By Brenda Zulu
Linux Fund and the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) have pledged to work together to promote Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in Africa.
In a Press Release, Linux Fund and the Free Software and Open Source Foundation of Africa (FOSSFA) have signed a landmark agreement to promote Free Software and Open Source in Africa. This historic engagement between two Foundations speaks to the success of the Community Summit and Foundations face-to-face meeting at this year's Open Source Conference (OSCON) which was held in San Jose in Silicon Valley.
Within the framework of the agreement, David Mandel of Linux Fund emphasizes that "Linux Fund will work to raise money to help fund FOSSFA projects and events that expand the use and development of Open Source software, documentation, data, and education in Africa. Linux Fund will also add information about FOSSFA to promotional fliers and other literature that Linux Fund uses at conferences and for direct appeals to potential donors”.
Nnenna Nwakanma of FOSSFA says she believes that Linux Fund support has come at a good time when FOSSFA has engaged in the ICT@INNOVATION project in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and Kenya http://www.ict-innovation.fossfa.net and the FOSSWAY (http://fossway.fossfa.net ) project that sweeps across the whole of West Africa and Central Africa promoting and building FOSS capacities in those 18 countries. She also believes that the upcoming projects of FOSSFA on Policy Support to Governments, Management of Internet Resources, Open Source Certification, Resource/Competence Centers and Open Source Solutions for Governance will also benefit greatly from this collaboration. Finally, she believes the upcoming Fourth African International Conference on Open Source and the Digital Commons (Idlelo 4, Accra, Ghana, May 17 – 21, 2010) will be an important event to showcase results of this partnership.
Both organizations will disseminate information about each other's activities, initiatives, and operations on their web sites, at conferences, meetings and events. FOSSFA and Linux Fund are committed to expanding their partnership beyond funding to include joint projects and events plus strategies for information exchange between their diverse communities. The development of a system that would allow Open Source experts visiting Africa could be linked with speaking opportunities or short volunteer consulting projects during their trips is also under consideration.
About Linux Fund
Linux Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides financial and advisory support to the free and open software community. Linux Fund has given away over $750,000 to open source events and development since its founding in 1999 using funds raised through its line of credit cards and direct donations.
http://www.linuxfund.org/
About FOSSFA
FOSSFA is the premier African FOSS organization, and was founded under the auspices of the Bamako Bureau of the African Information Society Initiative within the mandate given by African Governments in 1995 to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). The Vision of FOSSFA is to promote the use of FOSS and the FOSS model in African development. FOSSFA supports the integration of FOSS in national policies and also coordinates, promotes, and adds value to African FOSS initiatives, creativity, industry, expertise, efforts and activities at all levels. FOSSFA partners with development organizations who share these goals towards a participatory and gender-mainstreamed sustainable development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. The Foundation is already working with the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the State Information Technology Agenca of South Africa (SITA), the German Capacity Building International (INWENT), the Open Society Initiative of West Africa (OSIWA) and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Center for Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE)
Monday, December 14, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Challenges in training farmers in web 2.0
By Brenda Zulu
Training farmers who have never used computers to embrace web 2.0 tools has been a great challenge for me here in Monze.
The worst thing was that i could not even speak their language Tonga of which i beat that barrier by asking a good Samaritan to translate for me during the workshop.
I was amazed by the zeal these women farmers had when they expressed interest in knowing what web 2.0 tools were and how they could use them as farmers.
The women farmers confessed that they were not going to use web 2.0 tools but however said that they would use mobile phones to send text messages to technical officers an alert them on whatever was happening in the villages.
The issue of language is an issue as these farmers as they would like to blog the internet in Tonga.
Training farmers who have never used computers to embrace web 2.0 tools has been a great challenge for me here in Monze.
The worst thing was that i could not even speak their language Tonga of which i beat that barrier by asking a good Samaritan to translate for me during the workshop.
I was amazed by the zeal these women farmers had when they expressed interest in knowing what web 2.0 tools were and how they could use them as farmers.
The women farmers confessed that they were not going to use web 2.0 tools but however said that they would use mobile phones to send text messages to technical officers an alert them on whatever was happening in the villages.
The issue of language is an issue as these farmers as they would like to blog the internet in Tonga.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Windows 7 launch Welcome
By Brenda Zulu
Windows Vista was not very well taken in the market by consumers at the official launch of Windows 7 launched after their product review of every 3 to 4 years.
“Windows Vista was not very well taken in the market,” said Andrew Waititu Microsoft License Compliance Manager for East and Southern Africa.
Speaking in a interview, Waititu said Microsoft has had one of the biggest test users on Windows 7 of about more than 8 million people from the market and feels that this is what has built Microsoft.
“I have been using the product for 6 months. The management of power on my laptop is much better and accessing of documents is much easier. The search engine is also very good as it brings up everything in the,” explained Waititu.
