor of History, Tufts University - Yawu Miller, Senior Editor, Bay State Banner
Photo: Licensed clinician Roseda Marshall, of Liberia, disrobes after a simulated training session on Monday, Oct. 6, 2014, in Anniston, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)




communities

Native approaches to fire management could revitalize communities




communities

Constrafor Launches Disaster Relief Effort for Hurricane-Affected Communities

Constrafor is stepping up to support local contractors across Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia with a comprehensive Disaster Relief Effort. This initiative, in conjunction with their Early Pay Program (EPP), aims to provide immediate financial support to contractors, enabling them to overcome delays, secure materials, and ensure timely payment for their teams.




communities

Language rights, participation, security and access to justice fundamental to welfare of communities in Kosovo, says High Commissioner Thors

During her visit to Kosovo from 7 to 10 June 2016, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors focused on education, implementation of the framework of language rights and access to justice.

The High Commissioner continues to urge for the adoption of the Strategy for the Protection and Promotion of Language Rights, contending that it will make the implementation of legislation more efficient and improve the quality and the consistency of different language versions of legal acts. “When in place, the strategy will lead to positive results quickly,” said Thors.

The visit included Prishtinë/Priština, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, Prizren, Janjevë/Janjevo and Gračanica/Gracanicë where Thors met with ministers, local authorities, media representatives, judges, university professors and students, as well as representatives of the international community. The High Commissioner was joined in several meetings by the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Jean-Claude Schlumberger.

Thors commended the recent adoption of an administrative instruction of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, which will make it easier for members of non-majority communities to pursue studies at universities in Kosovo as it, among others issues, improves the functioning of the existing quota system.

Whilst visiting the University of Prizren, the High Commissioner expressed concern that courses taught in Turkish and Bosnian have not yet received official accreditation for the next academic year. Such courses cater to the fundamental needs of non-majority communities in Kosovo. “I encourage relevant authorities to take urgent measures so that these options remain available also the next academic year,” said Thors.

High Commissioner Thors discussed extensively with a number of stakeholders the prospective establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities as well as ways to overcome the current stalemate in the process. She heard views on the need to respect the relevant legal framework but also to meet the expectations of concerned communities, in north Kosovo as elsewhere. Thors also noted the concerns expressed by Serbs living outside Serb majority municipalities, as well as non-Serb non-majority communities, who fear they will not benefit from the process.

In several meetings Thors pointed to the need to improve access to justice for all non-majority communities, to thoroughly follow up on crimes targeting them, as well as to fully enforce their property rights. “When such crimes are investigated and prosecuted, it sends a powerful and reassuring message to non-majority communities that their rights will be effectively protected by the authorities.”

On the last day of her visit, Thors attended a class of Serbian language instruction for Kosovo Albanian officials from the municipality of Prishtinë/Priština, part of a flagship partnership project on language acquisition by municipal officials sponsored by the Office of the Language Commissioner and the HCNM, with German funding, and implemented by the ECMI Kosovo.

The visit served to underline the importance attached by the High Commissioner to language learning as a key building block for integrated societies: “Speaking more than one language is beneficial, both for the person who speaks them and for society as a whole; it is even more important for local government officials, who regularly engage with members of public, to be able to communicate with every person in their community.”

Related Stories



  • High Commissioner on National Minorities
  • Conflict prevention and resolution
  • Minority rights
  • South-Eastern Europe
  • News

communities

Language rights, participation, security and access to justice fundamental to welfare of communities in Kosovo, says High Commissioner Thors

During her visit to Kosovo from 7 to 10 June 2016, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Astrid Thors focused on education, implementation of the framework of language rights and access to justice.

The High Commissioner continues to urge for the adoption of the Strategy for the Protection and Promotion of Language Rights, contending that it will make the implementation of legislation more efficient and improve the quality and the consistency of different language versions of legal acts. “When in place, the strategy will lead to positive results quickly,” said Thors.

