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Fwd: SA Government Goes Open Source
by Gakiria 03 Mar '08

03 Mar '08

Dear All, Came across the info below and thought it might be of interest to us. Regards Andrew ->>> SA Government Goes Open Source>>>>>> Sumayya Ismail and Sapa | Johannesburg, South Africa>>> 27 February 2007 09:32>>> >>> South Africa is joining countries such as Brazil, India and Uganda in >>> implementing open-source software in all government departments -- and >>> getting rid of widely used Microsoft Windows desktop programmes that >>> come with expensive licences. >>> >>> Open-source software can be shared by many users without a need for >>> licences. The actual code can be accessed by anyone to make changes and >>> adapt it to different situations. >>> >>> A Cabinet-approved policy and strategy to implement such software will >>> lower administration costs and enhance local IT skills, Themba Maseko, >>> head of the Government Communication and Information System, said last >>> week. >>> >>> "All new software developed for or by the government will be based on >>> open >>> standards, and government will itself migrate current software to Foss >>> [free and open-source software]," he told a media briefing at >>> Parliament. >>> >>> By April, a project office will be set up by the Department of Science >>> and >>> Technology, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and the >>> State Information Technology Agency to ensure the smooth implementation >>> of >>> the new strategy. >>> >>> Karl Fischer, the government's open-source project manager, says some >>> government departments have already been using open-source software for >>> "back-end" processes such as mail servers. >>> >>> He said the new strategy will place open-source software in all areas of >>> government. From mail servers to desktop applications such as word >>> processors, there will be a move towards Linux-operated open-source >>> software. >>> >>> Petition >>> Last year, Sangonet and other NGOs petitioned the government and >>> Minister >>> of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi to adopt >>> an >>> open-source software policy following a declaration signed at the 2005 >>> Go >>> Open Source conference at the Sandton Convention Centre. >>> >>> The petition was endorsed by the Centre for Policy Studies, the Freedom >>> of >>> Expression Institute and the Institute for Security Studies, among >>> others. >>> >>> It urged the government "to take a stronger, direct leadership role to >>> the >>> benefit of all". The government accounts for more than 50% of the >>> country's ICT use and should set a precedent that favours open source >>> and >>> its underlying principles, it added. >>> >>> "As a developing country, South Africa, along with all the countries on >>> the African continent, needs you and our government to act as agents of >>> positive change in our society and trigger shifts in the ICT market >>> dynamics, in order to favour the supply of local ICT content, support, >>> skills and service providers, and to reduce our long-standing dependence >>> on imports and the negative effects created by this dependence," the >>> petition stated. >>> >>> It further held that in the spirit of broad-based black economic >>> empowerment, the government had a responsibility to implement >>> open-source >>> software and make it easier for other, smaller ICT users to access the >>> hardware and technical skills needed to sustain it. >>> >>> David Barnard, director of Sangonet, says it is possible the petition >>> prompted the government to implement open-source software. However, the >>> decision had been "brewing within government" for a while, he said. >>> >>> Fischer confirms that it was an internal government decision to >>> implement >>> open-source software fully. But, he added: "Obviously we do listen to >>> what >>> [civil society] have to say." >>> >>> Benefits >>> Government personnel will be trained to use the new software at the >>> Meraka >>> Institute's training centres throughout the country. Open-source >>> training >>> materials are also freely available, making them more affordable and >>> accessible to users. >>> >>> Despite these training requirements and other initial costs, Fischer >>> says >>> open-source software will be more affordable in the long term. "Our >>> hardware won't need upgrading Â… but it would have needed upgrading if >>> we >>> switched to Windows Vista. Linux will work out cheaper." >>> >>> The cost of Linux is significantly less than that of the Microsoft >>> licences the government has been paying, he says, although he declined >>> to >>> give the actual cost of the new operating system, as it will only be >>> implemented fully by December this year. >>> >>> "Because the whole open-source community is backing us, we can harness >>> the >>> whole community to help us," Fischer says. "People are very keen to help >>> out where they can Â… and where they can't, we will have to get the >>> necessary skills, and we have the funds for it." >>> >>> Pfungwa Serima, MD of Microsoft South Africa, says the software giant >>> fully supports the standards on which open-source software is based, as >>> it >>> is "in line with our software development strategy in enabling >>> interoperability between software from multiple vendors, thus allowing >>> customers to choose the application for their specific requirements". >>> >>> Judgement reserved >>> Though "on-the ground" institutions and training centres are already set >>> up, Sangonet's Barnard says he will reserve judgement until he sees the >>> initial roll-out plans. "This is a huge opportunity for South Africa to >>> make it work Â… but it may be one of those decisions that were >>> undertaken, >>> but the follow-through is just not there." >>> >>> Fischer says that along with a cut in costs, the open-source strategy >>> will >>> also foster inter-community development, transparency and sharing, and >>> build local skills to enhance and support the new software. "And, >>> instead >>> of giving money away to multinationals, we are keeping it and putting it >>> to use internally." >>> >>> However, Barnard says a major challenge is the lack of public >>> understanding of the principles of open-source software. >>> >>> "The important thing is for people to understand the economic, social >>> and >>> other values we could derive from it Â… and in the bigger mindset is the >>> creation of an information society in the country. [We need] proper >>> understanding Â… the capacity, expertise and political will to do >>> something >>> to implement it." >>> >>> However, the strategy does "look good on paper", he adds, and its >>> implementation will "say to the world that South Africa is -- in a >>> national, political and strategic way -- committed to open source". >>> >>> SAPA. >>> -- >>> >>> >> > >

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Joining Kickanet
by Joyce Joan Wangui 01 Mar '08

01 Mar '08

Hallo there, my name is Joyce Joan Wangui, ICT journalist based in Nairobi.I correspond for an online ICT news agency known as HIGHWAY AFRICA NEWS AGENCY (www.highwayafrica.ru.ac.za) whose headquarters are based in South Africa. Highway Africa is an ICT initiative that brings African journalists and ICT parctitioners to deliberate on ICT developments in the continent. The news agency is published weekly. I am writing to request that i joj the Kictanet group as well as the mailing list. Kindly le me know the criteria and how soon i can join Regards Wangui --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

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INCEPTION WORKSHOP - ELECTRONIC WASTE PROJECT IN KENYA
by Evelyne Majale 29 Feb '08

29 Feb '08

Dear all This is a reminder of the Inception Workshop - Electronic Waste Management Project that will be held on Monday 03rd March 2008. Venue: Wariara Room, Jacaranda Hotel. Time: 9.00 am to 12.30 pm. Please confirm your attendance for planning purposes. Attached please find the draft Inception Report that will be presented on that day and the final programme. Thanking you in advance. Evelyne

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Determinants of a Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Cell Phone Coverage, by Piet Buys, Susmita Dasgupta, Tim Thomas, and David Wheeler (February 2008)
by Harry Hare 29 Feb '08

