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Consultancy Opportunity: Request of Interest
by Brian Longwe 30 Sep '08

30 Sep '08

Dear All, Please find attached the ToRs for the two regional consultancy opportunities for the upcoming East African IGF. We request that you circulate to your networks. The deadline for submission of interest is this coming Friday 3rd October. My apologies for the short notice. Please send your responses to: Harry Hare <harry(a)africanedevelopment.org> Regional Coordinator East African ICT4D Network Regards, Brian -- Brian Munyao Longwe e-mail: blongwe(a)gmail.com cell: + 254 722 518 744 blog : http://zinjlog.blogspot.com meta-blog: http://mashilingi.blogspot.com

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ict@innovation FOSS Certification
by Judy Okite 27 Sep '08

27 Sep '08

FYI, Kind Regards, Today's Topics: 1. ict@innovation FOSS Certification Survey (Andrea Goetzke) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:33:11 +0200 From: Andrea Goetzke <andrea.goetzke(a)newthinking.de> Subject: [Fossfa] ict@innovation FOSS Certification Survey To: fossfa(a)fossfa.net Message-ID: <48DC9E47.3000503(a)newthinking.de> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15; format=flowed Dear FOSSFA members and other mailing list readers, particularly - people with FOSS training and certification experience, greetings from the ict@innovation programme (http://ict-innovation.fossfa.net/) ict@innovation is currently planning an initiative to increase opportunities for certification and related quality trainings in the area of Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) in Africa. Now, we need the help of people with experience in FOSS training and certification and an overview of the ICT market and skills needs in the different countries. Such expertise will help us design the programme with a focus: - on skills that are most needed, - on certification criteria that will be valuable to both the student and employers, - and on schemes that local training organizations, such as yours, would be interested in integrating into their portfolio. Answering this brief set of questions would be a tremendous help for us: 1. YOUR TRAINING + CERTIFICATION EXPERIENCE - Which are the most popular ICT trainings and FOSS trainings that your training institution is currently offering? - Do you get requests for FOSS certifications at your institution? If so, for which type of certificate? - Do you have experience in FOSS certification? If so, please share an advantage and a disadvantage of the type(s) of certification you are offering. - Do you offer your own local certifications or internationally recognised certifications? 2. ICT SKILLS NEEDS IN YOUR COUNTRY - In general, which types of ICT skills are currently most needed in your local/national market? - In particular, which types of FOSS skills are most needed in your local/national market? - Where do the skills needs mostly come up (government, private sector ..) and how are they currently met (local SME, large vendors, foreign or national companies ..) ? - Do you see a skills gap in the near future, and in which area? Suggestions for your answer: ICT skills can be classified in * desktop related skills, * system/network administration skills, * specific application skills, however you can be more specific in your answers. 3. DEMAND FOR FOSS TRAINING + CERTIFICATION IN YOUR COUNTRY - How do you assess the interest for FOSS certification in your country (from the perspective of students, employers, and clients)? And at which level is the interest greatest (desktop, system/network administration, specific applications ..)? 4. YOUR FUTURE ACTIVITIES + POTENTIAL LINK TO ICT@INNOVATION - Would you be interested in integrating further FOSS training and certification in your training portfolio? - Which training + certification would you like to integrate? We have also opened an online discussion space on the FOSS Certification topic on our website, that we encourage you to use to express further views on the topic: < http://ict-innovation.fossfa.net/forum/public-forums/foss-certification-for… > http://ict-innovation.fossfa.net/forum/public-forums/foss-certification-for… . Please send your responses to the questionnaire by reply to this email to andrea.goetzke [at] newthinking.de, by October 6, 2008. If you know others who might be interested in participating in the survey, you are welcome to forward this email. We look forward to hearing from you, best regards, Andrea Goetzke ict@innovation international coordinator on behalf of the ict@innovation team ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Fossfa mailing list Fossfa(a)fossfa.net http://fossfa.net/mailman/listinfo/fossfa_fossfa.net End of Fossfa Digest, Vol 6, Issue 5 ************************************ -- "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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KENYA ICT BOARD LAUNCHES THE KENYA BPO VALUE PROPOSITION AS KENCALL WINS TOP GLOBAL BPO AWARD
by Lucy Odhiambo 26 Sep '08

26 Sep '08

*KENYA ICT BOARD NEWS* KENYA ICT BOARD LAUNCHES THE KENYA BPO VALUE PROPOSITION AS KENCALL WINS TOP GLOBAL BPO AWARD * * *Nairobi, 25th September 2008* The Kenya ICT Board led a delegation of 19 Kenyans comprising BPO Operators, BPO Society, CCK, and government officials to the Birmingham Call Centre Focus Expo September 17th-18th, 2008. *The Kenya Delegation* * * 1. Catherine Ngahu – Chairperson Kenya ICT Board 2. Eunice Kariuki – Deputy CEO Marketing, Kenya ICT Board 3. Cynthia Kahumbura- Marketing Assistant Kenya ICT Board 4. Ernest Kerich –Director, Department of Film Services 5. Peter Alubale – Senior Deputy Secretary – Ministry of Information and Communications 6. Gilda Odera – Chairperson – Kenya BPO&CC Society 7. Peres Were – Marketing – Kenya BPO&CC Society 8. Christopher Wambua CCK – Head of Communications 9. Nik Nesbitt – Kencall 10. Eric Nesbitt – Kencall 11. Pauline Kamande- Kencall 12. Munjal Shah – Kentech Data ( BPO Operator) 13. Evan Mwangi – Kentech Data( BPO Operator) 14. Lucy Mwatibo Kentech ( BPO Operator) 15. Joan Ambutu – Potential investor 16. Aloisius Obare – Consumer Kenya ( BPO Operator) 17. Joe Kigara – Preciss International ( BPO Operator) 18. Bonny Butaji – Department of Film Services 19. Francis Gatho - Databit On Monday 16th September, Kenya ICT Board along with a delegation of Kenyan industry players and stakeholders launched the country's BPO Value proposition to the European market at the Call Centre Expo in Birmingham. Business Process Outsourcing has been identified as the sixth pillar of the economy in Vision 2030, delivering wealth and job creation to Kenyans. The board invested over Ksh 11million to ensure that Kenya's participation was world class. The cost included an impressive stand, a cocktail in Birmingham and another in London for the Diaspora and travel allowances for the delegation. The Deputy CEO marketing ,Eunice Kariuki explained that the Kenya BPO value proposition spells out Kenya's BPO and Off-shoring value Proposition which is summarised under 3 broad areas namely a thriving economy, a growing BPO industry and public sector commitment to the growth of the outsourcing industry. On Tuesday, 16 September 2008, only a day after the launch of the country's BPO value proposition, Kencall, the largest call center in Kenya, bagged the prestigious award of the Non-European Call Centre of the Year at the European Call Center Awards, 2008. The glamorous 2008 European Call Center Awards was held in Birmingham, UK. It was a proud day for Kenya as Kencall emerged the winner after beatingthree others finalists - 24-7 (India) who were also the winners of the award last year, EMP Marketing and Promotion (UAE) and Vodacom (South Africa). Nik Nesbit, CEO Kencall received the award a before a crowd of over 1,000 people drawn from the prestigious European Call Centre Industry, confirming that Kenya is indeed a real contender in this multibillion dollar industry. Nik Nesbitt, Kencall's CEO commented 'This is a milestone for Kencall. We owe this great achievement to the hard work and dedication of our staff at Kencall. Their thorough training and commitment to quality has been recognized as the best in the world. Congratulations to the team!' Catherine Ngahu, Kenya ICT Board's chairperson speaking at the awards dinner commented, "Kencall has outperformed some of the world's top BPO industry players, demonstrating that the Kenya BPO product stands for quality, and excellence. This is a victory for the industry and the country on the whole. We congratulate them for achieving this notable achievement and we would like to reiterate our support for all the industry players.' Business process Outsourcing (BPO) is the contracting of a third party to perform non-core functions e.g. call centre, data entry so as gain some competitive advantage such as cost saving. The main worldwide recognized BPO hubs have traditionally been Asian countries. The expo was an eye opener for BPO Operators exposing them to the international world of outsourcing. They had a chance to meet personnel from BPO companies all over the world, gain an understanding of the investment requirements to compete on a global scale and know what is available in terms of software and hardware to support their business. The Kenya ICT Board launched the Kenya Value proposition to the Diaspora on 19th September, 2008 at a cocktail at the Hilton Kensington, after a successful participation in the 10th annual Call Center Expo in Birmingham. Kenyans in London showed up in the hundreds and were exceedingly interested in BPO in Kenya. Speaking at the Expo, Eunice Kariuki the boards Deputy Managing Director in charge of marketing, reiterated the boards support for the industry saying 'Kenya ICT board is committed to marketing Kenya as an ICT destination - we have a strong value proposition and we call upon the diaspora to take advantage of the enormous opportunity and invest in the sector.' And with the opportunities in the industry explained to them, it is expected that the Diaspora will play a key role in boosting the BPO industry. The Kenya Delegation returned on 23rd September, 2008. We congratulate them on all their great achievements. - ENDS - *Enquiries* Lucy Odhiambo Email: lodhiambo(a)ict.co.ke Tel: +254 20 2093040 / 0737 839047 About Kenya ICT Board: The Kenya ICT Board was established by HE President Mwai Kibaki, as a state corporation under the State Corporations Act Cap. 446 on 19th February 2007. The achievement of an information-based society is one of the main priorities of the Government towards the realization of national development goals and objectives for wealth and employment creation. ICT is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country. Harnessing of ICT will therefore help the Government to realize a number of its key public policy objectives. The objectives of the Kenya ICT Board include: To develop, launch and sustain a globally compelling brand marketing campaign for Kenya ICT, To develop and promote competitive ICT industries in Kenya, To develop world class Kenyan ICT institutions and To increase ICT access. www.ict.go.ke About Call Center Expo, 2008 Call Center Expo has been dubbed Europe's number 1 Exhibition for customer contact solutions. It is held every year at the NEC from 16th -17th Sept in Birmingham, UK from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m daily. The Expo has four main tracks that run concurrently: Customer Management Expo, CCF Conference, Service Management Expo and European Call Centre Awards. * * This year, KenCall (www.kencall.com) has bagged the Top Non-European Call Centre Award against centers from around the world. www.callcentre-expo.co.uk -- Lucy Gachui Odhaimbo Communications Manager Kenya ICT Board 12th Floor Telposta Towers PO Box 27150 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Cell 0722 839049 Tel: 254-020-2093040 www.ict.go.ke

