From bogus@does.not.exist.com Wed May 23 10:56:28 2007 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Wed May 23 10:56:28 2007 Subject: No subject Message-ID: expected. The key issue was that representatives of civil society organizations alongside private sector entities are recognized as ‘Observers ’, and thereby do not have equal access, speaking, negotiating and/or voting rights to the WSIS process and Summit. This greatly limits the participation of civil society organizations in this process and is bound to influence the outcomes. Addis 2002: In November 2002, more than 80 civil society organizations met in Addis Ababa at a workshop on ICT policy and civil society organized by APC in collaboration with UNECA and Article 19. Outcomes of the workshop included an action plan on issues relevant to WSIS. This meeting has lead to further Africa civil society involvement in the WSIS process at national, sub-regional, regional and global levels, including active participation in PrepCom 2. Details of the workshop can be found on the following website: http://www.apc.org/english/rights/africa/workshop.shtml PrepCom 2: PrepCom 2 took place in Geneva from 17 to 28 February 2003. The Africa Civil Society Caucus was represented by between 30 – 50 organizations. The caucus met informally almost on a daily basis to ensure active participation in the formal process as well as in the different informal meetings, activities and events that were taking place. The Africa civil society caucus made various submissions for input to the draft declaration and action plan, as well as on issues regarding civil society organizations involvement and participation in the process. The Civil Society Bureau: An interesting development during PrepCom 2 was for the formation of the Civil Society Bureau (CSB). The stated purpose of the CSB is to facilitate civil society organizations’ participation in the WSIS process and Summit. The formation and functions of the CSB - which is seen in a similar structure to the Governmental Bureau - was and continues to be a very controversial issue. The main concerns were centred around its operations, representation and accountability. The CSB was 'formally' constituted at PrepCom 2 and is now in operation comprising of about 25 representatives of various thematic groups known as 'families'. Full details of the CSB and its working mechanism can be found on the following address: http://www.geneva2003.org/wsis/index_c01_2_08.htm Tasks done by the CSB during PrepCom 2 included: § Defining principles of modalities and participation of civil society § Establishing a finance task force to work on how funds allocated to civil society for participation will be disbursed § Liaison with the civil society content and themes working group It is important that Africa civil society representatives follow the development of this bureau closely. Africa is represented in the CSB regional thematic caucus ‘Africa’ family, and in a few of the thematic focused families. Africa Civil Society Bureau represented by: Anais Network (Oliver Nana Nzepa [anais_ac@yahoo.fr]) and FEMNET (Alice Munyua [munyua@femnet.or.ke]) The Africa Civil Society Caucus: The Africa Civil Society Caucus of the WSIS was initiated through joint efforts of civil society organisations present at PrepCom1. The aim of the Caucus is to strengthen African civil society’s capacity to ensure that its perspective on the information society are articulated in the WSIS process. The Caucus has discussed the agenda and content and themes of the WSIS in online discussions and at physical meetings wherever possible. Some of the key areas of concern African civil society organizations identified were: fostering an enabling environment for the development of an information society freedom of expression, universal and affordable access, gender equity, sustainable development, cultural and linguistic diversity, democratic governance, capacity building and global social justice. Open and inclusive platform: The Caucus is an open platform and invites all individuals and organizations in or with interest in Africa to participate online and at physical meetings whenever possible. A steering committee was formed during PrepCom 2 of the WSIS in Geneva in February 2003. Make sure your voice is heard: The Africa Civil Society Caucus is using an online forum, convened by the steering committee content working group of the Africa Civil Society Caucus, to prepare inputs for WSIS. Weekly summaries in English and French will be available. (April 28 – to May 23). You are all urged to join this forum and use it as a central civil society space for talking about WSIS related issues. To subscribe to this list please visit: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/africa A website is currently under construction to enable access and sharing of relevant documents and information during and after the forum. http://www.wsis-cs.org/africa //\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ 2. Training Course by APC and CTO Helps Civil Society Organisations Understand how ICT Policy Decisions Can Affect Your Work “ICT Policy for Training for Civil Society in East Africa” Kampala, Uganda, June 16-19, 2003 The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), with the support of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) is now preparing to hold the second ‘ICT Policy training for civil Society’ in Kampala, Uganda, starting on June 16. Participants will come from civil society organizations in East Africa. The objective of the course is to build the capacity of CSOs to understand policy and regulation related to ICTs. The training course is aimed at building the confidence of CSOs to engage and influence relevant ICT policy processes at national, regional and global levels. The course will be followed by a public meeting on ICT and development on June 20. An estimated 25 participants and facilitators, from countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda will attend. This is the second 4 day course offered by APC to civil society groups. The first was held in Johannesburg, South Africa in March 2003, and was attended by Southern African CSOs. Contact: Emmanuel Njenga [africa.rights@apc.org] or Milton Aineruhanga [milton@wougnet.org] for more information about how your organization can become involved. //\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ 3. New African ICT policy reports available: New research reports on the participation of civil society in national ICT policy-making in Africa are now available on the APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor Website: Egypt: Egypt’s CSO sector is active and far reaching, however despite the increase in the number of users, and the fact that Internet policy and regulation is becoming an issue, although only a tiny minority of activists work in this area. Recent lobbying on the newest communication bill is an encouraging sign that representatives of civil society are waking up to the fact that civil society much stake a claim in ICT policy formulation processes. This report describes ICT infrastructure, policy and regulatory developments in Egypt, and notes the activities of civil society organizations -in