--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
*APCNews, the monthly newsletter of the
Association for Progressive Communications (APC)*
June 2006 No. 65
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS --
-- NEWS FROM APC --
-- ICT POLICY & INTERNET RIGHTS --
-- STRATEGIC USES & CAPACITY BUILDING --
-- WOMEN & ICTs --
-- APC IN THE NEWS --
-- ONLINE TOOLS & RESOURCES --
-- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES --
-- SITES OF INTEREST --
-- IMPORTANT DATES --
-- WHERE IN THE WORLD IS APC --
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS --
ESLARED, Venezuela: “Wireless technology is irreplaceable for providing
access in remote and scarcely populated regions”
Ermanno Pietrosemoli, of Venezuelan APC member EsLaRed, has been
exploring the possibilities of wireless technology for years. From
technical experiments to working with grassroots organisations, the firm
belief of the irreplaceable possibilities of this type of connection to
provide access in remote and scarcely populated regions has driven his
work. A new wireless connection world record was set in April, which
became the point of departure of this long-distance conversation with
APCNews. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038261
C2O, Australia: Alternative film seeks a new home... in cyberspace
The filmmakers are there. So are the films from the world of alternative
cinema. But how does one find the audiences? How to make sure that these
crucial cultural products actually get noticed across the globe? Andrew
Garton, from APC's member c2o and Programme Director of OPEN CHANNEL in
Australia, is trying out an innovative experiment. The mix? Free
software developers, filmmakers wanting to get their story out, and
support which realises the power of the alternative image. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038243
FMA, Philippines: From theorising about the media to coalition building
around free software
The Foundation for Media Alternatives was one of the groups that pushed
to have a community-focussed track at the latest Linux World
Philippines. The programme listed themes like free and open source
software in government, health and education. The FMA then helped create
an open coalition. More recently, this APC member has also backed up a
bid to set up a regional node of the International Open Source Network.
- APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5019857
RITS, Brazil: Rits.lac: Civil society, a step towards regional integration
Latin America is undergoing a historic process of regional integration.
In the meantime, what is going on with civil society? The collaborative
working experiences between social movements from different Latin
American countries are rich and have a long common history. The synergy
is far from running dry: regional integration initiatives are on the
rise and being consolidated. Rits.lac, a new project from Brazilian APC
member, RITS, is part of the tendency. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038315
WAMANI, Argentina: Anniversary: The Wamani Network is fourteen years old
“Fourteen years ago, on the first of June, at noon, with a modest PC, a
clone that resembled a PC-AT, connected to a single phone line and using
a programme that worked on the legendary MS-DOS, the small group of
friends who formed Wamani, started this adventure,” said co-founder
Carlos Alvarez. The APC member from Argentina, Wamani Network,
celebrated its anniversary with the launch of new services. - Wamani Network
http://web.wamani.apc.org/
WOMENSHUB, South Africa: Taking ICT to women campaigners
From being a student activist to working with the word in the library,
and getting involved in a wide range of campaigns, soft-spoken Mylene
Soto has seen many things. Today, she's part of APC member WomensHub, a
group that works for the promotion of gender equality amidst the
alphabet-soup and geeky world of ICTs (information and communication
technology). She joins Cheekay Cinco for this discussion on gender and
ICTs in the Asian context. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5018295
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- NEWS FROM APC --
STATEMENT: APC condemns imprisonment of pro-democracy bloggers by
Egyptian authorities
APC condemns the unjust detention of free speech bloggers and
journalists in Egypt. Alaa Seif Al-Islam, a seasoned blogger and APC
colleague, is one of four Egyptian online diarists being held in
detention for criticising the current regime since May 7. In addition,
APC has heard disturbing reports about violent actions taken by state
security against several of the bloggers who were released from custody
last week, only to be subsequently re-arrested. Authorities prevented
human rights lawyers from visiting the bloggers who had been beaten and
tortured on Thursday May 25. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038258
NEW APC MEMBER: A new member from the Caribbean joins the APC community
APC keeps growing. A new Latin American member, FUNREDES (pronounced
fun-RED-ez), has joined the network of groups that believe in the
potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for
social justice and sustainable development, in May 2006. The ‘Networks
and Development Foundation’ FUNREDES is based in Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic and is dedicated to the “fair and just dissemination
of ICTs through distance computer networks, electronic libraries and
multimedia projects”. - APCNews
http://funredes.org/
JOB OPENING AT APC: Strategic Uses and Capacity Building Programme Manager
APC is seeking a manager for our Strategic Use and Capacity Building
Programme (SU&CB) and its projects. The SU&CB manager will have
excellent people and project management skills, experience of working in
networks, managing relationships and partnerships and a sophisticated
understanding of the concept of strategic use of technology as it
applies to development and social justice. - APC
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038227
SPECIAL DHAKA COVERAGE: South Asia ICT policy workshop and Asian APC members
APC staff writer Frederick Noronha travelled to Dhaka, Bangladesh last
April to attend the first regional consultation on ICT policy in South
Asia. He interviewed participants from Japan, the Philippines,
Bangladesh, Korea, India and many more countries. Not only did he blog
live from the sub continent, he also filed articles and interview
reports about this APC-organised event. These were featured last month
and over the next two months in APCNews. Visit http://www.blog.apc.org
for fresh original updates. In-depth coverage can be found in this
APCNews in the ‘news from members’ and ‘ICT policy’ sections.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- ICT POLICY & INTERNET RIGHTS --
SPECIAL DHAKA TOPICS: APCNews uncovers the major ICT policy issues and
campaigns in Asia - From jamming community radio to lowering telephony
costs…
Jamming the power of community radio, landing submarine cables smoothly,
lowering telephony costs in a price-sensitive part of the globe... these
and many more issues are on top of the mind of campaigners working on
information and communication technology for development in South Asia,
a populous part of the planet. At APC's recent ‘ICT policy in South
Asia’ workshop held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, a number of campaigners got a
chance to meet up with techies and a few academics to share space and
ideas. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038217
SPECIAL DHAKA ARTICLE: Snaking in from under the sea, submarine cable
link launched by Bangladesh
Late May 2006 saw Bangladesh launch its first submarine fibre-optic
cable in the southern coastal town of Cox's Bazar. This could allow
high-speed telecommunications, but some voices critiqued the delay in
making this possible. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038234
COMPLEMENTARY ARTICLE: Submarine Cable Link: Yet to cross lots of
barriers to get the real power
Bangladesh has been linked with the Se-Me-We-4 submarine cable network,
but there is yet to set up a certain set of rules and regulations
regarding the usage. The authority to look after this network is
Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board (BTTB). BTTB are now in
contention with the internet service providers (ISPs). Only 155 Mbps
data are now being transferred through the submarine cable network
whereas the real capacity is 10 Gbps. As there is no strong backup, ISPs
are not relying on the Se-Me-We-4 submarine cable. In this tangle the
proper distribution of Se-Me-We-4 submarine cable become uncertain. -
Ekattor
http://www.ekattor.com/submarine-cable.pdf [PDF document]
SPECIAL DHAKA INTERVIEW: The software challenge? How to popularise Indic
solutions with users
Indian language computing solutions in free/libre and open source
software is "doing fine" but needs better documenting and packaging. It
also needs to find sufficient numbers of users. There is a lot of
potential for regional, cross-country cooperation in this field in South
Asia, a region in urgent need of solutions to its computing challenges.
This interview with Sarai.net, the Delhi-based new media initiative,
also self-defined as a "space for research, practice and conversation
about the contemporary media and urban constellations", explores these
challenges. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5018375
FROM THE APC BLOG: BBC's documentary... and software freedom
By Fouad Riaz Bajwa
Is free and open source software (FOSS) a make-do product for those who
can't afford better? Is it something suited to the 'developing' world
alone? No, says Fouad Riaz Bajwa, a Pakistani FOSS advocate known as the
"FOSS mullah" for his passionate commitment to the cause. He debates a
recent two-part BBC documentary on FOSS, which he believes catches the
bull by the tail. - APC Blog
- APC Blog
http://blog.apc.org/en/index.shtml?x=5018061
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- STRATEGIC USES & CAPACITY BUILDING --
WIKI PART I: Progressive communications, wiki style
APC staff started playing with wikis internally four years ago, and
started using this online tool seriously about a year later.