The visit included Prishtinë/Priština, Mitrovicë/Mitrovica, Prizren, Janjevë/Janjevo and Gračanica/Gracanicë where Thors met with ministers, local authorities, media representatives, judges, university professors and students, as well as representatives of the international community. The High Commissioner was joined in several meetings by the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo Jean-Claude Schlumberger.

Thors commended the recent adoption of an administrative instruction of the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, which will make it easier for members of non-majority communities to pursue studies at universities in Kosovo as it, among others issues, improves the functioning of the existing quota system.

Whilst visiting the University of Prizren, the High Commissioner expressed concern that courses taught in Turkish and Bosnian have not yet received official accreditation for the next academic year. Such courses cater to the fundamental needs of non-majority communities in Kosovo. “I encourage relevant authorities to take urgent measures so that these options remain available also the next academic year,” said Thors.

High Commissioner Thors discussed extensively with a number of stakeholders the prospective establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities as well as ways to overcome the current stalemate in the process. She heard views on the need to respect the relevant legal framework but also to meet the expectations of concerned communities, in north Kosovo as elsewhere. Thors also noted the concerns expressed by Serbs living outside Serb majority municipalities, as well as non-Serb non-majority communities, who fear they will not benefit from the process.

In several meetings Thors pointed to the need to improve access to justice for all non-majority communities, to thoroughly follow up on crimes targeting them, as well as to fully enforce their property rights. “When such crimes are investigated and prosecuted, it sends a powerful and reassuring message to non-majority communities that their rights will be effectively protected by the authorities.”

On the last day of her visit, Thors attended a class of Serbian language instruction for Kosovo Albanian officials from the municipality of Prishtinë/Priština, part of a flagship partnership project on language acquisition by municipal officials sponsored by the Office of the Language Commissioner and the HCNM, with German funding, and implemented by the ECMI Kosovo.

The visit served to underline the importance attached by the High Commissioner to language learning as a key building block for integrated societies: “Speaking more than one language is beneficial, both for the person who speaks them and for society as a whole; it is even more important for local government officials, who regularly engage with members of public, to be able to communicate with every person in their community.”

Related Stories



  • High Commissioner on National Minorities
  • Conflict prevention and resolution
  • Minority rights
  • South-Eastern Europe
  • News

communities

Trump plans to shift school funding control to local communities, has yet to pick DOE secretary

President-elect Trump plans to "disband" or cut the Department of Education's power, likely through "block granting" to shift school control and funding to local communities, says an expert.



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communities

Google.org awards USD 1 mn grant to Karya to boost ai-based economic opportunities for low-income communities




communities

Nagamohan Das to head panel to suggest internal reservation among SC communities




communities

Natural attenuation of spilled crude oil by cold-adapted soil bacterial communities at a decommissioned High Arctic oil well site

Ferguson, D K; Li, C; Jiang, C; Chakraborty, A; Grasby, S E; Hubert, C R J. Science of the Total Environment vol. 722, 137258, 2020 p. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137258
<a href="https://geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca/images/geoscan/20190541.jpg"><img src="https://geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca/images/geoscan/20190541.jpg" title="Science of the Total Environment vol. 722, 137258, 2020 p. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137258" height="150" border="1" /></a>




communities

Amazon supports communities impacted by flash flooding in south-eastern Spain

In the wake of the devastating floods in Spain, Amazon mobilized resources to support impacted communities across Valencia, Andalucia, and other eastern and southern parts of the country.




communities

Spreading the gospel in Muslim communities

OM MENA Travelling Team (MTT) spent 26 days distributing more than 10,000 gospel tracts and spreading Scripture throughout a Muslim-majority country.