Meanwhile a test user of Windows 7, Rex Mumba an IT proffessional found Windows 7 painless to install.
"Out-of-the-box driver support on our test machine was perfect, and it took only half an hour and two quick reboots to begin running a stable desktop environment, though we wondered why Windows 7 created a 200MB partition in addition to its main partition. The 33MB of updates quickly came down the pipe upon loading the desktop," he said.
Mumba explained that Windows 7 power-management technologies has provided the platform and processor efficiencies that reduce power consumption, helping lower energy costs.
In a Press release, Windows 7 for installation on new computers and for purchase was in computer retailers across Zambia. Windows 7 is Microsoft's newest version of its popular Windows desktop operating system, which promises to be the best yet to be distributed by the company.
More than a billion people around the world, of every language and every culture, use Windows every day at work, at home and on the go.
As each version of Windows was released over the years, more features, better ways of working together with team members, staying in touch with friends and family, and general computer usage have been refined and simplified to allow almost anyone to quickly learn how to use a computer.
With Windows 7, Microsoft has taken this level of improvement one step further. A billion Windows users worldwide gave Microsoft a great opportunity to listen and learn. That is how the company developed Windows 7.
"Windows 7 represents years of in-depth listening to our customers and partners around the globe, and is the most well-researched, well-planned Windows release ever," said Louis Otieno, Country Manager for Microsoft East and Southern Africa.
"In fact 91% of Windows 7 Release Candidate testers told us they would recommend Windows 7 - we are incredibly excited and humbled at the response so far," he added.
No matter where users intend utilising Windows 7, it has something for everyone:
For consumers - Microsoft designed Windows 7 to be more reliable, more responsive, and to make the things customers do every day easier.
For small to medium sized businesses - Windows 7 is the best operating system for work, whether people work from their company office, from home or on the go. Windows 7 works the way you want, enables you to get more done and keeps your work safe.
- For enterprises - Windows 7 was designed to meet the rigorous demands of the enterprise. It makes users productive anywhere, delivers enhanced security and control to reduce risk, and streamlines PC manageability to reduce costs.
Microsoft's partners in Zambia who sell and distribute Windows 7 are excited at the opportunities Windows 7 will bring.
Microsoft has developed different versions of Windows 7 to cater to for the different things people want to do with their PC:
Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic - ideal for first-time PC-buyers or those looking to purchase a PC loaded with Windows 7 on a budget.
Windows Vista was not very well taken in the market by consumers at the official launch of Windows 7 launched after their product review of every 3 to 4 years.
“Windows Vista was not very well taken in the market,” said Andrew Waititu Microsoft License Compliance Manager for East and Southern Africa.
Speaking in a interview, Waititu said Microsoft has had one of the biggest test users on Windows 7 of about more than 8 million people from the market and feels that this is what has built Microsoft.
“I have been using the product for 6 months. The management of power on my laptop is much better and accessing of documents is much easier. The search engine is also very good as it brings up everything in the,” explained Waititu.
Meanwhile a test user of Windows 7, Rex Mumba an IT proffessional found Windows 7 painless to install.
"Out-of-the-box driver support on our test machine was perfect, and it took only half an hour and two quick reboots to begin running a stable desktop environment, though we wondered why Windows 7 created a 200MB partition in addition to its main partition. The 33MB of updates quickly came down the pipe upon loading the desktop," he said.
Mumba explained that Windows 7 power-management technologies has provided the platform and processor efficiencies that reduce power consumption, helping lower energy costs.
In a Press release, Windows 7 for installation on new computers and for purchase was in computer retailers across Zambia. Windows 7 is Microsoft's newest version of its popular Windows desktop operating system, which promises to be the best yet to be distributed by the company.
More than a billion people around the world, of every language and every culture, use Windows every day at work, at home and on the go.
As each version of Windows was released over the years, more features, better ways of working together with team members, staying in touch with friends and family, and general computer usage have been refined and simplified to allow almost anyone to quickly learn how to use a computer.
With Windows 7, Microsoft has taken this level of improvement one step further. A billion Windows users worldwide gave Microsoft a great opportunity to listen and learn. That is how the company developed Windows 7.
"Windows 7 represents years of in-depth listening to our customers and partners around the globe, and is the most well-researched, well-planned Windows release ever," said Louis Otieno, Country Manager for Microsoft East and Southern Africa.
"In fact 91% of Windows 7 Release Candidate testers told us they would recommend Windows 7 - we are incredibly excited and humbled at the response so far," he added.
No matter where users intend utilising Windows 7, it has something for everyone:
For consumers - Microsoft designed Windows 7 to be more reliable, more responsive, and to make the things customers do every day easier.
For small to medium sized businesses - Windows 7 is the best operating system for work, whether people work from their company office, from home or on the go. Windows 7 works the way you want, enables you to get more done and keeps your work safe.
