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UUNET MD challenges Kenyan Government estimates of low bandwidth costs
by Eric Osiakwan 25 Nov '07

25 Nov '07

The cost of Internet connectivity is unlikely to fall to $500 (Sh33,000) per megabit per month as the Government has projected, UUNET managing director Geoffrey Shimanyula has said. The charges would only fall marginally with the landing of the first submarine fibre optic cable in Mombasa, he said. UUNET- an Internet service provider - which is one of the prospective private investors in government-driven East Africa Marine System (TEAMs), said such a feat would require the cost of internet connectivity to fall by more than 80 per cent from the current average of $5000 per megabit. The submarine cable is expected to land in Mombasa by second quarter of 2009 and terminate in Fujaira, Dubai. "As you present your budgets for 2010 do not present the $500 figure because you may have to go back and justify your adjustments for that item," Shimanyula warned IT marketing executives. "That price can only be for the last mile, the layer two services, and the raw pipe - WiMAX or KenStream that you get from Telkom Kenya. There is no IP service that can be sold for $500 per megabit per month ," he said. IT firms, including UUNET, will have to connect to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) based in Fujaira before bringing the service - with a mark-up to local companies. "That is where UUNET comes in. We will be connecting directly to Verizon Business in Fujaira, who are our principle shareholders hoping that we will get competitive rates from them to pass over to our customers," he said. Information permanent secretary, Bitange Ndemo, however maintained that the $500 price was achievable with the a fibre optic cable. "We have structured the pricing in such a way that even after factoring in the cost of onward connectivity the highest an operator may charge is $700. Anyone who will be charging consumers more than that in the first year of operation will just be serving the cause of greed," he said. Dr Ndemo said the cost of connectivity was expected to continue dropping gradually in the subsequent years as the demand for the bandwidth picks up. "The reason we are working on these figures is that we do not plan to make money from the pipes but only from the services rendered and by taxing the jobs that will be created," said Dr Ndemo. The Kenya government has a 40 per cent stake in the project with Dubai's Etisalat holding 15 per cent. A 45 per cent stake has been reserved for private telecommunication companies. Shareholders will have access to large amounts of capacity with a 13 STM1 (SynchronousTransport Module ) - basic rate of transmission of fibre optic network - for a minimum of five per cent equity investment. Capacity will be allocated at cost with TEAMs investors paying $400,000 per STM1 per year. This translates to $2580.645 per megabit per year up to Fujairah and $ 215.00 megabit per month. TEAMs shareholders are expected to operate on an Internal Rate of Return of 32.71 per cent with a pay back of 2.4 years. Share holders in TEAMs will have the freedom to either use or sell excess capacity allocated to them through a pool or directly to the market under a bilateral sale arrangement. CCK has said that only licensed operators will be allowed to sell capacity directly to the market - all other shareholders will be allowed to sell their excess capacity through jointly coordinated pool sales. TEAMs shareholders will also benefit from the flexibility of selecting onward connectivity carriers from Fujairah. Dr Ndemo said TEAMs shareholders could get a better deal by collectively bargaining for capacity from Fujairah onwards and offer even more competitive point to point connectivity prices. Transit costs from Fujairah to Europe and US stands at between $55,000 to $100,000 per year, which Dr Ndemo insists is still in line with the government's estimates. (Source: Business Daily) 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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Fwd: 1st National Conference & Exhibition for Dissemination of Research Results - 2008
by Mike Theuri 25 Nov '07