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Acumen Fund Fellow.
by Jose' 25 Sep '08

25 Sep '08

The Acumen Fund Fellows programme is an annual programme that seeks to recruit and post to our investee companies 10-12 talented young professionals. Through the Fellows Programme, Acumen Fund provides an opportunity for young professionals to bring a range of management skills to our investee companies in South Asia and East Africa , introducing them to social investment, and supporting our investment mandate globally. We are now in the process of recruiting the Acumen Fund Fellows Class of 2009-2010. I am especially keen to see applicants from the African diaspora apply to this programme, as it gives our young professionals an opportunity to make a contribution to the development sphere, while introducing them to social investment and entrepreneurship. Please pass around the attached materials to prospectives that you feel would add value to our Fellows Programme. For additional information on the Fellows Programme, visit our website: http://www.acumenfund.org/get-involved/fellows-program/become-a-fellow.html. Please note that the application deadline is October 20, 2008. Thanks very much for your support, and should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Best, Nthenya Nthenya Mule| East Africa Manager| Acumen Fund 3rd Floor Scripture Union Centre, Hurlingham off Argwings Kodhek Road P.O. Box49946-00100GPO, Nairobi , Kenya + 254-20-206-9851/9 (t) +254-722-762992 (c) Skype: nthenyam nmule(a)acumenfund.org|www.acumenfund.org| www.acumenfundblog.org Please consider our environment before printing this email… Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri | Readiness | Availability | Uptake | Impact |

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Will Africa Ever Own her share of Space??
by alice＠apc.org 25 Sep '08

25 Sep '08

http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/feature /Will_Africa_ever_own_her_share_of_space_72009.shtml Will Africa ever own her share of space? OTHIENO JOSEPH Over the years, space exploration has yielded diverse interests globally. Now scientists endeavour to bring to earth new findings about the outer space and its untapped potential, which potential has given rise to a debate and scrabble for the real estate in the sky. At the centre of the debate is the geostationary orbit located 35, 900 kilometres directly over the Equator. Because the rotational period here equals that of the earth, objects appear stationary over a fixed point when viewed from the earth?s surface. This property makes this geosynchronous space home to artificial satellites, which to date have found a myriad uses ranging from communication, weather forecasting and navigation to espionage, remote sensing and space sporting and tourism by the developed countries. Equator, the imaginary line dividing the earth equally into the northern and southern hemispheres and which passes through six African nations, is already at the centre of a global scramble. Once again, Africa will be caught at crossroads just as it happened during the First and Second World Wars. Like any natural resource and one up for grabs, the equatorial space territory is limited and therefore can?t accommodate the feet of every nation that wants to leave an imprint. Now, the lack of accompanying rules on such a valuable resource is a recipe for conflict and space analysts fear that it might trigger the next World War. The writing is on the on the wall as China is embroiled in a space conflict with the US. Actually, the competition for the geostatic space isn?t a new phenomenon. It was envisioned in 1967 and a treaty signed which, in summary, said that outer space isn?t subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty. As if in protest, nine out of the 12 states lying on the equator (Gabon and Somalia weren?t represented) in 1976 held a conference in Bogota, Colombia, and came up with another declaration that authorised them to exercise national sovereignty over the arcs of the geostationary orbit. However, they cannot enforce this claim due to lack of financial and technical know-how, weakness that will certainly give colonial- era style land-grabs a replay in the space. Borrowed infrastructure The stage is already set because not a single equatorial country in Africa has a satellite to its name ?logically locking them out of the global outer space ownership debate. This is why Kenyans and Ethiopians cheered their long distance runners in the Beijing Olympics via a borrowed infrastructure. In the current information society, communication is a valued global activity and one that Africa has gobbled up in earnest. Almost all African countries have gone, e-governance, e-commerce, e- everything, but on a weak ?foreign? and enslaving foundation by putting their much proclaimed sovereignty at the mercy of their sympathisers. Currently over 80 per cent of Internet communication in Africa is routed through satellite Internet, yet only six out of the 54 countries that make up the continent have their own artificial satellites in space. Of the 3,275 (as of June 2008) artificial satellites 10 are from African countries. The satellite Internet connectivity is relatively expensive considering that most of the countries are poor. High band width fibre optic cable would have been an economical alternative but this is an innovation yet to reach many African countries, as retrogressive politics stand in the way to its use. A timely example is the East African Submarine System, a project sponsored by World Bank and African Development Bank. Upon its completion it is expected to link South Africa, Mozambique, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti. Dr Othieno is freelance science journalist

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ECONET: Govt transparency and independence of the judiciary
by John Maina 25 Sep '08

25 Sep '08

Guys This is very interesting. I dont know what the PS might say on this Check the story here http://www.wananchiforums.com/showthread.php?p=2738#post2738 John