responding to ICT policies http://africa.rights.apc.org/research_reports/egypt.pdf Report by Leila Hassanin, ArabDev. Benin: With a current population of about six million people, Benin has a poorly developed telecommunication infrastructure in spite of being connected to the Internet since 1995. There are few civil society organizations and most work primarily in "traditional" areas of health, education, human rights and rural development. A few have recently began work in the area of ICTs. This report examines ICT policy and regulation and the role of CSOs active in this field. The report also describes the current state of the ICT sector and the impact that this has on the work of CSOs. It concludes with some recommendations on how CSOs can play an active role in the formulation and regulation of ICT Policies. Report by Ken Lohento, of Oridev http://africa.rights.apc.org/research_reports/benin.pdf Cameroon: Cameroon has fewer than two hundred registered NGOs, and few of these organizations are active in the ICTs sector. This situation is changing rapidly mostly because of awareness-raising on the importance and role of ICTs in development. The emergence of an information and communication sector in Cameroon has brought forward various debates regarding the formulation and strategies for the implementation of ICT policies. This report describes a partnership building process between the Cameroonian government, private sector and CSOs in an effort to build the ICT sector in response to government’s perceived failure to do so. The report covers the context of the emerging information society in Cameroon and the inadequacy of the current ICT policy framework. It emphasizes the role of civil society in the formulation of national ICT policy and strategies and the creation of an enabling environment for ICT sector growth. The report concludes with an articulation of civil society’s capabilities in mobilization and intervening in ICT issues in Cameroon. Report by Olivier Nana Nzepa of Anais.Ac? http://africa.rights.apc.org/research_reports/cameroon.pdf The “ICT and Civil Society in Africa” reports were commissioned by APC to explore the role of local civil society organisations (CSOs) in developing and strengthening ICT policy-making at a national level in Africa. You can read and download these and other country reports from the APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor Website: http://africa.rights.apc.org //\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ // 4. New content on APC Africa ICT Policy monitor website: The APC Africa ICT Policy Monitor Website has been updated with new content reflecting ICT Policy news, documents and resources as well as alerts and campaigns relevant for civil society organizations in Africa. In this edition of “Chakula”, of note: Djibouti’s National ICT strategy: 04/04/2003: United Nations Development Programme President Ismaïl Omar Guellah of Djibouti is supporting a national strategy to move the country, strategically located on the Horn of Africa at the mouth of the Red Sea, into the digital age by 2010 to promote development and reduce poverty. http://www.undp.org/dpa/frontpagearchive/2003/april/4apr03/index.html The Right to Communicate: Women in the Information Society 2003-03-01: CRIS As part of the CRIS campaign, members are producing a series of papers for the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) as input to the WSIS. This paper by: Dafne Plou. http://www.crisinfo.org/live/index.php?section=4&subsection=2&doc=17 R63m African Connectivity Project Launched 04/22/2003: ITWeb The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), funded by the Canadian government, has launched a R63 million project aimed at improving access to information and communications technology (ICT) in Africa. http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2003/0304220849.asp?O=E Africa Launch of the Digital Diaspora Initiative 04/24/2003: Wougnet Information and communications technologies (ICT 1) are becoming widely accepted as integral means for transforming the path of development. As envisaged in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the importance of harnessing information and communication technologies for poverty eradication cannot be overemphasized. Yet, as statistics describing the growing digital divide demonstrate, women and girls are at particular risk for exclusion from opportunities presented by ICT to secure better livelihoods and other rights. http://www.wougnet.org/Events/UNIFEM/ddi_ug.html The reality of e-commerce with developing countries 04/11/2003: IDS Business-to-business e-commerce applications are being promoted as tools that will enable producer firms in developing countries to reduce their costs substantially, thereby easing their access to global markets. Internet-based Business-to-business e-commerce, the argument goes, should help producers in developing countries obtain better information on global markets and give them direct access to new customers. http://www.gapresearch.org/production/Report.pdf E-Africa - Journal of Governance and Innovation 04/11/2003: Pambazuka News e-Africa - Journal of Governance and Innovation will be launched on May 1 by the South African Institute of International Affairs Johannesburg, South Africa www.wits.ac.za/saiia ) . It will be a free e-publication to the leaders of nations, policy makers, key business and NGO people, academics and journalists across Africa. http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=14403 APC-Africa-Women: Women's Electronic Network Training Workshop for Africa (WENT-Africa 2003) 04/02/2003: APC-Africa-Women Based on the successful WENT experiences in Asia co-organised by APC's Women's Networking Support Programme, APC-Africa-Women offered a training workshop which aims to build the capacities of women and their organisations to utilise information and communication technologies in social development work and policy advocacy from 29th March - 4th April 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa. http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=10230 THETHA - Cyberlaw and Internet Rights - May 22, 2003 05/08/2003, David Barnard: SANGONeT The Southern African Non-Governmental Organisation Network SANGONeT) has been providing networking, information and training services to Southern African civil society organisations (CSOs) since its inception in 1987. http://africa.rights.apc.org/news-content.shtml?x=11683 Many more news and documents available on the website: http://africa.rights.apc.org/ //\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ Chakula: Africa ICT Policy Monitor newsletter Contact chakula@apc.org with questions, comments and contributions. Chakula is produced by the Africa ICT Policy Monitor Project of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) http://africa.rights.apc.org APC: http://www.apc.org //\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Emmanuel Njenga Njuguna Project Coordinator AFRICA ICT POLICY MONITOR PROJECT E-mail: njenga@apc.org or africa.rights@apc.org URL: http://africa.rights.apc.org Association for Progressive Communications http://www.apc.