communities

When Big And Small Business Pay It Forward, Communities Thrive

Koch wanted to give back in the most meaningful and valuable way he and his team could. Ten years ago, the company started the Sam Adams Brewing the American Dream (BTAD) program to mentor and provide funding to food, beverage and hospitality startups. Many of these companies are founded by African American women, including Jessica Spalding of Harlem Chocolate Factory.  During the past 20 years, African-American women’s rate of starting businesses was 605% versus 44% for all businesses, according to The 2017 State of Women-Owned Businesses* commissioned by American Express.

complete article




communities

12 Resources and Communities Entrepreneurs Should Follow for Industry Insight and Tips

Staying tuned in to the pulse of your industry is key to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Public groups, online forums and the like are among the most valuable resources for gathering and contributing industry information. But if someone is looking for in-depth insight into their business niche, locating the right groups where this discussion occurs is the first step. T




communities

Clickvibes Launches Mobile Apps, Bringing Nigerian Communities Closer

Exciting news for Nigerian socializers. Clickvibes, the popular online community platform, has just launched its official mobile apps for iOS and Android. This means you can now connect, engage, and share ideas with your communities anytime, anywhere. What this means for you: Stay connected on the go: Never miss a beat with instant notifications on discussions, comments, and messages. Personalized feed: Discover content [PR.com]




communities

Bluesky and AI4Communities

Mathew Lowry, Medium, Nov 13, 2024

This post deserves a look if only for its cracking good diagram illustrating the difference between the ActivityPub protocol (used by Mastodon and others) and the ATmosphere protocol (used by Bluesky). View it here. Essentially the difference is that the AT protocol disaggregates posting and applications, which (in theory) means that a viral post won't cause your 'instance' to crash (presumably because the post is being cached by the applications?). However "Bluesky's openness means there will not be separate villages, nor private groups for collaboration." 

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]




communities

Beyond Coursework: Developing Communities in an Online Program of Study

The nexus between paid work and study is important. Developing opportunities to facilitate this link is a key part of good course design especially in postgraduate programs. Strong communities of practice can also assist with improving links between research and practice. The online study environment affords some challenges to achieving these goals. The current study proposes that offering formalised interaction points— synchronous or asynchronous— during online study, is critical to facilitating the link between work and study. Twenty-five graduates of a postgraduate program were interviewed to explore their experiences of an online program of study. Three key themes emerged and are described in this paper: engaging with study, building a new framework for my practice, and implementing changes to my practice. Online learning programs need to embed opportunities for interaction that are meaningful and allow for development of ideas and discussion, aiming to take learning beyond the program of study.




communities

MOOC Appropriation and Agency in Face-to-Face Learning Communities

Aim/Purpose: The emergence of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has fostered the creation of co-located learning communities; however, there is limited research on the types of interactions unfolding in these spaces. Background: This study explores Peer 2 Peer University’s Learning Circles, a project that allows individuals to take MOOCs together at the library. I investigated the patterns that emerged from the interactions between facilitators, learners, course materials, and digital media in the pilot round of these Learning Circles. Methodology: This study employs an ethnography of hybrid spaces (online/offline participant observations, in-depth interviews, and artifact collection) of face-to-face study groups taking place at library branches in a Midwest metropolitan area. Data analysis employs the constant comparison method. Contribution: Interactions taking place in the Learning Circles increased individuals’ agency as learners and subverted the MOOC model through processes of technological appropriation. Findings: The findings reveal that interactions within Learning Circles created a dynamic negotiation of roles, produced tension points, enabled a distributed model of knowledge, and structured study routines. The pilot round of Learning Circles attracted diverse participants beyond the typical digitally literate MOOC student. Many of them had no previous experience taking online courses and, in some cases, no Internet connection at home. This paper argues that Learning Circles favored the appropriation of artifacts (technologies) and increased participants’ agency as learners in the Internet age. Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners can use the Learning Circles model to benefit disenfranchised individuals by providing them with access to materials resources and a network of peers that can help increase their agency as learners. Recommendation for Researchers: This study suggests that it is fundamental to pay attention to learning initiatives that are unfolding outside the scope of traditional and formal education. Impact on Society: Open educational resources and public libraries are opening new pathways for learning beyond traditional higher education institutions. Future Research: Future research can explore how the learning circles are adapted in cultural contexts outside the United States.