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Parliament vote paves way for Single Telecoms Market in Europe
by alice＠apc.org 24 Sep '08

24 Sep '08

Today the European Parliament in its plenary session voted on the European Commission's proposals of November 2007 to reform the EU Telecom rules, in place since 2003. The EU Telecoms Reform aims to create a Single EU Telecoms Market with improved rights for consumers and businesses by reinforcing competition and investment and boosting the take-up of cross-border services and wireless high-speed broadband for all. "Today's vote is good news for European consumers," said Viviane Reding, the EU Telecoms Commissioner. "The European Parliament has today voted in favour of a strong and competitive Single Telecoms Market without borders for cross-border services, competition and investment in Europe. This will level the playing field for telecoms operators in Europe, enhance legal certainty, and broaden consumer choice." "Yesterday, the European Commission had to propose new rules to bring down the excessive prices of SMS and data roaming in the EU (IP/08/1386). These proposals will provide a fast cure to one of the most dramatic symptoms of the lack of a single telecoms market under which European companies and consumers are suffering at the moment. Today, the European Parliament has gone an important step further by proposing to tackle once and for all the root of the problem: by paving the way for a single market in regulatory terms. "I welcome in particular the fact that, after an intense debate, the European Parliament today voted in favour of establishing a European telecoms regulator. Although the new body is smaller than proposed by the Commission ? it will not have any responsibility for network security, which I regret ? the Parliament's amendments have made sure that the new European telecoms regulator will be fit for purpose, namely to deal efficiently with the remaining business obstacles and consumer problems in the single market. I welcome in particular that Parliament has confirmed that the new body will be financed from the EU budget in order to strengthen its independence and to ensure equality among national regulators. The European Parliamentarians also ensured that the new European telecoms regulator will be able to operate independently in the interest of everyone in the EU while at the same time being sufficiently close to the market. The proposal that half of the European telecoms regulator's staff should be seconded from national telecoms regulators, thus working alongside experts which the new European body would recruit itself, is a very constructive improvement on the Commission's initial proposal that I fully support." "Although work is still needed on the details, I support the Parliament's proposal to modify the Article 7 procedure. By voting for a system of 'checks and balances' Parliament ensures that measures proposed by a national telecoms regulator ? like market analyses and regulatory remedies ? cannot be adopted when called into question by both the new European telecoms regulator and the European Commission. In so doing, Parliament has found a sound compromise between consistency and subsidiarity in the interest of an efficiently functioning Single Market that I very much appreciate." "I also thank Parliament for its strong support for greater independence of national regulators. Independent national regulators are the backbone of an efficient application of telecoms rules for fair competition and tangible consumer benefits. Despite its importance, in reality it cannot be taken for granted, as seen last week with the surprisingly blunt interference with the independence of the Romanian telecoms regulator." "I strongly welcome the European Parliament's support for adding the new remedy of functional separation ? which requires an incumbent operator to separate its network infrastructure from its services branch ? to the toolbox of national regulators. This last-resort remedy has the capacity to rapidly improve competition in markets while maintaining incentives for investment in new networks, as shown in the UK where it has already been implemented. The Parliament's vote will contribute legal certainty to countries where functional separation is already under discussion, especially Sweden, Poland and Greece." "At the same time, the European Parliament has today opened new opportunities for investment in high-speed fibre optical broadband networks. The Parliament has confirmed and reinforced EU law on this important matter. On the one hand, it has clearly rejected all calls for 'regulatory holidays', as new monopolies would stifle competition and investment into fibre. On the other hand, it wants telecoms operators to receive a fair return on investment for allowing access to new fibre optic networks, including a substantial risk premium. I welcome this, and the Commission intends to give more detailed regulatory guidance on such next generation access networks at the beginning of next year." (IP/08/1370) "Competition brings lower prices, better-quality services and more choice, so consumers are the real winners in today's vote. Increased transparency and information for consumers, better access to services for users with disabilities, a more efficient 112 European emergency number and number portability within one day ? all these Commission proposals have received strong support in Parliament, for which I am very grateful." "Some important questions remain open. On number portability ? the consumer's ability to change their fixed or mobile operator while keeping their phone number ? I welcome the Parliament's overall approach supporting the one-day limit proposed by the Commission. But we need to ensure that the option now given to national regulators to extend the period for number portability will not reduce the benefits of a competitive market where consumers benefit from choosing different operators when they make better offers." "More will also have to be done on spectrum policy if we want to attract investment to new wireless services in Europe. The Commission's proposal to reform the management of radio spectrum intends to facilitate the roll out of such services, especially high speed wireless broadband connections that can reach less populated and rural areas to help achieve 'Broadband for All' in Europe. I welcome the support expressed by the European Parliament for more flexibility and harmonisation in spectrum use, but I hope that even more ambitious solutions can be agreed so that Europe gets the most efficient and consistent management of spectrum possible in order to bring about 'Broadband for All Europeans'. I also support Parliament's intention to increase its involvement in the EU's spectrum strategy, and will continue to work with Parliament and Council to reach a satisfactory solution that provides more certainty for forthcoming EU decisions on distributing the so-called 'digital dividend' - the additional radio spectrum made available as a result of the transition from analogue to digital TV." "I would like to thank the rapporteurs in the ITRE Committee, Catherine Trautmann (France, PSE) and Pilar del Castillo Vera (Spain, EPP-ED) and in the IMCO Committee, Malcolm Harbour (United Kingdom, EPP-ED), for their constructive work. The Parliament's reports, as adopted today by its plenary, are a very solid basis for its negotiations with the Council of Telecoms Ministers." "I will now continue working with the European Parliament and the Council to ensure the adoption of the package before the end of this Parliament's term in 2009. Agreement is needed if consumers are to be adequately protected in a Single EU Telecoms Market and if operators can expect Europe to offer them a level playing field for telecoms investments." Background: The European Commission tabled its proposals for the reform of the Telecoms Reform Package on 13 November 2007 (IP/07/1677). Before the summer, the Council of Telecoms Ministers expressed its views on the Commission proposals (MEMO/07/522, MEMO/08/384) and the European Parliament debated the reform first at Committee level (MEMO/08/491) and then during its plenary session on 2 September. Following today's European Parliament vote, it is again up to the Telecoms Ministers to give their views. For further details, see MEMO/08/551: EU Telecoms Reform: the 6 Most Important Issues Still Open MEMO/08/552: EU Telecoms Reform: 7 Very Concrete Improvements for European Consumers Next steps: 27 November 2008: the Council could reach a first political agreement on the EU Telecoms Reform.