25 Nov '07

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Matunda Nyanchama Date: Nov 24, 2007 11:26 AM FYI ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:17:58 +0300 From: otwomad(a)gmail.com To: otwomad(a)yahoo.com Subject: 1st National Conference & Exhibition for Dissemination of Research Results - 2008 CC: joonyatta(a)yahoo.com; gkingoriah(a)yahoo.com Dear All, The NCST is a statutory institution of the government of Kenya, having been established in July 1977 by the Science and Technology Act. Cap. 250 of the Laws of Kenya . The purpose was and still is to provide machinery for making available to the Government advice upon all matters relating to the scientific and technological activities, and for coordination of research and experimental development together with matters incidental and connected therewith see http://www.ncst.go.ke/ The 1st National Conference & Exhibition for Dissemination of Research Results - 2008 has many objectives, among them are:- * * a) To highlight the role scientific research can play in national socio-economic development and to promote interest and investment in scientific research. b) To create awareness about the potential of research results among the general public and in particular, entrepreneurs . c) To strengthen the interest and participation of the scientific community in undertaking studies in their fields and sharing the results with other researchers, industry and the general public. d) To promote the wide dissemination and access to research findings for use in national development policy making and for application in explaining or resolving national economic and social issues. Our (NCST) vision is to be the preferred national institution for services in policy development, coordination, promotion and advice on matters of science, technology and innovation. By participating (see attached word doc) in the 1st National Conference & Exhibition for Dissemination of Research Results - 2008 you will be assisting us in our mission of promoting, coordinating and advicing on matters of and related to national science, technology and innovation. Thanking you in advance. Sincerely, -- David Otwoma, Chief Science Secretary, National Council for Science and Technology, Utalii House 9th Floor, Mobile tel: +254 722 141771, Office tel: +254 (0)20 351 8212 or 310571 or 2219420 or 241349, P. O. Box 29899 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya email: otwomad(a)gmail.com & d.otwoma(a)africaonline.co.ke www.ncst.go.ke ------------------------ 1st National Conference & Exhibition for Dissemination of Research Results - 2008 Background Researchers generally produce "results" defined as findings, publications, products, devices, and/or services that are the direct results of their program/project activities. Research accomplishments can consist of both significant outputs and outcomes. Outcomes include those accomplishments that have the documented effect of changing or improving understanding, knowledge, and/or the learning system. They can, in turn, change or improve policy, practice, behavior, and/or system capacity. In the intermediate to long-term, the outcomes can encompass changes involving actions towards altering behaviors, implementing policies, making decisions, and pursuing social actions. For research to be useful and to justify the costs incurred, it is necessary that its results are disseminated widely and infused into national development processes. This is one of the key processes that enable countries to achieve progress allowing them to respond to increasing competitive pressures. The conference theme "Integration of Research Results for Sustainable National Development" explores the variety of ways that research results management, packaging and presentation, on the one hand, and the dissemination/diffusion and the eventual utilization are impacting on national development. In view of the foregoing, the Ministry of Science and Technology wishes to initiate national debate on ways to effectively disseminate and integrate research results in national development endeavours. The Ministry therefore wishes to announce the 1st National Conference and Exhibition for the Dissemination of Research Results which is scheduled for May 2008 in Nairobi, Kenya. Approach to Research Result Dissemination It is intended that the conference and exhibition should contribute to a greater access to information and knowledge base regarding documented research results. Therefore, through the annual Conference and Exhibitions, the Ministry of Science and Technology intends to develop a framework around which research results dissemination can target to the most potential uses and users. In order to achieve this and meet existing research based information and knowledge needs, a means of focusing on the most potential uses and users has to be developed. Dissemination then can be targeted towards these uses and users for improved utilization of the results. The basis of some of the approaches includes the