[APC Africa-ICT-Policy Monitor] APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor e-Updates

Thu Nov 11 08:00:51 SAST 2004

Dear all,

Welcome to the APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor regular fortnightly
updates. Here you will find a selection of the latest additions on the
Africa ICT Policy Monitor Website chosen by our editors including:

-          News
-          Information
-          Resources
-          Upcoming Events
-          Featured Organizations

To change your subscription (set options like digest and delivery modes,
get a reminder of your password, or to stop receiving APC Africa
Policy Monitor Website e-Updates and Newsletter), visit the mailing list
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email to <africa.rights at apc.org>

Also do send us your comments or feedback about the Africa ICT Policy
Monitor Website.

Kind Regards,

Editor
APC Africa Policy Monitor Website

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NEWS

* South Africa: ICT Charter document released
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=28005>
09/11/2004 (Damian Clarkson and Itumeleng Mogaki - ITWeb) -- ICT Charter
Working group chairman Dali Mpofu today unveiled the final document of
the ICT Charter, which features a number of changes to the scorecard and
ownership issues. The South African Empowerment Charter for the ICT
Sector is an industry-driven document being put together by major
stakeholders in the ICT sector.

* Ghana: Fund for Communications Dev't established
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=28007>
09/11/2004 (GNA - GhanaWeb) -- Ghana on Tuesday initiated its programme
to extend communications facilities to the rural communities following
the launch of the Ghana Investment Fund for Communication Development
(GIFTEL). The programme aims at accelerating the development of the
rural communities where such facilities were generally limited.

* Kenya: Licencing of Internet operators is opposed
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=27915>
08/11/2004 (Alari Alare - East African Standard) -- Triple A Capital, a
debt collector operating in Kenya, has filed an objection to the planned
liberalisation of the Internet backbone and Commercial VSAT market in Kenya.

* Nigeria to Grant Mobile Licences in 2006
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=27916>
08/11/2004 (Shina Badaru - Technology Times) -- Additional mobile
cellular operators are to be issued licences after the five-year
exclusive market operation granted the Nigerian mobile cellular sector
expires February 2006.

* Mozambique: TDM's MD Adriano wants a new interconnect agreement
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=27914>
07/11/2004 (Russell Southwood - Balancing Act) -- For most telecoms
incumbents the interconnection agreement with other carriers is usually
made on terms that they broadly find acceptable. But according to
Mozambique Telecom Operator - TDM's Managing Director Salvador Adriano,
TDM finds itself in the unusual position of being at a complete
disadvantage from this key agreement.

* South Africa: Four telecom licences issued
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=27903>
05/11/2004 (SAPA - Sunday Times Online) -- The Independent
Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) has issued four
telecommunications licences for under-serviced areas following two years
of negotiations between the applicants, ICASA and the Department of
Communications.

* Kenya: Govt lack of support hampers growth of ICT industry
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=27769>
04/11/2004 (Dennis Mabuka - Kenya Times) -- A visiting official of the
World Information Technologies Association (WISTA) has said lack of
government support is hampering the growth of ICT sector in the
country.He was speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya when he
launched the Digital Planet-2004, a biannual reference publication
outlining the state of the global ICT industry.

* Nigeria Targets New 10 Million Phone Lines by 2005
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=27910>
04/11/2004 (NCC) -- At opening of the 3rd Nigeria Telecom Summit, the
Nigerian Communications Commission executive key address called for
“Connecting the Next Ten Million People in Nigeria”. In addition to
this, four other papers which addressed the central theme of customer
satisfaction were presented and discussed at various sessions.

* ICT Policy workshop identify critical issue to address universal access
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ne_1&x=27919>
03/11/2004 (Jummai Umar - APC) -- At a workshop on ICT policy held in
Uganda, key stakeholders identified critical ICT policy issues that
require advocacy in relation to universal access. Some of the issues
addressed in Uganda are the kinds of challenges the partipants are
likely to face in the field at home.