29 Feb '08

Some good research from the World Bank. Harry African eDevelopment Resource Centre 3rd Floor, Nelleon Place Raphta Road, Westlands PO Box 49475 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Cel +254 725 650044 Land +254 20 4453445 www.africanedevelopment.org <http://www.africanedevelopment.org/> My Blogg <http://egov-notes.blogspot.com/> *********************************************************** March 2008 Capacity Building Opportunities Fiber Optics: 3-6 VSAT Field Engineering: 17-19 GIS 26-28 Book Now, Limited spaces available _____ From: Hsladovich(a)worldbank.org [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of research(a)worldbank.org Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 8:09 PM Subject: eAlert --> WPS 4516. Determinants of a Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Cell Phone Coverage, by Piet Buys, Susmita Dasgupta, Tim Thomas, and David Wheeler (February 2008) <http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=469435&pagePK=641652 36&piPK=64165141&theSitePK=469382> Determinants of a Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Cell Phone Coverage <http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64165259&theSitePK=4 69372&piPK=64165421&menuPK=64166093&entityID=000158349_20080212114658> Policy Research Working Paper 4516, Piet Buys, Susmita Dasgupta, Tim Thomas, and David Wheeler (February 2008) <http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2008 /02/12/000158349_20080212114658/Rendered/PDF/wps4516.pdf> Download Working Paper (26 pages) Most discussions of the digital divide treat it as a "North-South" issue, but the conventional dichotomy doesn't apply to cell phones in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although almost all Sub-Saharan countries are poor by international standards, they exhibit great disparities in coverage by cell telephone systems. Buys, Dasgupta, Thomas and Wheeler investigate the determinants of these disparities with a spatially-disaggregated model that employs locational information for cell-phone towers across over 990,000 4.6-km grid squares in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using probit techniques, a probability model with adjustments for spatial autocorrelation has been estimated that relates the likelihood of cell-tower location within a grid square to potential market size (proximate population); installation and maintenance cost factors related to accessibility (elevation, slope, distance from a main road, distance from the nearest large city); and national competition policy. Probit estimates indicate strong, significant results for the supply-demand variables, and very strong results for the competition policy index. Simulations based on the econometric results suggest that a generalized improvement in competition policy to a level that currently characterizes the best-performing states in Sub-Saharan Africa could lead to huge improvements in cell-phone area coverage for many states currently with poor policy performance, and an overall coverage increase of nearly 100 percent. <http://econ.worldbank.org/programs/trade> Produced by the <http://econ.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTRESEARCH/EXTPROGRAMS/EX TIE/0,,menuPK:475531~pagePK:64168176~piPK:64168140~theSitePK:475520,00.html> Sustainable Rural and Urban Development ResearchTeam in Development Research Group ( <http://econ.worldbank.org/programs/trade> http://econ.worldbank.org/programs/rural-urban) ________________ This email was sent using the "bcc" function to various system distribution lists. Our apologies to those who receive multiple copies. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD

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Re: [kictanet] proposed new license fees for Application/Content Service Providers
by Marcel Werner 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Dear Colleagues, There is no decision yet at CCK, only proposals. The Consultation Paper is making suggestions for these license fees. There are no decisions by CCK on this yet, as we are being consulted. My advice would be: put your opinion(s) in writing and have these delivered by 29 February, close of business, by way of petitioning the CCK. Kenya ICT Federation will also make a submission by to the CCK before deadline. I'm certain the CCK value your views. Do communicate! Once a new regulation is passed, it will be more difficult to change it. Best regards, Marcel Werner Kenya ICT Federation 2008/2/28, Marcel Werner <marcelcwerner(a)gmail.com>: > > Dear Colleagues, > > There is no decision yet at CCK, only proposals. > > The Consultation Paper is making suggestions for these license fees. There > are no decisions by CCK on this yet, as we are being consulted. My advice > would be: put your opinion(s) in writing and have these delivered by 29 > February, close of business, by way of petitioning the CCK. Kenya ICT > Federation will also make a submission by to the CCK before deadline. I'm > certain the CCK value your views. Do communicate! > > Once a new regulation is passed, it will be more difficult to change it. > > Best regards, > Marcel Werner > Kenya ICT Federation > > 2008/2/28, Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni(a)gmail.com>: > > > > I second Mercer on this. > > > > On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 9:43 PM, Marcel Werner <marcelcwerner(a)gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > Attention Colleagues, > > > > > > Are you aware that the Communications Commission of Kenya has issued > > > an important consultative document on the proposed Unified License > > > framework? Comments are welcomed by CCK, due by deadline of 29 February 2008 > > > at close of business. > > > > > > The market segments categorised in the CCK paper Applications Service > > > Providers (ASPs) and Content Service Providers (CSP) (include all Value > > > Added Service (VAS) Providers and Web-based Public Commercial Information > > > Service Providers can provide economic opportunities to Micro and Small > > > Enterprises (SME) as well as Small and Medium Sized companies (MSE). Note > > > that all these services proposedly attract a KES100,000 registration fee + > > > KES100,000 or 0.5% of turn-over charge. That will keep many players > > > out of the market. How many higher education graduates are working to > > > create a niche for themselves in the market? They should be encouraged and > > > supported! > > > > > > > > > The new regulatory framework should not place any obstacles to new > > > investors and market entrants, especially not to SME's. Therefore, the > > > proposed license fees for these two categories should be replaced by a > > > general license. Normally, such licensees does not pay license fees > > > but register with the regulatory body and subsequently receive a certificate > > > endorsing their operations in the sector. > > > > > > MARCEL WERNER > > > Kenya ICT Federation > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > kictanet mailing list > > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > > > This message was sent to: dmuthoni(a)gmail.com > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dmuthoni%40gmail.com > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Muthoni > > > > My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/ > > -------------------------------------------- > > Mahatma Gandhi once said:- > > > > First they ignore you, > > Then they laugh at you, > > Then they fight you, > > AND THEN YOU WIN!!! > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > This message was sent to: marcelcwerner(a)gmail.com > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/marcelcwerner%40gmail.… > > > > > > > -- > MARCEL > > please send any business mail to: > marcelwerner(a)innovation-africa.net > -- MARCEL please send any business mail to: marcelwerner(a)innovation-africa.net

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Re: [kictanet] proposed new license fees for Application/Content Service Providers
by Marcel Werner 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