following: Best Practice Knowledge Transfer - that closely matches interventions or direct service entities with the settings within which research has taken place and findings have been derived to know where and towards what the results are best utilized. Collaborative Support - that relies on a careful selection of collaborators or partners in the dissemination process to assist research disseminators in increasing their credibility among intended target audiences/systems and enhance the ultimate degree of utilization. Technology Transfer Model based on a transfer process involving multiple activities and events that support positive movement from an idea to a prototype to the outcome of a product or technology. Technology transfer processes can be initiated by supply push forces (when the process starts with an identified technology that is seeking an appropriate application) or demand pull forces (when the process starts with an unmet market need seeking an appropriate product or technology). Other Models of Utilization – devised specifically for promoting use of research results by targeted audiences/systems through carefully constructed strategies. These depend on the: specific characteristics of the research results for dissemination; specific user audiences or systems targeted; and specific outcomes and accomplishments the use of the research is expected to produce. Conference and Exhibition Objectives To highlight the role scientific research can play in national socio-economic development and to promote interest and investment in scientific research. To create awareness about the potential of research results among the general public and in particular, entrepreneurs. To strengthen the interest and participation of the scientific community in undertaking studies in their fields and sharing the results with other researchers, industry and the general public. To promote the wide dissemination and access to research findings for use in national development policy making and for application in explaining or resolving national economic and social issues. Conference and Exhibition Theme and Science Areas 4.1 Theme: Generation and Integration of Research Results for Sustainable National Development 4.1.1 Sub-themes: Developing and Sustaining Conducive Environment for Scientific Research Management and Dissemination of Research Results. Promoting the utilization of research results Target Groups The conference and exhibition is expected to bring together Research Scientists, Technologists, and Managers of S&T Institutions; Policy-makers, Professionals (legal, medical, financial) and others with interest in Research, Science and Technology. If you can make a contribution to this important conference and exhibition, we at the Ministry would be pleased to hear from you whether you are a presenter, exhibitor or any other role. Conference and Exhibition Venue The Republic of Kenya, with an area of approximately 583,000 sq. km. lies along the Equator on the Eastern seaboard of Africa. Kenya is endowed with a benign climate, world-reputed, scenic landscapes and a rich heritage of flora and fauna. Abundant natural resources provide an ideal conference and exhibition location, as well as a holiday resort. A befitting tour programme is planned for participants. Nairobi, the conference venue is Kenya's capital city and the administrative capital. It is an exciting city given that it is probably the only city with a natural game park on its outskirts. The Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) with its unique conference and exhibition facilities is an ideal host. The conference venue is within walking distance to major hotels in the city. For more information on the venue, please visit the websites at: http://www.ncst.go.ke/ or http://www.scienceandtechnology.go.ke/ Conference and Exhibition Programme The conference program will consist of plenary, parallel, poster and workshop sessions. In addition, panel discussions, special interest group sessions, exhibits, demonstrations and meetings and other related gatherings will be scheduled. It will involve paper presentations and discussions, based on the above models, by S&T practitioners on a wide variety of topics in various fields of science, technology and innovation. The conference schedule will provide time for relaxed social and professional interaction. The conference theme of "Generation and Integration of Research Results for Sustainable National Development " will bring together diverse perspectives on research results generation, processing, management, dissemination and utilization in order to foster debate. Submissions relevant to the conference theme are especially encouraged. The Organizing Committee would particularly like to hear from potential speakers who can share their knowledge and experiences in the following science areas: Science Areas Agriculture Environment Industry and entrepreneurship Life Sciences Medical and Health Natural Resources management and development Physical