Civil Society Organisations

Innovations for Universal Health Coverage: A South-South Collaboration to Transform Health Systems in Africa and India (Public Health Foundation of India and IDS, 2018)

February 6, 2019

The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Amref Health Africa and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) have agreed to collaborate in an effort to explore ways that technological innovations can contribute to government strategies for making progress towards universal health coverage (UHC). This means substantially increasing access by those whose basic health care needs are not being met. This report presents the outcome of a meeting held in Bengaluru, India. At this meeting, people with direct experience of different aspects of the development, piloting and taking to scale of technological innovations in India and a number of African countries explored the factors that influence this process.

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Communication for Development (C4D) Promising practices (UNICEF East Asia & Pacific, 2018)

October 14, 2018

Communication for Development (C4D) promising practices are dialogue-driven interventions that lead to the sustainable improvement of living conditions for children and their families, particularly the most vulnerable. This booklet brings together four outstanding examples from Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, where UNICEF-supported interventions by governments and civil society organizations are bringing about positive change.

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Surrendering to Silence: An account of Self-censorship among Pakistani Journalists (Media Matters for Democracy, 2018)

May 14, 2018

For some years now, media professionals and news industry insiders in Pakistan have spoken of a growing trend of self-censorship among local journalists. The self-censorship is argued to be a defense mechanism against threats, harassment, and acts of physical violence. However, a lack of tangible data about this phenomenon has often led to the issue being ignored in media policy discourse and efforts to ensure the safety of journalists. This study sets out to test the claims of self-censorship in the Pakistani news media through a survey of journalists working in the country.

The study provides a rare glimpse at the extent and contours of contemporary self-censorship among Pakistani journalists. The results are frightening. Almost 88% of the journalist respondents claimed they had committed self-censorship in their professional news reporting. Around 79% said they had also self-censored their personal expression online. Through these and many related findings, the study tries to over insight about the factors
influencing self-censorship in local journalism.

The research also provides recommendations to tackle the issues that curb free expression in the Pakistani news media. In order to get local journalists to feel safe about their professional and personal expression, the study suggests actionable measures for news media organizations, journalist unions, civil society organizations, political parties, and the government.

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World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development: Global Report 2017/18 (UNESCO, 2018)

April 23, 2018

This new volume in the World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development series offers a critical analysis of new trends in media freedom, pluralism, independence and the safety of journalists. With a special focus on gender equality in the media, the report provides a global perspective that serves as an essential resource for UNESCO Member States, international organizations, civil society groups, academia and individuals seeking to understand the changing global media landscape.

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Background report: the Learning Route in Rwanda – Leveraging the Scaling up Nutrition Civil Society Network: building regional platforms to promote learning on how to address malnutrition (SUN Civil Society Network/PROCASUR 2016)

February 26, 2017

This background report was produced in preparation for the 2016 Learning Route in Rwanda. The Learning Route programme’s main objectives are: to build stronger, aligned civil society alliances that work for improved nutrition at all levels of society.

The report is primarily intended as a briefing for those participating in the learning exchange, though it will also be of value to those interested in civil society efforts to end malnutrition in Rwanda.

This background report provides basic information on poverty and malnutrition in Rwanda and the process of scaling-up nutrition.

It also features five case studies that exemplify the work done by civil society in the following thematic areas:

• advocacy, social campaigning and mobilisation • multi-stakeholder coordination • communication for behavioural change • integrated approaches to fight malnutrition

The report was developed following a participatory mapping process involving civil society organisations in Rwanda and a survey of 11 Anglophone Africa. This process identified the priority thematic areas and the best practice examples that are most likely to stimulate country-country learning. Each case study briefly describes the experience, main outcomes and lessons learned by the civil society organisation leading the initiative. The case studies were developed with the participation of the organisations involved and reflect their experience.

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