2008/2/28, Marcel Werner <marcelcwerner(a)gmail.com>: > > Dear Colleagues, > > There is no decision yet at CCK, only proposals. > > The Consultation Paper is making suggestions for these license fees. There > are no decisions by CCK on this yet, as we are being consulted. My advice > would be: put your opinion(s) in writing and have these delivered by 29 > February, close of business, by way of petitioning the CCK. Kenya ICT > Federation will also make a submission by to the CCK before deadline. I'm > certain the CCK value your views. Do communicate! > > Once a new regulation is passed, it will be more difficult to change it. > > Best regards, > Marcel Werner > Kenya ICT Federation > > 2008/2/28, Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni(a)gmail.com>: > > > > I second Mercer on this. > > > > On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 9:43 PM, Marcel Werner <marcelcwerner(a)gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > Attention Colleagues, > > > > > > Are you aware that the Communications Commission of Kenya has issued > > > an important consultative document on the proposed Unified License > > > framework? Comments are welcomed by CCK, due by deadline of 29 February 2008 > > > at close of business. > > > > > > The market segments categorised in the CCK paper Applications Service > > > Providers (ASPs) and Content Service Providers (CSP) (include all Value > > > Added Service (VAS) Providers and Web-based Public Commercial Information > > > Service Providers can provide economic opportunities to Micro and Small > > > Enterprises (SME) as well as Small and Medium Sized companies (MSE). Note > > > that all these services proposedly attract a KES100,000 registration fee + > > > KES100,000 or 0.5% of turn-over charge. That will keep many players > > > out of the market. How many higher education graduates are working to > > > create a niche for themselves in the market? They should be encouraged and > > > supported! > > > > > > > > > The new regulatory framework should not place any obstacles to new > > > investors and market entrants, especially not to SME's. Therefore, the > > > proposed license fees for these two categories should be replaced by a > > > general license. Normally, such licensees does not pay license fees > > > but register with the regulatory body and subsequently receive a certificate > > > endorsing their operations in the sector. > > > > > > MARCEL WERNER > > > Kenya ICT Federation > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > kictanet mailing list > > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > > > This message was sent to: dmuthoni(a)gmail.com > > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dmuthoni%40gmail.com > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Muthoni > > > > My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/ > > -------------------------------------------- > > Mahatma Gandhi once said:- > > > > First they ignore you, > > Then they laugh at you, > > Then they fight you, > > AND THEN YOU WIN!!! > > _______________________________________________ > > kictanet mailing list > > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > > > This message was sent to: marcelcwerner(a)gmail.com > > Unsubscribe or change your options at > > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/marcelcwerner%40gmail.… > > > > > > > -- > MARCEL > > please send any business mail to: > marcelwerner(a)innovation-africa.net > -- MARCEL please send any business mail to: marcelwerner(a)innovation-africa.net

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[Fwd: [AfrICANN-discuss] Internet Governance: ICANN, Security And Nation States]
by alice 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

Hi All Despite our current troubles we still hope that ICANN will choose Kenya to celebrate its birthday at the ICANN Africa meeting scheduled for November 2008. Note dates for this years IGF have changed. Now taking place in December. alice -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] Internet Governance: ICANN, Security And Nation States Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 20:48:23 +0100 From: Anne-Rachel Inné <annerachel(a)gmail.com> Reply-To: africann(a)afrinic.net To: africann(a)afrinic.net Intellectual Property Watch 28 January 2008 Internet Governance: ICANN, Security And Nation States By Monika Ermert for /Intellectual Property Watch/ The future of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will remain an important topic in Internet governance in 2008, the tenth anniversary of the private global coordination body for Internet addresses and domain names. Yet Internet governance experts also expect security in its different facets to be on the rise in Internet governance debates and point to the further growing interest of nation states in exercising their sovereign governance rights in cyberspace. And it is increasingly the case that governance of the Internet can affect access to online content. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) <http://www.intgovforum.org/index.htm> organised by the United Nations - which in December will hold its third gathering in New Delhi - likely will see more issues related to cybercriminality, anonymity and privacy, said Jeanette Hofmann, researcher at the Centre for Analysis of Risk and Regulation at the London School of Economics, and at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, and member of the IGF Advisory Group. New ICANN Board Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush announced a "busy year" <http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-03jan08.htm> and a "birthday party" to take place at the annual meeting of ICANN, which will be held not in the United States but in Africa in November 2008. The location for the birthday party may be seen as a small symbol for ICANN's emphasis on its declared internationality. It has been the United States' privileged position in ICANN and root server oversight that gave the primary original impulse for the Internet governance debate that has evolved so much over the past few years. Weakening US Influence over Internet? More and more governments have called for change in the oversight structure for this tiny yet core part of the Internet and will call for that again in the newly launched consultation of the US Commerce Department National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on "The Continued Transition of the Technical Coordination and Management of the Internet's Domain Name and Addressing System." The consultation (deadline for statements 15 February) is part of the midterm review of the "Joint Project Agreement (JPA)" - the current agreement that binds ICANN to US government oversight - and may allow the full privatisation of domain name system (DNS) coordination after 2009. ICANN posted its comment to the NTIA in January, declaring: "The JPA is not longer necessary. Concluding it is the next step in transition of the coordination of the domain name system to the private sector." ICANN's Board wrote to NTIA official Suzanne Sene and said the JPA had been a necessary instrument in ICANN's formative years. "But now," the board said, "the JPA contributes to a misperception that the DNS is managed and overseen on a daily basis by the US government. Ending the JPA will provide long-term stability and security for a model that works." The Board underlined that the JPA would not affect the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) contract that allows the US administration to check on changes in the root zone, the heart of the DNS. The incoming US administration could withdraw from ICANN oversight, yet control over changes in the root zone, where vital information on the Internet address system is kept, might be too sensitive for any US administration. In fact, the US keeps arguing that it has to ensure the stability and security of the system that underlies a billion-dollar economy and has long become a key critical infrastructure. "The whole issue of security is drawing more and more attention, not only from nation states, but also from civil society," said Hofmann. The relationship between surveillance and privacy, data protection and transparency remains to be clearly worked out, she added. Identity management and authentication mechanisms rose much higher on the Internet governance agenda last year, and are expected to continue to do so, Hofmann said. Fight for IP Rights Intellectual property issues are in some aspects also intermingled with security. Whether the registries for country-code domains (such as .uk for the United Kingdom) should be granted special rights over new country-code-oriented top-level domain address zones, and be able to ask to be allocated the right to manage these zones via a fast track procedure, is one of ICANN's questions in this regard. Observers warn against possible domain islands under strict state control. At least some observers have followed anxiously developments in Russia where some in the administration have been reported to have shown interest in walling off the "Russian Internet." ICANN has accepted that there is a strong demand for ccTLDs in native scripts from a number of countries like China and several Arabic states and a special working group has started talks about the possible fast track procedure. But ICANN Chair Dengate Thrush spoke of a single procedure for all new top-level domains coming up. The introduction of new TLDs is a major issue for ICANN this year. Meanwhile, the longstanding fight over how personal data of individual domain name holders should be published in the so-called Whois databases of domain name registries and registrars might calm down, Hofmann said. ICANN staff finalised the procedure for dealing with exemptions for registries and registrars from jurisdictions with strong privacy regulation. Even if the United States keeps pushing for open Whois, registries and registrars from other countries can point to the need to adhere to their own national laws. Yet according to a representative for the registrars in ICANN's Generic Name Supporting Council it is not that easy at all. It was all but clear what registries and registrars had to present to be eligible for the exemptions as the procedure reads that only a lawsuit or administrative procedure against them allowed to apply for exceptional treatment. Also, settlements of disputes over ownership of domain names will continue to be important at ICANN and at the World Intellectual Property Organization. Debate over Governance Structure Changes may also come in 2008 to the institutional structure of Internet governance debates, Hofmann said. While the IGF was established as a focal point for the wider Internet governance debate - and ICANN will be kept under observation - she felt that there was a shift of a lot of discussion to intergovernmental institutions, back from self-governing bodies like the Internet Engineering Task Force (a peer standardisation body for all Internet protocol-related standards) to the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU has, for example, become more involved in security issues, last year announcing a global cybersecurity agenda <http://www.itu.int/osg/csd/cybersecurity/gca/> after years of rivalry with ICANN. More structural manoeuvring on who does what in Internet governance is expected this year, according to Wolfgang Kleinwächter, special advisor to the IGF Chair Nitin Desai. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has invited UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon to give a keynote at its June meeting on the "Future of the Internet Economy" <http://www.oecd.org/site/0,3407,en_21571361_38415463_1_1_1_1_1,00.html>, and Kleinwächter said this could be used by Ban for positioning of the UN in Internet governance. /Monika Ermert may be reached at info(a)ip-watch.ch <mailto:[email protected]>./ _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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Re: [kictanet] Kenya loses the ICANN meeting scheduled for November2008
by Leonard Mware 28 Feb '08