- For enterprises - Windows 7 was designed to meet the rigorous demands of the enterprise. It makes users productive anywhere, delivers enhanced security and control to reduce risk, and streamlines PC manageability to reduce costs.
Microsoft's partners in Zambia who sell and distribute Windows 7 are excited at the opportunities Windows 7 will bring.
Microsoft has developed different versions of Windows 7 to cater to for the different things people want to do with their PC:
Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic - ideal for first-time PC-buyers or those looking to purchase a PC loaded with Windows 7 on a budget.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tweeting the Media4Dev seminar
By Brenda Zulu
I am here in Brussels blogging a seminar on the role of the media in development. It has been a good experience. We did a lot of micro blogging, vlogging and we created a few Pod Casts and we had a lot of responses from people who were following the conference online.
It has also been live experince and we have learnt a lot and we are getting better everytime. http://annualseminar2009.cta.int/blog
I am here in Brussels blogging a seminar on the role of the media in development. It has been a good experience. We did a lot of micro blogging, vlogging and we created a few Pod Casts and we had a lot of responses from people who were following the conference online.
It has also been live experince and we have learnt a lot and we are getting better everytime. http://annualseminar2009.cta.int/blog
Friday, September 18, 2009
Dynamic Web site set to benefit all African Non Government Organisations
By Brenda Zulu
Thousands of Non Government Organisations (NGOs) across Africa can now benefit from the expansion of the NGOConnect Africa website and platform. The enhanced site features a new social networking tool that will help all users access technology more efficiently, ultimately allowing them to collaborate and find better solutions to common challenges.
In a press release, NGO Connect Africa, a registered Section 21 non-profit organisation, has kicked off the updated version of its dynamic website and platform. Besides the social networking interface there are many new features designed to increase the knowledge, reach, and impact of non-profit organisations in Africa. The site is a social workspace that brings together technology resources, knowledge-sharing and community-building for non-profit entities and the businesses and organisations that support them.
Incorporating feedback on the first release, this update to the NGOConnect Africa platform makes it easier to access resources and to collaborate. NGOs will be able to create personal and organisational profiles. A new microsite functionality allows for free mini websites for those who don’t have them, and increased visibility and marketing opportunities for those that do. Additionally, members can blog, make friends, share information and attract fresh resources to their projects. They will also be able to get access to technology resources and find networking opportunities with other organisations working on similar projects.
“The challenges facing Africa are complex. NGOs engage on a daily basis to address these challenges, but they typically lack the resources and knowledge to access the technologies that can make them more effective, efficient and sustainable in serving those at the margins of modern life,” said Ntutule Tshenye, the citizenship lead at Microsoft West East and Central Africa, founding sponsors of the project.
“Just as technology has improved efficiency and quality in the business world, NGOs can now experience these same benefits, allowing them to use their limited resources for higher value-add activities in achieving their goals,” continued Tshenye.
Kimber Dodge, the Executive Director of NGOConnect Africa, believes that society has the responsibility to utilize technology to bring necessary resources together and remove barriers. “Sustainable solutions can occur only when all the sectors of society are involved and working together. Technology and NGOConnect Africa’s platform and programmes can facilitate that. And, because of its focus on bi-directional communication and input, it also encourages and enables Africans to share and develop African solutions.”
NGOConnect Africa is also working with the private and public sectors to help them engage more effectively with non-profit organisations. “We are delivering resources and training to technology companies, government, and academia to help them engage more sustainably and effectively with civil society. They are all part of the NGOConnect Africa community,” said Dodge. “Many partners wish to engage with NGOs, but don’t know how. The NGOConnect Africa team is here to help them learn and be successful,” she added.
As an example, NGO’s across South Africa will be introduced to NGOConnect Africa through a collaboration between NGOConnect Africa and Microsoft training provider, CTU Training. Together NGOConnect Africa, CTU will be conducting a series of workshops at various CTU campuses in South Africa. The workshops will be piloted at CTU’s Stellenbosch Campus in October 2009, and then delivered at other branches of the institute across the country.
The new site already has the support of Microsoft’s Chairman of Africa, Dr. Cheick Diarra; South Africa’s Department of Social Development; computer manufacturer Mustek; and several Technology Service Providers including CTU Training, one of South Africa’s largest training organisations.
“NGOConnect Africa offers a vibrant and easy-to-use space for NGO's to communicate with one another and the world at large. Driven by a highly passionate and committed team of experts, NGOConnect Africa offers highly sought-after and practical tools to our sector,” said Friederike Bubenzer, Project Leader, from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation.
Interested parties can visit www.NGOConnectAfrica.org to get more information and register.