Guidelines for Conference and Exhibition Submissions Completed research works may be submitted from now to February 14, 2008. As a minimum requirement, the completed researches must be submitted in sufficient detail to make clear their meaning and value. Prose, outline format and presentation slides are all acceptable. Submissions must be in English and are limited to 20,000 words (approximately 20 - 30 pages, maximum 2-MB electronic file size). Submission of supporting materials is encouraged in all cases and not included in the word limit, but the supporting material file should not exceed 2 MB. Each work submitted must have a designated presenter. An individual can be a designated presenter for at most two works. In order for a work to be included in the conference program and proceedings, the designated presenter must be registered for the conference by April 15, 2008. All works submitted will be assigned to three individuals for anonymous peer review. The results of this review will determine whether a work will be accepted for plenary, parallel or poster presentation. Proposals for workshops, tutorials, and other activities should be submitted as a brief description (250 words), with estimated space and time requirements, and will also be subjected to peer review. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by March 15, 2008. Authors retain the copyright to all submitted work and, by submitting, grant permission for inclusion in the conference proceedings. Session proposals and theme proposals for plenary or parallel sessions and panel discussions are welcome. Proposals should contain a brief description of the session theme, session organizer(s) and tentative list of all works to be included in the session. Session proposals are due by February 14, 2008. 1.1. Submission Format At the time of submission, please send two files for each work. The first file will be the contact information for the author(s) and the body of the work; and the second file any supporting material submitted as a single file or a .zip archive. Full contact information for one author must be included with each submission. The contact author is required to provide the following information in the contact information file: Research Title: Contact author name: Organization: Complete postal address: Phone/Fax: E-mail address: Designated presenter: Materials should be submitted to the Program Chair (below) electronically to Conference Proceedings A CD-ROM of the Conference Proceedings will be distributed at the conference. Full works for plenary, parallel, poster and workshop presentations will be included on the CD. Contact for submission of papers The Chairman, Technical Committee National Conference and Exhibition for Research Result Dissemination P.O. Box 30623, 00200 City Square Fax: +251 11-551-0512 Tel: +251 11-544-5022 E-mail: Conference(a)ncst.go.ke DEADLINES and KEY DATES January 15, 2008: Second Call for Papers and Sessions February 14, 2008: Final submission deadline and Workshop proposals due. March 15, 2008: Final notification of acceptance. April 15, 2008: Deadline for material to be included in the electronic proceedings, session proposals due and presenter registration deadline. April 30, 2008: Early conference registration deadline. May 10, 2008: Final conference registration deadline. May 21st, 2008: Conference Opens in Nairobi. Registration Individuals and corporate bodies or organizations who may wish to participate in the Conference and Exhibition should complete the registration form as soon as possible and returned by fax or electronically to the addresses/numbers below: REGISTRATION FORM 1st NATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION FOR DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS FAMILY NAME: __________________________________________________________________ OTHER NAMES: ________________________________________________________________ AFFILIATION: ___________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________________________ CITY/TOWN: ____________________________________________________________________ STATE: __________________________________________________________________________ COUNTRY: ______________________________________________________________________ TEL.: ____________________________ FAX: __________________________________________ EMAIL (if any): ___________________________________________________________________ Please tick as appropriate: I/We intend to participate in the Conference/Exhibition. I/We intend to submit a paper/make poster presentation. I/We intend to exhibit. Subject Area/Product Description: __________________________________________________ Title/Precise Product or Service Name: ______________________________________________ Communication All communication, including reservations for exhibition space should be addressed to:- The Chairman, National Conference and Exhibition for Research Result Dissemination P.O. Box 30623 00200, NAIROBI Tel: (+254-2) E-mail: ncst(a)ncst.go.ke