28 Feb '08

The day we will realize that our 'hardware' is basically the same (Mzungu, Jaluo, Kikuyu, Kamba, and Luhya etc 'hardware') and that the 'software' we pack is the problem, then we will respect one another. The 'software' we pack is basically programmed by the environment we live in hence we need to teach our children to respect fellow human beings regardless of tribe or race. The kind of environment we live, that is, at home, office and with our friends (the company we keep) greatly affect our attitude and behaviour towards others. Yes, Walu, we can make a difference if we start with ourselves! L ----- Original Message ---- From: "Wanjira, Alice Munyua" <wanjira(a)cck.go.ke> To: mleonardo(a)yahoo.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 8:14:10 AM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Kenya loses the ICANN meeting scheduled for November2008 Walu and all And its not just the ICANN meeting, we have lost UPU among many others. alice -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+wanjira=cck.go.ke(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke on behalf of John Walubengo Sent: Wed 27/02/2008 19:56 To: Wanjira, Alice Munyua Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Kenya loses the ICANN meeting scheduled for November2008 Hey all, Apologies for having to resurrect this post. I had not appreciated the full impact of Kenya missing out on the above opportunity until after I attended the recent Internet Governance Forum (IGF) preparatory meeting in GVA. I was totally overwhelmed by the dissapointment felt by all delegates, but especially the AFRICAN delegates who had voted for Kenya to hold the above conference. The lose was definately more AFRICAN than KENYAN. How ironic! It pains me to note that as other nations and states are fighting about partitioning and sharing the Internet (the ultimate resource) we are still busy fighting about and partitioning "ancestral" land. I want to be the first one to stand accused for having surrendered my country to a small group of politicians who seem determined to drive the remaining little sense of our nationhood out of our minds. And I want also want to remind each of us, that it is time reclaim our right to be Kenyan - the Pride of Africa? Each of us must take up this challenge in their own little way (use your business, networks, friends on both sides, influence, whatever) in order to pull us away from that point of no return. Sorry Alice i now this is not ICT but I just didnt know how important Kenya was until i stepped out of it after Dec 31st 2007 and really needed to ventilate abit. walu. --- waudo siganga <emailsignet(a)mailcan.com> wrote: > I concur with your suggestions Njeri. It's unfortunate to > lose > hosting the ICANN meeting in November but let's try and > make the > best of it. > > Kind Regards, > Waudo > On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:59:52 +0300, "Njeri Rionge" > <njeri.rionge@igniteco > nsulting.co.ke> said: > > Colleagues, > Kenya needs to get the decisions around the National > Coalition > or whatever the solution agreed upon as soon as > possible. > ICANN is limited on planning time as regards managing > the > possible insecurity of holding a meeting in a location > where > security is a concern for the larger internet > community. In > fact this should be said the other way, we cannot > (ICANN) risk > having a meeting in a location where the internet > community > will not attend, due to the current status which today > seems > not clear since the media itself has now been quiet on > the > possible security issue, although indicates a possible > forward > improvement which is not indicative of stability etc. > ICANN > public meetings are very critical in engaging > participants > from an Internationalization perspective. Therefore, > the > decision for the cancellation was based on the turn of > events > that took place in Kenyan. > So, like Alice I am hopeful that we can at list host > the 10th > Anniversary Internet party which can possibly be held > away > from the actual ICANN conference and broadcasted to the > rest > of the world from Kenya, although they are no > guarantees. This > is harder to do and in fact affects budgets etc. > This said, the party was all planned for the Kenya > meeting > this November 2008. Which currently has been scheduled > to > happen in another unannounced location. I am hoping > that a > country in the Sub Sahara will put in a bid quickly > enough, > otherwise we will hold the meeting in a location that > has > already held this meeting before.... > Njeri, > On 2/5/08 8:35 AM, "alice" <alice(a)apc.org> wrote: > > Hi All > > > > Despite our current troubles we still hope that > ICANN will > choose Kenya > > to celebrate its birthday at the ICANN Africa meeting > scheduled for > > November 2008. > > Note dates for this years IGF have changed. Now > taking place > in December. > > > > alice > > > > > > -------- Original Message -------- > > Subject: [AfrICANN-discuss] Internet Governance: > ICANN, > Security And > > Nation States > > Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 20:48:23 +0100 > > From: Anne-Rachel Inné <annerachel(a)gmail.com> > > Reply-To: africann(a)afrinic.net > > To: africann(a)afrinic.net > > > > > > > > Intellectual Property Watch > > > > > > 28 January 2008 > > > > > > Internet Governance: ICANN, Security And Nation > States > > > > By Monika Ermert for /Intellectual Property Watch/ > > The future of the Internet Corporation for Assigned > Names > and Numbers > > (ICANN) will remain an important topic in Internet > governance in 2008, > > the tenth anniversary of the private global > coordination > body for > > Internet addresses and domain names. > > > > Yet Internet governance experts also expect security > in its > different > > facets to be on the rise in Internet governance > debates and > point to the > > further growing interest of nation states in > exercising > their sovereign > > governance rights in cyberspace. And it is > increasingly the > case that > > governance of the Internet can affect access to > online > content. > > > > The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) > > [1]<http://www.intgovforum.org/index.htm> organised > by the > United Nations - > > which in December will hold its third gathering in > New Delhi > - likely > > will see more issues related to cybercriminality, > anonymity > and privacy, > > said Jeanette Hofmann, researcher at the Centre for > Analysis > of Risk and > > Regulation at the London School of Economics, and at > the > > Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, and > member > of the IGF > > Advisory Group. > > > > New ICANN Board Chairman Peter Dengate Thrush > announced a > "busy year" > > > > [2]<http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-03jan08.ht > m> and a > > "birthday party" to take place at the annual meeting > of > ICANN, which > > will be held not in the United States but in Africa > in > November 2008. > > The location for the birthday party may be seen as a > small > symbol for > > ICANN's emphasis on its declared internationality. It > has > been the > > United States' privileged position in ICANN and root > server > oversight > > that gave the primary original impulse for the > Internet > governance > > debate that has evolved so much over the past few > years. > > > > Weakening US Influence over Internet? > > > > More and more governments have called for change in > the > oversight > > structure for this tiny yet core part of the Internet > and > will call for > > that again in the newly launched consultation of the > US > Commerce > > Department National Telecommunications and > Information > Administration > > (NTIA) on "The Continued Transition of the Technical > Coordination and > > Management of the Internet's Domain Name and > Addressing > System." > > > > The consultation (deadline for statements 15 > February) is > part of the > > midterm review of the "Joint Project Agreement (JPA)" > - the > current > === message truncated ===> _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > This message was sent to: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > Unsubscribe or change your options at > http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jwalu%40yahoo.com > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: wanjira(a)cck.go.ke Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wanjira%40cck.go.ke -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet This message was sent to: mleonardo(a)yahoo.com Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mleonardo%40yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