Thousands of Non Government Organisations (NGOs) across Africa can now benefit from the expansion of the NGOConnect Africa website and platform. The enhanced site features a new social networking tool that will help all users access technology more efficiently, ultimately allowing them to collaborate and find better solutions to common challenges.
In a press release, NGO Connect Africa, a registered Section 21 non-profit organisation, has kicked off the updated version of its dynamic website and platform. Besides the social networking interface there are many new features designed to increase the knowledge, reach, and impact of non-profit organisations in Africa. The site is a social workspace that brings together technology resources, knowledge-sharing and community-building for non-profit entities and the businesses and organisations that support them.
Incorporating feedback on the first release, this update to the NGOConnect Africa platform makes it easier to access resources and to collaborate. NGOs will be able to create personal and organisational profiles. A new microsite functionality allows for free mini websites for those who don’t have them, and increased visibility and marketing opportunities for those that do. Additionally, members can blog, make friends, share information and attract fresh resources to their projects. They will also be able to get access to technology resources and find networking opportunities with other organisations working on similar projects.
“The challenges facing Africa are complex. NGOs engage on a daily basis to address these challenges, but they typically lack the resources and knowledge to access the technologies that can make them more effective, efficient and sustainable in serving those at the margins of modern life,” said Ntutule Tshenye, the citizenship lead at Microsoft West East and Central Africa, founding sponsors of the project.
“Just as technology has improved efficiency and quality in the business world, NGOs can now experience these same benefits, allowing them to use their limited resources for higher value-add activities in achieving their goals,” continued Tshenye.
Kimber Dodge, the Executive Director of NGOConnect Africa, believes that society has the responsibility to utilize technology to bring necessary resources together and remove barriers. “Sustainable solutions can occur only when all the sectors of society are involved and working together. Technology and NGOConnect Africa’s platform and programmes can facilitate that. And, because of its focus on bi-directional communication and input, it also encourages and enables Africans to share and develop African solutions.”
NGOConnect Africa is also working with the private and public sectors to help them engage more effectively with non-profit organisations. “We are delivering resources and training to technology companies, government, and academia to help them engage more sustainably and effectively with civil society. They are all part of the NGOConnect Africa community,” said Dodge. “Many partners wish to engage with NGOs, but don’t know how. The NGOConnect Africa team is here to help them learn and be successful,” she added.
As an example, NGO’s across South Africa will be introduced to NGOConnect Africa through a collaboration between NGOConnect Africa and Microsoft training provider, CTU Training. Together NGOConnect Africa, CTU will be conducting a series of workshops at various CTU campuses in South Africa. The workshops will be piloted at CTU’s Stellenbosch Campus in October 2009, and then delivered at other branches of the institute across the country.
The new site already has the support of Microsoft’s Chairman of Africa, Dr. Cheick Diarra; South Africa’s Department of Social Development; computer manufacturer Mustek; and several Technology Service Providers including CTU Training, one of South Africa’s largest training organisations.
“NGOConnect Africa offers a vibrant and easy-to-use space for NGO's to communicate with one another and the world at large. Driven by a highly passionate and committed team of experts, NGOConnect Africa offers highly sought-after and practical tools to our sector,” said Friederike Bubenzer, Project Leader, from the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation.
Interested parties can visit www.NGOConnectAfrica.org to get more information and register.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship
By Brenda Zulu
For any interested female candidates in the technical field.
As part of Google’s ongoing commitment to furthering Anita’s vision, Google are pleased to announce The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship: Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Through the scholarship, Google Anita Borg aim to encourage women to excel in computing and technology, and become active role models and leaders.
Multiple scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic performance, leadership experience and demonstrated passion for computer science. A group of female Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD student finalists will be chosen from the applicant pool.
The scholarship recipients will each receive a €7,000 (or equivalent) scholarship.
Eligibility requirements
Candidates must:
Be a female student entering her final year of a Bachelor’s degree, or enrolled in an a Master’s or PhD programme (or equivalent), in 2010/2011.
Be enrolled at a University in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa. Citizens, permanent residents, and international students are eligible to apply.
Be studying Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Informatics, or a closely related technical field.
Maintain an excellent academic record (e.g. a First Class Honours degree).
How to apply
Please complete the online application http://google.eresources.com/applications/login.asp and submit all requested documents
Deadline: 1st February each year
For any interested female candidates in the technical field.
As part of Google’s ongoing commitment to furthering Anita’s vision, Google are pleased to announce The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship: Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Through the scholarship, Google Anita Borg aim to encourage women to excel in computing and technology, and become active role models and leaders.
Multiple scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic performance, leadership experience and demonstrated passion for computer science. A group of female Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD student finalists will be chosen from the applicant pool.
The scholarship recipients will each receive a €7,000 (or equivalent) scholarship.
Eligibility requirements
Candidates must:
Be a female student entering her final year of a Bachelor’s degree, or enrolled in an a Master’s or PhD programme (or equivalent), in 2010/2011.
