ECLAP 2012 Conference on Information Technologies for Performing Arts, Media Access and Entertainment

It has been a long history of Information Technology innovations within the Cultural Heritage areas. The Performing arts has also been enforced with a number of new innovations which unveil a range of synergies and possibilities. Most of the technologies and innovations produced for digital libraries, media entertainment and education can be exploited in the field of performing arts, with adaptation and repurposing. Performing arts offer many interesting challenges and opportunities for research and innovations and exploitation of cutting edge research results from interdisciplinary areas. For these reasons, the ECLAP 2012 can be regarded as a continuation of past conferences such as AXMEDIS and WEDELMUSIC (both pressed by IEEE and FUP). ECLAP is an European Commission project to create a social network and media access service for performing arts institutions in Europe, to create the e-library of performing arts, exploiting innovative solutions coming from the ICT

From past to present: the Issue of communication in a polarized world

Resulting from persistent complaints by the developing countries in the 1970’s, of imbalance in information-flow between the developing and developed countries of the world, the UNESCO, in 1976, constituted a commission headed by Sean Mac Bride of Ireland, to look into information and communication between the two divides of the world. The committee went to work and submitted its report to UNESCO in 1978. The report of the committee confirmed the existing gap in information flow between the developed and the developing countries. Also established in the report was the fact that ownership and control of information and communication technologies were solely in the hands of the developed countries. There was therefore, the need for New World Information and Communication Order. Thirty years after, this paper has examined the information and communication relationship between the two divides of the world and the gap rather seems to be widening on. The developing countries are challenged to be insightful in searching for ways of bridging the gap. Solutions from international agencies to this widening gap may continue to remain a mirage

Gender Relations and Domestic Power Politics

Issues on gender have gained global significance since the mid nineteenth century largely because of the increasing efforts by women to correct the several social ills of inequality and marginalization that women experience based prominently on patriarchy. The concern of this paper is not necessarily on how the male and the female relate, but really on what they do to gain power at the micro level to be able to operate on complementary bases or to be superior to the other, as the case may be. This study develops from the premise that there are certain activities and tendencies that engender power for a person, and this is enhanced by some factors including educational attainment, professional affiliations, natural endowments, etc. The implications of the power generated within the relationship form the thrust of this investigation, which aims at evolving a paradigm for contemporary African women in relationship with their male counterparts within the family contexts

African Art and the New Humanism

The following essay examines African art in line with the philosophy of New Humanism, and how it fulfils human dignity and value. The relationship of man and his creator is examined through art, vis-à-vis religion and man’s constant search for the reason for being. The theory of creationism which attributes the existence of everything in the universe to the direct creative act of the Supreme Being, and presents man as the apex and pinnacle of God’s creation is discussed. New Humanism is discussed as it aims at reconciling people to the original humanism, the sort of humanism pursued by the Renaissance Humanists. The paper takes a careful look at African art as an art of culture, philosophy and personality, as realistic views of life expressed in the symbolic structure of the work of art, IMAGE being the link. African art is characteristically humanistic, as what constitutes arts is determined by its effect on man, either positively or negatively. The paper concludes that, in structure, African art can be seen to consist of the following features; belief and ancestors. It is important to note that outside of God, full human dignity and values cannot be realized

The Rhetoric of Globalization and Communication Education in Nigeria: Issues, Prospects and Challenges

This paper attempts an assessment of the various conceptual projections for the evaluation of the supposed derivations of globalization. The many scholastic discourses and some obviously identifiable fallacies are measured from rhetorical standpoint. The dictates of globalization suggest that every nation needs to participate in the global market. Only the nation with adequate manpower and communication expertise can comfortably participate, otherwise it would be left behind. The baseline is the restructuring of not only the socio-economic actualities, but communication education, especially ICTs in our tertiary institutions and the secondary education leve

Towards a genuinely participatory approach to poverty alleviation in Uyo LGA, Akwa Ibom state

Research evidence shows that commercial banks are not keenly interested in financing agriculture The commercial banks on the other hand argue that the farmers and governments have not provided a default risk-reducing environment to enhance lending. In the light of the foregoing , the participatory rural appraisal technique [PRA] is being proposed as a remedy for rapid transformation of the agricultural sector/poverty reduction. There is the need therefore for a thorough insight into the different dimension of default risk as a means of suggesting some ways by which it could be reduced. It is for this reason that PRA was employed in this survey to identify potential beneficiaries before evolving the loan scheme. It is crucial as we can now maintain close contact with the borrowers through regular visit to keep the obligation constantly before him

PBL Student Projects and Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study

Working with the Sustainable Development Goals can be a highly motivating factor in Problem Based Learning, especially if the solutions produced can be used afterwards and have an actual impact on people and communities. This paper describes how three engineering students from Aalborg University, Denmark, collaborated with the South African Organisation Green Shoots on bringing IT-supported Math education out to some of the most disadvantaged learners from townships and rural areas of the Western Cape. The project provided the Danish students with a unique learning experience and have a lasting impact on the communities involved. While the content of the project focused on bringing IT-supported Math education to learners in previously disadvantaged areas around the Western Cape, the project also provided valuable insight into how such students’ projects, where the outcomes benefit people and communities suffering from socio-economic challenges e.g. poverty, can be carried out. In addition to demonstrate that such projects are actually possible, we studied three critical aspects: How to ensure a good fit between learning objectives and project outcome, how to ensure that the project creates value for the partner organisation and communities, and how to ensure that the projects can be conducted without overloading the university supervisors. We believe that student projects focusing on SDGs have a big potential in terms of providing highly motivating student projects yet at the same time contribute to a better world through solutions that are being used even afterwards. However, our study was just a single case with one group of three students. We hope it will serve as inspiration for larger studies, where more quantitative data could be gathered in terms of how to establish a good framework around such projects, and in order to demonstrate the value for students and societies