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Congratulations to the Top ICT Businessman in Africa 2007
by Eric Osiakwan 24 Nov '07

24 Nov '07

Dear All, It is with great pleasure that i introduce to you one of our own who has laboured in the industry not only in Kenya but Africa and brought great gain, among others. Like i said the other day, a nation that does not honour her heroes is not worth dying for and a continent must honour her heores so please join me in congratulating a saint of our time, Mr. Brian Longwe who came out as the Top ICT Businessman in Africa 2007 at the ICT Acheivers Awards as well as all the other award winners @ http://www.forgeahead.co.za/ Achievers/2007_winners.asp We are proud of you, Mblayo..... -- 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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Mobile Government: The New Frontier in TransformingPublic Services - 29th November 2007
by robert yawe 23 Nov '07

23 Nov '07

Hi All, I am new to this mailing list and would like to start by saying something about myself. I am an Information Technology specialist with over 15 years experience which means I know how to use DOS, UNIX and other OS's that exist only on 5.25" floppy disks. My area of specialisation is in design & implementation of local and wide area networks. On the issue of mGovernment I do agree that this is the next frontier but it is shocking, as usual, that we are not embracing the technology or even working to develop the necessary legislation to make it flourish. AS many web site designers about WAP and they are lost, we are designing heavy sites that have no intelligence to identify the type of device accessing the site and thus adjust the page to display better on the particular device. It is interesting that CCK and the Ministry of Information plus the ICT Board can sit back when the fight between Telkom and Safaricom on the delivery of SMS messages across the network continues to deny the tax payer (excise duty on airtime). Or the fact that none of the mentioned felt it necessary to educate Mr. Kivuitu on the need to make live electoral database available over SMS. Now if we cannot take advantage of this opportunity to create local content and utilise mGovernment how can we entrust this "bodies" (which interestingly refers to expired humans) with making the marine cable a viable project. Maybe we should cancel the project and use the money to put up a technology park in Mandera and Garsen. We do not need to recreate the wheel, just visit yahoomobile, googleearthmobile, or if you have a GPRS enabled phone try wap.mystocks.co.ke. Or next time you are going up towards NIC on Bunyala Road look at the Nokia advert. The mobile phone is the future let embrace it or perish. Robert Yawe KAY System Technologies Ltd Phoenix House, 6th Floor P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200 KEnya Tel: +254722511225 ----- Original Message ---- From: Harry Hare <harry(a)africanedevelopment.org> To: robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke> Sent: Monday, 19 November, 2007 6:16:53 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] Mobile Government: The New Frontier in TransformingPublic Services - 29th November 2007  Dear Kwach, I agree with you and it is equally interesting to note that some mobile applications are already being implemented…I dare say that this part of the world will see more mGovernment in the G2C (Government to Citizens) arena than the traditional eGovernment where the PC is the main service delivery channel. Most welcome to attend the session. Kindest regards Harry From: Kwach [mailto:kwach@archway-productions.com] Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 5:51 PM To: 'Harry Hare' Cc: 'KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions' Subject: RE: [kictanet] Mobile Government: The New Frontier in TransformingPublic Services - 29th November 2007 Hi Harry, These are interesting statistics and scenario. For developing countries, there is urgent need to move from quantity to quality. In my view, content is the quality because more 65% of mobiles are only meeting social needs and costs involved have got no direct linkage to revenue for the owners, which should be a great concern. With Mobile Government, time and resources used in the rural to the say Government offices miles away would be deployed in other economic activities. I am keen to attend. Kwach Akich From: kictanet-bounces+kwach=archway-productions.com(a)lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+kwach=archway-productions.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Harry Hare Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 8:49 AM To: kwach(a)archway-productions.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [kictanet] Mobile Government: The New Frontier in TransformingPublic Services - 29th November 2007 Dear Colleagues, Mobile services are quickly emerging as the new frontier in transforming government and making it even more accessible and citizen-centric by extending the benefits of remote delivery of government services and information to those who are unable or unwilling to access public services through the Internet or simply prefer to use mobile devices. In theory, many government services can be now made available on a 24x7x365 basis at any place in the country covered by mobile networks, which today means almost everywhere! Michael, correct me if Im wrong. It is from this background that the World Bank in partnership with eGovWorld 2007 (www.egovworld.com) and African eDevelopment Resource Centre presents a dialogue on Mobile Government (mGovernment) on 29th November 2007, 4.30pm -7.00pm at the World Bank offices, Nairobi. The dialogue is live Video Conference and an integral part of the eGovWorld 2007 conference taking place in India 29-30 November 2007. According to the ITU, the total number of mobile users worldwide as of late 2006 was about 2.7 billion and the number of internet users was just above 1.1 billion. This means that there is 33.6% of world population (and 22.2% of developing countries population) who already have mobile phones but are not yet using the Internet. Does this provide a strong case for leveraging the mobile channel to dramatically improve access to public services, including electronic government services to those who can afford to use a personal or shared mobile phone? Does this create an opportunity to connect in the near future the next two billion people to some of the benefits of e-government, e-health, e-education, e-banking and e-commerce? How exactly can Mobile Government change the lives of common people in developing countries? What are best examples of such impact? What are the key constraints to making this vision a reality? How should governments change the way they do business to take advantage of mobile technologies? What is the role of the private sector? Are there successful business models (e.g. PPP) for private sector companies to deliver value-added m-government services? These are some of the questions that will be addressed. Participation to the event is free; however, one needs to register to get access to the venue. If you are interested in participating send an email directly to susan(a)africanedevelopment.org for a registration form. Space is limited at the venue, only 20 places are available and will be given out on a first-come-first-served basis. Deadline for registration is Wednesday 22nd November. Program: +++++ Welcome & Introduction Samia Melhem, Senior Operations Officer, Global ICT, World Bank; and Chair, e-Development Thematic Group Vikas Kanungo, Chairman, The Society for Promotion of e-Governance, India & Convener, eGovWorld 2007 Opening Remarks/Keynote address R. Chandrashekhar, Additional Secretary (e-Governance), DIT, Government of India Speakers Ibrahim Kushchu, Associate Professor and Director, Mobile Government Consortium International & Author, "m-Government: An Emerging Direction in e-Government", UK Hannes Astok, Member of Parliament & former Deputy Mayor, City of Tartu , Estonia Kindest Regards Harry Hare Executive Director African eDevelopment Resource Centre 3rd Floor, Nelleon Place , Raphta Road , Westlands PO Box 49475 00100, Nairobi Tel +254 20 4453445 Cel +254 725 650044 -----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: robertyawe(a)yahoo.co.uk Unsubscribe or change your options at http://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/robertyawe%40yahoo.co.… ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it now. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/