communities

Educational Continuity in Emergencies: The Role of Offline Digital Libraries in Under-Connected Communities

Aim/Purpose: This article explores the critical need for adaptable educational models in times of crisis, focusing on strategies to overcome infrastructural and digital inequalities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: By examining a case study of an offline digital library project implemented in South Sudan, this paper seeks to examine the impact of an offline digital educational solution for low-resource and crisis situations. Methodology: The authors utilize a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative interviews and quantitative data analysis, to evaluate the use and impact of the SolarSPELL Initiative’s offline digital libraries in South Sudan. Contribution: This study contributes to our understanding of digital and information literacy within crisis contexts, highlighting the vital role of localized, offline content. Findings: The findings demonstrate that offline digital solutions can effectively mitigate educational disruptions by providing an accessible means to continue education during emergencies. Recommendations for Practitioners: Recommendations for practitioners include the adoption of robust offline digital learning solutions to promote educational continuity. Recommendation for Researchers: The authors recommend that researchers continue investigating the potential of offline digital educational solutions for low-resource and crisis situations. Impact on Society: Ultimately, this article finds that offline digital libraries, when paired with skill-building, are a viable means to lessen digital disparities and promote educational continuity in times of crisis and beyond. Future Research: The study suggests further exploration into the long-term impacts of such interventions on learning outcomes.




communities

Location-Oriented Knowledge Management in a Tourism Context: Connecting Virtual Communities to Physical Locations




communities

The Importance of Partnerships: The Relationship between Small Businesses, ICT and Local Communities




communities

Evaluating ICT Provision in Selected Communities in South Africa




communities

Extending Learning to Interacting with Multiple Participants in Multiple Web 2.0 Learning Communities




communities

Towards a Typology of Virtual Communities of Practice




communities

Factors Affecting Re-usage Intentions of Virtual Communities Supporting Cosmetic Products

Aim/Purpose: This study uses a cosmetic virtual community (VC) as the research context and the UTAUT model as the theoretical structure aim to explore factors affecting the re-usage intentions of VC members. Background: The Internet use rate of VC was up to 50%, thereby implying that VC gained the attention of Internet users. Therefore, operating a VC will be an effective way to communicate with customers. However, to maintain an existing member is more efficient than creating a new one. As such, understanding determinants of VC members’ re-use intentions becomes important for firms. Methodology: Through an online survey, 276 valid responses were gathered. The collected data were examined by performing confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling procedures, as well as the moderator analysis. Contribution: This study shows the importance in the context of online cosmetics-related VC, which was rarely explored before. We provide issues for future research, despite the accumulated academic literature related to UTAUT and VC. Findings: Results show that only performance expectancy and social influence significantly affecting re-usage intentions and only gender has moderating effects on the path from performance expectancy to VC re-use intention and from trust to VC re-use intention. Recommendations for Practitioners : This study found that users emphasized performance expectancy most of all. A cosmetic product-related VC should introduce products abundantly, offer useful information, and help people accomplish tasks quickly and productively. Recommendation for Researchers: Future researchers may use our findings to conduct further positivist research in the area of social influence using different subjects and research contexts.




communities

Consumer Engagement in Online Brand Communities: Community Values, Brand Symbolism and Social Strategies

