PICTA Bulletin is a monthly
publication that provides information on activities of members in the Partnership for ICTs
in Africa (PICTA), as well as news on ICT-related activities in Africa.
An informal meeting on the
second phase of the WSIS, held in Tunis from 2 to 3 March 2004 and convened by the
Government of Tunisia in cooperation with ITU, recommended the need for continuity between
the two phases and the full involvement of all stakeholders. The meeting held preliminary
discussions on implementation of the Geneva Plan of Action, expected results of the second
phase of WSIS, and the process leading up to Tunis. Representatives from governments,
civil society, private sector, international organizations, and the United Nations
Regional Commissions participated at the meeting. A summary of the discussions was read by
the Tunisian Secretary of State for ICTs, who noted that the conclusions were non-official
and that they would be forwarded to official organs of WSIS for debate. For further
information, please contact Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane (kbounemra@uneca.org)
CTO CEO visits ECA
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the Chief
Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), visited ECA
in March 2004 to discuss strengthening collaboration between the two institutions and
formulating joint ICT4D programmes in Africa. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed to
reflect this cooperation. For further information, please contact Aida Opoku-Mensah (aopoku-mensah@uneca.org)
The Nairobi Accord – outcome of the CTO Conference on
implementing the WSIS Action Plan
Delegates and participants of
the CTO conference on implementing the WSIS Action Plan have resolved to encourage
stakeholders involved in the WSIS process to familiarise themselves with the requirements
of the WSIS Action Plan, especially as they relate to the fulfillment of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs). This was contained in a resolution termed, "The Nairobi
Accord" approved by consensus by the delegates and the participants at the end of the
conference held in Nairobi, Kenya. Organised by the CTO and AITEC, the conference aimed at
providing countries in the region as well as the international community, with the
opportunity to understand and share the challenges faced in the execution of the WSIS
Action Plan agreed on in December 2003 in Geneva. The conference was attended by
ministers, heads of regulatory bodies, senior executives of development agencies, major
corporations, local diplomatic representatives, and other stakeholder organizations. More:
http://www.uneca.org/aisi/nairobiaccord.htm
Research on refurbished PCs for African schools calls for an
integrated strategy and management system in Africa
SchoolNet Africa has released a
research report entitled: “Treat Refurbs and Africa with Respect; Towards a Framework
on Refurbished Computers for African Schools” that investigates the African schooling
experience in the use of dumped, second-hand, and refurbished computers. The study marks
the first examination of experiences with second-hand and refurbished computers among
Schoolnet organizations in Africa. It concludes that an integrated strategy and effective
management systems are required to ensure that future projects to source and use
second-hand and refurbished PCs for education purposes in African schools are more
consistent, scaleable, and effective. It notes that agencies like SchoolNet Africa need to
play a leading role in this regard. SchoolNet Africa will use the research findings to
kick-start a campaign for 1 Million PCs for African Schools. The campaign also includes an
intensive capacity- building programme for technical co-ordinators and prospective PC
refurbishment centre managers from 20 African countries commencing 3 May 2004. For more
information contact Shafika Isaacs at s.isaacs@schoolnetafrica.org
or Cassie Janisch at cjanisch@absamail.co.za
English version of the executive summary of this report is available at: www.schoolnetafrica.net/fileadmin/resources/Refurbished_computers_ExecSum.pdf
Information Society Statistics – Top on UN Agenda
A UN Coordination meeting on
information society statistics that took place on March 5, 2004 in New York provided an
opportunity to various UN agencies to exchange information on “The state of
advancement of measuring Information Society in national statistics systems” and to
agree on common procedures. The meeting was attended by experts from DESA, UN Regional
Commissions, the OECD, ITU and others. For more info, please contact Mohammed Timoulali (mtimoulali@uneca.org)
Microsoft launches Local Language Program
As part of its long-term
commitment to collaborate with local governments to provide them with the tools and
technologies needed to realize the societal and economic benefits of the growing IT
industry, Microsoft Corp announced an initiative on Local Language Programs on 16 March
2004. The Program is a global initiative that fosters the development and proliferation of
regional language groups, enabling them to preserve and promote their language and culture
while benefiting from continuing IT advancements. Through this initiative, people around
the world will be able to work with PCs -- some for the first time -- in their native
languages. Individuals will be able to build skills, find new opportunities and realize
overall IT progress. More: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/mar04/03-16LLPPR.asp
ECA and IDRC to Collaborate on Connectivity Africa
ECA and IDRC held a meeting on
16 February 2004 in Addis Ababa to discuss key collaborative activities and mechanisms for
working on Connectivity Africa. Soon to follow will be a joint work-plan of activities and
the identification of an Advisory Board for Connectivity Africa (CA) and Catalysing Access
to ICT in Africa (CATIA).
