Tag: policy

The NHS Dreams and Nightmares

Future predicitions for the state of the NHS are oh, so common. The latest, a couple of days ago in the Guardian, reports the conclusions of Mike Farrar, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation:

“There are three scenarios,” he adds. “The NHS maintains service standards but goes bust while doing so; it sees standards slip but maintains financial balance; or it keeps improving and stays in the black. Clearly, we all want the third option.”

His intervention comes days after the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, warned that 22 trusts, which between them run 60 hospitals, were on “the brink of financial collapse” because of punishing repayments under private finance initiative deals struck while Labour was in power.

So very different to this scenario dreamed up in the 1950s by Henry Kaiser (of Kaiser Foundation fame) and architect Sydney Garfield. The optimism contrasts well with the ‘realism’ of the present.

European Survey on Children’s use of the Internet

EUROPA – Rapid – Press Releases

Can parents trust their 13 year old daughter when she surfs the web? Do they know for sure that their 11 year old son’s mobile phone conversation is safe? A Commission survey of children from all over Europe has looked into how they use new media. It shows that the use of internet and mobile phones has become almost self-evident for Europe’s young generation. In general, they also know the risks of using the internet and mobile phones. However, when facing trouble online, minors will ask an adult only as a last resort.

Powered by ScribeFire.

The Council of Europe – Internet Policy

Nordicom – Media Policy Newsletter

In a submission to the international Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which will meet in Rio de Janeiro, 1 -15 November 2007, the Council of Europe advances the concept of public service value of the Internet.

People rely on the Internet as an essential tool for their everyday activities and therefore rightly expect Internet services to be accessible and affordable, secure, reliable and continuous. “The public service value of the Internet needs to be recognised as a cross-cutting multifaceted aspect of Internet governance,“ underlines the Council.

The Internet must be governed in full respect of human rights; in particular, the fundamental right to freedom of expression. A democratic system of governance is the best guarantor of fundamental rights, says the Council adding that e-tools for public participation could be used to enhance democratic governance of the Internet and to involve all relevant stakeholders in the process.
Read more

In the 15 page document is the following interesting paragraph on user-generated content:

The emergence of fora for user-generated content and interactive communities has contributed positively to the creation of new content and services. The Council of Europe is a firm believer in the value of promoting public participation in using and contributing content to the Internet. Internet users reflect the diversity of society (represented in terms of age, gender or sexual preferences, national, linguistic or cultural background, education level, persons with disabilities, etc.). By providing different groups in society – including cultural, linguistic, ethnic, religious or other minorities – with an opportunity to receive and impart information, to express themselves and to exchange ideas, the Internet is an essential tool for safeguarding cultural and linguistic diversity. This requires, for example, promoting and protecting locally developed content, including content that is not commercially viable, and the involvement of language communities in developing multilingual content, including content in indigenous and minority languages.

Powered by ScribeFire.

European Commission on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/eutube

Even the European Commission wants to be seen on YouTube. In June it launched its own channel on YouTube, called – you guessed it – EU Tube.

“This initiative reflects the Commission’s commitment to better explain its policies and actions on issues which concern citizens across the EU – such as climate change, energy or immigration”, explained Margot Wallström, the Commission’s Vice-President for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy.

Users can watch approximately 50 video clips on a wide-range of topics. Among the most viewed are clips from European films – mostly highly erotic sequences – serving as advertisements for MEDIA, the EU audiovisual support programme.

Powered by ScribeFire.