Aim/Purpose: This study examines the kind of community value companies should provide when strengthening the relationship between customers and brands through the establishment of an online brand community, and how this kind of community value promotes customers’ sense of community engagement and willingness to spread brand reputation. The paper also discusses how an enterprise’s brand symbolism affects the relationship between community value and customers’ engagement in online brand community. This study explored the important role of brand symbolism in the establishment of an online brand community. Background: Many companies want to create online brand communities to strengthen their relationships with consumers as well as to provide better service and value to consumers, for example, Huawei’s Huafen community (club.huawei.com), Apple’s support community (support.apple.com/zh-cn), and Samsung’s Galaxy community (samsungmembers.cn). However, these brand communities may have different interests and consumer engagement about the kind of community value to offer to their customers. Methodology: This study uses data collection from questionnaire surveys to design a quantitative research method. An online questionnaire survey of mobile phone users in China was conducted to collect data on social value, cognitive value, brand symbolism, customer community engagement, and brand recommendation. The brands of mobile phone include Apple, Huawei, Samsung, OPPO, VIVO, MI, and Meizu. The researcher purchased a sample service of WJX, an online survey company (www.wjx.cn), and WJX company distributed the questionnaire to research participants. The WJX company randomly selected 240 subjects from their sample database and then sent the questionnaire link to research participants’ mobile phones. Among the 240 research participants, the researcher excluded participants who lacked online brand community experience or had invalid data to qualify for data collection. After the researcher excluded participants who did not qualify for data collection, only 203 qualified questionnaire surveys advanced to the data collection and analysis phase, which was the questionnaire recovery rate of 84.58%. For the model analysis and hypotheses testing, the researcher used statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics and AMOS 21 and Smartpls3. Contribution: This study deepens the body of literature knowledge by combining online brand community value and brand symbolic value to explore issues that companies should consider when establishing an online brand community for their products and services. This study confirms that brands with high symbolic value establish communities and strengthen social values in the online brand community rather than reducing brand symbolism. Online brand community involves a horizontal interaction (peer interaction) among peers, which can have an effect on the symbolic value of brand (social distance). Findings: First, online brand community value (both cognitive and social value) has a positive impact on customer community engagement. Second, customer community engagement has a positive impact on customers’ brand recommend intention. Third, the customer community engagement is a mediator between the online brand community value and the customer brand recommend intention. Most importantly, fourth, the symbolic value of the brand controls the relationship between community value and customer community engagement. For brands with high symbolic value, the community value should emphasize cognitive value rather than social value. For brands with a low symbolic value, the community provides cognitive or social value, which is not affected by the symbolism of the brand. Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners can share best practices with the corporate sectors. Brand owners can work with researchers to explore the characteristics of their online brand communities. On this basis, brand owners and researchers can jointly build and manage online brand communities. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers can explore different perspectives and factors of brand symbolism that involve brand owners when establishing an online brand community to advance consumer engagement, community value, and brand symbolism. Impact on Society: Online brand community is relevant for brand owners to establish brand symbolism, community value, and customer engagement. Readers of this paper can gain an understanding that cognitive and social values are two important drivers of individual participation in online brand communities. The discussion of these two factors can give readers and brand owners the perception to gain more understanding on social and behavior activities in online brand communities. Future Research: Practitioners and researchers could follow-up in the future with a study to provide more understanding and updated research information from different perspectives of research samples and hypotheses on online brand community.




communities

The Challenge of Evaluating Virtual Communities of Practice: A Systematic Mapping Study