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AfDB YPP - with link
by Harry Hare 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

Dear All, Not sure there are any young professionals in this forum to take advantage of this opportunity. If not, probably we could pass this on. Please note the deadline for application (March 15th 2008) http://www.afdb.org/portal/page?_pageid=473,970775 <http://www.afdb.org/portal/page?_pageid=473,970775&_dad=portal&_schema=PORT AL> &_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL Regards Harry African eDevelopment Resource Centre 3rd Floor, Nelleon Place Raphta Road, Westlands PO Box 49475 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Cel +254 725 650044 Land +254 20 4453445 www.africanedevelopment.org <http://www.africanedevelopment.org/> My Blogg <http://egov-notes.blogspot.com/> *********************************************************** February 2008 Capacity Building Opportunities VSAT Field Engineering: 5-8 Records Management: 13-15 Fiber Optics: 26-29 Book Now, Limited spaces available

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Re: [kictanet] Synchronizing Time Locally - NTP.KENIC.OR.KE
by Eric Osiakwan 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

Loud Applause.............KENIC ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: Vincent Ngundi <vincent(a)kenic.or.ke> Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:55:47 +0300 >Dear All, > >FYI. > >In 2005, KENIC in line with its mandate to promote ICT's in the >Kenya, set up a GPS enabled NTP Server, ntp.kenic.or.ke, at the Kenya >Internet eXchange Point (KIXP) to provide date and time integrity for >computers. Most service providers have implemented time >synchronization on their systems utilizing network time servers >located in foreign countries. However, the time synchronization >services are not extended to their clients due to unreliable >connectivity and prohibitive costs associated with international >links. Consequently, most of their clients are oblivious of the >services' existence. > >Implementation of NTP services for the local Internet community >utilizes the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and is >expected to retain 0.5% of the current Internet traffic (NTP traffic) >locally therefore enabling the service providers to extend the NTP >services to their clients. Organizational expenses saved from >operational failures and data losses due to time inconsistencies >would be impossible to estimate. Consequently, date and time >integrity and accuracy on computerised data information is essential >for computer forensics procedures. The increased local content >traffic is essential in promoting the development local content and >local hosting and ensuring the operational stability of the Internet >in Kenya. > >Some of the organisations utilizing the local NTP services include >some Government bodies, ISP's, banks, corporates, and some >educational institutions. > >The local NTP server is synchronized to at least 5 satellites at any >one time thus making it the most accurate time source in the country. >Instructions on how to configure NTP services on various operating >systems can be found at: http://www.kenic.or.ke/index.php? >option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=87 > >Kind Regards, > >----------------- >Vincent Ngundi >Administrative Manager >KENIC - The Kenya Network Information Center >http://www.kenic.or.ke >vincent(a)kenic.or.ke >[T] +254 20 4450057/8 >[F] +254 20 4450087 > >_______________________________________________ >kictanet mailing list >kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke >http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >This message was sent to: eric(a)afrispa.org >Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eric%40afrispa.org > -- Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now" --

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AfDB YPP
by Harry Hare 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

Dear All, Not sure there are any young professionals in this forum to take advantage of this opportunity. If not, probably we could pass this on. Please note the deadline for application (March 15th 2008) Regards Harry African eDevelopment Resource Centre 3rd Floor, Nelleon Place Raphta Road, Westlands PO Box 49475 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Cel +254 725 650044 Land +254 20 4453445 www.africanedevelopment.org <http://www.africanedevelopment.org/> My Blogg <http://egov-notes.blogspot.com/> *********************************************************** February 2008 Capacity Building Opportunities VSAT Field Engineering: 5-8 Records Management: 13-15 Fiber Optics: 26-29 Book Now, Limited spaces available

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Synchronizing Time Locally - NTP.KENIC.OR.KE
by Vincent Ngundi 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

Dear All, FYI. In 2005, KENIC in line with its mandate to promote ICT's in the Kenya, set up a GPS enabled NTP Server, ntp.kenic.or.ke, at the Kenya Internet eXchange Point (KIXP) to provide date and time integrity for computers. Most service providers have implemented time synchronization on their systems utilizing network time servers located in foreign countries. However, the time synchronization services are not extended to their clients due to unreliable connectivity and prohibitive costs associated with international links. Consequently, most of their clients are oblivious of the services' existence. Implementation of NTP services for the local Internet community utilizes the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and is expected to retain 0.5% of the current Internet traffic (NTP traffic) locally therefore enabling the service providers to extend the NTP services to their clients. Organizational expenses saved from operational failures and data losses due to time inconsistencies would be impossible to estimate. Consequently, date and time integrity and accuracy on computerised data information is essential for computer forensics procedures. The increased local content traffic is essential in promoting the development local content and local hosting and ensuring the operational stability of the Internet in Kenya. Some of the organisations utilizing the local NTP services include some Government bodies, ISP's, banks, corporates, and some educational institutions. The local NTP server is synchronized to at least 5 satellites at any one time thus making it the most accurate time source in the country. Instructions on how to configure NTP services on various operating systems can be found at: http://www.kenic.or.ke/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=71&Itemid=87 Kind Regards, ----------------- Vincent Ngundi Administrative Manager KENIC - The Kenya Network Information Center http://www.kenic.or.ke vincent(a)kenic.or.ke [T] +254 20 4450057/8 [F] +254 20 4450087

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Mobile phone threat
by Dorcas Muthoni 26 Feb '08

26 Feb '08

Extreme threats ..... The Taleban have threatened to blow up telephone masts across Afghanistan unless mobile phone companies agree to switch off their signals at night.* * They say that US and other foreign troops are using the signals to track down insurgents http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7262519.stm -- Muthoni My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/ -------------------------------------------- Mahatma Gandhi once said:- First they ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

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Fwd: [AfrISPA.Discuss] Course at Arizona State University on "The Internet in Africa"
by Eric Osiakwan 26 Feb '08