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Parliament vote paves way for Single Telecoms Market in Europe
by alice＠apc.org 24 Sep '08

24 Sep '08

Telecoms Reform: Parliament vote paves way for Single Telecoms Market in Europe Reference: MEMO/08/581 Date: 24/09/2008 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/581&format=… MEMO/08/581 Brussels, 24 September 2008 Telecoms Reform: Parliament vote paves way for Single Telecoms Market in Europe Today the European Parliament in its plenary session voted on the European Commission's proposals of November 2007 to reform the EU Telecom rules, in place since 2003. The EU Telecoms Reform aims to create a Single EU Telecoms Market with improved rights for consumers and businesses by reinforcing competition and investment and boosting the take-up of cross-border services and wireless high-speed broadband for all. "Today's vote is good news for European consumers," said Viviane Reding, the EU Telecoms Commissioner. "The European Parliament has today voted in favour of a strong and competitive Single Telecoms Market without borders for cross-border services, competition and investment in Europe. This will level the playing field for telecoms operators in Europe, enhance legal certainty, and broaden consumer choice." "Yesterday, the European Commission had to propose new rules to bring down the excessive prices of SMS and data roaming in the EU (IP/08/1386). These proposals will provide a fast cure to one of the most dramatic symptoms of the lack of a single telecoms market under which European companies and consumers are suffering at the moment. Today, the European Parliament has gone an important step further by proposing to tackle once and for all the root of the problem: by paving the way for a single market in regulatory terms. "I welcome in particular the fact that, after an intense debate, the European Parliament today voted in favour of establishing a European telecoms regulator. Although the new body is smaller than proposed by the Commission ? it will not have any responsibility for network security, which I regret ? the Parliament's amendments have made sure that the new European telecoms regulator will be fit for purpose, namely to deal efficiently with the remaining business obstacles and consumer problems in the single market. I welcome in particular that Parliament has confirmed that the new body will be financed from the EU budget in order to strengthen its independence and to ensure equality among national regulators. The European Parliamentarians also ensured that the new European telecoms regulator will be able to operate independently in the interest of everyone in the EU while at the same time being sufficiently close to the market. The proposal that half of the European telecoms regulator's staff should be seconded from national telecoms regulators, thus working alongside experts which the new European body would recruit itself, is a very constructive improvement on the Commission's initial proposal that I fully support." "Although work is still needed on the details, I support the Parliament's proposal to modify the Article 7 procedure. By voting for a system of 'checks and balances' Parliament ensures that measures proposed by a national telecoms regulator ? like market analyses and regulatory remedies ? cannot be adopted when called into question by both the new European telecoms regulator and the European Commission. In so doing, Parliament has found a sound compromise between consistency and subsidiarity in the interest of an efficiently functioning Single Market that I very much appreciate." "I also thank Parliament for its strong support for greater independence of national regulators. Independent national regulators are the backbone of an efficient application of telecoms rules for fair competition and tangible consumer benefits. Despite its importance, in reality it cannot be taken for granted, as seen last week with the surprisingly blunt interference with the independence of the Romanian telecoms regulator." "I strongly welcome the European Parliament's support for adding the new remedy of functional separation ? which requires an incumbent operator to separate its network infrastructure from its services branch ? to the toolbox of national regulators. This last-resort remedy has the capacity to rapidly improve competition in markets while maintaining incentives for investment in new networks, as shown in the UK where it has already been implemented. The Parliament's vote will contribute legal certainty to countries where functional separation is already under discussion, especially Sweden, Poland and Greece." "At the same time, the European Parliament has today opened new opportunities for investment in high-speed fibre optical broadband networks. The Parliament has confirmed and reinforced EU law on this important matter. On the one hand, it has clearly rejected all calls for 'regulatory holidays', as new monopolies would stifle competition and investment into fibre. On the other hand, it wants telecoms operators to receive a fair return on investment for allowing access to new fibre optic networks, including a substantial risk premium. I welcome this, and the Commission intends to give more detailed regulatory guidance on such next generation access networks at the beginning of next year." (IP/08/1370) "Competition brings lower prices, better-quality services and more choice, so consumers are the real winners in today's vote. Increased transparency and information for consumers, better access to services for users with disabilities, a more efficient 112 European emergency number and number portability within one day ? all these Commission proposals have received strong support in Parliament, for which I am very grateful." "Some important questions remain open. On number portability ? the consumer's ability to change their fixed or mobile operator while keeping their phone number ? I welcome the Parliament's overall approach supporting the one-day limit proposed by the Commission. But we need to ensure that the option now given to national regulators to extend the period for number portability will not reduce the benefits of a competitive market where consumers benefit from choosing different operators when they make better offers." "More will also have to be done on spectrum policy if we want to attract investment to new wireless services in Europe. The Commission's proposal to reform the management of radio spectrum intends to facilitate the roll out of such services, especially high speed wireless broadband connections that can reach less populated and rural areas to help achieve 'Broadband for All' in Europe. I welcome the support expressed by the European Parliament for more flexibility and harmonisation in spectrum use, but I hope that even more ambitious solutions can be agreed so that Europe gets the most efficient and consistent management of spectrum possible in order to bring about 'Broadband for All Europeans'. I also support Parliament's intention to increase its involvement in the EU's spectrum strategy, and will continue to work with Parliament and Council to reach a satisfactory solution that provides more certainty for forthcoming EU decisions on distributing the so-called 'digital dividend' - the additional radio spectrum made available as a result of the transition from analogue to digital TV." "I would like to thank the rapporteurs in the ITRE Committee, Catherine Trautmann (France, PSE) and Pilar del Castillo Vera (Spain, EPP-ED) and in the IMCO Committee, Malcolm Harbour (United Kingdom, EPP-ED), for their constructive work. The Parliament's reports, as adopted today by its plenary, are a very solid basis for its negotiations with the Council of Telecoms Ministers." "I will now continue working with the European Parliament and the Council to ensure the adoption of the package before the end of this Parliament's term in 2009. Agreement is needed if consumers are to be adequately protected in a Single EU Telecoms Market and if operators can expect Europe to offer them a level playing field for telecoms investments." Background: The European Commission tabled its proposals for the reform of the Telecoms Reform Package on 13 November 2007 (IP/07/1677). Before the summer, the Council of Telecoms Ministers expressed its views on the Commission proposals (MEMO/07/522, MEMO/08/384) and the European Parliament debated the reform first at Committee level (MEMO/08/491) and then during its plenary session on 2 September. Following today's European Parliament vote, it is again up to the Telecoms Ministers to give their views. For further details, see MEMO/08/551: EU Telecoms Reform: the 6 Most Important Issues Still Open MEMO/08/552: EU Telecoms Reform: 7 Very Concrete Improvements for European Consumers Next steps: 27 November 2008: the Council could reach a first political agreement on the EU Telecoms Reform. _______________________________________________

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Proposed ICANN Bylaws Revision Open For Comment
by alice＠apc.org 24 Sep '08

24 Sep '08

Proposed Bylaws Revision Open For Comment 23 September 2008 Today ICANN is opening a public comment period on a proposed bylaw revision [PDF, 21K] from the ICANN Nominating Committee. The proposed revision would update the diversity requirements for selecting ICANN Board members to include domicile with country of citizenship. Over the past several years, the Nominating Committee has expressed concern that being required to count more than one country of citizenship for diversity purposes often makes it difficult to select the best candidates for the Board seats that the Nominating Committee is mandated to fill. In carrying out its responsibilities to fill Seats 1 through 8, the Nominating Committee shall seek to ensure that the ICANN Board is composed of members who in the aggregate display diversity in geography, culture, skills, experience, and perspective, by applying the criteria set forth in Bylaws. The Nominating Committee also noted that some of the candidates have often lived in a country for many years, and thereby better represent the interests of that country than any country of which the candidates may be citizens. In the proposal, domicile, not just citizenship, is to be considered in the diversity calculation. The Nominating Committee members unanimously agreed that the proposed Bylaws revisions would alleviate the concerns. During the 28 August 2008 meeting of the ICANN Board of Directors, the Board passed the following resolution: Whereas, the Nominating Committee has expressed concern that, pursuant to the Bylaws mandated diversity requirements that no more than five Board members be citizens of any one geographic region, the Nominating Committee is required to count all countries of citizenship for each candidate. Whereas, the Nominating Committee has noted that the requirement to count all countries of citizenship has caused some selection difficulties each year over the past several years. Whereas, the Nominating Committee has also expressed concern that the calculation is presently limited to citizenship given that many people have lived for long periods of time in, and represent the interests of, countries in which they may not be citizens. Whereas, making a diversity calculation pursuant to the ICANN Bylaws as it relates to Board member selection for seats 1 through 14 should be consistent. It is hereby resolved (2008.08.28.03) that the following proposed revisions to Article VI, Sections 2.2 and 2.3, shall be posted for public comment in accordance with ICANN's normal process for proposed Bylaw revisions. Comments on the proposed bylaw revision may be submitted to nomcom-bylaw-revision(a)icann.org will be considered until 23 October 2008 23:59 UTC. Comments may be viewed at http://forum.icann.org/lists/nomcom-bylaw-revision/.