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From bogus@does.not.exist.com Wed May 23 10:56:28 2007 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Wed May 23 10:56:29 2007 Subject: No subject Message-ID: across the globe will connect in an electronic forum to discuss strategies for the integration of gender dimensions and empowerment of young women and girls at all levels of the ICT for development field. =20 Their goals will be to identify challenges, prioritize needs for support and uncover strategies for building communities of learning that will allow young women to begin or advance their engagement with ICTs. =20 Background documents and case studies will supplement the discussions by summarizing the involvement of young women and girls in policy processes such as the World Summit on the Information Society, and by examining the existing global and regional communities available to young women in ICT for development. =20 =20 *~*~*~*~* Discussion Themes *~*~*~*~* =20 =A7 Pre-conference: Introductions (24-31 October) =20 Participants will be encouraged to introduce themselves, their perspectives on information communication technologies, and=20 their experiences in using ICT for development. Participants=20 will also be presented during this time with a background on=20 the WSIS process and the Action Plan of Youth Creating Digital=20 Opportunities. =20 =A7 Week 1: Supporting young women involved in ICT4D policy-making (1 - 7 November) =20 Discussions will focus on why/how young women choose to (or not to) participate in ICT4D policy processes. Case studies of the WSIS=20 and CSW Youth Caucus, as well the CSW, will be used to explore what=20 effective participation in decision-making means for young women=20 and how it might be fostered. =20 =A7 Week 2: Supporting young women involved in ICT4D projects (8 - 14 November) =20 Guided by pointed questions, participants will be encouraged to=20 a) share stories of specific ICT4D initiatives led by young women=20 and girls, and b) identify strategies for enabling young women=20 and girls to act as leaders in ICT4D at the grassroots level. =20 This discussion should touch on the design of support mechanisms=20 (e.g. internships, mentorships,training, recognition, and=20 financing) which take the specific needs of young women into account. =20 =A7 Week 3: Community and conclusions (15 - 21 November) =20 While there have been many initiatives to empower young women and girls in the field of ICT4D, there has been little visible effort on a continuous basis to enable these young women act as a community of learning, supporting each other's ideas and encouraging the involvement of new girls and young women. This week will help to assess how a structured community might emerge within the overall YCDO framework, enabling the continuity of young women's work in the field. =20 *************************************************** For more info and to sign up, please visit: http://groups.takingitglobal.org/ycdogender =20 or email Maja Andjelkovic, at mandjelkovic@iisd.ca **************************************************** =20 This online discussion is facilitated by Youth Creating Digital Opportunities (YCDO), a coalition of organizations committed to enabling young people to achieve their full potential in the field of information communication technologies. =20 The YCDO Community gathers hundreds of young people in a variety of contexts, including the online space at www.ycdo.net From bogus@does.not.exist.com Wed May 23 10:56:28 2007 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Wed May 23 10:56:29 2007 Subject: No subject Message-ID: DeeDee, Valeria, MJ, Bill, Victor, Sean, Chris, Pradip, Olinca, Al. From bogus@does.not.exist.com Wed May 23 10:56:28 2007 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Wed May 23 10:56:29 2007 Subject: No subject Message-ID: --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE TOOLS & RESOURCES -- Mosaic on WSIS The World Forum on Community Networking (WFCN) invites you to read the 2nd issue of Mosaic, a newsletter presenting a synthesis of civil society debates on the information society. This issue covers the preparation period for PrepCom 3 of the World Summit on the Information Society: http://www.globalcn.org/en/article.ntd?id=1707&sort=1.25 Mosaic is published in three languages (English, French and Spanish). It summarises discussions held on a number of lists and sites. Since most lists are in English, and to a lesser extent, in Spanish, this initiative was developed to provide a balanced overview from different cultural and linguistic perspectives on the WSIS process and to contribute to the exchange of ideas on the information society between different cultural spaces. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES - AMARC Africa: Seeking West and Central Africa Coordinator AMARC Africa will soon be establishing a West and Central African Office in Dakar, Senegal. The coordinator will spearhead activities and programmes at the West and Central Africa Office. Duties include planning, development, implementation, management, communications, networking, fundraising, reporting, evaluation and monitoring, major programmes and events. Applicants will need to have a Master degree and at least 5 years experience in project management, communication for development sector, development work in Africa, NGO experience, including at least 2 years working on programmes preferably in the broadcasting sector. Communication capabilities in both English and French will be an advantage. Application deadline: December 31st, 2003 For more information contact: comoffier@global.co.za or visit http://www.africa.amarc.org --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- IMPORTANT DATES -- NOTE: Next week, APC will send you a special bulletin on our presence at the World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva in December. World Forum on Communication Rights 11 December, Geneva, Switzerland The Forum is a one-day event taking place at Palexpo alongside the World Summit on the Information Society. Its goal is to explore some key issues ignored by the World Summit on the Information Society, and to open the agenda on what "communication rights" really mean on the ground. A multimedia and multilingual event, the Forum aims to set the tone of the debate on issues that are real to the majority, from poverty in the media, to Human Rights, to knowledge, to peace and conflict. Registration forms are available in English, French and Spanish on the World Forum Communication Rights website: http://www.communicationrights.org/form_en.html 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence 25 November - 10 December, Worldwide For the past ten years the 16 Days of Activism has marked activities around the world to end Gender violence. The 16 Day campaign has been used to create a global movement to raise awareness, to address policy and legal issues, to campaign for the protection of survivors of violence and to call for the elimination of all forms of gender violence. APC member in South Africa, Women'sNet is covering events in South Africa and from around the world. http://womensnet.org.za/16DaysofActivism_2003/16DaysofActivism.htm LaborTech 2004 2 - 4 April 2004, San Francisco, USA LaborTech 2004, sponsored by APC member LaborNet, brings together labour video, computer and media people from throughout the world is a valuable opportunity to exchange information and learn about how labor communications can build solidarity and power. LaborTech will also focus on how to challenge the growing repression and corporate information blockade labor faces. http://www.labortech.org or http://www.labornet.org or email lvpsf@labornet.org --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- APCNews, in English, and APCNoticias, in Spanish, are distributed monthly by APC, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the international Internet community for peace, human rights, development and the environment. APCNews Archive: http://www.apc.org/english/news/apcnews/ CopyLeft. 