e-Brain Forum of Zambia "ICTs in Local Government”
Workshop Report
The e-Brain Forum of Zambia
hosted a conference for selected local authorities to disseminate findings of a survey on
the Electronic Distance Training on Sustainability in African Local Governments (EDITOSIA)
in Lusaka, Zambia, from 23 to 24 January, 2004. The report is an analysis of the current
use of ICTs, accessibility, application and conditions in African local governments with
specific reference to Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. It also
forecasts accessibility and applications of ICTs in the same region. The theme of the
workshop was “ICTs for Sustainability: Can Local Councils Build Capacity for
Change”. More: www.ebrain.org.zm
ICTs and small enterprise - A motor of economic development in
Africa
ICT and entrepreneurship expert
Russell Southwood in this brief explains some of the ways in which ICTs and small
businesses can combine to form a motor of economic development in Africa. Employing 20% of
the African workforce, small and medium-sized enterprises are a real economic engine. ICTs
can be a smart investment for African entrepreneurs, enabling them to boost productivity,
tap into international markets, and offer better service to their customers. This brief
gives some examples on how ICTs and SMEs can work together. More: http://www.iicd.org/publications
Computers help Ethiopian high schools harness online power
UNDP and Ethiopia's ICT for
Development Authority have delivered the first batch of 1,500 computers to the Ministry of
Education as part of efforts to bring ICTs to more than 160 high schools around the
country. UNDP has provided US$ 3.5 million for the initiative and is seeking support from
donors for an equal amount to enable all high schools to go online. Partners include the
Ministry of Capacity Building and the Ministry of Education. UNDP is also helping the
Authority formulate and implement a national ICT policy. Digital technology can strengthen
management and planning, connect federal, regional and local governments, improve data
analysis and facilitate information sharing. These efforts will help government at all
levels improve services, support efforts to reduce poverty and promote progress towards
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For further information, contact Sirak G.
Yohannes (sirak.g.yohannes@undp.org)
Obasanjo Urges States To Set Up Technology Agencies
To buttress the importance of
Information Technology (IT) in transparency, accountability and good governance in the
country, President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised all tiers of government to emulate the
federal government by establishing their own IT development agencies. The president who
stated this at the National Stakeholders conference on e-Government held last week in
Abuja stressed that in addition to setting up the agencies equivalent to the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) owned by the federal government, the
states and local governments should develop all encompassing programmes involving the
State Assemblies, local government councils, judiciary and the citizens. Source:
BusinessDay. More: http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?fArticleId=1871
New OSISA ICT Handbook on Cyber Law and Civil Society
The Open Society Initiative for
Southern Africa (OSISA), in partnership with law firm Cheadle, Thompson, Haysom, have
recently released a book entitled “Cyber Law for Civil Society- A Resource
Guide”. The handbook is a useful resource guide in understanding the basics of the
Information society and the various global and regional institutions, policies and
processes that govern the Information society. It is filled with many case studies and
supplemented by useful links and web referrals. For a copy, please visit www.osisa.org or send an email request to Nomthandazo
Shoba on nomthandazos@osiafrica.org
ECA and UMA discuss Multilateral Trade Negotiations
Trade and Regional Integration
Division (TRID) of the ECA, in collaboration with the Maghreb Arab Union (UMA) and the
Government of the Kingdom of Morocco, organized an Experts Group Meeting in Rabat, Morocco
on 1st and 2nd March this year.The meeting discussed the impact and consequences of the
failure of the Cancun WTO Ministerial Conference on Maghreb countries; shared country
experiences of multilateral trade negotiations; and discussed harmonization of trade
policies in order to form a common negotiating position for Maghreb countries. The meeting
addressed the role of ICTs in facilitating trade in the region, particularly with regard
to e-commerce activities. The ECA presentation on e-commerce in UMA sub region described
the e-commerce situation in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, and proposed a
framework for ECA-UMA cooperation in e-commerce and ICT4D in general. A recommendation was
adopted for the promotion of the Sector of Services and Technology Transfer within UMA.