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FW: LINK CENTRE: REMINDER: MM(ICTPR) 2009 - Applications now open
by Edith Adera 23 Sep '08

23 Sep '08

FYI _____ From: link-info-bounces(a)lists.wits.ac.za [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Charley Lewis Sent: 23 September 2008 13:01 To: link-info(a)lists.wits.ac.za Cc: Sue-Ellen Donough Subject: LINK CENTRE: REMINDER: MM(ICTPR) 2009 - Applications now open With Heritage Day upon us, the end of the year is just around the corner, and the closing date for MM(ICTPR) applications is equally not far off. What are your plans for 2009? Will you be studying further to grow your skills, enrich your capacity and increase your pay cheque? Look no further than the LINK Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand. Applications are now open for the 2009 intake into Africa's only residential Master's level degree with a dedicated focus on policy and regulation in the ICT sector. See the attached brochure for further information. The sooner you get your application in, the sooner you will receive your notification of acceptance (subject to you meeting the required criteria), and the sooner your future in 2009 will be assured. Please also pass this information on to those of your colleagues and associates who may be planning on further study in 2009. For more information please contact Sue-Ellen Donough on +27 11 717-3698. Charley Lewis Senior Lecturer, LINK Centre URL: http://link.wits.ac.za Mwalimu House, School of Public & Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand 2 St David's Place, Parktown, 2193, SOUTH AFRICA ==> Master of Management in ICT Policy & Regulation: <blocked::http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html> http://link.wits.ac.za/training/training4.html ==> Certificate in Telecomms Policy, Regulation & Management: http://link.wits.ac.za/training/tc1.html This communication is intended for the addressee only. It is confidential. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately and destroy the original message. You may not copy or disseminate this communication without the permission of the University. Only authorized signatories are competent to enter into agreements on behalf of the University and recipients are thus advised that the content of this message may not be legally binding on the University and may contain the personal views and opinions of the author, which are not necessarily the views and opinions of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All agreements between the University and outsiders are subject to South African Law unless the University agrees in writing to the contrary.

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Consumer Affairs: Call Drops/Call Fails
by Eric Aligula 20 Sep '08

20 Sep '08

All: Over the last six months I have experienced a number of call fails/call drops on the Safaricom network. Or you call, the line goes through and there is no reception of voice from the person being called? I would like to know whether there are consumers out there on this list or elsewhere on the local networks who have experienced the same? What solutions have been proffered? Are there any financial implications related to these call fails or call drops? In other words, am I charged for a call fail or call drop? What remedies they may have applied and what recourse consumers would have in respect of the various providers? Kind regards Eric Aligula Magolo, PhD Senior Analyst Infrastructure and Economic Services Division Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA) P.O. Box 56445, 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Telephone: +254-20-2719933/4 Fax: +254-20-2719951 E-mail: jairah(a)kippra.or.ke <mailto:[email protected]> URL: www.kippra.org <http://www.kippra.org/> Proudly Kenyan "In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility..........I welcome it." John F. Kennedy "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke "Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt "Ex Africa semper aliquid novi"

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Review, identify gaps and enhance the quality of the Certificate of ICT (CICT) qualification
by Al Kags 20 Sep '08

20 Sep '08

The Kenya ICT Board and KASNEB have formed a partnership to review, identify gaps and enhance the quality of the Certificate of ICT (CICT) qualification that is managed by KASNEB and offered by various ICT institutions in Kenya. This collaboration will cover, among other areas:- - Working together towards enhancing quality ICT skills in the country - Marketing CICT to get industry buy in and endorsement at the same level as CPA. - Collaborate in conducting a baseline study/survey to determine the deficiency of ICT skills and type of skills required. - Collaborate to lobby for appropriate legal provisions for the establishment of an Institute for the CICT graduates, recognizing KASNEB as the examining and the certification body for ICT graduates. - Work to gain industry acceptance of CICT certification on same quality rating as CPA. The Kenya ICT Board wishes to convene an ICT Public Panel to develop industry and stake holder input into the review. We invite the participation of key sector players in the industry on a voluntary basis, as represented below:- - Industry players (IT products and services suppliers/manufactures including Developer Community, Skunkworks etc) - 5 representatives - Business Process Outsourcing and Call Centres - 2 representatives - Colleges representatives - 3 representatives - University representatives - 3 representatives - Student representatives – 5 - Related government ministry's representatives - 3 - Multinational Corporations - 2 TORs of the Panel. To review the state of ICT skills in Kenya with a view to identifying gaps and therefore make recommendations for addressing those gaps as seen in a global context. The Public Panel deliberations will be made out of a maximum of three meetings at the Kenya ICT Board Offices on Waiyaki way specifically on: - - Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at 10 am - Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 10 am - Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 10 am The recommendations will be presented to KASNEB for the review of the Certification Curriculum, on September 26, 2008 at a venue to be communicated closer to the date. This initiative is guided by the Kenya ICT Board's Strategic Objectives, mainly: - To develop and promote competitive ICT Institutions in Kenya - To develop and promote competitive ICT industries in Kenya TO PARTICIPATE To participate, kindly contact the Public Panels team on publicpanels(a)ict.go.ke . Please attach a brief profile of yourself and the sector that you represent. The Board will then formally invite you to participate in the Panel. While the formal invitations will be issued entirely at the discretion of the board, the broad criteria for participation is as follows:- - Demonstrated experience and knowledge in the sub-sector - Expressed willingness to serve pro bono - Demonstrated general understanding of the educational offering in the sector. We also welcome via email to publicpanels(a)ict.go.ke written submission on this topic, representations and opinions from the sector towards this important exercise and they will also be collated with the report.

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Advanced FOSS E-Learning portal
by Gakuru Alex 19 Sep '08

19 Sep '08

"Open Source & More IT for African Business" - release of advanced e-learning courses on Information Technology InWEnt/it@ab releases a series of advanced e-learning courses on Information Technology (IT)- "Open Source & More IT for African Business" focussing on the needs of business related IT consultancy in Africa. "Open Source & More IT for African Business" has been developed by it@ab, the Southern African Network on "Information Technology in African Business", a project of InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). For more information on it@ab, please see: http://www.it-ab.org. Learning "Open Source & More IT for African Business" is a compilation of advanced e-learning courses covering six topics related to business & IT consultancy in an African context. The courses introduce relevant and adapted key concepts and applications such as 1. E-Business Applications & Architecture 2. IT Security 3. Open Source IT (including lessons on Ubuntu Linux Installation, Multimedia, Web Server, Groupware, Network Printing) 4. Web Publishing 5. E-Learning as well as 6. Zope & the Collaborative Learning Environment CLE2. The focus lies on "Free and Open Source Software" (FOSS) as a key technology to drive innovation, add local value and create sustainable and affordable ICT-solutions. The courses are organized as online modules for self-study and include lessons, tests and selected references. They provide an overview of and introduction to important concepts from intermediate to advanced level. This way, they address a wide range of potential users. These include both IT specialists and executive staff from IT businesses in Africa and beyond, technology-savvy development practitioners as well as power users of IT. The courses are available at: - http://cle2.it-inwent.net/LearningSpace/osam/ (CLE) or at - http://gc21.inwent.org/OpenSource (Global Campus 21, Login and password: "guest"). <http://ict-innovation.fossfa.net/blog/petra/open-source-more-it-african-bus…>