2003 Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Permission is granted to use this document for personal use, for training and educational publications, and activities by peace, environmental, human rights or development organizations. Please provide an acknowledgment to APC. _______________________________________________ APCNews mailing list APCNews@lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/apcnews From bogus@does.not.exist.com Wed May 23 10:56:28 2007 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Wed May 23 10:56:31 2007 Subject: No subject Message-ID: second phase, known as PrepCom 2, took place in Geneva. The February meeting focused on three issues: financing mechanisms, internet governance and the Political Chapeau and operational part (in short, a reaffirmation of the Geneva Declaration and a plan of implementation of the Geneva Action Plan). APC has selected some of the key documents and resources on the discussions around the WSIS process so far. Several APC representatives were in Geneva for Prepcom 2 and in the next APCNews, we'll be featuring reports and interviews from that crucial midway meeting in the run-up to Tunis. APC and other civil society-produced news related to WSIS is collected online: http://www.apc.org/english/wsis/ --EXTRA-- UPDATE: World Summit on the Information Society: A very long road An overview of the WSIS process from 2003 until February's PrepCom 2 from the APC, summarising the issues at stake. -- APCNews http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=31093 SURVEY: APC research on developing country participation in WSIS APC is undertaking a major study on developing country participation in the second phase of the WSIS. This study builds on the analysis of developing country involvement in information and communication technologies (ICT) decision making in the 'Louder Voices' report, published in 2002, and on a review of African participation in the first phase of WSIS which APC undertook last year. The survey is taking place in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. - APCNews http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30749 --INTERNET GOVERNANCE-- The term "internet governance", while undefined, rather vague and partly confusing, stands mainly for the global technical management of the core resources of the internet: domain names, website addresses, internet protocols and the server system that keeps the internet running around the world. The big question at WSIS is who and how should these key resources for humanity be managed. The first phase of WSIS agreed to pursue the dialogue on internet governance in the Declaration of Principles and Action Plan adopted on 12 December 2003, with a view to preparing the ground for a decision at the second phase of the WSIS in Tunis in November 2005. In this regard, the first phase of the Summit requested the United Nations Secretary-General to establish a Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG). The WGIG has been asked to present the result of its work in a report "for consideration and appropriate action for the second phase of the WSIS in Tunis 2005." RESOURCES: Working papers of the Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) The issue papers are the first of a series of 'draft working papers' prepared by WGIG members, reflecting the preliminary findings of various drafting teams. They have been prepared according to a list of issues, which was developed at the first meeting of WGIG in November 2004. The purpose of the drafts is to provide a basis for the ongoing work of the group. They are therefore not to be seen as chapters of the final WGIG report, but rather as raw material that will be used when drafting the report. The draft working papers have been published here for public comment, so they will evolve, taking into account input from governments and stakeholders. Additional draft working papers will be made available in this section. -- Working Group on Internet Governance http://wgig.org/working-papers.html REPORT: An opinion report on the UN working group leading the debate Carlos Afonso, former chair of APC and member of the UN body charged with coming up with a definition of what 'internet governance' should encompass -amongst other tasks- wrote an opinionative report on the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance, held in November 2004 in Geneva. The report was published for the first time in English this February though it is from December. - APCNews http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30629 STATEMENT: Internet Governance Caucus statement The Civil Society Internet Governance Caucus presented this statement during PrepCom 2 of the WSIS in Geneva. The Caucus expresses its support for the Working Group on Internet Governance's multi stakeholder approach. "We believe that legitimate and successful Internet Governance can only be achieved if all concerned or affected groups have an opportunity to influence the outcome of governance processes." - Internet Governance Caucus http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30818 REPORT: Beyond ICANN vs. ITU?: How WSIS tries to enter the new territory of internet governance Internet governance has become one of the most controversial issues in the WSIS process. While the subject was a marginal one at the WSIS start (PrepCom1, Geneva, June 2002), it has moved step by step from the periphery of the debate into its centre. By Wolfgang Kleinwächter. - UN ICT Task Force http://www.unicttaskforce.org/perl/documents.pl?do=download;id=422 PRESENTATION: Internet governance - Issues and concerns for civil society A presentation made by Alan Alegre, of the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), APC member in the Philippines, at the South Asia Regional Consultation on WSIS in January 2005. http://itforchange.net/WSIS/dhaka/dhaka-internetgov-alegre.pdf REPORT: Who rules the internet? Understanding ICANN Who looks after the billions of web addresses that make up the internet? Why are web addresses only in English? Should countries manage their own country code names? At the moment it seems that the internet is free, democratic and unstoppable. But a closer look reveals controversies... These critical issues will be debated in November 2005 at the World Summit on the Information Society. Journalists are all too aware of the importance of being able to freely access and exchange information. That's why