Social Media and Public Policy Process in Africa: Enhanced Policy Process in Digital Age

In recent times, civic engagement in policy process has been emphasized globally but channels to facilitate public participation in policy process in Africa remain unexplored. Given the conservative nature of policy process in most of Africa countries, the study examined level of social media use for civic engagement among government/policymakers and proposed a model to enhance policy process in a digital community using Easton’s theory of political analysis. The study employed case studies, descriptive and correlation analysis covering 53 African countries. Findings revealed that social media use has taken new shape in respect of citizens’ engagement in electoral process in Africa but its use for civic engagement in policy process was very low (and below global average); that increase investment in telecommunication infrastructures is yet to have significant effect on human capital ICT literacy in Africa. Investment in ICTs should include building of human capital ICT literacy and policymakers should explore citizens’ engagement online and adjust policies to incorporate technology in sub-regional and national development plans

El uso de Twitter por parte de grupos terroristas como herramienta para la radicalización y el reclutamiento : el Estado Islámico en Reino Unido (2014-2015)

La presente investigación busca explicar la manera en la que el uso de redes sociales, como Twitter, por parte de grupos terroristas, plantea nuevos escenarios de acción al Gobierno de Reino Unido durante los años 2014-2015. El uso de estas plataformas sociales por grupos terroristas como el Estado Islámico, plantea nuevos escenarios de acción en tanto ha impulsado la reformulación de la Estrategia de Contra-terrorismo y la creación de la Brigada 77. Lo anterior, en la medida en que por medio de mensajes e imágenes, sumado a cierta condición de vulnerabilidad, el grupo ha logrado radicalizar y reclutar un número importante de ciudadanos británicos durante los años 2014 y 2015. La investigación será descriptiva y analítica, haciendo uso de una metodología cualitativa para su realización.This research aims to explain the way in which the usage of social networks like Twitter by terrorist groups, pose new stages of action to the government of United Kingdom during the years 2014-2015. The use of social platforms such as Twitter by terrorist groups like the Islamic State poses new stages whereas has driven the reformulation of the Counter-extremism Strategy and the creation of the 77th Brigade. The latter given that through messages and images, and certain conditions of vulnerability, the group has been able to radicalize and recruit an important number of british citizens between 2014-2015. The investigation will be analytical and descriptive, using for its realization a cualitative methodolog

Communicating Religious Extremism in West Africa

Whereas modern communication strategies have been celebrated for promoting ease of interaction, this chapter highlights that they have been deployed by some terrorist groups in Africa to threaten human security. It defines religious extremism in terms of the expression of extreme or violent actions or jihad on the basis of particular interpretations or understanding of religious teaching or scripture, especially the Quran. The chapter examines the (online) communication behaviours of extremists/terrorist groups in West Africa and Somalia that are often associated with Islam. It also examines religious extremism and its relation to violent conflict and describes the extremist violent activities of some identified African terrorist groups, and how contemporary media and the Internet have provided dynamic platforms for disseminating their message and ideology. Liebman views religious extremism as the desire to expand the scope, details and strictness of religious law, social isolation and the rejection of the surrounding culture

Media consumption, identity and the Pakistani diaspora

This research seeks to address the issue of media consumption and the formation of diaspora identity within second and third generation British-born residents of Pakistani origin. In recent years there has been much debate centred on this group within the context of domestic and wider international geopolitics of winning hearts and minds, the ‘war on terror’ and the rise of the internet and social media as unrestricted spaces of self-expression. This has had a profound impact on the sense of belonging that transcends national boundaries and becomes a more transnational experience creating new communities of interest. The role of the media and other forms of communication may be a key or important determinant in how these groups, represented by the Pukhtoon and Punjabi in this study, not only see themselves but view representation of their identify and sense of self to a wider public arena. The perceived relationship between Islam and the ‘war on terror’ as formed by the media has had a profound impact on perceptions and mindsets of many of the diaspora. New technology has created a new smartphone generation able to reassess and reaffirm their emerging hybridity set within a new discourse of equal rights and respect for cultural and religious values within a transnational context