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Application Round Opens for ICANN Mexico City Meeting Fellowships
by alice 19 Sep '08

19 Sep '08

Application Round Opens for Mexico City Meeting Fellowships Program supports global representation at ICANN's International Public Meetings 18 September 2008 *MARINA DEL REY, Calif.*: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has launched its latest round of fellowship program applications for its 34th International Public Meeting to be held in Mexico City from 1-6 March 2009. "ICANN is a global organization and our work touches every country on the planet," said Theresa Swinehart , ICANN's Vice President, Global and Strategic Partnerships. “Our fellowship program ensures that as many countries as possible can take part in the ICANN meeting and in the variety of public forums that will be held.” An example of the diversity supported by the Fellowship program is the upcoming meeting in Cairo. At that meeting there will be 30 fellows from 25 countries, chosen from 89 applications received. There are 12 fellowship alumni, 11fellows are first-time attendees to an ICANN meeting and the remaining 7 have attended past meetings, but are first time fellows. Priority is given to applicants who are current residents of developing and least developed nations and interested in participating in ICANN and its supporting organizations, such as the Governmental Advisory Committee, the Country Code Names Supporting Organization, and the Generic Names Supporting Organization. The fellowship will assist in covering airfare, hotel and a stipend. Recipients will be expected to actively participate in and contribute to ICANN processes. As always, registration for ICANN's meetings is free for anyone wanting to attend. Applications for Mexico City will be accepted from now until 1200 PDT (UTC -7) on 27 October. More information, as well as a link to the application for a fellowship, is available online at: http://www.icann.org/en/fellowships/ <http://www.icann.org/en/fellowships> -30- *About ICANN: * ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet's operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company. For more information please visit: www.icann.org <http://www.icann.org/>. *Media Contacts: * Jason Keenan Media Adviser, ICANN (USA) Ph: +1 310 382 4004 E: jason.keenan(a)icann.org <mailto:[email protected]> International: Andrew Robertson Edelman (London) Ph: +44 7921 588 770 E: andrew.robertson(a)edelman.com <mailto:[email protected]> --- You are currently subscribed to aisi-l as: [alice(a)apc.org] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-aisi-l-84914M(a)lyris.bellanet.org

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ICT Legislation In Kenya: Mukimwo or Buffet?
by Brian Munyao Longwe 18 Sep '08

18 Sep '08

Hi all, We at a workshop in Mombasa to look at the "Mukimwo" that has been made in the form of the Communications Amendment Bill. What is "mukimwo" some of you might ask? Also known as "Kienyeji" - it is a mix of maize corn, potatoes, green leaves (mchicha?) and often a variety of other things including meat, tomatoes, bananas, onions, cabbage etc...the thoroughly mashed together. Well, this - in my view - is kind of what we are looking at here. A single bill which combines many different issues in an attempt to satisfy the deep hunger in the ICT sector with one meal. Well, some of us are of the opinion that it is better to have a buffet of ICT legislation. Separate, discrete laws that deal to the necessary depth with issues as diverse as cybercrime, computer misuse/fraud, electronic transactions, digital signatures, privacy and personal information etc. Without trying to mash them all together as the current draft does. So my question is, do you prefer Mukimwo or Buffet? Brian Sent from my iPhone

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Not Mukimwo after all
by Brian Munyao Longwe 18 Sep '08

18 Sep '08

Hi all, Seems I had my meals mixed up. We are actually discussing electronic transactions. Regards, Brian Sent from my iPhone

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IFIP Technical Committee on Human Computer Interaction
by waudo siganga 18 Sep '08

18 Sep '08

Dear Colleagues, Prof. Annelise Mark Pejtersen, the Chair of the IFIP Technical Committee on Human-Computer Interaction -TC.13 - ([1]http://csmobile.upe.ac.za/ifip/) has asked me to appoint a Kenyan for that Committee. Please visit the link if you are interested to learn more about that TC or [2]www.ifip.org to learn generally about IFIP and its other committees. The work will include one annual physical meeting with possibility of travel support. TC.13 is also responsible for the annual conference INTERACT, of which the next one will be held in Uppsala, Sweden in 2009. IFIP work will suit those with a Scientific/Academic/Research/Application bias. If you are interested please drop me a one-paragraph note indicating how you fit into the area of Human-Computer Interaction. Kind Regards, Waudo References 1. http://csmobile.upe.ac.za/ifip/ 2. http://www.ifip.org/ Life is but a series of decisions and consequences therefrom

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Fwd: [Physical] Vodacom Launches Three New Exciting "Speaking Phones" for Persons with Visual Impairment
by Judy Okite 18 Sep '08

18 Sep '08

FYI I think this is the coolest thing...its a high time we saw more initiatives like this! Media Release for Immediate Publication Nikki van der Westhuizen [mailto:[email protected]] *Vodacom Launches Three New and Exciting "Talking Phones" for Persons with Special Needs, Especially those who are Blind or Partially Sighted* * * *18 September 2008* * * Vodacom has launched three new Vodacom Speaking Phones as part of its drive to make cellular communication accessible to people with specific needs, specifically customers who are blind or partially sighted. "Vodacom is proud to be the first operator in South Africa to increase accessibility to cellular communication products and services in line with our Specific Needs Initiative launched in 2004," says Dot Field, Chief Communications Officer, Vodacom Group. Text-to-speech software is loaded onto the Vodacom Speaking Phones that converts the information displayed on the cellphone screen to speech, including text messages and contacts. This software also enables the user to check other information, including battery life and signal strength. Speaking phones are available on Vodacom Contract-, Top Up- and Prepaid packages and are available at participating Vodacom approved outlets. "Vodacom Speaking Phone users will not pay extra for the text-to-speech software as Vodacom has subsidised this cost," says Field. The focus of the Specific Needs Initiative is accessibility: access to the company, access to information and access to Vodacom's products and services for all. Karen Smit, Senior Specialist for Specific Needs and Employment Equity at Vodacom Group and a disabled Vodacom employee herself, highlights the need for such products and services within the cellular industry, "We are proud to be the pioneers of this service in South Africa, and on the continent as a whole. At Vodacom, accessibility is always top of mind and as a disabled person I understand how important independence, accessibility and mobility is." Vodacom will continue to offer the "voice bill" service which allows visually impaired or blind customers access to their itemised billing electronically through reader software on their computers. For more information on Vodacom Speaking Phones, customers can contact Vodacom's dedicated Specific Needs Contact Centre, which aims to provide information and assistance on their products and services to customers with disabilities. The Specific Needs Contact Centre can be reached on 12580, free from a Vodacom cellphone, or on 082 12580 from any other phone (standard rates apply). Customers can also send an SMS to 12580 (free from a Vodacom cellphone) or email to 12580(a)vodacom.co.za. Information is available on the Vodacom website: www.vodacom.co.za, under the Specific Needs section. Ends Issued on behalf of: Dot Field Chief Communications Officer Vodacom Group ##### For Further Information, Please Contact: Nikki van der Westhuizen Meropa Communications +27 11 772 1029 * * __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 3450 (20080918) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com _______________________________________________ Physical mailing list Physical(a)napsa.org.za http://lists.napsa.org.za/mailman/listinfo/physical -- "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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FW: announced: MacArthur Foundation Competition on Participatory Learning (US$2m in awards, international applicants now eligible)
by Edith Adera 18 Sep '08