the media has a responsibility to analyse and report on the politics of the internet. - Panos London http://www.panos.org.uk/files/wsistoolkit1.pdf --FINANCING THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (FINANCIAL MECHANISMS)-- The Plan of Action adopted at the WSIS in Geneva 2003 requested the Secretary General of the United Nations to create a Task Force to study the issue of financial mechanisms for information and communication technologies for development (ICTD) and present a report to facilitate discussions in the second phase of WSIS. One of the key issues debated was the relative weight of private and public sector finance in financing ICT for development. How the new balance between public and private and the inclusion of community-driven roles and financing translates into practice will be of critical importance to the future of the information society and the role of ICTs in supporting the achievement of national development goals and the MDGs. REPORT: APC involvement in the Task Force on Financial Mechanisms "There was a view in the Task Force that perhaps the underlying reason that existing financial mechanisms were not being fully exploited by developing countries had to do with fundamental information asymmetries regarding how these financial mechanisms worked as well as a lack of coordination in the utilisation of the financial mechanisms for ICTD", says Willie Currie, APC policy programme manager, who attended two Task Force meetings. "What is required is a new mechanism that can provide developing countries with disinterested policy advice and unbiased information about how financial mechanisms work." -- APC http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30736 STATEMENT: APC and partners demand public investment in global networks In a powerful statement which criticised the UNDP-convened task force on financing the global information society as inadequate, APC Bread for All, the CRIS Campaign, APC member in Uruguay Instituto del Tercer Mundo (ITeM), IT for Change, and the Gender Caucus called for the "extension of network infrastructure to all excluded women and men everywhere" and outlined recommendations for moving forward. Read the statement: http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30761 RESOURCES: Papers for WSIS second phase The international community has expressed, in several fora, its worries concerning the effects of access and knowledge gaps in Southern countries and the need to find additional financial mechanisms, with a solidarity criteria, that would allow more citizens to benefit from ICTs. The central aim of this documents, prepared by APC member Instituto del Tercer Mundo (ITeM), is to present financial strategies for promoting information societies within a "Global Public Goods" conceptual framework. - ITeM http://wsispapers.choike.org/documentos/41.html (in English, Spanish and French) DEBATE: Financing the information society in the South APC member Instituto del Tercer Mundo (ITeM) and Third World Network (TWN) organised a debate on the mechanisms to finance information and communication technologies for development which took place on February 21 within the context of the second meeting of the PrepCom-2 of the WSIS Tunis phase.- Choike http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2697.html PAPER: Financing the Information Society in the South - A global public goods perspective This paper from 2004 -prepared for APC by Pablo Accuosto and Niki Johnson of the Instituto del Tercer Mundo- sets out to look at the question of financing the provision of ICT in the South, within the context of the United Nations' World Summit on the Information Society, and advocates adopting a "global public goods" perspective on the issue. - APC http://rights.apc.org/documents/financing.pdf REPORT: Who pays for the Information Society? Challenges and issues on financing the Information Society This booklet is in two parts. The first part is a critique of the debates and work on financing so far conducted by the WSIS. The second part focuses more on proposals and aims to give a certain number of inputs to the WSIS debate, especially on the issue of international public financing or official development aid. Bread for All, together with APC and other organisations, presented a powerful statement before the UN demanding public investment in global networks (see above). - Bread for All http://www.ppp.ch/cms/IMG/Financing_IS.pdf --REGIONAL AND THEMATIC WSIS MEETINGS-- ACCRA: Second WSIS Africa Regional Preparatory Conference The Second WSIS Africa Regional Preparatory Conference, whose theme was "Access - Africa's key to an inclusive Information Society", took place from 28 January to 4 February in Accra, Ghana. The outputs from Accra constitute Africa's contributions to the WSIS meetings scheduled in Geneva during PrepCom 2. The results of the Accra meeting also formed the basis for Africa's negotiations towards WSIS Phase II in Tunis. Participating in the conference were representatives of African governments, delegates from many other countries and international organisations, and people representing African private sector and civil society, including members of the APC team. -- APCNews http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=31070 WSIS Gender Caucus: Summary of recommendations to the Accra Conference The WSIS Gender Caucus places great importance in aligning the WSIS preparatory process and outcomes with achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and urges governments and the international community to acknowledge and treat the integration of gender equality and women's rights in the information society and ICTs as a fundamental issue. Read the recommendations: http://www.choike.org/documentos/recomm_accra.pdf DHAKA: South Asian Regional Consultation on the WSIS APC member Bytes for All had an active participation to tThe WSIS Consultation in Dhaka that was jointly organised by APC, One World South Asia and Bangladesh Friendship Education Society (BFES) from 5 to 7 January, 2005. The consultation It focused on three major topics: internet governance, financial issues to ICT for development projects and ICT policy in South Asia. Resolution of Dhaka WSIS Consultation and the decisions adopted at ICT policy consultation meeting: http://www.bytesforall.net/index_html/dhaka_consultation --TOWARDS TUNIS-- The second phase of the UN world summit will take place in Tunisia 16-18 November 2005. The choice of the seat of the meeting is highly controversial. Tunisia has one of the worst records in freedom of expression and the state jails political dissenters and engages in active surveillance and censorship of email and websites. NEWS: Monitors express serious concerns over continued free expression violations in Tunisia A joint monitoring visit to Tunisia undertaken by members of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) has found serious cause for continuing concern about the current state of freedom of expression and of civil liberties in Tunisia, including gross restrictions on freedom of the press, media, publishing and the Internet. The visit was the first of the IFEX Tunisia Monitoring Group and was organised in preparation for WSIS. - IFEX