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Bar Camp 2.0
by brian 23 Nov '07

23 Nov '07

hi Riyaz, I'd love to come and let you guys play with my iphone (but I do say) but unfortunately I have "rough" meeting with Mr. Tee at 12pm. Mblayo

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Take Back The Tech! 16 Days of Reclaiming Technology To End Violence Against Women]
by alice 23 Nov '07

23 Nov '07

****************************************** TAKE BACK THE TECH: 16 DAYS OF RECLAIMING TECHNOLOGY IN ACTIVISM TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ******************************************* //In Uganda, a SMS campaign called Speak out! Stand Out! is organised by WOUGNET to collect messages against VAW// //In Quebec, feminists and communication rights activists are creating short video clips and comic postcards on VAW.// //In Malaysia, Burmese refugees are creating audiocasts on issues related to VAW and womens rights together with Centre for Independent Journalism.// >From 25 November to 10 December, get ready to pull out the mouse, flex your SMS fingers and engage full energy in activism to end violence against women (VAW). APC Womens Programme (APC WNSP) calls on users of the radio, television, internet, emails, mobile phones and all kinds of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to Take Back The Tech! ============================ What is the campaign about? ============================ Take Back The Tech is a collaborative campaign by ICT users, advocates, collectives and organisations that take issue with the prevalence of VAW in our diverse realities. Initiated by APC WNSP in 2006, the campaign is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence initiative. It is our right to shape, define, participate, use & share knowledge, information & technology, and to create digital spaces that protects everyones right to interact freely without harassment or threat to safety. Take Back The Tech aims for this & calls all user of ICTs especially grrls & women to take control of technology and consciously use it to change unequal power relations. =============================== How can you Take Back The Tech? =============================== **16 daily actions** -------------------- Simple daily actions throughout the 16 days that uses ICTs strategically to counter VAW. From sending SMS, making digital postcards, snapping pictures, playing with radio to remembering forgotten names in the history of ICT development, you can take action with the tools and platforms that you have access to. **ka-BLOG** ----------- Explore and thicken the knowledge around ICTs & VAW by joining the 16 days blogathon. New to blogging? This is the perfect reason to start your own, or at least, click that comment button to have your say. Daily topics will be posted on the campaign site to stir conversation, as well as instructions on how to set up a blog. **Local initiatives** --------------------- Start your own Take Back The Tech campaign. As seen above, independent and creative initiatives to Take Back The Tech are taking off in different parts of the world, translating content and action to address local needs and priorities. Use the campaign website to highlight your action, or find information and resources. There are tech tools & tips, articles & links, portable applications, images & graphics, and if you dont have an online publishing space, you can have your own page on the site. Email us to let us know how we can support your action. **Digital stories, audiocasts & more** -------------------------------------- Learn by listening to the experience and stories of women and men affected by VAW. The campaign website will feature created digital stories, audiocasts, video clips and postcards. If you have something you would like to share, just log on to the campaign site and submit your story. **Suggest an action** --------------------- Help shape the campaign by sharing your experience & ideas. If you have thoughts, email us or log on to the site, and make it part of the campaign. Check www.takebackthetech.net daily from 25 November to 10 December, and take action. Reclaim technology to end violence against women. For more information: send an email to jac(a)apcwomen.org, or ideas(a)takebackthetech.net ***************************************** "Take Back the Tech" is an initiative of the APC Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP), a global network of women who support women networking for social change and women's empowerment, through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) especially internet, founded in 1993. The APC WNSP is part of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). http://www.apcwomen.org/about/ http://www.apc.org -- Jac sm Kee _______________________________________________ AAW-Network mailing list AAW-Network(a)lists.apcwomen.org http://lists.apcwomen.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aaw-network