18 Sep '08

FYI -----Original Message----- From: mtrucano(a)worldbank.org [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 18 September 2008 01:30 To: mtrucano(a)worldbank.org Subject: announced: MacArthur Foundation Competition on Participatory Learning (US$2m in awards, international applicants now eligible) INFORMATIONAL ONLY -- NO NEED TO RESPOND In case it might be of interest to you or someone you know ... -M http://www.dmlcompetition.net/ (Embedded (Embedded image image moved moved to file: to file: pic07950.jpg) pic27594.gif) (Embedded image moved to file: pic16343.gif) $2 Million Digital Media & Learning Competition The MacArthur Foundation, the University of California, Irvine, Duke University, and the virtual network HASTAC announced today a second $2 million competition that focuses on participatory learning, creates an award category for Young Innovators aged 18-25, and for the first time extends eligibility to international applicants. The competition is part of MacArthur's $50 million digital media and learning initiative that aims to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. Competition winners will join an existing community of awardees that convenes regularly online to participate in webinars on new technology, novel approaches to social networking, and other issues pertinent to participatory learning. They will be invited to showcase their work at an annual conference to include venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, educators, and new media experts seeking the best ideas about digital media and learning. Visit the competition's website for more information on how to apply. (Embedded image moved to file: pic00754.gif) (Embedded image moved to file: pic02481.jpg) (Embedded image moved to file: pic01012.gif) (Embedded image moved to file: pic11672.gif) (Embedded image moved to file: pic23439.jpg) www.macfound.org Connie Yowell Director, Education MacArthur Foundation www.spotlight.macfound.org

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Re: [kictanet] [Skunkworks] Big Bang Replay
by Mike Bullut 17 Sep '08

17 Sep '08

David et al., If I may ask you: *What is the significance of research? *Or more deeply: *What is the purpose of meaning?* I'll leave you to answer the latter question for yourselves. I'm a staunch advocate of research for the reason being most of mankind's greatest advancements wouldn't have seen the light of day if a certain man/woman hadn't taken the initiative to investigate better ways on how to execute certain/everyday tasks. Here are a few of them: - *Alexander Graham Bell & his invention of the telephone. [Communication] * - *Alexander Flemming & his discovery of penicillin. [Medicine]* - *Thomas Edison & his invention of the electric bulb. [Engineering?] * In the advancement of knowledge: - *Albert Einstein & his theory of relativity. [Physics] * - *Alfred Wegner & his theory of continental drift. [Geology, Geography]* - *Charles Darwin & his theory of evolution. [Biology] * - *Nicolaus Copernicus & his theory of heliocentric cosmology. [Astronomy] * Onto the subject of the experiments being conducted at the *Large Hadron Collider <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_Hadron_Collider>* situated at * CERN, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CERN>* their raison d'être is to scrutinize The Big Bang Theory. One of science's (& life's) greatest mysteries is the origin of everything (the universe, life itself etc). There are two schools of thought that try to illustrate this: Religion & Science. The former explains that the universe was created by a supreme being, God, at the beginning of time & took six days with our Heavenly Father resting on the seventh day. The latter explains that the universe was created in a cataclysmic explosion originating from the most infinitesimal particle of matter which has expanded (over the course of fifteen billion years & counting) to what we observe today through telescopes. Of course, these schools of thought have their respective weaknesses. Religion can't describe how God executed the creation process e.g. did he just snap his fingers when an idea came to mind or did he follow a procedure which culminated in an entity (star, planet, black hole etc)? Forgive me for offending/insulting my fellow Christians but what most of them don't understand is that the Bible is just a chronological series of events & not a biographical-like text. Picture this: the book of Genesis tells us the world was created in six days. How supremely confident are we that these are six *Earth days?* My quagmire is this: *Does time pass at the same rate between us & God?* My answer: *Time Dilation,* i.e. from the perspective of any observer within the same frame of reference & without reference to another frame of reference, time always passes at the same rate. *"According To The Evidence" * <http://www.legendarytimesbooks.com/product.php?productid=179> by Erich Von Daniken gives a good case of this. Science, on the other hand, explains how matter operates (from the atomic level) which answers questions as how the ozone layer is depleted, how the sun creates its energy that sustains life on Earth (though partly) etc though it can't explain who kick-started creation. My school of thought combines both religion & science to explain the origin of everything. My proposition is this: *Science explains how God created & Religion explains why God created.* God used science to create the universe & religion explains why we are here in the first place. Peter, understand why the physicists are conducting these experiments. They just want to find answers to questions that have plagued us since time immemorial. Whether or not they succeed, they'll definitely uncover knowledge that could be beneficial in our comprehension of the universe. Mike. *My blog: http://kipsang.wordpress.com/ * 2008/9/11 David Kago <kago(a)ultimate-security.net> > I have been watching the big bang experiment with interest and was amazed > when they finally announced on the media that they have been able get the > proton beam to go all the way into the supercooled (-273C) 27km tunnel. > While this is a scientific and engineering marvel, the sums spent to set up > the largest machine on earth together are stupendous, $10 billion is not > your everyday lump of cash, that's kenya's 2008/2009 budget; all in the name > of proving a theory... Of whose benefit will it be if they finally prove > that antimatter and dark energy exists... what will quark gluon plasma and > bosons mean to the everyday earthling. I believe science should be used for > the betterment of the human race, not to prove a theory that is infinitely > larger than us. I can see all those suffering masses in the third world who > would have benefited greatly from such funds... > > On a side note, the data produced in the experiment is being channeled > through the other internet (the Grid). Who wouldnt want to download > whole hard disks from halfway around the globe in a few seconds...!!! > > _______________________________________________ > skunkworks mailing list > skunkworks(a)my.co.ke > http://ole.kenic.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks > Blog http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com > Beta Blog http://blog.my.co.ke > Get Skunkworks RSS Feeds: http://www.jahazi.com/rss/ > * -- "The computer programmer . . . is a creator of universes for which he alone is the lawgiver. . . . No playwright, no stage director, no emperor, however powerful, has ever exercised such absolute authority to arrange a stage or a field of battle and to command such unswervingly dutiful actors or troops." ~ Joseph Weizenbaum... --*

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Contacts for mpesa / sokotele service
by Patrick Mburu 16 Sep '08

16 Sep '08

Dear good people, Would anyone have contacts for the developers of these services? Or perhaps they r part of this list? Best! Patrick Sent from my iPhone

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Fwd: United States Peace Corps looking for ICT trainer and others...
by waudo siganga 16 Sep '08

16 Sep '08

Hello All - Could interest someone. Sorry if any crosspost. On Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:14:33 +0300, "Othieno, Louis" <LOthieno(a)ke.peaceco rps.gov> said: Hello all, Pardon me for emailing without your consent. I need your assistance in getting the information in the attachment to people you might know that are qualified and interested in a short term assignment to train American ICT professionals -mostly context stuff related to application of ICT in developing country situations in general, and Kenya in particular. The job of these Volunteers numbering about 10 will be to locate in a rural setting and use their knowledge of ICT to bring the benefits of ICT to the population within which they are living. This requires them to understand intimately the barriers between people and information technology in rural developing country contexts - and appreciate how they can use their generic knowledge of the technology within our technical context to harness ICT for the benefit of the communities to which the Peace Corps will assign them. If you know someone who is able to engage effectively at these three levels i.e * Moving the technology to the people * Moving the people to the technology * Kenya's technical and policy context with regards to ICT Kindly encourage them to apply before the 24th of September, 2008. I appreciate it. Peruse also the e-leaflet I attach for a quick understanding of what these American Volunteers do. (The leaflet covers business Volunteers as well). If you know of any social-benefit projects needing programmers, computer graphics people, web designers, computer maintenance or plain IT teachers etc - to work for them while located away from Nairobi - send them to me... I appreciate it Cheers all Louis Othieno Associate Director Small Enterprise Development and ICT U.S. PEACE CORPS IN KENYA "The cost of everything has to be paid for somehow. Our human travails, most of the time, avail only in changing who pays, when and how" <<ICT TTF VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 2008 Sept 09.doc>> <<PROMOTION FLYER.doc>> People make a plan work, a plan alone seldom makes people work (Confucius).