http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/63999/ PANEL: Bloggers and cyber-dissidents offer advice Reporters Without Borders was in Geneva during PrepCom 2 with a delegation of cyber-dissidents and bloggers in order to put a face to the repression against internet users in some of the countries that will be parading at this conference, and in order to present five recommendations for online free expression. - Reporters Without Borders http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=12584 NEWS: What do communication rights mean to people on the ground when they are denied them? A recent APCNews article reported on a presentation by Sihem Bensadrine of the National Council for Tunisian Freedom, a Tunisian activist who painted a grim picture of the state of internet rights in her country. -- APCNews http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30525 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- BlueLink, Bulgaria: Manual on "Strategic use of internet for civil society organisations" published BlueLink, APC member in Bulgaria, has developed and published a manual on the strategic use of internet for civil society organisations (CSOs). The manual teache CSOs how to work effectively in electronic network, and how to improve and optimize significantly their work using ICTs. The manual aims to fill in the gaps in the knowledge of the CSOs on the opportunities that the electronic communication offers via internet, and to explore the options of their effective use in organizations' work. The guide includes tips on how to communicate in mailing lists, how to build a useful and representative website, on-line activism, and more. - BlueLink The manual is in Bulgarian and it is available at: http://www.bluelink.info/documents/bluelink_manual-2004.pdf [Bulgarian] BlueLink, Bulgaria: Plug in environmentalists' demands to the National Parliament An on-line coalition of major Bulgarian environmental organisations aims to stop the passing of a bill by the Bulgarian parliament that threaten the environment. New amendments in the current Biodiversity Protection Act and the Protected Areas Act threatens to seriously destroy the existing fragile conditions and to allow land-sale, building and logging in protected areas. The campaign site, designed by APC member in Sofia, BlueLink, offers an option to participate in an on-line petition. By signing and sending an e-mail to the Parliament and the Prime-minister, visitors to the campaign site demand that the government reconsiders the harmful amendments. - BlueLink The campaign is available at: http://bluelink.net/np-campaign/ [Bulgarian] Bytes for All, South Asia: Reporting on Asia Source Camp '05 in Bangalore Frederick Noronha of Bytes for All, APC member in the South Asian region, was in Bangalore attending the Asia Source Camp, held from January 28 to February 4 in India's technology mecca. "You might end up wondering what's really happening at the Asia Source", wrote Frederick at the time. "Amidst a lot of geeky talk, late sleepless nights, a bizarre-and-mirth-generating dance session, and people-to-people networking ... there's also a lot of events happening on parallel tracks." Asia Source was an international 'camp' intended to promote free and open source software (FOSS) among civil society in the region. You can read Frederick's regular updates and articles from the spot here: http://www.bytesforall.net/index_html/copy_of_asia_source_05 Computer Aid International, United Kingdom: Southern Africa Regional office opened in Johannesburg Beginning a process of regionalisation APC member Computer Aid International in January 2005 opened its Southern Africa Regional offfice in Johannesburg, South Africa. Co-located at the premises of another APC member, Women'sNet, the new Computer Aid office will support existing and future partners in Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.- Computer Aid International http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30444 Open Forum of Cambodia, Cambodia: Interview with Chilean expert leading team of Cambodian free software activists Javier Sola was just "passing through" Cambodia, when he decided to make a u-turn in his life. It was there that he decided to stay on. Now he believes he can help localise the language of the region which he can sketch the characters of, to explain its complexity. "I decided my social goals, and, based on social goals, looked for software," said Sola, who works for APC member Open Forum of Cambodia. - -- Frederick Noronha, Bytes for All http://www.tacticaltech.org/node/219 Pangea, Spain: Special conference to celebrate 10 years connecting people Spanish APC member, Pangea, has been at the service of the community of people and organisations that work for social change for more than a decade. It has dedicated itself to this by facilitating communication through e-mail and conferences, internet and web connections. On 9 March 2005 Pangea will commemorate this with a special conference attended, as distinguished guests, by Julian Casabuenas (Colnodo) and Dafne Plou (APC Women's Networking Support Programme). - Pangea http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=31072 SANGONeT, South Africa: First annual "ICTs for Civil Society" conference and exhibition The Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT), APC member in South Africa, will host its first annual "ICTs for Civil Society" conference and exhibition from 1-3 March 2005 in Johannesburg. Given the ever-increasing interest in and importance of ICT issues to the civil society organisations (CSOs) sector, the SANGONeT conference will focus specifically on the ICT challenges facing the CSOs sector, highlighting and promoting practical benefits, opportunities and lessons learned to date. The conference is aimed at senior staff and technical employees in the CSO sector as well as individuals who work with these organisations, including international funding agencies, the private sector and government. - SANGONeT Refer to the conference website for the draft conference programme and registration information: http://www.sangonet.org.za/conference2005 Comments on conference from David Barnard, Executive Director of SANGONeT: http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30823 Women'sNet, South Africa: Recording women and girls, telling stories, broadcasting APC member in South Africa, Women'sNet, is launching a number of innovative projects concerning women, internet and media. "Recording Women & Gender Issues" builds capacity for collaborative gender programming in the community radio sector. "She-Bytes" is a new audio website featuring dramas and public service announcements were created by girls aged 12 to 16 covering different themes and are in a range of South African languages. Read more about these gender and technology initiatives and others. - Women'sNet http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=31063 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM APC -- APC at the World Social Forum 2005 In late January, APC was one of thousands of organisations and individuals from 119 countries present in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre for the fifth annual gathering