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Re: [kictanet] BarCamp 2.0 - Conversations
by Bill Kagai 23 Nov '07

23 Nov '07

Access to our NSE Live Stream trading data will be accessible on hourly, daily or monthly charge via MPesa from January 2008. Development going on at www.mediacorpafrica.com Live trading starts at 10.31. all you will need to input in the registration is the cell fone number and the 7 digit/letter confirmation code after you have transferred the payment online to our agent number. I'm sure there are other hustlers working on similar plattforms ;-) Bill On Nov 23, 2007 8:06 AM, Riyaz Bachani <riyaz.bachani(a)ke.wananchi.com> wrote: > Sorry ... I spoke too soon :) > > Tell me - do you know guys who are developing e-commerce platforms around m-pesa ? ie using some API to link into the system to offer web-based transactions ? I know IEEE had something called mpawa/mpower ? > >

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BarCamp 2.0 - Conversations
by Riyaz Bachani 23 Nov '07

23 Nov '07

Hi all, I'm sure a lot of you have heard of Skunkworks in Kenya - we're a "band of techies" bringing geeks in Kenya together. You can read more about what we do on the blog. http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com One of the things we organize is BarCamp Kenya - a very informal "unconference". BarCamps are held all over the world and bring innovators together to showcase what they're doing, and really give anyone a chance to air their thoughts. Here is the last one we held: http://skunkworks-ke.blogspot.com/2007/03/post-barcamp-nairobi- kenya-31st-march.html Below is the schpiel Over the last few months, we've had discussions with various techies, entrepreneurs, and just kawa guys about why Kenya is still lagging in terms of ICT innovation and entrepreneurship. This BarCamp, we'd just like to have a CONVERSATION with all of you. Moderated by Dr Kamau Gachigi, we would like you all to come and help us brainstorm through issues, and hopefully find the causes & solution to start fostering ICT innovation. Some of the questions we have been asking ourselves: - why don't we have a culture of innovation - what is wrong with the education system - why don't we have enough ICT entrepreneurs eg software & web-app companies (our own facebook ?) - why are we lagging behind in e-commerce ... why don't we have a payment gateway yet Date: 24 November 2007 Venue: Strathmore University, Room 34 Time: 9.30am to 2.00pm Moderator: Dr Kamau Gachigi More information (& Sign Up) is on the wiki http://wiki.my.co.ke/index.php/BarCamp

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Fourth web for development conference UN habitat headquarters Nairobi 28-30 November 2007
by alice 22 Nov '07

22 Nov '07

Since its inception at a conference organized by the World Bank in 2003, the Web for Development meetings are now well established as a forum for the web community of UN agencies, and international development civil society organizations interested in using their expertise to show how the Internet can promote development. The three conferences already held have evolved to include not only the public sector, but the private sector as well. The fourth conference, to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme Driving economic and social development with the Internet, will focus on helping developing countries bridge the digital divide. As the seat of the UN headquarters in the developing world, the Kenyan capital offers participants a first-hand experience of what is involved in coming up with new ideas and solutions customised for an environment with limited computer skills, inadequate telecommunications and other infrastructure that still lags behind that of wealthier nations... http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=546