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INFORMATION

* National ICT Policies Making in Africa: Implications for Civil Society
Organizations <http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=28012>
10/11/2004 -- The emerging information society and the surfacing of the
“digital divide” on global policy agenda has led to a considerable
interest in ICT for development particularly in Africa. Efforts were
underway to promote sector reform and improve ICT use in Africa for a
while, but the enthusiasm over the potential of ICTs to combat poverty
is a recent phenomenon. This was partly driven by G-8 countries and the
United Nations.

* Gender and Information Communication Technologies
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=28003>
09/11/2004 -- Women make 52% of Zimbabwe’s population. They are both
vectors and agents of change and thus have legitimate rights to
self-expression and equal access to an information society that is
relevant and affordable to all sectors of the population. However, it is
common knowledge that technology has always bypassed women. Why is this
the case? One reason identified by research is the fact that gender
issues are rarely considered in policy-making and programme design .

* Whose Information Society?
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=28011>
09/11/2004 -- For civil society organizations involved with the first
phase of the WSIS it has been an extraordinarily intense process that
highlighted major fault-lines in global debate on the human
communications environment. An enormous amount of email traffic has been
exchanged daily by leading civil society organizations in the
communications field over more than 18 months. This has been punctuated
by meetings where working relations developed, differences were debated
and consensus positions articulated.

* Communication Rights and the Internet
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=28010>
09/11/2004 -- This paper is based on a presentation made to a conference
on “Media Freedom and the Internet” organized in Amsterdam, 27-28 August
2004, by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

* Concept paper on ICT and intellectual property in Africa
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=27984>
09/11/2004 -- This concept paper was written as an introduction to a
discussion on intellectual property rights and ICT in Africa by the
Research ICT Africa network.

* Kenya: Draft National ICT Policy (Sept 2003)
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=28027>
09/11/2004 -- This Policy Paper on ICT covers five major areas namely;
the situation analysis of ICT in the country; the challenges of applying
ICT to achieve overall development goals and objectives; the proposed
policy direction guiding ICT diffusion and utilization; institutional
framework; and the implementation framework of the ICT Policy in Kenya.

* Zimbabwe National E-Strategies and Policy Process
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=28004>
10/11/2004 -- EKOWISA made a joint effort with UNIFEM to host a workshop
on "Zimbabwe National ICT Strategy and Policy Process Workshop". The
workshop objective was to contribute ideas and information from a gender
perspective that should be incorporated in the drafting of the National
ICT Strategies and Policy. The Government of Zimbabwe together with the
UNDP are working on a National ICT Policy Project to come up with a
national strategy and policy on ICTs. Here are the workshop reports and 
summary of presentations.

* New Report: Profitable Universal Access Providers
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=27523>
29/10/2004 -- The Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) has
commissioned this feasibility study aimed at studying the viability of
providing rural, low income, areas in developing countries with
communications services. The study has explored innovative use of GSM
technology and evaluated the financial viability of self-sustained Micro
Telephone Operators serving rural areas.

* Open and Distance Learning in SubSaharan Africa – A Literature Survey
on Policy and Practice
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=27720>
02/11/2004 -- This document outlines the issues present in sub-Saharan
Africa today that must be addressed in order to advance the development
of distance education practices particulary in relation to anglophone
Africa.

*Internet censorship reports 2003: Africa
http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21861s22175e_1&x=28038
10/11/2004 -- This report on internet censorship in Africa formed part
of a global study entitled: 'Silenced: Censorship and Control of the
Internet' in 2003. We have also included other report also covering 
other countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco, Mozambique, 
Senegal, Ethiopia, South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

* African Participation in WSIS: Review and discussion paper
http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21879s22175e_1&x=28076
10/11/2004 -- This paper presents a review of African participation in
the first phase WSIS process (i.e. the Geneva summit held in December
2003 and the preparatory process leading up to it). It is not intended
as a comprehensive analysis, but to stimulate discussion about ways in
which African participation - particularly that of African civil society
- can be more effectively structured during the second phase of the summit.

