[APC Africa-ICT-Policy Monitor] e updates No.8

Thu Jun 2 10:07:12 SAST 2005

Dear all,

Here is the latest issue of the APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor e-updates 
No. 8, a
selection of the latest content added to the Africa ICT Policy Monitor 
Website
chosen by our editors.

The content is categorised by theme and country to allow you to view 
items in the following main sections of the website;

-          News
-          Information
-          Upcoming Events

Do send us your feedback, comments or news on ICT policy issues and we 
will be glad to add these onto the Africa ICT Policy Monitor Website.

Kind Regards,

Editor
APC Africa Policy Monitor Website
http://africa.rights.apc.org/

//\//\//\//\//\//\/ - NEWS - //\//\//\//\//\//\/ 

  News > Access & Telecommunications

 Kenyan youths take on net skills 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21860ne_1&x=33444>
29/05/2005 (BBC <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4584231.stm>) -- 
A project offering business skills to impoverished Kenyan youths has 
been recognised with a prestigious award. The non-profit Global 
Education Partnership - Wundanyi won the $7,500 (£4,213) Africa Hafkin 
Communications Prize.

 Nigeria: Telephone Lines to Hit 20m By Year End 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21860ne_1&x=33415>
27/05/2005 (ThisDay <http://www.thisdayonline.com>) -- Telephone lines 
in Nigeria may hit the 20 million mark from the current level of 12.1 
million by year end, Vice President Atiku has said. And to deal with the 
problem of acquisition of handsets, the Federal Government is working in 
collaboration with a Chinese firm, ZTE to begin local production of 
handsets by end of December.

 Kenyans to enjoy faster Internet services as backbone is launched 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21860ne_1&x=33343>
23/05/2005 (East African <http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/>) -- 
Kenyans will now experience a faster transmission of electronic mail 
within the country, and speedy browsing of websites.

*
News > Content and Language*

 New initiative to promote content creation in South Africa 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21871ne_1&x=33592>
30/05/2005 (HANA <http://www.highwayafrica.ru.ac.za/hana/index.asp>) -- 
The LINK Centre at Wits University in South Africa and the Centre for 
Technology and Society of Brazil have announced a collaborative project 
to boost production of local content in countries of the South.With 
funding from the Ford Foundation, the "Building the Southern dialogue on 
intellectual property, media and culture" project which begins in June 
2005 will over the next year, engage several stakeholders in creating 
content relevant to the South.

  News > Intellectual Property

 WIPO launches opportunity for stakeholders to participate in IP policy 
debate <http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21868ne_1&x=33554>
01/06/2005 (WIPO <http://www.wipo.int/>) -- The World Intellectual 
Property Organization (WIPO) will host an online forum on Intellectual 
Property in the Information Society - from June 1 to 15, 2005. The forum 
will provide a unique opportunity for all to contribute to the emerging 
debate on the value of intellectual property in the information society.

 Patents: Do they boost or break development? 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21868ne_1&x=33594>
27/05/2005 (HANA <http://www.highwayafrica.ru.ac.za/>) -- Are patents 
and copyrights helping or hindering development in Africa? That was the 
debate that took centre stage at the first session of the final day of 
the Common Sense conference currently underway at Wits University in 
Johannesburg.

  News > Internet Governance

 WIPO Recommends Uniform Mechanism to Regulate Domain Name Registrations 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21869ne_1&x=33600>
01/06/2005 (WIPO <http://www.wipo.int/>) -- The World Intellectual 
Property Organization (WIPO) has recommended the introduction of a 
uniform intellectual property (IP) protection mechanism designed to 
further curb unauthorized registration of domain names in all new 
generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs). This came in a report by WIPO's 
Arbitration and Mediation Center (WIPO Center) on the IP implications of 
introducing additional generic Top-Level Domains (new gTLDs).

  News > Laws and Regulation

 Nigeria: Regulator envisages efficient service delivery 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21870ne_1&x=33489>
31/05/2005 (BusinessDay <http://www.businessdayonline.com>) -- The 
Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC says attaining efficiency in the 
telecom sector would form the bedrock of its strategic thrust for the 
next three years. This is contained in a presentation to the National 
Political Reform Conference Committee on Social Infrastructure for 
national development by Ernest Ndukwe, the executive vice chairman of 
the NCC.

 Botswana: Quality of telco services remains questionable 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21870ne_1&x=33337>
25/05/2005 (Mmegi <http://www.mmegi.bw/>) -- Botswana Telecommunications 
Corporation (BTC) operations are less cost efficient than its fixed line 
operators in similar countries, a draft report policy on the regulations 
of utilities and infrastructure revealed last week.

 South Africa: ICASA says telecoms shake-up threatens its independence 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21870ne_1&x=33339>
25/05/2005 (BusinessDay <http://www.businessday.co.za/>) -- The 
Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) yesterday (24/05/05) 
criticised a planned shake-up of the telecommunications industry, saying 
it threatened the regulator's independence.

