- KICTANet - KICTANet

Planning Meeting Minutes
by Judy kimiti 26 Oct '06

26 Oct '06

Dear Member, Please find attached the 12th October Kictanet Planning Meeting Minutes Thank you Judy Kimiti KICTANet --------------------------------- Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail . "The New Version is radically easier to use" The Wall Street Journal

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Re: [Kictanet] Re: India's Weaknesses
by Eric Osiakwan 25 Oct '06

25 Oct '06

Waudo said "Perhaps something could be done now before we find ourselves in India's position" We all know that one of the demons that has held back Africa's rise is the DE-LINK between industry and academia (research) and also with governments. Prof. Ernest Wilson's (of Maryland University) squad model makes the argument that you need a constant interaction between these constituencies for growth and innovation to take place. He argues that Silicon Valley is a clear example. My … [View More]proposition therefore as a way to answer the question above is to leverage the BPO opportunity. Most African governments are at least on board the BPO wagon so my idea is, lets establish the BPOs in the University environment given the current public policy favouring. The BPO companys can take advantage of cheap but good student labour whiles they build the real estate for their operations using university land on a "build operate and handover basis". The Universities then get real estate which they use for their long term expansion of physical infrastructure. The BPO companies get their work done cheaply and when they migrate in the long term, much value would have being gained. The University students get work experience for the long term job market entry and also interim cash to support their University education. This also gives the non-computer related students some basic skills and exposure and for the CS, EE etc students, they build their internal capacity not only to take calls and do word processing but more technical stuff. They would soon be writing software for those BPO companies. Mostly importantly this becomes the nucleus of the government/academia/private sector LINKINING which would grow into other areas. Hence the value proposition of the BPO banwagon is, it gives us a foot into the door but we must move up the value chain very quickly or we would end up doing the low end jobs which would make us less competitive in the Knowledge economy. When I proposed this to my Ghana Cyber Group friend (Yaw Owusu, leading the way with a private TechPark in Ghana) whom i have cced on this mail, he said, then the Tech Parks (BPOs + more) should be in the University/Research Environment and his example of been able to acquire land from the Ghana CSIR which is close to the University of Ghana would be a good prototype. This is the story am going to be telling at the the first University Leaders Forum in Cape Town to which governments, academic leadership, private sector and Civil Society has being convened. Eric here ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: waudo(a)signet.co.ke Reply-To: Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet <kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke> Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 09:53:47 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time) >Thanks to PS Ndemo for bringing this out. As for Wafula's question, the >work force survey undertaken by the CSK earlier this year revealed that >there is very little linkage between what the ICT training institutions >(including Universities) are producing and the requirements of the >industry either now or in the foreseeable future. Certainly there appear >to be no mechanisms to facilitate such linkage. Perhaps something could be >done now before we find ourselves in India's position. > > >Kind Regards >Waudo Siganga > >On Wed, October 25, 2006 9:22 am, TONY WAFULA wrote: >> Good lesson , though wonder whether as a country we are ready to address >> manpower shortage in this area. Just the other day Safaricom's Micheal >> Joseph was lamenting about the same...are we checking what our >> Universities are offering in relation to our projected needs? >> >> Regards >> >> Wafula >> >> bitange(a)jambo.co.ke wrote: >> Hi Edith, >> You must have been blogging. >> >> Regards >> >> >> Ndemo. >> >> >>> Certainly, a great lesson to learn from. >>> >>> Thanks for sharing the article! >>> >>> At / À 12:56 PM 10/24/2006, bitange(a)jambo.co.ke wrote / a écrit: >>>>Dear All, >>>>I think there are good lessons to learn from the article below. >>>> >>>>Regards >>>> >>>>Ndemo. >>>> >>>> >>>>October 17, 2006 >>>>Skills Gap Hurts Technology Boom in India >>>>By SOMINI SENGUPTA >>>> >>>> >>>>TIRUCHENGODE, India >>>> >>>> As its technology companies soar to the outsourcing skies, India is >>>>bumping up against an improbable challenge. In a country once regarded >>>> as >>>>a bottomless well of low-cost, ready-to-work, English-speaking >>>> engineers, >>>>a shortage looms. >>>> >>>>India still produces plenty of engineers, nearly 400,000 a year at last >>>>count. But their competence has become the issue. >>>> >>>>A study commissioned by a trade group, the National Association of >>>>Software and Service Companies, or Nasscom, found only one in four >>>>engineering graduates to be employable. The rest were deficient in the >>>>required technical skills, fluency in English or ability to work in a >>>> team >>>>or deliver basic oral presentations. >>>> >>>>The skills gap reflects the narrow availability of high-quality college >>>>education in India and the galloping pace of the country's >>>> service-driven >>>>economy, which is growing faster than nearly all but China's. The >>>> software >>>>and service companies provide technology services to foreign companies, >>>>many of them based in the United States. Software exports alone expanded >>>>by 33 percent in the last year. >>>> >>>>The university systems of few countries would be able to keep up with >>>> such >>>>demand, and India is certainly having trouble. The best and most >>>> selective >>>>universities generate too few graduates, and new private colleges are >>>>producing graduates of uneven quality. >>>> >>>>Many fear that the labor pinch may signal bottlenecks in other parts of >>>>the economy. It is already being felt in the information technology >>>>sector. >>>> >>>>With the number of technology jobs expected to nearly double to 1.7 >>>>million in the next four years, companies are scrambling to find fresh >>>>engineering talent and to upgrade the schools that produce it. >>>> >>>>Some companies are training faculty members themselves, offering courses >>>>tailored to industry needs and improving college labs and libraries. >>>> They >>>>are rushing to get first choice of would-be engineers long before they >>>>have completed their course work. And they are fanning out to small, >>>>remote colleges that almost no one had heard of before. The country's >>>> most >>>>successful technology concerns can no longer afford to hire only >>>> >>>> >>>>_______________________________________________ >>>>kictanet mailing list >>>>kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >>>>http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>>> >>>>Please unsubscribe or change your options at >>>>http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eadera%40idrc.or.ke >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> kictanet mailing list >>> kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >>> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >>> >>> Please unsubscribe or change your options at >>> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke >>> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> Please unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/twaf78%40yahoo.com >> >> >> >> WITH COMPLIMENTS OF ANTHONY WAFULA >> >> --------------------------------- >> All-new Yahoo! Mail - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done >> faster._______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> Please unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/waudo%40signet.co.ke > > > >_______________________________________________ >kictanet mailing list >kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://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" -- [View Less]