Collaborative work can normally be documented with the help of a drawing
board or a tape recorder in the corner of a room. At the Association for
Progressive Communications, people’s collective space is not a room.
Instead they work from home, some in small offices, others in affiliated
organisations, all over the world. But what is a wiki anyway? How does
it differ from other online tools APC uses? How can it support the way
we work at APC? This first out of two pieces looks at these questions by
rooting the answers in APC’s global working dynamics. - APCNews
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038198
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- WOMEN & ICTs –-
E-GOV, PART II: Linking Czech women and e-government
The APC WNSP panel “ICT and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men” took
place on the April 3, 2006, the first of a two-day conference on
Internet in Public Administration. Most panellists spoke about
information and communication literacy as key to successful
implementation of e-government objectives. At the same time, they listed
ICT skills as the primary barrier that leads to a gender digital divide
in the Czech Republic. In particular, the majority of the Roma women do
not have sufficient ICT skills to benefit from e-government and the
information society generally. The conference took place in the Czech
Republic. This is the second article in a two-part series. - GenderIT.org
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?apc=a--e94245-1
ARTICLE: Why are Congolese women absent from decision making in ICTs?
The Republic of Congo is located in Central Africa, with an estimated
population of 2,854,600 in 2000. Telecommunications infrastructures are
decrepit, limited to the two biggest cities of the country, Brazzaville
and Pointe-Noire. Despite the existence of private telecommunications
companies, only mobile telephony penetrates faster in rural areas.
Telecommunications infrastructures are, thus, unable to meet the needs
of the Congolese population, especially those of women who constitute 51
per cent of inhabitants. This article from APC-Africa-Women’s new
co-coordinator who is from Brazzaville has been translated into English.
- GenderIT.org
http://www.genderit.org/en/index.shtml?w=a&x=94298
ARTICLE: Beyond tools: Technology as a feminist agenda
The question is what is the feminist agenda within the ICTs and gender
debate. The issues of women's sexuality, representation and exploitation
are obvious. The connection that needs to be made is to shift the
understanding of ICTs from a ghettoised area relevant only to those who
are privileged enough to have technological access, to the larger
framework of women's human rights, which includes violence against
women. - Palgrave Journal
http://www.palgrave-journals.com/development/journal/v49/n1/full/1100230a.ht
GRACE OVERVIEW ARTICLE: Gender and ICTs in Africa: Let’s talk research
Performing research can be challenging, especially when researchers turn
to their own communities. In the GRACE project, researchers will meet to
share their findings and develop their writing skills in early June in
Durban, South Africa. Organised in fourteen different teams, the
researchers live and work in twelve African countries and all are
tackling a fundamental question: How do women in Africa use information
and communication technologies (ICTs) for empowerment? - GRACE
http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5038318
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- APC IN THE NEWS --
NEWKERALA.com, India: A dark continent for citizen-run broadcasts
Friday April 28, 2006
As far as radio waves go, South Asia can perhaps call itself the "dark
continent". This part of the planet has an almost uniformly
unenlightened policy when it comes to opening up its airwaves. -
newKerala.com
http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=49863
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- ONLINE TOOLS & RESOURCES --
BRIEFING PAPER: A new briefing paper for journalists asks what’s
stopping the wireless revolution in developing countries
Despite significant advances in wireless technology, more than
two-thirds of the world’s population remains without access to
communication facilities. In many countries, particularly in the
developing world, governments have been slow to reduce restrictions that
limit the use of this technology. This brief from Panos London looks at
different applications of wireless technology, and its comparative
advantage in making communication available to all. It suggests what
governments could do to encourage its wider use in everyday life.
http://www.panos.org.uk/files/wsistoolkit4.pdf
DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNICATION: International Program for Development of
Communication (IPDC)
IPDC is a UNESCO program that provides small grants to community/media
projects. Media organisations such as press, radio and television, media
training institutes, professional journalists' organisations, media
development agencies, and community media organizations are eligible to
seek support from IPDC. All proposals are processed by field-based
Unesco Advisers for communication and information. Media projects with
potential to serve as models are especially encouraged. Particular
attention is always given to proposals from least-developed, landlocked
and small island countries.