 Kenya: Competition a Challenge for Regulator - CCK 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21870ne_1&x=33341>
24/05/2005 (Daily Nation <http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/>) -- 
The new board Communication Commission of Kenya board appointed two 
weeks ago faces unique challenges. The telecommunications, IT and 
broadcasting industries are rapidly converging.

  News > Media

 Tunisian media: second private radio station to start broadcasting, 
depot legal abolished 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21872ne_1&x=33590>
27/05/2005 (Tunisia Online <http://www.tunisiaonline.com/>) -- President 
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali announced today (May 27) the launching of a new 
private radio station and the abolition of the procedure of legal 
submission of press publications (depôt legal).

 At Long Last Swaziland has Draft Media Policy 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21872ne_1&x=33205>
20/05/2005 (AMARC Africa <http://africa.amarc.org/>) -- The 
justification for the national media policy is the presence of a policy 
vacuum in the mass media sector and an existing legislative framework 
characterized by outdated and sometimes conflicting laws with regard to 
the access to information in the hands of public or private bodies 
and/or their representatives; official secrecy; the right to individual 
privacy; libel and defamation.

  News > National ICT Strategies 

 Rwanda: Information technology to drive development 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21873ne_1&x=33578>
01/06/2005 (NewVision <http://www.newvision.co.ug/>) -- The government 
of Rwanda recognises the role information and communication technologies 
(ICTs) play in accelerating the socio-economic development. The Rwanda 
cabinet adopted the National Information and Communication 
Infrastructure (NICI) Policy and Plan in 2000.

 Botswana: Information conference to bridge digital divide 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21873ne_1&x=33413>
26/05/2005 (Mmegi <http://www.mmegi.bw/>) -- The consultative conference 
on the National Policy for Information Technology Development is a 
landmark for consulting the public about the information policy and 
empowering Batswana on ICT, the Minister of Information, Science and 
Technology has said.

 Tanzania: ICT missing link in agriculture, says Lowassa 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21873ne_1&x=33114>
20/05/2005 (IPPMedia <http://www.ippmedia.com>) -- Lack of or poor 
Information Communication Technology (ICT) and disorganised marketing 
systems have limited the growth of agricultural sector, the Minister of 
Water and Livestock Development, Edward Lowassa, said yesterday.  

  News > Training and Education

 Uganda: NEPAD to launch e-school in Uganda in July 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21878ne_1&x=33576>

02/06/2005 (NewVision <http://www.newvision.co.ug/>) -- Johannesburg, 
wednesday - A consortium headed by HP has announced that the first Nepad 
e-school is to be launched in Uganda next month. The announcement, made 
at the World Economic Forum Africa Summit in Cape Town this week, comes 
two years after the Nepad e-schools project was first publicly launched 
at the 2003 African Economic Summit in Durban.

 Zambia: Computer Society draft bill finalised 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21875ne_1&x=33574>
01/06/2005 (The Zambia Post <http://www.post.co.zm/>) -- The Computer 
Society of Zambia (CSZ) has finalised drafting the proposed CSZ Bill, 
society president Milner Makuni has revealed. The bill Bill aims to 
empower the society to regulate and set standards for practitioners in 
the information and communication technology (ICT) field and also 
augment the yet to be enacted computer misuse Bill.

  News > Software

 South Africa in key open source project 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21876ne_1&x=33500>

31/05/2005 (ITWeb <http://www.itweb.co.za>) -- The University of the 
Western Cape (UWC) and the Council for Industrial and Scientific 
Research (CSIR) are SA's representatives in a European Union-funded 
international research project on free and open source software.

 South Africa: Task team set up to act on open source 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=21876ne_1&x=33586>
27/05/2005 (BusinessDay <http://www.businessday.co.za>) -- The potential 
for open-source software to help poor and undeveloped countries use 
technology to advance their economies recently drew 30 standard-bearers 
from Africa, Asia and Australasia to an open-source workshop in 
Pretoria. Delegates agreed that open source could reduce the digital 
divide through its low start-up costs and the adaptability of the source 
code to let programs be written in a user's mother tongue.

*News > WSIS*

 Tunis seminar prepares the ground for participation by the handicapped 
to WSIS <http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=29740ne_1&x=33588>
01/06/2005 (Tunisia Online <http://www.tunisiaonline.com>) -- 
Facilitating the participation of the handicapped to the World Summit on 
the Information Society (WSIS) was among the key topics discussed in a 
Tunis seminar.
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=29740s21809e_1>

//\//\//\//\//\//\/ -INFORMATION & RESOURCES - //\//\//\//\//\//\/ 

 Free/Libre and Open Source Software and Open Standards in South Africa: 
A Critical Issue for Addressing the Digital Divide 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=33556>
01/06/2005 -- The National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) Open 
Software Working Group have produced a discussion document called 
"Free/Libre & Open Source Software (FLOSS) and Open Standards in South 
Africa: A Critical Issue for Addressing the Digital Divide". 

 New Generation of Policy Development: The Case of Multi-stakeholder ICT 
Policy Process in Kenya 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=33349>
26/05/2005 -- It is becoming increasingly clear that no one sector can 
deliver the complexities of sustainable development alone as a result 
the structure of decision making processes is changing provoked by ICTs, 
globalization and other factors that are influencing the nature of 
traditionally governed national, regional as well as international 
institutions. The concept of "sovereignty is therefore changing and the 
monopoly of the state as the sole decision making organ is becoming 
increasingly challenged even in African countries.