Be enrolled at a University in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa. Citizens, permanent residents, and international students are eligible to apply.
Be studying Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Informatics, or a closely related technical field.
Maintain an excellent academic record (e.g. a First Class Honours degree).
How to apply
Please complete the online application http://google.eresources.com/applications/login.asp and submit all requested documents
Deadline: 1st February each year
IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD IN MAINSTREAMING GENDER IN ICT4D
By Brenda Zulu
The International Taskforce on Women and ICTs (ITF) congratulates the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) for operationalizing its commitment to gender as one of its key areas in its 2009-2010 Action Plan adopted today at the Global Forum on ICT and Innovation for Education being held in Monterrey, Mexico.
Based in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), GAID reiterated its commitment to mainstream gender issues across all its activities in adopting the Action Plan. The Global Alliance underlined the importance in its mission for the forthcoming year of mainstreaming gender as a key global challenge in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The third MDG calls for promotion of "gender equality and empowerment of women" by elimination of gender disparity in all levels of education.
ITF Chair Dr. Gloria Bonder, a member of the GAID’s highest body ¾ the Steering Committee ¾ said “we are very pleased with the inclusive agenda UNDESA-GAID has adopted. This is a significant step forward for women. The International Taskforce for Women and ICT is proud to support UNDESA-GAID and looks forward to working across our global partnerships and regional nodes to advance, engage and mainstream girls and women in the knowledge society. When women are empowered and have the opportunity to develop to their full potential in the knowledge society, communities across the globe benefit”.
ITF is proud of its consultative role as a GAID Community of Expertise working closely with GAID to secure the inclusion of gender and ICT issues in the Action Plan. The Gender Community of Expertise, comprised of ITF and IT for Change, has been among the most active of the Communities collaborating with GAID on the development of the plan.
Among the specific gender-related activities in the plan is mainstreaming ICT into high-level United Nations policy debates on gender. This is particularly important in order to bring the ICT and the gender policy communities together since in the past both have suffered from lack of awareness of the other. In 2010 GAID, assisted by the Community of Expertise of Gender, will organize a panel on ICT and gender at the Economic and Social Council Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), which has chosen gender as its focus, to be held in Geneva in July 2010. ITF expects to work with GAID in the preparatory activities for the meeting and in the preparation of a paper on Gender and ICT for presentation to the AMR.
GAID has also outlined its support to the Communities of Expertise in the Action Plan, including involving the Communities as resources for the preparation of white papers on ICTs and the MDGs and helping the Communities to establish partnerships among each other. This is particularly relevant for the Gender Community, as gender cuts across the other communities.
ITF wishes to express its appreciation to UNDESA-GAID for ensuring the strong participation of the Community of Expertise on Gender in the Monterrey Forum and meeting of the Strategy Council where the Action Plan was adopted. ITF Steering Committee member Dorothy Gordon, a member of the GAID Champions Network and Director-General, of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT moderated the opening discussion at the Forum on 2 September on the *State of ICT Development – A Global Perspective./ /**Dr. Bonder*, Chair Holder of the Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America, opened the plenary session on ICT and intercultural innovations in education. GAID also supported the participation of ITF and IT for Change members from developing countries to the meetings of the Steering Committee and Strategy Council and the Forum and awarded ITF a site in the iMarketPlace, one of the Forum’s parallel events.
The International Taskforce on Women and Information and Communication Technologies is a community of expertise of organizations, institutions, academia, businesses and individuals working to increase economic, social, and educational opportunities for women and girls in the knowledge society in a measurable way. Its vision is an information society for sustainable global development that fosters the potential for success of all its members. Its overarching goal is to ensure women’s full participation in an inclusive information and knowledge-based society as leaders and creators as well as users of ICT.
The International Taskforce on Women and ICTs (ITF) congratulates the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) for operationalizing its commitment to gender as one of its key areas in its 2009-2010 Action Plan adopted today at the Global Forum on ICT and Innovation for Education being held in Monterrey, Mexico.
Based in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), GAID reiterated its commitment to mainstream gender issues across all its activities in adopting the Action Plan. The Global Alliance underlined the importance in its mission for the forthcoming year of mainstreaming gender as a key global challenge in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The third MDG calls for promotion of "gender equality and empowerment of women" by elimination of gender disparity in all levels of education.
ITF Chair Dr. Gloria Bonder, a member of the GAID’s highest body ¾ the Steering Committee ¾ said “we are very pleased with the inclusive agenda UNDESA-GAID has adopted. This is a significant step forward for women. The International Taskforce for Women and ICT is proud to support UNDESA-GAID and looks forward to working across our global partnerships and regional nodes to advance, engage and mainstream girls and women in the knowledge society. When women are empowered and have the opportunity to develop to their full potential in the knowledge society, communities across the globe benefit”.