Aim/Purpose: This paper presents a study of Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP) evaluation methods that aims to identify their current status and impact on knowledge sharing. The purposes of the study are as follows: (i) to identify trends and research gaps in VCoP evaluation methods; and, (ii) to assist researchers to position new research activities in this domain. Background: VCoP have become a popular knowledge sharing mechanism for both individuals and organizations. Their evaluation process is complex; however, it is recognized as an essential means to provide evidences of community effectiveness. Moreover, VCoP have introduced additional features to face to face Communities of Practice (CoP) that need to be taken into account in evaluation processes, such as geographical dispersion. The fact that VCoP rely on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to execute their practices as well as storing artifacts virtually makes more consistent data analysis possible; thus, the evaluation process can apply automatic data gathering and analysis. Methodology: A systematic mapping study, based on five research questions, was carried out in order to analyze existing studies about VCoP evaluation methods and frameworks. The mapping included searching five research databases resulting in the selection of 1,417 papers over which a formal analysis process was applied. This process led to the preliminary selection of 39 primary studies for complete reading. After reading them, we select 28 relevant primary studies from which data was extracted and synthesized to answer the proposed research questions. Contribution: The authors of the primary studies analyzed along this systematic mapping propose a set of methods and strategies for evaluating VCoP, such as frameworks, processes and maturity models. Our main contribution is the identification of some research gaps present in the body of studies, in order to stimulate projects that can improve VCoP evaluation methods and support its important role in social learning. Findings: The systematic mapping led to the conclusion that most of the approaches for VCoP evaluation do not consider the combination of data structured and unstructured metrics. In addition, there is a lack of guidelines to support community operators’ actions based on evaluation metrics.




communities

Learning to (Co)Evolve: A Conceptual Review and Typology of Network Design in Global Health Virtual Communities of Practice

Aim/Purpose: This conceptual review analyzes the designs of global health virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) programming reported in the empirical literature and proposes a new typology of their functioning. The purpose of this review is to provide clarity on VCoP learning stages of (co)evolution and insight into VCoP (re)development efforts to best meet member, organization, and network needs against an ever-evolving landscape of complexity in global health. Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of global health has seen an uptick in the use of VCoPs to support continuous learning and improve health outcomes. However, evidence of how different combinations of programmatic designs impact opportunities for learning and development is lacking, and how VCoPs evolve as learning networks has yet to be explored. Methodology: Following an extensive search for literature in six databases, thematic analysis was conducted on 13 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. This led to the development and discussion of a new typology of VCoP phases of learning (co)evolution. Contribution: Knowledge gained from this review and the new categorization of VCoPs can support the functioning and evaluation of global health training programs. It can also provide a foundation for future research on how VCoPs influence the culture of learning organizations and networks. Findings: Synthesis of findings resulted in the categorization of global health VCoPs into five stages (slightly evolving, somewhat revolving, moderately revolving, highly revolving, and coevolving) across four design domains (network development, general member engagement before/after sessions, general member engagement during sessions, and session leadership). All global health VCoPs reviewed showed signs of adaptation and recommended future evolution. Recommendations for Practitioners: VCoP practitioners should pay close attention to how the structured flexibility of partnerships, design, and relationship development/accountability may promote or hinder VcoP’s continued evolution. Practitioners should shift perspective from short to mid- and long-term VCoP planning. Recommendation for Researchers: The new typology can stimulate further research to strengthen the clarity of language and findings related to VCoP functioning. Impact on Society: VCoPs are utilized by academic institutions, the private sector, non-profit organizations, the government, and other entities to fill gaps in adult learning at scale. The contextual implementation of findings from this study may impact VCoP design and drive improvements in opportunities for learning, global health, and well-being. Future Research: Moving forward, future research could explore how VCoP evaluations relate to different stages of learning, consider evaluation stages across the totality of VCoP programming design, and explore how best to capture VCoP (long-term) impact attributed to health outcomes and the culture of learning organizations and networks.




communities

Children's Participation Patterns in Online Communities:




communities

Closing the Digital Divide in Low-Income Urban Communities: A Domestication Approach