More: http://www.maghrebarabe.org. The report
and recommendations of the meeting are available at: http://www.uneca.org/eca_programmes/trade_and_regional_integration/default.htm
Acacia and Connectivity Africa approved one of their flagship
projects: the FMFI (First Mile, First Inch) project
This important project will
build a network of practitioners and community of innovators able to find least cost, open
source solutions for community projects. As such, it will build capacity amongst senior
technical staff through creating opportunities to test innovations and create
opportunities amongst community members to access converged forms of voice and data
communication. The project’s title (First Mile First Inch) reflects the innovative
approach of the project. “Last Mile” has traditionally been defined as that
which is required to connect a person or institution to the local telephone company, a
problem traditionally solved by the telephone company. “First Mile” represents a
more bottom-up analysis of the problem and potential solutions. The rapid development in
recent years of wireless technologies and open source telephony applications show dramatic
potential for this approach. The “First Inch” component of the project, on the
other hand, addresses the fact that it is often not enough to place technology in the
hands of users but that technology must be adapted to the local environment. Solutions
need to be deployed taking into full account conditions such as local language, literacy,
physical access issues, individual vs. community access, etc. More: http://www.connectivityafrica.org
Ensuring e-mails don't have to travel half way around the world
to get to your next-door neighbour
Connectivity Africa is
continuing its support for the development of an African Regional Internet Peering point,
with partners like AFrispa, Balancing Act and CATIA. An African regional peering point
would allow African ISPs to peer into it and not have to use more costly and
time-consuming peering points in the US or Europe, as is currently the case. This phase of
the work will focus on informing and lobbying African regulators and decision makers on
the issue and developing background documents to support the lobbying process. More: http://www.connectivityafrica.org
Workshop to discuss developing technical training materials on
essential connectivity issues
IDRC's Connectivity Africa
program, OSI and APC will support a workshop in April to develop technical training
materials on essential connectivity issues such as Wifi, Voip, Open source, shared
bandwidth purchasing, etc. Following the workshop, material developed will be used for a
training road show in Africa for community access practitioners. More: http://www.connectivityafrica.org
14 - 16 April 2004, SADC Regional Consultation on National e-Government
Readiness, Gaborone Botswana
This is a collaboration between
the Centre of Specialisation in Public Administration and Management (CESPAM) and the
Commonwealth Network of IT for Development (COMNET-IT), who together are engaged in a
partnership for the development of materials and training for e-Government. The event will
address e-Government in its broadest sense and provide insights into the status, trends
and achievements within SADC countries, and lessons learnt. It will also provide templates
for the assessment of e-Government readiness and progress, capacity-building and support
requirements, both nationally as well as regionally. The Government of Germany through
GTZ, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Botswana are sponsoring the
workshop. More: www.cespam.net
19 – 21 April 2004, WSIS African Academia Research Network
Brainstorming workshop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Funded by the Ford Foundation,
the project, WSIS Academia Research Network, aims at strengthening networks among
researchers and creating an enabling environment to examine critical aspects of the
emerging African Information Society. In order to conceptualize the network and thematic
focus, ECA is planning to invite prominent researchers and scholars and organize a
brainstorming workshop so as to produce a blue print for the establishment of the network.
The outcomes of the research undertaken through the network will be considered as one of
Africa’s contributions to the second phase of WSIS, which is scheduled in November
2005 in Tunisia. For further information, please contact Aida Opoku-Mensah (aopoku-mensah@uneca.org)
22
– 24 April 2004, Workshop on e-Strategy Burkina , Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
This is a validation workshop
for the e-Burkina strategy. It is organised by Délégation Générale à l'informatique.