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Kenyan gov't sets up $39 million venture capital fund
by Rebecca Wanjiku 15 Sep '08

15 Sep '08

In case you are interested in daily roundups of tech news, please subscribe to the daily newsletter on the site. Its coming daily. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/09/15/kenyan-govt-sets-39-million-… Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/

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Software procurement in kenya
by Evans Ikua 14 Sep '08

14 Sep '08

Interesting what Google can come up with: http://www.linuxworld.com/news/2008/052308-kenya-linux-group-challenges-pro… We finally got to meet with the PPOA on Friday, 5th September. We had a very fruitful discussion on the Public Procurement and Disposal Act 2005, whose provisions are being ignored by Government procurement agents: https://ict-innovation.fossfa.net/taxonomy/blog-tags/kenya This good law stipulates that procuring agents should not mention any trade marks, companies or product names when requesting for quotations. They are required to just give the specs of what they need to accomplish. But how many times do we see these RFQs with brand names such as Microsoft *?. This has got to stop and nobody has any excuse to break the law with impunity. We will be putting details of the proceedings on our website soon, and also in the media. -- Evans Ikua Linux Professional Association of Kenya Tel: +254-20-2250381, Cell: +254-722 955 831 Eagle House, 2nd Floor Kimathi Street, Opp. Corner House www.lpakenya.org

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Re: [kictanet] Rwanda Gets Localls Made/Assemled Handset
by Dan Njiriri 12 Sep '08

12 Sep '08

Dear Dr Ndemo, We are pleased that you are leading the way in ensuring that our analogue TV sets do not become e-waste as we migrate to digital signals. Kenyas are very enterprising and many will pick up the assembling of the top box once it is out of the incubator. Thank you. Dan Njiriri --- On Wed, 9/10/08, bitange(a)jambo.co.ke <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Rwanda Gets Localls Made/Assemled Handset To: njiris2000(a)yahoo.com Cc: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke, "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke>, "Robert Onyango-Alai" <alai.robert(a)gmail.com> Date: Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 10:11 PM Dear Njiriri, Thanks for supporting Madaraka PC. We are just about to finish the prototype set top box for converting analogue signals to digital. This needs an entrepreneur to take it up from the incubator. You must have read yesterday how South Africa is planning their migration to digital by locally assembling the required set top boxes. Asante. Ndemo. > Dear Dr Ndemo, > > Thank you for your kind clarification on steps taken by Kenya on assembled > electronics in Kenya. > I am a strong bealiver in local industries and happy to let you know I > have bought twenty Madaraka PCs from JKUAT Enterprises for our Tracom > college teaching lab. They however need to develop local materials for the > industry as oppossed to assembly only. Anyone can do that. > > The Gilgil Telecommucations Industry should be nurtured and it is a pity > what you have explained on someone turning it to posts treatment. What a > shame and waste of developing industrial capacity! May the good Loard see > the case to logical conclusion. > > I fully agree with you that the private sector and the academia must > wake-up and create the necessary industries and hence wealth. > Once again thank you. > Dan Njiriri > > --- On Mon, 9/8/08, bitange(a)jambo.co.ke <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> wrote: > > From: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke <bitange(a)jambo.co.ke> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Rwanda Gets Localls Made/Assemled Handset > To: njiris2000(a)yahoo.com > Cc: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke, "KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions" > <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke>, "Robert Onyango-Alai" > <alai.robert(a)gmail.com> > Date: Monday, September 8, 2008, 7:24 AM > > Dear Njiriri, > There is nothing wrong with policy and we should not benchmark Kenya with > Rwanda because the differences between the two countries are just too > many. Compared to Kenya, Rwanda is where Kenya was in the 80's, centrally > planned economy where the Government interferes with everything including > the private sector. Granted there is virtually no private sector in > Rwanda. We have spent most of the 90's privatizing that which was created > by Government. The economy and more specifically the communication sector > is fully liberalised. The opportunities for the private sector are > therefore enormous and we should not blame the Government. > > It is in this forum that we recently discussed Madaraka PC and it was > dismissed as unworkable. We did not bother to ask especially JKUAT where > they have reached in developing components locally for the PC. Kenya has > been in the forefront producing telephone equipment including switches at > the Gilgil plant for the region. Indeed we have several firms seeking to > start local production of mobile handsets at the facility but have been > frustrated by a nother Kenyan who wanted to manufacture poles at the plant > (The perils of Democracy). The case is still in court that we cannot > discuss it here. > > We must be proud of our human resources for what they have done in the > region. What we need to do now is to vigorously utilize this resources to > exploit the opportunities - this if Adam Smith was a life will tell you > that - let the private sector wake up. This is the pattern that the Newly > Industrialized Nations of Asia followed. The Indians are going home from > many countries to create real wealth. > > Regards > > > Ndemo. > > > > >> Thanks Dr Ochuodho for sharing this new development in Rwanda. >> Unfortunately, Kenya is once again beaten at our own game, not becaurse >> we >> lack, excellent technical manpower and facilities.., but becaurse we are >> too slow in policy development! Rwanda has carried the day, yet all the >> production parts pass through Kenya to Rwanda! >> We should learn to be fast in what we want to achieve, and not take >> years >> back and forth in board rooms. >> Dan Njiriri >> >> --- On Sat, 9/6/08, Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> >> From: Shem Ochuodho <shemochuodho(a)yahoo.com> >> Subject: [kictanet] Rwanda Gets Localls Made/Assemled Handset >> To: njiris2000(a)yahoo.com >> Cc: "Robert Onyango-Alai" <alai.robert(a)gmail.com>, > "KICTAnet ICT Policy >> Discussions" <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> >> Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008, 6:08 AM >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Quoting: Rwanda ICT4D Community Network >> >> Rwanda get locally made handset -Network World 02/09/2008 >> >> A-Link Technologies, a Chinese electronics company, has unveiled its >> first >> mobile phone handsets manufactured in Rwanda. This makes Rwanda the >> first >> country in the region to sell locally manufactured mobile phones. >> >> The manufacturing of the handsets follows a memorandum of understanding >> signed in 2006 between A-Link and the Rwanda Information Technology >> Authority, the country's telecom regulator. >> Read the latest WhitePaper - Monitor the core and troubleshoot the >> access >> layer with integrated network analysis solutions >> >> The company plans to start selling the phones, called "Alira," > in the 21 >> countries of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern African after >> they >> are officially launched in October and once production is stepped up, >> said >> A-Link CEO Yin Quing Ri. >> >> "One of the phone models has been programmed with Kinyarwanda > software so >> the Rwandese who uses their mother language can communicate easily," > Ri >> said. >> >> So far, the company has produced three models -- the A100, A200 and A300 >> -- and promises that several other models are in the works. >> >> The phones feature color screens and radios, among other amenities. >> >> The plant is manufacturing 100 handsets per day, though it has the >> capacity to produce 700 phones per day. >> >> A-Link began operating in Rwanda last year, as the country is >> positioning >> itself to be an ICT hub in East Africa. >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: njiris2000(a)yahoo.com >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/njiris2000%40yahoo.com >> >> >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------- >> This message has been scanned for viruses and >> dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is >> believed to be clean. >> --------------------------------------------- >> "easy access to the world" >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> This message was sent to: bitange(a)jambo.co.ke >> Unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke >> > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > --------------------------------------------- > "easy access to the world" > > ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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