Aim/Purpose: Significant urban digital divide exists in Nairobi County where low income households lack digital literacy skills and do not have access to the internet. The study was undertaken as an intervention, designed to close the digital divide among low income households in Nairobi by introducing internet access using the domestication framework. Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have the potential to help reduce social inequality and have been hailed as critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs). Skills in use of ICTs have also become a prerequisite for almost all forms of employment and in accessing government services, hence, the need for digital inclusion for all. Methodology: In this research study, I employed a mixed methods approach to investigate the problem. This was achieved through a preliminary survey to collect data on the existence of urban digital divide in Nairobi and a contextual analysis of the internet domestication process among the eighteen selected case studies. Contribution: While there have been many studies on digital divide between Africa and the rest of the world, within the African continent, among genders and between rural and urban areas at national levels, there are few studies exploring urban digital divide and especially among the marginalized communities living in the low-income urban areas. Findings: Successful domestication of internet and related technologies was achieved among the selected households, and the households appreciated the benefits of having and using the internet for the first time. A number of factors that impede use of internet among the marginalized communities in Nairobi were also identified. Recommendations for Practitioners: In the study, I found that use of differentiated costs internet services targeting specific demographic groups is possible and that use of such a service could help the marginalized urban communities’ access the internet. Therefore, ISPs should offer special internet access packages for the low-income households. Recommendation for Researchers: In this research study, I found that the urban digital divide in Nairobi is an indication of social economic development problems. Therefore, researchers should carryout studies involving multipronged strategies to address the growing digital divide among the marginalized urban communities. Impact on Society: The absence of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) inclusion policy is a huge setback to the achievement of the SDGs in Kenya. Digital inclusion policies prioritizing digital literacy training, universal internet access and to elucidate the social-economic benefits of internet access for all Kenyans should be developed. Future Research: Future studies should explore ways of providing affordable mass internet access solutions among the residents of low-income communities and in eliminating the persistence urban digital divide in Kenya.




communities

VIBRANT: New virtual research communities to create and share data on biodiversity

Data sharing tools developed by an EU project are helping scientists worldwide understand more about the planet’s millions of species. A new article published on CORDIS and DAE looks into the benefits of the FP7 funded project VIBRANT.

One of the biggest challenges facing natural history experts is how to classify and share the mass of data constantly being collected on the Earth’s millions of species.

The three-year VIBRANT project developed a network of online scientific communities collecting data on biodiversity and equipped them with the tools for sharing and publishing their data. Through these activities the project contributed to reducing the fragmentation of efforts aiming to develop biodiversity informatics systems and software.
Based on Scratchpads, an open-source and free to use online platform, VIBRANT has helped create hundreds of new online communities.

The communities are linked together online and feed their data into the most important international biodiversity databases. VIBRANT helps users prepare papers for publication, build bibliographic databases and create reference collections of images and observations. A tool for rapid geospatial analysis of species distributions, a citizen-science marine monitoring platform as well as a biodiversity data analysis framework are also part of the ecosystem of services developed by VIBRANT.

ANTS TO BATS, LOBSTERS TO WHALES

VIBRANT has grown the number of user communities from around 100 under EDIT, an earlier EU project, to over 580 today. Some 6 500 active users are investigating an enormous range of species, at global scale. One site alone on stick insects (phasmids) has over 1 000 users, revealing the large community of people interested in culturing phasmid species.

‘My taxonomic background is in parasitic lice, of which there are about 5 000 particular species that live on about 5 000 mammals and 10 000 birds. Fighting to study that group, I found it enormously difficult to manage all this information,’ explained VIBRANT coordinator Dr Vince Smith, of London’s Natural History Museum.
Using the Scratchpads template, professional and amateur scientists, wherever they are based in the world, create their own subject-specific websites hosted at the museum.

They share their data by publishing it online, while retaining ownership over it and respecting the terms and conditions of the network set up by VIBRANT.
Scratchpads also provides ready access to a range of analytical tools, identification keys and databases that have been developed or enhanced throughout the project.
VIBRANT has also set up a novel, community peer-reviewed, open-access journal, the Biodiversity Data Journal (BDJ). Scratchpads users can input their research into a template which then makes it possible for them to produce a specific paper, publishing it internationally, online, in the BDJ and crediting them for the research. This is made possible via the development of the Pensoft Writing Tool (PWT), which is a leading example of the next generation of scholarly publishing. The PWT is acting as an integrated authoring, peer-review publishing and online collaborative platform which links the Scratchpads to the BDJ.

