Television and children: developmentally harmful or educationally beneficial?

Includes bibliographical references

Edsger Wybe Dijkstra (1930 -- 2002): A Portrait of a Genius

We discuss the scientific contributions of Edsger Wybe Dijkstra, his opinions and his legacy.Comment: 10 pages. To appear in Formal Aspects of Computin

Historical roots of Agile methods: where did “Agile thinking” come from?

The appearance of Agile methods has been the most noticeable change to software process thinking in the last fifteen years [16], but in fact many of the “Agile ideas” have been around since 70’s or even before. Many studies and reviews have been conducted about Agile methods which ascribe their emergence as a reaction against traditional methods. In this paper, we argue that although Agile methods are new as a whole, they have strong roots in the history of software engineering. In addition to the iterative and incremental approaches that have been in use since 1957 [21], people who criticised the traditional methods suggested alternative approaches which were actually Agile ideas such as the response to change, customer involvement, and working software over documentation. The authors of this paper believe that education about the history of Agile thinking will help to develop better understanding as well as promoting the use of Agile methods. We therefore present and discuss the reasons behind the development and introduction of Agile methods, as a reaction to traditional methods, as a result of people's experience, and in particular focusing on reusing ideas from histor

Toward a Better Future for this Generation and the Next...

The Oak Foundation commissioned Promundo-US to review and assess Oak's overall strategy in relation to its goal of engaging men and boys in the elimination of sexual abuse of children and comment more specifically on possible priorities and directions for work with respect to its objective that: Men and boys will have greater opportunities to engage positively in children's lives and to protect them from sexual abuse This report is the result of this assessment. The report is based on an extensive desk review of published research and program and policy evaluations, as well as the 'grey' literature on work with men and boys on child sexual abuse and other forms of intimate violence in the lives of children. Out of this review, a total of 35 key informants across a range of targeted sectors both internationally and within Oak's priority regions were identified and interviewed in person or over the phone, using a semi-structured interview tool. These key informant phone interviews gathered detailed information on both experiences and lessons from current thinking, policy and practice as well as on opportunities and priorities for future grant-making

Making Waves: Media's Potential for Girls in the Global South

There are around 600 million adolescent girls living in developing countries. Doubly marginalised because oftheir gender and age, many live a bleak existence -- excluded from access to basic public services, unable to shape the decisions that affect their lives and vulnerable to violence at home and on the street. Their voices often go unheard.Slowly, this is beginning to change. Over the past two decades girls have become a growing priority for the international development community. Investing in their health education and employment prospects is nowwidely considered to have an important ripple effect on other development outcomes such as economic growth and social equality. As a result, development assistance programmes that support girls' empowerment are now seen by many as not just the "right" thing to do, but a necessity Less well understood is where media fits into this equation The interplay between media and gender norms has long been recognised and a substantial literature explores how media affects girls in the Global North But against a backdrop of rapidly changing media landscapes -- characterised by increasing competition for audiences sensationalism and expanding access to new technologies -- the role that media plays in girls' lives in the Global South demands further examination.Drawing on expert interviews as well as insights from the media and development literature, this policy briefing seeks to fill this gap. It argues that media -- whether traditional or online -- matters a great deal in the lives of girls in the developing world. It matters because it has the ability to be harmful to girls' interests and self-esteem, and it matters because it can also be so effective in playing a positive role in girls' lives. Specifically, media can influence girls' aspirations and behaviours around their health and livelihoods open the door to greater participation in society and ensure that girls' issues move higher up the public agenda. If challenges around media access and control and the extent to which media organisations value girls as part of their audience, are addressed head on, media can play a vital role in helping to advance the wellbeing of adolescent girls in regions of the world where their interests have traditionally been most neglected