 Checks and Balances:Why phone calls should be cheaper in Africa 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=33598>
12/05/2005 -- It is estimated that African telecom operators are cheated 
for revenues totalling more than US$ 1 billion from their northern 
counterparts, who are not properly billed when international calls are 
made to Africa. These losses are a major reason behind the stiff pricing 
of international calls for Africans. The lack of up-to-date billing 
systems between telecoms is held responsible.

 New book: How to Build Open Information Societies: A collection of best 
practices and know-how 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=33347>
26/05/2005 -- (Edited by Amy Mahan & Yuri Misnikov) presents a 
collection of knowledge-based best practices accumulated by UNDP in 
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Case studies 
and examples from 19 countries illustrate different e-governance 
programmes and applications - from a diverse range of initiatives 
including support for policy formulation, customs reform, youth sexual 
education, rural deployment of ICTs and training, country database 
building, and others.

 New release: How to Build Open Information Societies 
<http://www.ecissurf.org/index.cfm?module=BookStore&page=Book&BookID=89>
24/05/2004 -- This book presents a collection of knowledge-based best 
practices accumulated by UNDP in Europe and the Commonwealth of 
Independent States (CIS). Its main purpose is to identify and share 
UNDP's know-how in this rapidly emerging area, by showing how ICT can 
promote socio-economic development and good governance.

 An African guide to Creative Commons 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=33596>
27/05/2005 -- The Digital Information Commons: An African Participants 
Guide was launched yesterday (26th May) at LINKS Centre here in 
Johannesburg in a bid to popularise the Creative Common (cc) movement on 
the African continent.

 ICTs and the MDGs: On the Wrong Track? 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=33345>
26/05/2005 -- The purpose of this article is to prompt some questioning 
of current "e-development" priorities. We have too readily assumed the 
Millennium Development Goals must be the priority for application of 
ICTs. Yet the MDGs themselves can be challenged, as can the relevance of 
applying ICTs to those goals. This article will argue that we ought at 
least to be considering some different priorities if we want to make 
most effective use of the opportunities that new technology affords.

 Bridges.org study identifies harsh realities of using free/open source 
software (FOSS) and proprietary software in public computer labs in 
Africa <http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=33406>
26/05/2005 -- A desire to promote equal access to information and 
communication technology (ICT) has led to a variety of projects bringing 
computers to the disadvantaged in Africa. Many put computer labs in 
public places like schools and community centres. But these projects 
face a range of practical realities -- from poor infrastructure to a 
lack of technical support -- and the choice of appropriate technology 
can be a make-or-break factor. So it is crucial that decision-makers 
behind these efforts carefully weigh the pros and cons of different 
technologies and their suitability for the local context. The choice of 
software is one of the core issues.

 State of media freedom in southern Africa 2004 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=32662>
06/05/2005 -- This eleventh instalment of So This Is Democracy? 
documents the numerous media freedom and freedom of expression 
violations that MISA recorded in the southern African region in 2004. 
The documentation and exposure of these media freedom alerts help turn 
the spotlights from around the world squarely on those responsible for 
human rights violations. This can make a significant difference, as 
those who violate human rights often rely on the cover of darkness.

  FXI's Anti-Censorship Programme releases fifth progress report 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ie_1&x=32251>
21/04/2005 -- The Anti-Censorship Programme (ACP) of the Freedom of 
Expression Institute has just released its fifth progress report, 
covering the period October 2004 to March 2005. In it, the Programme 
noted that is was pleased to announce that there was progress in regards 
to some of the matters in which it have intervened in the recent past.

//\//\//\//\//\//\/ - UPCOMING EVENTS - //\//\//\//\//\//\/

*23/06/2005*, Rwanda 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21845e_1>
The 2nd Rwanda ICT Convention: Theme: "e-Government: the Driving Force 
for Socio-Economical Development" 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=32163>
Organized by AITEC in association with the Rwanda Information Technology 
Authority (RITA). This premier conference and exhibition focuses on 
meeting the challenges of putting electronic government into practice.

*28/06/2005*, Kenya <http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21843e_1>
ICTe AFRICA 1st Continental Exhibition, Conference and Media Event 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=31278>
All Global roads lead to Nairobi, Kenya where ICTe AFRICA hosts the 
inaugural continental ICT fair in partnership with the African 
Telecommunication Union (ATU) and the Union of Radio and Television 
Organisation of Africa (URTNA).

*05/07/2005*, Nigeria 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=s21833e_1>
Africa Regional preparatory meeting for the World Telecommunication 
development Conference (WTDC-06), Abuja (Nigeria), 5-7 July 2005 
<http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=33449>
Africa Regional preparatory meeting for the World Telecommunication 
development Conference (WTDC-06), will be held in Abuja (Nigeria), 5-7 
July 2005. The objective of these meetings is to adopt appropriate 
development strategies at regional and subregional level.

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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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