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13270&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
GUIDE TO COMMUNITY MULTIMEDIA CENTRES: How to get started and keep going
"There are growing numbers of grass-root communication and information
service providers in the developing countries today. They are operating
community radio stations, multipurpose telecentres, information centres,
community learning centres and – in a few cases – community multimedia
centres (CMCs) that already combine both radio and telecentre facilities.
This book is intended to be of use to all those wanting to become involved
or already involved in such initiatives – staff and managers, community
groups, NGOs working for community empowerment, communication planners
supporting development activities, trainers and project partners."
http://www.unesco.org/webworld/cmc/handbook/full_book.pdf
SOCIAL JUSTICE MONITORING SYSTEM: MARTUS
Martus is a software tool that allows users to document incidents of
abuse by creating bulletins, uploading them at the earliest opportunity,
and storing them on redundant servers located around the world. The new
version (2.9) of Martus is available for download. This release is
available in English, Spanish and Arabic. Other languages including
French, Russian and Thai are available as language-packs on the
documentation page
http://www.martus.org/
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES --
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: 2006 Mellon awards for technology collaboration
The Program in Research in Information Technology of the Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation invites nominations for the 2006 Mellon Awards for
Technology Collaboration (MATC). In support of the Program’s mission to
encourage collaborative, open source software development within
traditional Mellon constituencies, these awards—to be given for the
first time in 2006—will recognise not-for-profit organisations that are
making substantial contributions of their own resources toward the
development of open source software and the fostering of collaborative
communities to sustain open source development.
http://rit.mellon.org/awards
CALL FOR PAPERS: Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture:
National television policies in the age of globalisation
Considerable discussion in the debate on globalisation within media
studies has centred on the question over the impact of the forces of
globalisation on the nature and dynamics of national policy-making. The
University of Westminster is looking for original, research-based papers
that contribute to this debate by broadening the understanding of the
interplay between global forces and the states in the making of
contemporary national television policies. They welcome both national
studies and comparative research across countries as well as research on
policy-making at the supranational level.
Applicants may submit abstracts until Friday September 29, 2006.
http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-880
E_GOV INDIA CONFERENCE: The Centre for Science, Development and Media
Studies (CSDMS) is organizing egov India 2006 Conference in New Delhi
from 23 - 25 August 2006
The participation and engagement of dialogues will be from different
stakeholders representing the government, the academia, advocacy groups,
civil society, consultants, donors (bilateral and multilateral), private
sector and key decision makers and implementers of the programmes in
e-Government. Last date for submission of abstracts - 30th June 2006;
Final confirmation for presentation - 30th July 2006
http://www.egovonline.net/egovindia/
AMNESTY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: Amnesty International has launched a new
campaign in support of freedom of speech online and offline, called
'Irrepressible', a term that means "impossible to repress or control".
Chat rooms monitored. Blogs deleted. Websites blocked. Search engines
restricted. People imprisoned for simply posting and sharing
information. This is what the campaign will act upon.
http://www.irrepressible.info
TWO JOB VACANCIES AT COMPUTER AID NAIROBI:
1. Computer Aid International is seeking to appoint an East Africa
Programme Officer based in their Nairobi office but travelling widely in
the region to serve existing and potential new partners in Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti.
2. Computer Aid International is seeking a Technical Development Officer
to research and develop a new range of ICT4Ed and ICT4D products and
services to compliment their existing provision of high-quality,
professionally refurbished Pentium3 and Pentium4 PCs.
For information about Computer Aid International, please visit
http://www.computeraid.org
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- SITES OF INTEREST --
DON'T REGULATE: Two minute online commented cartoon about 'net
neutrality' and the regulation of the internet. This is a US focussed
analysis of who wants to control the internet.
http://www.dontregulate.org/
IBASE LAUNCHES NEW PORTAL: The Brazilian Institute of Social and
Economic Analyses (Ibase), founded by Betinho in 1981, has launched its
new web portal. Ibase is a nonprofit charitable organisation, with no
links to any religious institution or political party. Its mission is to
build democracy by fighting inequalities and stimulating citizens'
participation.