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RESOURCES

* How to set up a Computer Refurbishment Centre in Africa
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=re_1&x=27998>
How to Set Up and Operate a Successful Computer Refurbishment Centre in
Africa: A Planning and Management Guide" is the result of a study
undertaken by bridges.org in early 2004, which examined the methods and
strategies of the computer refurbishment industry, focusing on Africa.
This guide describes the steps involved in opening a computer
refurbishment centre in Africa and managing it into productivity.
Produced by: Bridges

* Time To Get Online - Simple Steps to Success on the Internet
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=re_1&x=27575>
The 150-page "Time To Get Online" materials are centered around the five
essential "steps to success on the Internet". The first half of the
materials is geared towards creating internet-savvyactivists. The second
half will help them to become effective Internet champions, capable of
leading their organizations through the challenging process of
integrating the Internet into everything they do. The Appendices and
accompanying CD-ROM (print version only) contain a wealth of additional
resources for continued learning, freely distributable computer software
and more.
Produced by: Kabissa

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UPCOMING EVENTS

*13/11/2004*, South Africa
SACOD Communication for Development Forum 2004
<http://www.biz-community.com/Event.aspx?c=15&l=196&ei=1650>
The two-day workshop programme will comprise of presentations by experts
in the field of ICTs, as well as plenary and screening of videos.

*15/11/2004*, Nigeria
Integrating IT into West Africa’s Banking & Financial Services Business
Model
<http://www.aitecafrica.com/events/2004/Finance-IT-WestAfrica/index.htm>
The continent’s banking sector has a crucial role to play in developing
Africa’s participation in the global e-commerce market. In addition,
with increased levels of competition in the banking and financial
services sector it is vital for IT professionals and managers in
financial institutions to be fully informed of latest technological and
strategic developments. AITEC is hosting Finance-IT West Africa as a
platform to educate and inform professionals and managers about e-commerce.

*17/11/2004*, Tanzania
East Africa eGovernemnt Forum - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=27773>
The East Africa eGovernemnt Forum intends to examine, consolidate, share
views and extend the existing consensus in East Africa regarding the
strategic priorities for eGovernment, demonstrating where East African
countries currently stand in this fast-evolving and competitive field,
identifying priorities that each country needs to address and to
formulate a regional eGovernment strategy and masterplan, illustrating
how at present and in the years ahead citizens and businesses can
benefit from online service provision.

*19/11/2004*, International
Building the ICT Capacity of African Universities for Promoting
Development <http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=25187>
The Institute for African Development at Cornell University will host a
conference at Ithaca, New York on November 19-20 titled 'Building the
ICT Capacity of African Universities for Promoting Development'

* 19/11/2004, International
UN ICT Task Force Working Group 1 (WG1) Meeting on Global ICT Policy and
Governance
http://www.unicttaskforce.org/seventhmeeting/
The working group meeting will take place the day before the UN ICT Task
Force Global Forum on Promoting Enabling Environment For Digital
Development, 19-20 November 2004, Berlin, Germany.

* 23/11/2004, International
Working Group on Internet Governance, United Nations -Geneva
http://www.wgig.org/
The first meeting of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG)
will be held at the United Nations in Geneva on 23 and 25 November 2004.
Consultations open to Governments, civil society organizations and
private sector entities will be held on 24 November. The members of WGIG
are to be nominated by the United Nations Secretary-General.

*01/12/2004*, South Africa
ICANN Meeting in Cape Town <http://www.icanncapetown.co.za/>
The third round of ICANN meetings in 2004 will be held 1-5 December 2004
in Cape Town, South Africa. The meetings are free to attend, and open to
any interested person. ICANN encourages broad participation in its
bottom-up consensus-development process. You can take part in these
meetings by attending in person, by taking part in the webcast and
remote participation opportunities, and/or by joining one of the various
ICANN-related mailing lists.