ITF is proud of its consultative role as a GAID Community of Expertise working closely with GAID to secure the inclusion of gender and ICT issues in the Action Plan. The Gender Community of Expertise, comprised of ITF and IT for Change, has been among the most active of the Communities collaborating with GAID on the development of the plan.
Among the specific gender-related activities in the plan is mainstreaming ICT into high-level United Nations policy debates on gender. This is particularly important in order to bring the ICT and the gender policy communities together since in the past both have suffered from lack of awareness of the other. In 2010 GAID, assisted by the Community of Expertise of Gender, will organize a panel on ICT and gender at the Economic and Social Council Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), which has chosen gender as its focus, to be held in Geneva in July 2010. ITF expects to work with GAID in the preparatory activities for the meeting and in the preparation of a paper on Gender and ICT for presentation to the AMR.
GAID has also outlined its support to the Communities of Expertise in the Action Plan, including involving the Communities as resources for the preparation of white papers on ICTs and the MDGs and helping the Communities to establish partnerships among each other. This is particularly relevant for the Gender Community, as gender cuts across the other communities.
ITF wishes to express its appreciation to UNDESA-GAID for ensuring the strong participation of the Community of Expertise on Gender in the Monterrey Forum and meeting of the Strategy Council where the Action Plan was adopted. ITF Steering Committee member Dorothy Gordon, a member of the GAID Champions Network and Director-General, of the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT moderated the opening discussion at the Forum on 2 September on the *State of ICT Development – A Global Perspective./ /**Dr. Bonder*, Chair Holder of the Regional UNESCO Chair on Women, Science and Technology in Latin America, opened the plenary session on ICT and intercultural innovations in education. GAID also supported the participation of ITF and IT for Change members from developing countries to the meetings of the Steering Committee and Strategy Council and the Forum and awarded ITF a site in the iMarketPlace, one of the Forum’s parallel events.
The International Taskforce on Women and Information and Communication Technologies is a community of expertise of organizations, institutions, academia, businesses and individuals working to increase economic, social, and educational opportunities for women and girls in the knowledge society in a measurable way. Its vision is an information society for sustainable global development that fosters the potential for success of all its members. Its overarching goal is to ensure women’s full participation in an inclusive information and knowledge-based society as leaders and creators as well as users of ICT.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Microsoft launches ‘Schools of Government’ in East Africa
By Brenda Zulu
Effective ICT policy education will overcome challenges in public project rollouts.
In October 2008, Microsoft and the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and deliver a programme aimed at providing ICT policy training to government officials.
Delivering on this agreement, Microsoft and ESAMI are today launching the first session of the ‘Schools of Government’ initiative in Arusha, Tanzania. The first session will run for five days starting on Monday, 19th January.
Twenty-four trainers will undergo an ICT policy training programme that is based on a curriculum that was piloted in conjunction with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), USC School of Public Policy in California and the Dubai School of Government in the United Arab Emirates.
“Microsoft Corporation has, for the past two years, worked to develop a programme that can be used worldwide to train government officials in IT-related policy and planning issues. We are pleased to announce that this programme has been officially launched in East Africa,” said Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s chairman for Africa.
“Microsoft pioneered this program in Africa from 2007 with the intention to build the capability of African educational institutions by providing them with the tools to equip current and future government leaders, officials and policy makers with a modern education on technology policy trends and policies that enable the success of ICT projects and programs,” he says.
Technology is a key element that can help accelerate Africa’s growth and industrialisation - whether it is technology being used by government agencies to assist with the delivery of better civil services, or technology being used to transform education to benefit the people themselves.
However, World Bank data suggests that 50% of ICT projects in Africa fail and that this is typically due to a combination of poor initial design along with insufficient execution and maintenance capabilities.
“Good policy lays the foundation to overcome such problems - and considers critical factors that underline all infrastructure needs, in order to not only create successful and sustainable individual projects, but also projects which complement each other as part of a broader governmental system,” adds Dr. Diarra.
“The program curriculum is developed in English and the possibility of developing content in Portuguese for subsequent training in Lusophone countries, such as Mozambique and Angola, is being considered,” adds Professor Bonard Mwape, director general for ESAMI.
“The goal of this program is to put the building blocks in place for a sustainable, multi-year government training program on ICT policy for the whole of Africa.”
“This cannot be achieved by providing a limited number of workshops to government officials,” he adds. “Only by creating a structure and capacity within existing training institutions to conduct ongoing programs will this initiative bear the expected positive outcomes.”
The ESAMI programme follows on from a similar, highly-successful memorandum of understanding that was concluded between Microsoft and the Centre Africain d’Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG) earlier in 2008.
CESAG is an institution specialising in the delivery of government-related training and leadership capacity building across French-speaking Africa.