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Rwanda Is Removing Work Permits.
by Jose' 22 Nov '07

22 Nov '07

PRESIDENT Paul Kagame of Rwanda has said Rwanda is removing work permits and employment restrictions on East African professionals and others planning to work in the country. In his key note address during the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) dinner in Kampala on Tuesday, Mr Kagame said the decision is in the spirit of the East African common market that will formalise free movement of goods, services and people. "The need for professionals to improve public sector and corporate effectiveness remains a challenge to Rwanda, for East Africa and for the continent as a whole," Mr Kagame said. The step taken by Rwanda is unprecedented, as older members of the community, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda still impose permit restrictions on nationals from partner states. Of the three, permits for East Africans are easier to obtain in Uganda, followed by Kenya and hardest in Tanzania. In a 2001 directive, the then interior minister Eriya Kategaya made permits for Kenyans and Tanzanians applying to work in Uganda 'automatic'. Mr Kagame said the East African region's "comparative strengths can help to build capable public and private sector institutions. Corporate East Africa has a pool of talent that can uplift their private sector counterparts in lesser developed parts of the region." "We in Rwanda are facilitating this by removing work permits and employment restrictions on professionals and others to work in our country," President Kagame announced amid applause. "We lose professionals as soon as we create them, and then resort to borrowing in order to finance expensive international expertise". President Kagame said the region is competing for skills in an increasingly open, global market place. "This reinforces our dependency on aid, because short term consultants add little to our need for critical mass of home grown expertise and talent," he said. "We should not begrudge those of our people looking to improve their lives elsewhere, instead, we must offer better prospects in our countries to ensure they stay with us". President Yoweri Museveni stressed the need for exporting finished goods as opposed to raw materials. Mr Museveni said part of Africa's continuing poverty was due, in part, to the failure to escape being a producer of raw materials instead of finished goods. Mr Museveni said many economies have gone to great lengths to create aggregate demand among ordinary citizens to get them actively engaged in economic activity. Mr Museveni said Uganda needs more companies that can generate income to the economy. "Business can contribute to the transformation of society," he said at the dinner organised by East African Breweries. Addressing a joint press conference, the two presidents said the clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were not a threat to investment in the region. "These problems you are talking about are residual problems that are no longer major any more. They are peripheral not structural. But in any case, they can not stop investments in Uganda and Rwanda," Mr Museveni said. "These are challenges that cut across the region, but we are handling them," Mr Kagame said. CBF Chairman James Mulwana, said while the East African governments have harmonised policies to attract domestic and direct foreign investment, the region with a market of 120 million, still has a big investment potential that has not been tapped. Mr Mulwana said there was need to implement global partnership in order to increase investment, overcome poverty levels and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "While our historical economic role as suppliers of raw materials to the world may have contributed to the economic growth in the past, it is now clear that the role left our countries in deep poverty and underdevelopment," Mr Mulwana said. The CBF being held ahead of the main Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) has attracted a big number of delegates from 40 countries. The theme of the conference that ends today is: "The untapped potential. Transforming societies through economic empowerment and building partnerships with east Africa and the Global economy". On trade in the region, President Kagame said Information and Communication Technology (ICT) must be used to make border clearances a rapid one-stop-shop exercise. He said border challenges were part of the reason intra-Africa trade remains negligible in spite of its importance. "A lorry of commercial goods travelling inland to coastal gateways can take anywhere from five days to two weeks depending on good luck. Everyone loses here, the wealth that would otherwise accrue to East Africans fails to materialise," Mr Kagame said. Mr Kagame said congested port facilities, ad hoc and illegal checkpoints, impassable sections of the road network and legal border crossings that are always closed at night are all obstacles to conducting trans-border commercial transactions. "The business that we so badly want to grow are undermined and the state is deprived of revenue. And that is why we remain poor," Mr Kagame said. "It has been indicated for example that trade among African countries accounts for only 10 percent of our total exports and imports, a factor that is due to, among other things, poor regional infrastructure" Source:Ugabytes --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

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