26 Feb '08

Begin forwarded message: > From: William Foster <wfoster8560(a)yahoo.com> > Date: 25 February 2008 22:26:15 GMT+03:00 > To: AfISPA <discuss(a)afrispa.org> > Cc: Patience Akpan-Obong <pakpan2004(a)yahoo.com> > Subject: [AfrISPA.Discuss] Course at Arizona State University on > "The Internet in Africa" > Reply-To: Discuss(a)afrispa.org > > For those of you interested in doing international sociology > research, I would like to ask you to consider taking my "Internet > in Africa" course that will be offered in the summer of 2008. Eric > Osiakwan and I will co-teach the class. > > The main deliverable will be a country study of Internet/cell phone > diffusion in a specific African country of your choice. > > My experience is that there are enough resources on the Internet > which when supplemented with Internet based interviews can be used > to do high quality original work that is of a publishable quality. > > The online course will be offered twice in both the first and > second summer sessions: > > Internet in Africa, Soc 194-1005 Line number 46695 > Summer 1, June 2-July 4 > > Internet in Africa, Soc 194-1007 Line number 46626 > Summer 2, July 7-Aug. 8 > > I would appreciate it if you would pass this along > to who might be interested. I can be reached at > wfoster8560(a)yahoo.com > or by phone at 1-520-440-0807. > > ********* > Getting course credit at Arizona State University > · All registration can be done online: > > Registrar’s Website --- http:// > students.asu.edu/registration > > · Apply online and pay online for application to ASU > > · Apply as Unclassified Admission > > - For Summer School Class, they > can be admitted for one class. > > · Admission to ASU > > · Pay Out of State Tuition > > Fees are at: > http://www.asu.edu/summer/summer_tf/ > > · Register for class > > · After grades are posted , request ASU transcripts be sent > to your University. > > > > William Foster, PhD > Faculty Associate > Social and Behavioral Sciences > Arizona State University Polytechnic > http://www.FosterandBrahm.com > 520-440-0807 > wfoster8560 (Skype) > > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! > Search. Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now"

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Kimathi Information Centre Symposium Program of the day March 22, 2008.
by Jose' 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Greetings, Kindly find attached newsletter,program and poster for the upcoming Small medium Enterprise symposium organized by Kimathi Information Centre.We look forward to see you all there in support of Emerging Enterprise Regards, Jose' 0728878744. Best Regards, Jose' Njuki-Imwe Ngunjiri || +254 722 336754 || --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.

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INCEPTION WORKSHOP OF THE ELECTRONICE WASTE PROJECT IN KENYA
by Evelyne Majale 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Dear all Further to the introduction meeting of the E-waste Project in Kenya held on 27/11/2007, Kictanet is pleased to invite you to the Inception Workshop to be held at Jacaranda Hotel on Monday, 03rd March 2008. Please find attached the invitation letter and tentative programme. Evelyne

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Are we a media state?
by Alex Gakuru 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Let's face it, we are all afraid of the media projecting us badly. As the saying goes the media "makes or kills". That is tremendous power either ways depending on how it is used. Their pen can kill or make things happen. But "the media" is not a homogeneous thing. Like every other sector of society it has good people, questionable people and crooks as well. When I proposed that respective media houses conduct own audits, the media council another, and the government to do the final task force, it was on the premise that we all accepted that "the media" played a very big role in the events that led to the sorry of Kenya. We were looking at fixing the problem so that it never again happens in Kenya. I still stand by my statement. It is saddening to read that the media council has gone ahead to form not an audit but "a task force". And that they point to towards claiming that the government does not have the mandate to form a task force. In self-support, sections of the same media float suspicions "what is the ministry up to?" then reporting "media control is a tool traditionally used by oppressive governments" and editorials... If even MPs in clash-torn areas turn to and ask government for protection in their own areas, is it right for the media not to recognise that "for-common good" government always must always be recognised as the supreme authority on the the state? Is the media exempt from all forms of external audit? If this is the case, then we may as well come to terms that we moved to a "media state", just like exists "police states", dictators etc etc and in that scenario the media controls even all its critisms and would not be any different from past "news" critical e.g. to police etc for conducting internal closed investigations. Trust in their honesty delivery of news to consumers becomes questionable and one is left never to trust all news. Consumers need a media they can trust their information. A media open governance scrutiny the always help us hold government open and accountable. The government look after all of us, including the media and I recognize government as the final power over society's welfare. If we fail to collectively correct recent mistakes then "media resources" might also well be included in the ongoing peace talks because daily information consumers mind and opinion control is the most powerful national asset. Regards, Alex Gakuru ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

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Mutua/Media Council beef all about superiority
by Rebecca Wanjiku 23 Feb '08

23 Feb '08

Media audit was a great idea. It would have been good to have a clearer picture of how the media performed. I was waiting to see which media house will be indicted. It did not matter who is doing it, at least we would have had a process in place, capable of being improved on in future. But the credibility of such a process seems to be dark. Why? its about superiority, nothing to do with the media audit read the full post - beckyit.blogspot.com Tel. 254 720 318 925 blog:http://beckyit.blogspot.com/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

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Online Outsourcing
by robert yawe 22 Feb '08

22 Feb '08

Hi, I think we are in serious trouble as IT fellows unless we get our act together. I have been looking for someone to develop what I would call a simple SMS solution. All the local programmers I have approached have been asking for an arm and a leg and even when I agreed to their terms they have been unable to deliver. A few days ago I was lamenting to a colleague about my dilemma, his solution, go to www.elance.com or www.odesk.com. If this is the fuuture of programming engagements then we seriously need to rethink our careers. The consoling factor is that its not only IT people who will be affected its all so called white collar jobs. Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail. A Smarter Inbox. http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

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India Losing it's Attraction as Offshore R & D option?
by brian 21 Feb '08