Along with a number of other citizenship programmes that are operated across Africa, Microsoft believes that this initiative addresses a huge challenge with regard to the reasons that ICT projects very rarely work in Africa.
“The steps to economic prosperity in Africa could almost be considered pieces of a grand puzzle, and effective ICT policy implementation training is one piece of this entire puzzle,” Dr. Diarra says.
“It cannot work on its own. Instead, it requires a number of other pieces in order to complete Microsoft’s vision of how it would like to help the people of Africa meet the economic and social demands of the 21st century.
“Other pieces of the puzzle will fall into place over time as initiatives like the Microsoft Leadership Lecture Series and the ICT Best Practices Forum gain momentum and begin attracting more interest from other African countries.”
Effective ICT policy education will overcome challenges in public project rollouts.
In October 2008, Microsoft and the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and deliver a programme aimed at providing ICT policy training to government officials.
Delivering on this agreement, Microsoft and ESAMI are today launching the first session of the ‘Schools of Government’ initiative in Arusha, Tanzania. The first session will run for five days starting on Monday, 19th January.
Twenty-four trainers will undergo an ICT policy training programme that is based on a curriculum that was piloted in conjunction with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), USC School of Public Policy in California and the Dubai School of Government in the United Arab Emirates.
“Microsoft Corporation has, for the past two years, worked to develop a programme that can be used worldwide to train government officials in IT-related policy and planning issues. We are pleased to announce that this programme has been officially launched in East Africa,” said Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Microsoft’s chairman for Africa.
“Microsoft pioneered this program in Africa from 2007 with the intention to build the capability of African educational institutions by providing them with the tools to equip current and future government leaders, officials and policy makers with a modern education on technology policy trends and policies that enable the success of ICT projects and programs,” he says.
Technology is a key element that can help accelerate Africa’s growth and industrialisation - whether it is technology being used by government agencies to assist with the delivery of better civil services, or technology being used to transform education to benefit the people themselves.
However, World Bank data suggests that 50% of ICT projects in Africa fail and that this is typically due to a combination of poor initial design along with insufficient execution and maintenance capabilities.
“Good policy lays the foundation to overcome such problems - and considers critical factors that underline all infrastructure needs, in order to not only create successful and sustainable individual projects, but also projects which complement each other as part of a broader governmental system,” adds Dr. Diarra.
“The program curriculum is developed in English and the possibility of developing content in Portuguese for subsequent training in Lusophone countries, such as Mozambique and Angola, is being considered,” adds Professor Bonard Mwape, director general for ESAMI.
“The goal of this program is to put the building blocks in place for a sustainable, multi-year government training program on ICT policy for the whole of Africa.”
“This cannot be achieved by providing a limited number of workshops to government officials,” he adds. “Only by creating a structure and capacity within existing training institutions to conduct ongoing programs will this initiative bear the expected positive outcomes.”
The ESAMI programme follows on from a similar, highly-successful memorandum of understanding that was concluded between Microsoft and the Centre Africain d’Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG) earlier in 2008.
CESAG is an institution specialising in the delivery of government-related training and leadership capacity building across French-speaking Africa.
Along with a number of other citizenship programmes that are operated across Africa, Microsoft believes that this initiative addresses a huge challenge with regard to the reasons that ICT projects very rarely work in Africa.
“The steps to economic prosperity in Africa could almost be considered pieces of a grand puzzle, and effective ICT policy implementation training is one piece of this entire puzzle,” Dr. Diarra says.
“It cannot work on its own. Instead, it requires a number of other pieces in order to complete Microsoft’s vision of how it would like to help the people of Africa meet the economic and social demands of the 21st century.
“Other pieces of the puzzle will fall into place over time as initiatives like the Microsoft Leadership Lecture Series and the ICT Best Practices Forum gain momentum and begin attracting more interest from other African countries.”
Monday, December 15, 2008
New global standard for fully networked
By Brenda Zulu
Industry applauds major breakthrough with revolutionary ITU technology
The first global standard offering an in-home, high-speed network capable of delivering room-to-room HDTV has been agreed by ITU.
In apress release from ITU the standard, published under the G.hn banner, promises high quality multimedia over power, coaxial, phone and other home network wiring. It will give up to 20 times the throughput of existing wireless technologies and three times that of existing wired technologies.
The specifications will be used by chip manufacturers to build transceivers that can be incorporated into set-top boxes, residential gateways, home computers, home audio systems, DVD players, TVs or any other device that might be connected to a network now or in the future. Experts say that silicon companies will immediately start incorporating the specifications into transceivers, implying that G.hn-compliant products could be on the market as early as 2010.
Joyce Putscher, Principal Analyst at market research firm In-Stat, said, "Service operators have been looking for an international standard that encompasses multiple existing-wire mediums for video distribution. G.hn meets that requirement and it seems clear that with significant industry backing from service providers, semiconductor and equipment vendors, and the fast rate at which the process is moving to achieve a standard, we will see first equipment by 2010."