BIG DATA IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION EFFORT

VIBRANT helps all researchers to easily share and link their data with major biodiversity repositories. For example, the Scratchpads collaborate with GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility), PESI (the EU’s Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure), the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the online collaborative Encyclopedia of Life, which is aiming to document all the planet’s 1.9 million known living species.

Dr Thomas Couvreur in Cameroon is maintaining a Scratchpads community on African palms and the tropical plant family Annonaceae. ‘They provide a professional platform for collaboration between my colleagues around the world, allowing us to share resources such as photos of species, datasets, bibliography and general information,’ he commented. Another coordinator, Eli Sarnat, in California, USA, has one on ants: ‘The platform has solved a big challenge for me: what biodiversity data I should be recording and how I should be recording it.’

The VIBRANT project ran from December 2010 to November 2013. It involved 17 partners from 9 countries, led by the Natural History Museum, London, and received FP7 funding of 4.75 million euros.




communities

Salinity is the major factor influencing the sediment bacterial communities in a Mediterranean lagoonal complex (Amvrakikos Gulf, Ionian Sea)





communities

For Greener Communities, Local Leaders Should Think Big — and Small

In towns and smaller cities nationwide, local governments are looking for ways to implement greener operations and promote sustainability initiatives that will benefit their communities in a changing climate. But faced with finite resources and an urgent need to act, where should these municipal leaders start?




communities

Civil society leaders to play ‘leading role’ as communities respond to racist riots

Voluntary sector leaders say they share the sector’s ‘shock and horror’ at the violent scenes across the country




communities

Insights Report: Busting Myths and Building Communities

The Avetta "Insights" report takes real-world data from active company programs to share learnings with the industry and empower global risk leaders to make better-informed decisions and create a safer, more sustainable world.




communities

EPA says new rule will protect chemical facilities and communities

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to “improve safety at facilities that use and distribute hazardous chemicals,” as well as protect nearby communities, via a final rule.




communities

Placemaking with children and youth: participatory practices for planning sustainable communities: by Victoria Derr, Louise Chawla, and Mara Mintzer, New York: New Village Press, 2018, pp. 365. ISBN 9781613321003.

Children's Geographies; 02/01/2022
(AN 154441561); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier






communities

Childhood(s) through time: an intergenerational lens on flexible narratives of childhood in Irish coastal communities.

Children's Geographies; 02/01/2023
(AN 163249009); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier







communities

Diagnosing communities’ childcare friendliness: case studies of two South Korean cities.

Children's Geographies; 09/03/2024
(AN 179347240); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier




communities

Child-Friendly Cities and Communities: opportunities and challenges.

Children's Geographies; 10/01/2024
(AN 180134751); ISSN: 14733285
Academic Search Premier




communities

Paper Excellence Group Donates $100,000 to Local Communities Impacted by Hurricane Helene







communities

Basic Black: Gun Control and Communities of Color

February 1, 2013

As 2013 begins the national debate on gun control is in high gear. Advocates from all sides have descended on Washington, DC to sway a divided Congress to their side. But the action isn't limited to the halls of Congress; the persistent issue of gun control is also being debated in local communities across the country. And for communities historically battered by gun violence, the conversation takes on an increased intensity.


Our panel this week:
- Latoyia Edwards, anchor, New England Cable News
- Kim McLarin, assistant professor of writing, literature and publishing, Emerson College
- Phillip Martin, senior reporter, 89.7 WGBH Radio
- Peniel Joseph, professor of history, Tufts University
- Lionel McPherson, associate professor, philosophy, Tufts University



Image source: Change Liu/Flickr




communities

Co-op teams up with Quadient to deliver parcel locker convenience in communities in the UK

Quadient (Euronext: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, has partnered with Co-op in the UK to deliver further parcel locker growth and added convenience to its communities.



  • Retail Supply Chain