of social movements, NGOs, and progressive groups who believe that "another world is possible". This webpage focuses on debates, panels, workshops, and stories at the forum that debate and illustrate the use of internet and information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social justice and development. http://www.apc.org/english/wsf2005/ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ICT POLICY & INTERNET RIGHTS -- Open letters from APC to the WSIS Task Force on Financial Mechanisms APC was invited to form part of the Task Force on Financial Mechanisms for ICTD, which was established at the World Summit for the Information Society in Geneva in December 2003. In the process of participation, APC registered a number of concerns about how the Task Force's compressed process was impacting on the content of its findings and conclusions. This led to an exchange of open letters between APC and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the convenors of the Task Force. Read the first open letter from APC to the chair of the TFFM - 7 December 2004: http://rights.apc.org/documents/tffm/apc_letter_ttfm_071204.pdf Read the UNDP response to APC's letter - 10 December 2004: http://rights.apc.org/documents/tffm/apc_letter_ttfm_undpresponse101204.pdf And the second open letter from APC to the UNDP and TFFM - 12 December 2004: http://rights.apc.org/documents/tffm/apc_letter_ttfm_121204.pdf --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- BUILDING CAPACITY & STRATEGIC USE OF ICTs -- What can Creative Commons and open content do for Africa? Creative Commons could be a very useful initiative in West Africa, but there are a number of challenges that need to be taken into consideration before we will see any significant African participation in the global movement. This was the general consensus of participants at a workshop held by the APC in collaboration with the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT in Accra, Ghana at the beginning of February. On March 4, the APC, in collaboration with the Link Centre at Wits University, is running a workshop to bring together lawyers, policy experts and innovators to discuss what the South African Creative Commons licence should look like. This open workshop aims to make South Africa the first country in Africa to adapt Creative Commons.- APCNews http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=31065 Free software camp in Asia brought together non-profits and grassroots hackers In late January, India's technology mecca Bangalore became the venue for an international 'camp' intended to promote free and open source software (FOSS) among civil society. Asia Source, as the 'tech camp' was called, was held from January 28 to February 4, 2005 and brought together over a hundred people from 20 countries to increase the use and awareness of FOSS amongt the non-profit sector in South and South East Asia. Asia Source was supported by APC. - APCNews/Bytes for All http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=30541 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- WOMEN & ICTs -- NEWS: Embracing ICTs to eliminate violence against women and children in Kazakhstan The high cost of telephony and technical services is a principal barrier to ICT access for women networking against violence in Central Asia, as well as language, training, and gender stereotypes about women's use of technology. Such barriers have motivated the Podrugi Crisis Centre to become a pioneer in combining ICTs with their struggle against gender violence. "The women at Podrugi decided if they wanted the situation to change, they'd have to do it themselves," comments Katerina Fialova of the APC Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP), after a recent visit to Kazakhstan to support Podrugi's ICT work. - APC WNSP http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=31066 ANNOUNCEMENT: APC WNSP/GKP Gender and ICT Awards 2005 In 2005, the Gender and ICT Awards focus is on empowerment, specifically ICT initiatives that promote women's economic empowerment as it relates to development. The Gender and ICT Awards is sponsored by the Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Program (APC WNSP) and the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP). Submissions from February 15 to April 30, 2005. More information: http://www.genderawards.net/the_awards/2005.htm NEW PROJECT: Gender Research in Africa into ICTs for Empowerment (GRACE) GRACE, a new project from APC-Africa-Women, aims to explore the ways in which women in Africa use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to empower themselves, the external, structural barriers as well as the internal factors which prevent them from using ICTs to their advantage, and the strategies they employ to overcome these barriers. -- APC-Africa-Women http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=31068 FREE SOFTWARE: Linuxchix Africa launched APC congratulates Linuxchix Africa -the African chapter of the worldwide organisation- on its launch. The two founders -Anna Badimo from South Africa and Dorcas Muthoni from Kenya- are APC-Africa-Women members who participated in a recent free and open source software workshop in late 2004 run by APC member Women'sNet. Linuxchix Africa will help toward building the critical mass of GNU/Linux skills among African women, and to advocate for the use of FOSS for the many community development challenges being faced by Africans, especially African women. http://www.africalinuxchix.org/?q=node/22 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES - CALL FOR PAPERS: Disability, identity, and interdependence - ICTs and new social forms A call for papers for a special Spring 2006 issue of Information, Communication & Society edited by the University of Queensland, Australia. With the growing importance of new movements - such as the disability movement, the online welfare movement, or those concerned with independent living - ICTs have become an important part of envisioning and realizing change to daily life for individuals, as well as the architecture and systems of community and society. Submissions are welcome on topics such as (but not restricted to): how thinking about disability, identity, and interdependence opens up new perspectives on understanding ICTs; case studies of particular technologies, accessibility, and disability; the implications of disability for ICT policy and design; new conceptions of welfare, online welfare movements and ICTs; independent living and ICTs; what are the implications of ICTs for the lives of people with a diverse range of disabilities and impairments, identities, and lives? Deadline for final submissions is Monday 12 December 2005. Potential contributors are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the editors. Contact Dr Gerard Goggin: g.goggin@uq.edu.au. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE TOOLS & RESOURCES -- BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: Information politics on the web Does the information on the web offer many alternative accounts of reality, or does it subtly align with an official version? In this recently published book, Richard Rogers -who has worked with APC on several occasions- identifies the cultures, techniques, and devices that rank and recommend information on the web, analyzing not only the political content of web sites but the politics built into the web's infrastructure. Addressing the larger question of what the web is for, Rogers argues that the web is still the best arena for unsettling the official and challenging the familiar. - The MIT Press http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?tid=10329&ttype=2 CD-ROM: Rural Women in Africa The International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC), working in partnership with the International Development Research/Eastern and Southern Africa Office (IDRC/ESAO), Nairobi, has developed an information tool that offers direct access to information for women who "are among the most marginalised in development - poor women with little or no reading ability". Pioneered in Uganda, the technical specifications that guided the development of the new information tool were that it be used on basic computer systems at rural telecentres, require minimal technical know-how to operate, and not rely on access to the internet or the worldwide web. - IWTC http://www.iwtc.org/files/!start.html COVERAGE: CRIS/Media Trade update on UNESCO Draft Convention Government delegates met in Paris, from January 31 to February 12, to negotiate the near-final text of the proposed UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity. Sasha Constanza-Schock from Free Press sent reports on daily meetings and main outcomes. The CRIS Campaign strongly supported a modified version of the draft as did governments from Brazil, Vietnam, and others.- CRIS http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/691/ DISCUSSION: Experts meet to discuss WIPO development agenda and treaty on access to knowledge A two day meeting -organised by the Third World Network (TWN), the Consumer Project on Technology (CPTech) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)- reviewed the status of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Development Agenda and proceeded with a detailed discussion on the proposed treaty on Access to Knowledge. - Choike http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/2628.html The Development Agenda proposal, the WIPO General Assembly decision and many of the comments and discussions are on the web at: http://www.cptech.org/ip/wipo/futureofwipo.html NEWSLETTER: Tsunami communication responses On December 26 2004, an earthquake and a series of tsunamis wreaked havoc in the coastal communities of the Indian Ocean. Numbers do little to communicate the extent of the tragedy and the gravity of the situation, but as of January 20, 2005, BBC News reported that the number of people known to have died in the disaster had reached 220,000. This issue of the Drum Beat explores some of the roles that communication has played in the aftermath of this particular natural disaster, and highlights some of the strategic ways that communication might be drawn upon to respond to or prevent such devastation in the future. - The Communication Initiative http://www.comminit.com/drum_beat_283.html ONLINE RESOURCES: United Nations Official Document System open to the general public via internet The United Nations has launched its Official Document System (ODS), a full-text web resource for official UN documentation. Available to the general public, the ODS covers all types of documentation originating from duty stations worldwide, including selective documents of the regional commissions: Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). Currently, the ODS contains close to 800,000 files and approximately 100,000 new documents are added each year. The ODS is available at http://documents.un.org. An ODS Training Guide is posted at http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/train.htm REPORT: The social structure of free and open source software development Metaphors, such as the Cathedral and Bazaar, used to describe the organization of FLOSS projects typically place them in sharp contrast to proprietary development by emphasizing FOSS's distinctive social and communications structures. But what do we really know about the communication patterns of FOSS projects? How generalizable are the projects that have been studied? Is there consistency across FOSS projects? Questioning the assumption of distinctiveness is important because practitioner-advocates from within the FOSS community rely on features of social structure to describe and account for some of the advantages of FOSS production. - First Monday http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue10_2/crowston/ SUMMARY: What has South Asian ICT4D network "BytesforAll" been discussing in December? Rural transformation in India through internet; IT access to women; free software; the killing tsunami; and whether ICT can help in disaster mitigation were among the themes discussed in the Bytes for All readers forum in December 2004. Bytes for All is the APC member in the South Asian region. Read the discussion summary, which has been compiled by Archana Nagvekar of Bytes for All, India. - Bytes for All http://www.bytesforall.net/Summary/b4all_dis_dec04 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- WHERE IN THE WORLD IS APC IN MARCH? -- You can meet up with APC and/or APC WNSP (APC women's programme) representatives at the events below during March 2005. Write to events@apc.org to obtain contact information. See you there! Feb 28 - March 11 Forty-ninth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women New York, USA http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/Review/english/49sess.htm March 1-3 First Annual SANGONeT "ICTs and Civil Society" Conference and Exhibition 2005 Johannesburg, South Africa http://sangonet.org.za/conference2005 March 4 APC workshop "A Creative Commons South Africa workshop: Towards a national licence" In collaboration with the Link Centre Parktown, South Africa http://za.creativecommons.org/blog/?p=93 March 8-9 2nd Annual National ICT Convention Nairobi, Kenya http://africa.rights.apc.org/index.shtml?apc=ee_1&x=30840 March 15-16 New Technology support and capacity building for African NGOs Pretoria, South Africa http://www.ungana-afrika.org/workshop/ March 20-25 APC Workshop on capacity building for community wireless connectivity in Africa Zanzibar, Tanzania http://www.apc.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=WirelessPilotWorkshopprimer --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- APCNews, in English, and APCNoticias, in Spanish, are distributed monthly by APC - a worldwide network supporting the use of internet and ICTs for social justice and sustainable development since 1990. APCNews Archive: http://www.apc.org/english/news/apcnews/ CopyLeft. 2005 Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Permission is granted to use this document for personal use, for training and educational publications, and activities by peace, environmental, human rights or development organisations. Please provide an acknowledgment to APC. _______________________________________________ APCNews mailing list APCNews@lists.apc.org http://lists.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/apcnews