21 Feb '08

This should be v. interesting for us as we gear up for the "offshoring" onslaught..... Question is: What do we need to do to be ready to pitch for the kind of R&D investments that India has benefited from? - good bandwidth? (imminent) - fairly priced labour force (done) - R&D skills (errmmhh - anyone?) - conducive investment policy (somewhat) - stable political environment (oh dear...) anything else? Brian ps. for Alex ;-) http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/080220/technology/india_economy_technology_r… ---------------------------- Tue Feb 19, 10:45 PM BANGALORE, India (AFP) - India used to be seen as the perfect offshore research and development hub for global firms seeking to tap its low-cost and supposedly vast engineering talent pool to devise products for world markets. ADVERTISEMENT Companies including Microsoft, IBM, Intel, AMD, Google, Motorola, Yahoo!, Cisco and Siemens have opened R and D centres in India, drawn by payroll costs that were once a quarter of those in the US and Europe. But the cost advantage is fading and engineers trained in basic research are harder to find, reducing India's appeal, says Zinnov, a consultancy that advises overseas firms on R and D issues. "Some companies witnessed a 20 percent rise last year in the cost of running their R and D operations in India," Zinnov chief executive Pari Natarajan said in an interview. "If this trend continues, the cost advantage of doing R and D in India compared to the US will go away," he said, predicting a shakeout in the R and D offshoring market. India is home to 594 R and D facilities set up by overseas firms that invested a combined 5.83 billion dollars, according to Zinnov. Rising costs and a shortage of skilled workers have also hurt other industries -- from software to retailing -- in an economy that has expanded at an annual average of 8.6 percent over the past four years. But the R and D offshoring market has received scant attention. "Costs are going up all over, and we are also facing a shortage of shop floor workers," said Anjun Roy, economist at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. "There is a need to improve skill sets in a lot of areas." Like software makers, R and D centres whose expenses are incurred mainly in rupees were hurt by a more than 12 percent rise last year in the value of the Indian unit against the dollar. Wages jumped about 15 percent as companies fought to hire and retain hard-to-find engineers skilled in research. India turns out more than half a million engineers every year, but institutions do not train them in basic research, limiting the available talent pool to no more than 100,000 people, said Natarajan. The shortage may set back the ambitious expansion plans announced by companies such as networking giant Cisco, which said in October that it plans to triple its headcount in India to 10,000 in three years. "It's going to be very difficult for companies which have very aggressive hiring targets," Natarajan said. "It's almost impossible to hire unless you compromise on the quality of talent." Cisco, which plans to use India to develop products for customers in emerging markets, has opened 170 academies across the country and is training 8,600 students to overcome the talent crunch, human resources executive Leo Scrivener said. "We are aware that a large pool of technical specialists and business solutions experts can't be readily hired from the market," Scrivener told AFP. Cisco has benefited from its R and D facility in India that has generated 110 US patents, with another 400 pending with the US Patents and Trademark Office. Hundreds of patents have been filed by other research facilities based in the country. Half the work on an Intel wonder chip, a fingernail-sized device unveiled last year that offers supercomputer performance, was done by its India research centre. Despite the problems facing R and D, Zinnov predicts that investment in existing facilities by large global companies capable of riding out rising costs, and with the infrastructure to train fresh graduates, will drive India as an offshore R and D destination. That will pump up the R and D market by an annual average of 23 percent until 2012, even as per-employee cost in India increases by a yearly 13.3 percent. Smaller facilities may have to shut shop or sell out while investment in new R and D centres will likely dry up as part of a looming consolidation, said Natarajan.

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on sovereignty, peace talks and the "Responsibility To Protect" (R2P)
by saidimu apale 21 Feb '08

21 Feb '08

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/20/opinion/edcohen.php ("A Change to Believe in") An intriguing article exploring current (fading?) notions of sovereignty ("that state sovereignty - the unfettered power of a state within its own jurisdiction - was the inviolable basis of international law"), to evolving ideas about sovereignty and international law ("R2P formalized the notion that when a state proves unable or unwilling to protect its people, and crimes against humanity are perpetrated, the international community has an obligation to intervene - if necessary, and as a last resort, with military force"). Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_to_protect) has a good overview. Makes for interesting reading in light of the brouhaha over the peace talks. Regards, Saidi ------- A Change to Believe In by Roger Cohen Fidel Castro has quit after a half-century in power. An African-American has become a serious contender for the U.S. presidency, winning a 10th consecutive victory over his rival for the Democratic nomination. A new European state, Kosovo, has been born. And that’s just in the last week. Communist dictators don’t quit. Blacks don’t have broad U.S. electoral appeal. European borders don’t shift without bloodshed. History has been upended. Change, as Barack Obama would put it, is something you can believe in. After the cold war’s end, and close to one million dead in the genocides of Bosnia (1992) and Rwanda (1994), and the digitally-induced dissolution of barriers and distances and hierarchies, some governments thought everything could remain the same. They thought wrong, and not just in Havana and Pyongyang. They believed that in the age of globalization the principles of the Treaties of Westphalia, dating back to 1648, would be enough. In places like Moscow and Beijing and Belgrade, they clung to the idea that state sovereignty — the unfettered power of a state within its own jurisdiction — was the inviolable basis of international law. Boris Tadic, the Serbian president, took this line at the United Nations this week, insisting that Kosovo’s independence ”annuls international law, tramples upon justice and enthrones injustice.” He’s wrong. Let’s set aside the fact that Kosovo held one of the eight seats in the rotating presidency of a defunct state, Yugoslavia, and other holders of those federal seats from Slovenia to Bosnia to Macedonia all become independent. At a deeper level, the story of little Kosovo is the story of changing notions of sovereignty and international law. After the above-mentioned genocides, one perpetrated by the late Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, both revealing a U.N. Security Council too divided to stop mass slaughter, NATO circumvented the council in 1999. It waged war for the first time to prevent Milosevic doing his worst again in Kosovo. The war, in the words of Thomas Weiss, a political scientist at the City University of New York, ”had legitimacy even if its legality was questioned.” This legitimacy stemmed from an evolving consensus that, as Tony Blair once put it, ”acts of genocide can never be a purely internal matter.” Sovereignty, after Bosnia, after Rwanda, in a globalized world, was more than authority over territory and people. It was also responsibility. When that responsibility to protect was flouted, when a government abused the basic rights of its citizens through slaughter or ethnic cleansing, sovereignty could in effect be suspended. As Kofi Annan, the former U.N. secretary general, put it: ”State sovereignty, in its most basic sense, is being redefined.” For Annan, as Weiss has noted, ”Human rights transcended narrow claims of state sovereignty.” Which brings us to ”R2P.” That’s not a rock band or a chemical compound. In 2005, the World Summit adopted the ”responsibility to protect,” known by that acronym. R2P formalized the notion that when a state proves unable or unwilling to protect its people, and crimes against humanity are perpetrated, the international community has an obligation to intervene — if necessary, and as a last resort, with military force. Member states declared that, with Security Council approval, they were prepared "to take collective action in a timely and decisive manner" when "national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity." An independent Kosovo, recognized by major Western powers, is in effect the first major fruit of the ideas behind R2P. It could not have happened if the rights of human beings were not catching up at last with the rights of states. Appropriately, Kosovo’s emergence coincided with the establishment in New York of the Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, directed by Weiss. Backed by the Canadian, British and Dutch governments, among others, and with support from Ban Ki Moon, Annan’s successor, the organization’s mission is the spread of R2P principles. They need bolstering. The Iraq war has revived a 21st century sovereignty fetish exploited by Sudan to stall U.N. efforts to stop genocide in Darfur, where the government has failed utterly in its ”responsibility to protect” without provoking "timely and decisive" international action. Interventionism is increasingly seen in the Middle East and Africa as a camouflage for Western interests. But I believe the tide will eventually turn. R2P will be a reference. It is part of what Lawrence Weschler has called ”the decades-long, at times maddeningly halting, vexed, and compromised effort to expand the territory of law itself.” The ”territory of law” is now also the universal territory on which human life is protected. Westphalian principles meet R2P. An R2P generation is coming. The prizing open of the world is slow work, but from Kosovo to Cuba it continues. -----------

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Row Erupts Over Financing of Teams Cable Deal
by Dorcas Muthoni 21 Feb '08