"There’s a clear market need for a unified networking approach," said Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. "With G.hn, every wire in every home around the world can become part of a home entertainment network. This will enable seamless communication between computers, HDTVs and telephones over existing wires. I expect that this exciting new technology will also foster innovations such as energy efficient smart appliances, home automation and telemedicine devices."
Work on G.hn was started at the instigation of service providers looking to extend broadband and video services in the home. As well as its offer of greater speed, it may be bundled as complementary to Wi-Fi where G.hn offers greater coverage, extending, for example, to areas of a house where Wi-Fi does not reach.
The standard has achieved remarkable industry backing even before its publication. An industry group — the HomeGrid Forum — has been formed specifically to back G.hn. The goal of HomeGrid Forum is to market G.hn worldwide and to create a compliance and interoperability programme to ensure that products based on the standard will operate in any home around the world.
Other industry analysts backing the standard include Michael Wolf, Research Director at ABI Research. "If G.hn sees integration into carrier devices by 2010, we expect that some 42 million G.hn-compliant nodes will ship in 2013 in devices such as set-top boxes, residential gateways and other service provider CPE hardware," Wolf said.
"A single, unified technology for multimedia networks over power lines, coaxial cable, and phone lines has the potential to enable simple, easy-to-use networking devices in the home," said Kurt Scherf, analyst with market analyst firm Parks Associates. "We believe ITU’s work is an important step towards eliminating fragmentation in the industry and in achieving the vision of a networked home."
Recommendation ITU-T G.9960 focuses on the physical or PHY layer, giving the data bit rate and quality of service necessary for triple-play residential services as well as business-type services delivered over xDSL, PON, or other access technology. In step with ITU guidelines on new standards development, several power saving modes have been incorporated. Ongoing work is focused on the media access control (MAC) layer.
Industry applauds major breakthrough with revolutionary ITU technology
The first global standard offering an in-home, high-speed network capable of delivering room-to-room HDTV has been agreed by ITU.
In apress release from ITU the standard, published under the G.hn banner, promises high quality multimedia over power, coaxial, phone and other home network wiring. It will give up to 20 times the throughput of existing wireless technologies and three times that of existing wired technologies.
The specifications will be used by chip manufacturers to build transceivers that can be incorporated into set-top boxes, residential gateways, home computers, home audio systems, DVD players, TVs or any other device that might be connected to a network now or in the future. Experts say that silicon companies will immediately start incorporating the specifications into transceivers, implying that G.hn-compliant products could be on the market as early as 2010.
Joyce Putscher, Principal Analyst at market research firm In-Stat, said, "Service operators have been looking for an international standard that encompasses multiple existing-wire mediums for video distribution. G.hn meets that requirement and it seems clear that with significant industry backing from service providers, semiconductor and equipment vendors, and the fast rate at which the process is moving to achieve a standard, we will see first equipment by 2010."
"There’s a clear market need for a unified networking approach," said Malcolm Johnson, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. "With G.hn, every wire in every home around the world can become part of a home entertainment network. This will enable seamless communication between computers, HDTVs and telephones over existing wires. I expect that this exciting new technology will also foster innovations such as energy efficient smart appliances, home automation and telemedicine devices."
Work on G.hn was started at the instigation of service providers looking to extend broadband and video services in the home. As well as its offer of greater speed, it may be bundled as complementary to Wi-Fi where G.hn offers greater coverage, extending, for example, to areas of a house where Wi-Fi does not reach.
The standard has achieved remarkable industry backing even before its publication. An industry group — the HomeGrid Forum — has been formed specifically to back G.hn. The goal of HomeGrid Forum is to market G.hn worldwide and to create a compliance and interoperability programme to ensure that products based on the standard will operate in any home around the world.
Other industry analysts backing the standard include Michael Wolf, Research Director at ABI Research. "If G.hn sees integration into carrier devices by 2010, we expect that some 42 million G.hn-compliant nodes will ship in 2013 in devices such as set-top boxes, residential gateways and other service provider CPE hardware," Wolf said.
"A single, unified technology for multimedia networks over power lines, coaxial cable, and phone lines has the potential to enable simple, easy-to-use networking devices in the home," said Kurt Scherf, analyst with market analyst firm Parks Associates. "We believe ITU’s work is an important step towards eliminating fragmentation in the industry and in achieving the vision of a networked home."
Recommendation ITU-T G.9960 focuses on the physical or PHY layer, giving the data bit rate and quality of service necessary for triple-play residential services as well as business-type services delivered over xDSL, PON, or other access technology. In step with ITU guidelines on new standards development, several power saving modes have been incorporated. Ongoing work is focused on the media access control (MAC) layer.
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