[GKD] RFI: Searchable Development Databases

[Patrick O'Beirne]

Google appliances are in use for in-house searching, e.g. The World Bank
Group
http://www.google.com/appliance/case6.html

Google, however, only indexes public web pages.

My question is .. is there a directory of databases of health and
agriculture and other development topics that can be accessed by
registration, preferably at no more than a nominal membership charge?

TIA

Patrick

Patrick O'Beirne
www.InformaticsDevelopmentInstitute.net
www.i-d-i.net




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[GKD] BytesForAll - South Asian IT for Dev. Newsletter

[Frederick Noronha]

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/
_/  B y t e s   F o r   A l l ---  http://www.bytesforall.org
_/  Making  Computing  Relevant to the  People of  South Asia
_/  APR 2003 * APR 2003 *  APR 2003 *  APR 2003 *  APR 2003 *   
_/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/


Software for the blind
--

President Abdul Kalam has launched a software for the visually impaired,
that can make information in Telugu and Hindi languages easy to access.
"Reading Aid for Blind", developed by the International Institute for
Information Technology (IIIT), enhances the reading capability of the
visually handicapped. With the help of this software, text on-screen can
be transformed to speech. The computer then reads this out to the user.
This project has been funded by Satyam Computers.

Cheaper PCs closer?
---

Business daily The Hindu Businessline reports that the promised 5KPC
(priced at just Rs 5000) could be closer than thought. Two companies -
Via Technologies and NetCore (promoted by Mr Rajesh Jain of the India
World fame) are jointly making this possible by bringing down prices of
hardware and software respectively. The 5KPC, as Mr Jain calls it, is
expected to revolutionise the usage of computers. The Via machine is a
thin client, with a motherboard and processor but no hard disk or floppy
drives. Marketed with a full OS - Netcore's Emergic Freedom, based on
Linux - it offers e-mail, browser, office suite, instant messenger and
supports specialised Windows applications through add-on software.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/stories/2003031601420100.htm

PDAs for infoaccess
---

Rahul Nainwal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> is doing a series of case studies
on ICT initiatives in India.  He is keen to know of any intiatives in
India worth studying where PDAs or other access devices are being used
to provide information access to communities.

More details from Rahul Nainwal Director MITRA F-48,Ground floor, Lajpat
Nagar-1 New Delhi-110024 Tele/Fax: 91-11-26911720

ICICI volunteers


Check ICICIcommunities volunteering scheme online at 
http://www.ICICIcommunities.org/communities/volunteerindex.asp

Bloodbank online


This initiative could do with more volunteers... another bloodbank
online, this time one from tiny Goa. http://bloodbank.goenkar.com

Health initiative
-

Thanks to Shu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> for alerting us to the news that IITs
of Madras and Bombay are planning to link rural patients with the doctor
through Internet. They are trying to use kiosk and Bluetooth
technologies for rural healthcare. The TeNet group of IIT Madras in
alliance with HP Labs India is planning a kiosk Internet link with a
doctor for primary ailments. The plan is to equip the kiosk with certain
basic devices like stethoscope, thermistor, blood pressure meter and
ECG. The readings of these devices are transferred through Internet to
the doctor at the district or taluk level. There will also be provision
for video conferencing between the doctor and the patient. IIT Bombay is
working on use of wireless technology for healthcare by application of
Bluetooth and WLAN technologies for patient monitoring.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleId=NEa0306280.5iw
&vert icalID=223&vertical=Technology
  
Window to Bhutan


>From Bhutan, a private independent online newsmagazine featuring
comprehensive web-based news, view, opinions and articles on Bhutan and
includes a comprehensive set of links to other international and
regional news sources. That's what it promises to be. It also includes
links to Bhutan government's Ministries and Departments and features
information on Bhutan's festival, people, weather and travel. It
includes information on diplomatic missions based in Bhutan. Thanks to
Partha and Alan G Alegre for sending this through. See
http://www.bhutannewsonline.com/

Bhutanese refugees
--

The Bhutanese refugees ( http://www.geocities.com/bhutaneserefugees )
website provides information on the origin, causes, and current
situation about Bhutanese refugees and political situation in Bhutan.