http://www.ibase.br/modules.php?name=Conteudo&pid=122
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- IMPORTANT DATES --
JUNE 4-8: Youth Media Development Forum’06
Bamako, Mali
http://www.youthmediaforum2006.org/
JUNE 11- 13: ICT for an Inclusive Society
Riga, Latvia
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/events/ict_riga_2006/index_en.htm
JUNE 24- 26: iCommons Summit
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
http://icommons.org/
JUNE 28 – JULY 2: International Community Film Festival
Northampton, United Kingdom
http://www.mediarights.org/news/2006/02/16/northampton_international_community_film_festival.php
JUNE 29: Online Collaboration for Public Policy: Blogs, Wikis and
Workspaces
Washington, United States
http://www.OnlineCommunityForum.com/
JULY 27-29: Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet) 15th Annual
Conference
Washington, United States
http://www.ctcnet.org/what/conference
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
-- WHERE IN THE WORLD IS APC –-
You can meet up with APC and/or APC WNSP (APC women's programme)
representatives at the events below during the next two months. Write to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] to obtain contact information. See you there!
MAY 28- JUNE 12: Durban, South Africa
GRACE workshop: Gender Research in Africa into ICTs for Empowerment
JUNE 9-5: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Digital Inclusion Forum
JUNE 6-8: Bangkok, Thailand
Asian Conference on Digital Commons
http://www.asia-commons.net
JUNE 7-10: Rome, Italy
Transmission: Gathering of video makers, programmers and web producers
developing online video distribution as a tool for social justice and
media democracy.
http://transmission.cc/
JUNE 12-13: Toronto, Canada
Telecentre.org meeting: Open curriculum and peer production
http://wiki.tsf.org.za/shuttleworthfoundationwiki/CollaborativeContent
JUNE 15-16: London, United Kingdom
Building Communications Opportunities (BCO) impact assessment
JUNE 19-20: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Global Alliance meeting
http://www.unicttaskforce.org/
JUNE 23: Glasgow, Scotland
CIVICIUS Assembly
http://www.civicusassembly.org
JUNE 23-25: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I-COMMONS Summit
http://www.icommons.org
JUNE 24: Wilton Park, United Kingdom
Centre for International Governance/DIPLO - WSIS follow up meeting
JUNE 26-30: Marrakech, Morocco
ICANN meeting
http://www.icannmarrakech.org/
JUNE 25-JULY 1: Lusaka, Zambia
IICD (International Institute for Communication and Development)
training materials workshop (including launch the IICD/ItrainOnline
community of trainers) http://www.iicd.org
JUNE 28-JULY 2: London, United Kingdom
APC National portals content workshop
JUNE 29: Dublin, Ireland
GESCI (Global e-Schools and Communities Initiatives) Meeting
http://www.gesci.org/gesci/publisher/index.jsp
JULY 3-27: Geneva, Switzerland
ECOSOC Substantive Session (includes discussion about WSIS)
http://www.un.org/docs/ecosoc/meetings/2006
JULY 3-6: Johannesburg, South Africa
CATIA (Catalysing ICT in Africa) Animators meeting and output to
purpose review
JULY 11 & 17: Ifrane, Morocco
Trainers meetings
JULY 12-16: Ifrane, Morocco
APC North African Wireless workshop
JULY 13-15: Dakar, Senegal
CIPACO (Centre for International ICT Policies Central and West Africa)
West Africa workshop on Internet Governance
http://www.cipaco.org
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
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.
Subscribe to APCNews: http://lists.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/apcnews
Visit the APCNews archive: http://www.apc.org/english/news/apcnews/
Contact APCNews: frederic [at] apc.org
Some rights reserved: Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial Licence 2.0
Association for Progressive Communications (APC), 2006
=======================================
APC Forum is a meeting place for the APC community - people and
institutions who are or have been involved in collaboration with
APC, and share the APC vision - a world in which all people have easy, equal
and affordable access to the creative potential of information and
communication technologies (ICTs) to improve their lives and create more
democratic and egalitarian societies.
_______________________________________________
apc.forum mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://lists.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/apc.forum
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Yahoo! Groups gets a make over. See the new email design.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/XISQkA/lOaOAA/yQLSAA/hYOolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To unsubscribe send a blank mail to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bdlug/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