21 Feb '08

We all want the best for TEAMS. Any Comments ?? ........... the $80 million East African Marine System project - popularly known as Teams - under which the government is to construct a 1,500-kilometre submarine cable between Mombasa and Fujaira in the United Arab Emirates, continues to be dogged by controversy. A new row has erupted over the manner in which the financing of the cable has been arranged. Apparently, the government had delayed in meeting the conditions agreed by the contractors, Messrs Alacatel Lucent of France, which was awarded the tender to build the cable in October last year. ...More >> http://allafrica.com/stories/200802191072.html?viewall=1 -- Muthoni My Blog: http://rugongo.blogspot.com/ -------------------------------------------- Mahatma Gandhi once said:- First they ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

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[Fwd: [AfrICANN-discuss] Judge Shuts Down Web Site Specializing in Leaks --- This is pretty interesting!]
by alice 20 Feb '08

20 Feb '08

February 20, 2008 Judge Shuts Down Web Site Specializing in Leaks By ADAM LIPTAK and BRAD STONE http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/us/20wiki.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=s… In a move that legal experts said could present a major test of First Amendment rights in the Internet era, a federal judge in San Francisco on Friday ordered the disabling of a Web site devoted to disclosing confidential information. The site, Wikileaks.org, invites people to post leaked materials with the goal of discouraging "unethical behavior" by corporations and governments. It has posted documents said to show the rules of engagement for American troops in Iraq, a military manual for the operation of the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and other evidence of what it has called corporate waste and wrongdoing. The case in San Francisco was brought by a Cayman Islands bank, Julius Baer Bank and Trust. In court papers, the bank said that "a disgruntled ex-employee who has engaged in a harassment and terror campaign" provided stolen documents to Wikileaks in violation of a confidentiality agreement and banking laws. According to Wikileaks, "the documents allegedly reveal secret Julius Baer trust structures used for asset hiding, money laundering and tax evasion." On Friday, Judge Jeffrey S. White of Federal District Court in San Francisco granted a permanent injunction ordering Dynadot, the site's domain name registrar, to disable the Wikileaks.org domain name. The order had the effect of locking the front door to the site — a largely ineffectual action that kept back doors to the site, and several copies of it, available to sophisticated Web users who knew where to look. Domain registrars like Dynadot, Register.com and GoDaddy .com provide domain names — the Web addresses users type into browsers — to Web site operators for a monthly fee. Judge White ordered Dynadot to disable the Wikileaks.org address and "lock" it to prevent the organization from transferring the name to another registrar. The feebleness of the action suggests that the bank, and the judge, did not understand how the domain system works, or how quickly Web communities will move to counter actions they see as hostile to free speech online. The site itself could still be accessed at its Internet Protocol address (http://88.80.13.160/) — the unique number that specifies a Web site's location on the Internet. Wikileaks also maintained "mirror sites," or copies usually produced to ensure against failures and this kind of legal action. Some sites were registered in Belgium (http://wikileaks.be/) Germany (http://wikileaks.de) and the Christmas Islands (http://wikileaks.cx) through domain registrars other than Dynadot, and so were not affected by the injunction. Fans of the site and its mission rushed to publicize those alternate addresses this week. They have also distributed copies of the bank information on their own sites and via peer-to-peer file sharing networks. In a separate order, also issued on Friday, Judge White ordered Wikileaks to stop distributing the bank documents. The second order, which the judge called an amended temporary restraining order, did not refer to the permanent injunction but may have been an effort to narrow it. Lawyers for the bank and Dynadot did not respond to requests for comment. Judge White has scheduled a hearing in the case for Feb. 29. In a statement on its site, Wikileaks compared Judge White's orders to ones eventually overturned by the United States Supreme Court in the Pentagon Papers case in 1971. In that case, the federal government sought to enjoin publication by The New York Times and The Washington Post of a secret history of the Vietnam War. "The Wikileaks injunction is the equivalent of forcing The Times's printers to print blank pages and its power company to turn off press power," the site said, referring to the order that sought to disable the entire site. The site said it was founded by dissidents in China and journalists, mathematicians and computer specialists in the United States, Taiwan, Europe, Australia and South Africa. Its goal, it said, is to develop "an uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis." Judge White's order disabling the entire site "is clearly not constitutional," said David Ardia, the director of the Citizen Media Law Project at Harvard Law School. "There is no justification under the First Amendment for shutting down an entire Web site." The narrower order, forbidding the dissemination of the disputed documents, is a more classic prior restraint on publication. Such orders are disfavored under the First Amendment and almost never survive appellate scrutiny. Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company _______________________________________________ AfrICANN mailing list AfrICANN(a)afrinic.net https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/africann

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Small medium Size Symposium -March 22, 2008-Mentors (Ms.Nyokabi)
by Jose' 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

Greetings, As the symposium draws closer,more professionals are comming on board on the mentorship clinic tent that will see enterpreneurs get new direction this comming year. below find Ms.Nyokabi's profile who has maximised on marketing. FORTUNE/STATE DEPARTMENT INTERNATIONAL WOMEN LEADERS MENTORING PARTNERSHIP At the International level Ms Nyokabi, the MSS CEOs extraordinary entrepreneurship and business acumen saw her selected by the US State Department to represent Kenya in a U.S. Government-sponsored program dubbed the Fortune/State Department International Women Leaders Mentoring Partnership. This business leadership & mentoring program running from April 29th through May 27th 2007, placed selected emerging businesswomen from the global arena in a mentoring program with Fortune's most acclaimed women leaders in the business world. Ms Nyokabi had the privilege of training under the mentorship of one of Americas most powerful women; Ms. Kathleen Vaughan who is an Executive Vice President at Wells Fargo where she leads one of the many financial services companies for the fortune 500 bank. Wells Fargo is among the 5 top banks in the USA and is the only triple AAA rated bank. The mentorship also provided opportunity to engage with Senators Hilary Clinton and Kay Hutchinson together with Elaine Chao, Secretary, US Department of Labor. Ms Nyokabi further maximized on this important visit to the US to attend a Situational Leadership Conference at the Wells Fargo Conference Centre in San Francisco from 18 to 19th May 2007 designed and developed by Ken Blanchard, the American leadership guru at which she was the only delegate from Africa. The experience therefore gives our business an appreciation of the unique standards of excellence such top-tier business organizations want to achieve and sustain in Africa --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

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Being charged to play radio!?
by nancy bosire 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

Hi All, There are people going round asking for a fee of Ksh.1950 so as to allow any one to play music in public e.g companies.. anybody else aware of this? apparently this was on TV yesterday (i did not catch news or had a chance to read the paper). my questions.. which body enacted this? CCK or the ministry of Info Comm ( Hon. Bitange?) is there a site that has the info on how this will work? deadlines, the rates etc etc who will regulate this? -- Sincerely yours, Secretariat Manager Kenya ICT Federation Tel: 020 4440102 Mobile: 0721907995 secretariat(a)kif.or.ke, info(a)kif.or.ke http://www.kif.or.ke "Whatever your mind expects and demands, it will find a way to produce it." - Napoleon Hill Mahatma Gandhi once said:- First they ignore you, Then they laugh at you, Then they fight you, AND THEN YOU WIN!!!

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