Looking at India's role
---

A US National Science Foundation supported workshop on the Indian
development experience in the context of ICTs was jointly organized by
the School of Public Policy at George Mason University and the
Department of Management Studies, the Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Indian Institute of
Information Technology and held in Bangalore during March 3- 5, 2003. A
CD containing the profile of participants and abstracts of papers have
been released for limited private circulation, according to Sreekumar
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> of the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.
http://mgmt.iisc.ernet.in/conf2/GMU-IISc%20Workshop.htm

Localized browsers
--

[GKD] Attempts to Bridge Digital Divide Could Be Costly to Africa

[Sally Gainsbury]

id21 News Release

Attempts to bridge the 'digital divide' could lead Africa down a costly
path

Poor planning, expensive software and under-utilisation make computers a
costly mistake for some African schools. Research published by id21
Insights Education shows that the yearly cost of supplying and
maintaining one African school with 10 second-hand computers, software
and technical support could be as high as the cost of 2000 text books or
3.6 teachers. Good planning and utilisation - such as making computers
available for community use outside school hours - and free 'open
source' software however, can lower costs dramatically.

The publication, which is guest edited by Yusuf Sayed, former deputy
director of the Centre for International Education, University of
Sussex, raises questions about the use of information communication
technologies for education in developing countries, including the
suitability of proprietary software, such as Microsoft's, for which
users must normally buy a licence, and cannot modify to their own needs.
 Sayed comments that open source software and operating systems such as
Linux, which are free to use and allow users to view and adapt the
underlying source code, are a 'practical way forward for many developing
countries and pose serious challenges to the monopoly of large software
firms'.

Sayed's comments are timely as they coincide with a heated debate in
Africa following the South African government's acceptance last year of
free Microsoft software for use in its schools. The government's
agreement with Microsoft stood at odds with its own Advisory Council on
Innovation (NACI) recommendation that open source software 'has the
potential to empower people in ways that proprietary software simply
does not allow'. NACI's recommendations were recently paraphrased in a
proposed strategy published this January by the South African
government's Information Technology Officers' Council, which adds that
because open source software 'offers people the freedom to probe,
modify, learn from and customise the software to suit their needs' it
can be 'an especially useful tool to allow developing countries to
leapfrog into the information age'.

id21's publication of Insights Education was welcomed by Tony Roberts,
Executive Director of the charity Computer Aid International, the
largest not-for-profit provider of refurbished Pentium PCs to schools in
developing countries. For Roberts, the issue is not just about nurturing
African ICT expertise, but also a simple question of cost. 'It is a
fact' Roberts commented, 'that there is no Ministry of Education
anywhere on the continent of Africa that can afford to buy licensed
copies of Microsoft software. The only options are to use Microsoft
unlicensed (most common) to use Linux (increasingly common) or to beg
the local Microsoft representative for a few charity handouts (least
common)'.

This is precisely why Computer Aid has recently established a
partnership with the newly launched Open Source Foundation for Africa to
showcase low cost, open source ICT solutions at a series of conferences
and exhibitions across Africa in 2003. 'We cannot allow the digital
revolution,' Roberts comments, 'to be yet another technological
revolution which entirely leaves Africa behind and further entrenches
underdevelopment'.

 
For more information contact Sally Gainsbury, id21 Research Editor, on
+44 (0) 1273 877305 or <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>


Notes for Editors
 
*   Insights Education, published by id21, a UK Department for
International Development-funded research reporting service, can be
found online at http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-ed01/index.html

*   The South African National Advisory Council on Innovation document
Open Software & Open Standards in South Africa: A Critical Issue for
Addressing the Digital Divide can be found at
http://www.naci.org.za/docs/opensource.html . The extract cited here is
taken from page 12

*   The South African Government Information Technology Officers'
Council document Using Open Source Software in the South African
Government: A Proposed Strategy can be found at
http://www.oss.gov.za/docs/OSS_Strategy_v3.pdf The extract cited here is
taken from page 8-9

*   Further information about the Open Source Foundation for Africa can
be found at their website http://osfa.allafrica.com/

*   Further information about Computer Aid International can be found
at their website http://www.computeraid.org/

*   Further useful information on the digital divide may be found at
http://www.bridges.org

*   id21 is a fast-track research reporting service funded by the UK
Department for International Development (DFID). id21's website
http://www.id21.org provides instant access to a fully-searchable
database of over 2000 reports on current social, economic, education and
health research on developing and middle income countries. To subscribe
to periodic email alerts on new research visit
http://www.id21.org/id21-email/email.html

*   id2

[GKD] JOB: Africa Programme Manager, Open Knowledge Network

[Tori Holmes]

Dear members of the GKD list,

There is a new vacancy on the Open Knowledge Network (OKN) project for
an Africa Programme Manager.