More : Makane Faye (mfaye@uneca.org)
3 – 5 May 2004, Tenth Meeting of the Intergovernmental
Committee of Experts for Southern Africa (ICE), Lusaka, Zambia
ECA-SA is organizing the Tenth
ICE Meeting to be held at the Mulungushi Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia from 3 to 5
May 2004. The theme of the meeting is “Private Sector Development in Southern
Africa”. The meeting is expected to critically assess progress achieved by the ECA
Southern Africa Office (ECA-SA) in implementing its work programme as determined by
priorities for 2003/04. It will also consider in the sub-region Private Sector
Development; Sustainable Development; The Implementation of the System of National
Accounts; and the Status of Information for Development activities. The meeting will make
recommendations on the future orientation of the work programme of the Southern African
ECA sub regional office. Contact: The Director, ECA Office in Southern Africa, P.O. Box
30647, Lusaka, Zambia, Tel (260 1) 228502/5, Fax: (260 1) 236 949, E-mail: srdcsa.uneca@un.org
3 – 8 May 2004, ITU Telecom Africa 2004, Cairo, Egypt
Conscious of the opportunities
that new and affordable telecommunication technologies have brought about, the Forum at
ITU TELECOM AFRICA 2004 will focus on the following themes: a) Creating successful
business models, b) Policy challenges, c) Appropriate technologies, d) Using ICTs to meet
the UN Millennium Development Goals, and e) Africa and the world. More: http://www.itu.int/AFRICA2004/index.html
4 May 2004, Followup to the WSIS in the African Region, Cairo
Egypt
The ITU Telecommunication
Development Bureau (BDT), in conjuction with the Ministry of Communications and
Information Technology of Egypt, intends to organise a senior level symposium, within the
framework of Africa TELECOM 2004 that will take place from 3 to 8 May 2004 in Cairo,
Egypt. This symposium will focus on the implementation of the Plan of Action adopted
during the Geneva phase of the WSIS. For more info, please contact Asenath Mpatwa (asenath.mpatwa@itu.int)
11 – 12 May, Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) EXCOMM
Meeting, San Jose, Costa Rica
19
– 21 May 2004, World Congress on IT 2004 (WCIT 2004), Athens, Greece
Organized by Federation of
Hellenic Information Technology and Communications Enterprises (SEPE), the theme of the
congress is "The Future Is Now". The World Congress on Information Technology
(WCIT), is a biennial meeting attracting leading ICT professionals, top corporate
executives, distinguished academic professors and researchers, government ministers and
policy makers from all over the world, whose interaction and decisions shape the future of
the ICT world. More: http://www.worldcongress2004.org
24 – 26 May 2004, e-Nigeria: Implementing the WSIS Process:
The case of Nigeria, Shehu Musa Yar’adua Conference Centre, Abuja, Nigeria
The conference aims at drawing
up strategies for the implementation of the WSIS process in Nigeria; exploring the
framework for the development and use of ICTs as the driving force of Nigerian economy;
identifying necessary ICT human resources and infrastructure required for the deployment
of e-strategies; offering solutions to the challenges of ICT within the framework of the
Nigerian economy; examining the existing strategies for national development and examine
strategies of re-designing them in line with the latest technologies and applications in
the global economic structure. More: www.enigeria.org
1 – 3 June 2004, AITEC WEST AFRICA
AITEC 2004 –
business-to-business networking and intensive knowledge-sharing platform. The Eighth
Annual West African Information and Communications Technologies Conference and Exhibition
(AITEC 2004) is scheduled to be held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC),
from 1 – 3 June 2004 under the auspices of Ministry of Communications and Technology,
Ghana. The theme of AITEC 2004 is “Building Public-Private Partnership and Creating
Opportunities Through ICTs”. The conference will focus on the need for private and
the public sector to work in synergy to maximize the whole spectrum of opportunities
available in the ICT space around the sub region and beyond. For further details of AITEC
2004, contact: AITEC GHANA, Tel: +233-21-7012137 ghana@aitecafrica.com
18 – 19 June 2004, “NEPAD and Issues Affecting the
Youth: South-North Relations and the Digital Divide”, Europa-Universität Viadrina,
Frankfurt/Oder, Germany
The African Youth Foundation
(AYF) will hold its 3rd International Conference under the theme: “NEPAD and Issues
Affecting the Youth: South-North Relations and the Digital Divide“. The aim of the
conference is to provide an insight on the pros and cons of the achievements of the NEPAD
objectives and also, how the European Union-Africa partnership can address and meet the
challenges of the importance of ICTs in youth education, as a development priority for
both the African and Western communities. People who wish to submit articles for academic
purposes may inquire about procedures or submit them to the AYF Secretariat at: info@ayf.de Papers from all areas of education are welcome.
Selected papers will be published in a special volume of the Conference Proceedings. More:
http://www.ayf.de/Int-Conf-04.pdf
Call
for papers: CIRN Conference on Sustainability and Community Technology: What Does this
Mean for Community Informatics?
The Community Informatics
Research Network Inc. (CIRN) calls for papers to its 2004 Inaugural Conference and
Colloquium with the above general theme, and it will take place from 29 September to 3
October 2004 in Prato, Italy. The event is meant to provide an opportunity for
researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to present findings and reflect in a
convivial atmosphere on key issues of concern for the future of enabling communities with
Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It will also be the founding
organisational conference of CIRN. Further details of the conference will be available at:
www.ciresearch.net/prato2004
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