*06/12/2004*, South Africa
Africa Electronic Privacy and Public Voice Symposium
<http://www.thepublicvoice.org/events/capetown04/default.html>
The Africa Electronic Privacy and Public Voice Symposium will be held in
Cape Town, South Africa at the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island,
on December 6, 2004 in conjunction with the ICANN meeting.

*07/12/2004*, Kenya
New Communication Technologies Forum in Kenya
<http://www.aitecafrica.com/events/2004/VOIP-Forum/register.ph>
In response to recent market developments, AITEC is holding a New
Communications Technology Forum in Kenya over 7-9 December, focusing on
GPRS and VoIP.

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FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS

*E- Knowledge for Women In Southern Africa (EKOWISA)
<http://www.ekowisa.org.zw/index.htm>
E- Knowledge for Women In Southern Africa (EKOWISA) is an innovative
regional non-governmental organisation (NGO) whose aim is to generate,
analyse, translate, repackage and disseminate locally relevant
information and knowledge for the enhancement of better livelihoods by
promoting the effective and efficient use of information communication
technologies (ICTs).

*African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources - AVOIR
<http://avoir.uwc.ac.za/>
This project is about harnessing the enormous potential that exists
within Africa and the African diaspora to create a core of developers of
free software who are able, through software development activities, to
create educational and business opportunities that contribute to
development on the continent. Although world class software will be
produced within this project, this is not a software development
project. Rather it is a project about human development, about capacity
building, and about creating opportunities for people through the
formation of transnational alliances both within Africa and out.

*NGO.ZA - ICT Services for Civil Society <http://www.ngo.za/>
NGO.ZA is a joint venture between SANGONeT and ICOZA. The overall aim of
NGO.ZA is to meet and respond to the NGO sector's connectivity, hardware
and e-business infrastructure requirements.

*Panos Institute West Africa - CIPACO initiative
<http://www.panos-ao.org/ntic/cipaco_eng.htm>
"Panos Institute West Africa's (PIWA) mission is to inform and
communicate to develop a culture of Democracy, Citizenship and Peace in
Africa. PIWA is hosting the Center on International ICT Policies -
Central and West Africa (CIPACO), a initiative aiming at strengthening
the capacity of African actors for a better participation in
international ICT decision-making.

CIPACO is put in place in the framework of the CATIA 1 F initiative. The
centers functions as a network and fulfils to the following objectives:
to inform all of the stakeholders involved in ICT policies; to analyse
key issues in the sector within the African context; to support debates
on priority ICT policy issues; to facilitate the international
expression of the viewpoints of Africans; to work on the mutualisation
and the reinforcement of expertises. PIWA has also been conducting
different programmes dealing with policies in the media sector in West
africa.

*Creative Commons South Africa <http://za.creativecommons.org>
Creative Commons South Africa is dedicated to showcasing the work of
local creators, educators and administrators who use Creative Commons
licenses to distribute their ideas and creative expressions.

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ABOUT APC

The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international
network of civil society organisations dedicated to empowering and
supporting groups and individuals through the strategic use of
information and communication technologies, especially internet-related
technologies. APC and its members in more than 30 countries pioneer
practical and relevant uses of ICTs for civil society. APC is an
international facilitator of civil society's engagement with ICTs and
related concerns, in both policy and practice.
APC: http://www.apc.org.

APC and ICT Policy Advocacy in Africa

APC's Communications and Information Policy Programme aims to contribute
to more enabling ICT policy environments through promoting inclusive
policy processes. In Africa APC is doing this through the Africa ICT
Policy Monitor project which aims to enable civil society organisations
to engage in ICT policy development to promote an information society
based on social justice and human rights.

APC's Africa ICT Policy Monitor: http://africa.rights.apc.org

The APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor is supported by HIVOS and the
International Research Development Centre (IDRC).

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-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emmanuel Njenga Njuguna
Africa Policy Monitor Project
Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
Email: africa.rights at apc.org
Web: http://africa.rights.apc.org
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