The Africa Programme Manager will lead the development of the OKN,
managing programme planning, coordination and implementation. In order
to deliver the vision of a sustainable network located in independent
organisations the post-holder will need to develop collaborative
relationships within Civil Society, the Private sector and Government in
at least three separate African sub-regions. For further details see
below or go to .

The deadline for completed application forms for this position is 5pm,
18th April 2003.  For an application pack please email <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
(CVs will not be accepted).

As ever, we would be happy to receive applications from members of this
list. We also again ask for your help in disseminating this vacancy in
all appropriate places.

Many thanks,

Tori

~~~
Tori Holmes
Consultation and Set-Up Phase Coordinator
Open Knowledge Network
OneWorld International
17th Floor
89 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7TP
t + 44 (0)20 7091 4546 (direct line)
f + 44 (0)20 7840 0798
www.oneworld.net
www.openknowledge.net



JOB TITLE:  Programme Manager, Open Knowledge Network
SALARY:  £30,000- £35,000 per annum, negotiable for exceptional
candidates

REPORTING TO:  OneWorld Network Relations Director


SUMMARY PURPOSE OF JOB:

The Open Knowledge Network, www.openknowledge.net, is an initiative of
the G8 Digital Opportunity Taskforce (DOTForce) linking together
existing grassroots information and knowledge-sharing initiatives to
promote both the creation and the exchange of local content as widely as
possible across the South, supported by a range of different information
and communication technologies (ICTs).  The programme is coordinated by
OneWorld International and its network of southern offices.

The Africa Programme Manager will lead the development of the OKN,
managing programme planning, coordination and implementation. In order
to deliver the vision of a sustainable network located in independent
organisations the post-holder will need to develop collaborative
relationships within Civil Society, the Private sector and Government in
at least three separate African sub-regions.


AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:


1.  Leadership

*   Provide strategic direction and vision for OKN in Africa

*   Lead OKN work in collaboration with a range of different
organisations in the different regions of Africa

*   Take the lead on promoting the OKN concept in Africa


2.  Budget, resource and project management

*   Manage the budget for OKN activities in the region

*   Plan, coordinate and evaluate consultative workshops in
collaboration with OneWorld Africa and OneWorld International (Phase I)

*   Plan, coordinate and evaluate OKN pilot projects in collaboration
with OneWorld Africa and OneWorld International (Phase I)

*   Manage the process of hub selection (Phase II)

*   Manage the roll-out of the OKN in Africa (Phase II) in
collaboration with civil society organisations in the region


3. Relationship management

*   Promote the OKN concept among the appropriate stakeholders in the
region

*   Create, develop and maintain relationships with potential OKN
partner organisations, particularly those working at grassroots level,
and convert these relationships into practical partnerships for action

*   Liaise with IICD and other partners engaged in local content
capacity development activities in the region.

*   Where appropriate, develop contracts with local and national
governments, international NGOs, information providers and local
businesses to support an OKN


4. Liaison with other parts of the OKN

*   Serve as a key regional liaison point between hubs at grassroots
level and the OKN grant holder, OneWorld International, as well as the
Open Knowledge Syndication Service to be based in South Asia and other
service providers (including software).

*   Develop working relationships with parallel initiatives in the
region such as Connectivity Africa, Enablis, etc.


5. Monitoring and reporting

*   Carry out ongoing monitoring and support evaluation of OKN
activities in the region

*   Report to donors on OKN activities in the region

*   Identify regional fundraising opportunities for the OKN project


6. Sustainability and business planning

*   Lead work with NGOs and local businesses in developing sustainable
and appropriate business models for each implementation of an OKN


ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

*   A high performing manager with an outstanding track record of
achievement in your career to date

*   Experience of leading large programmes spanning several locations

*   Substantial experience of working in Africa in development-related
activities with a mature understanding of relev