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African choices...critical voices...crossing borders...African stories... harnessing local knowledge in Africa
by alice＠apc.org 25 Oct '06

25 Oct '06

This issue of The Soul Beat looks at the role of communication in harnessing local knowledge in Africa. The edition covers a range of project descriptions, strategic thinking documents and materials related to local knowledge specifically in the fields of agriculture, sustainable development and health. >From the SOUL BEAT AFRICA partnership - Soul City and The Communication Initiative ...African choices...critical voices...crossing borders...African stories... *** Subscribe to … [View More]

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Fw: [Catia_team] Engaging policy makers and regulators in Africa - theCATIA experience
by alice＠apc.org 25 Oct '06

25 Oct '06

FYI ----- Original Message ----- From: "Claire Sibthorpe" <csibthorpe(a)usa.net> To: "Lists: Catia_team" <Catia_team(a)catia.ws> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:27 PM Subject: [Catia_team] Engaging policy makers and regulators in Africa - theCATIA experience > > Engaging policy-makers and regulators in Africa > - the CATIA experience > > October, 2006 > > Media release > > For the past three years the Catalysing Access to ICTs in Africa programme &… [View More]gt; (CATIA) has worked towards strengthening the context for the vibrant > adoption and use of ICTs in Africa. The programme has been set up with > nine > components, each with its particular advocacy aim, in countries as diverse > as Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal. > > CATIA has shown that one of the most effective ways to have an impact on > the ICT policy landscape in Africa is by collaborating in > multi-stakeholder > processes, where experiences, perspectives and resources can be shared, > and > a common agenda shaped. > > Equally important, however, is how advocates engage policy-makers and > regulators. These experiences have been documented in an article entitled > 'checks and balances', which can be downloaded off the CATIA website > (www.catia.ws) > > Some of the key findings of the article are: > > * The distinction between policy-makers and regulators is not clearly > felt in some countries in Africa. Reasons include a lack of 'checks and > balances' or political instability, amongst them. Even in liberalised > environments, such as Kenya or South Africa, the independence of a > regulator > can be challenged by the state; > * Policy-makers and regulators are key to any ICT policy advocacy > process. However, having a policy influence may mean targeting influential > officials in government who may not be policy-makers or regulators > themselves; > * The direct involvement of policy-makers and regulators in activities > is an important way of ensuring the sustainability of advocacy > initiatives. > Advocates need to provide policy and regulatory officials with a sense of > buy-in and confidence in their work. Advocates need to demonstrate that > they > are serious; > * Developing informal relationships are often more effective than > formal engagements; > * Advocates need to nurture a culture of 'honest brokerage' so that > their work can be trusted in a policy development environment where there > are many competing interests. > > > > > _________________________________________________ > Claire Sibthorpe > Public Sector Consulting > Atos Consulting > 4 Triton Square, Regent's Place, London NW1 3HG, UK > Tel: +44 (0) 77 33312667 > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > Catia_team mailing list > Catia_team(a)catia.ws > http://catia.eyecon.co.za/mailman/listinfo/catia_team > [View Less]

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Fw: [Catia_team] Multi-stakeholder engagement in Africa - the CATIAexperience
by alice＠apc.org 25 Oct '06

25 Oct '06

Hi all FYI ----- Original Message ----- From: "Claire Sibthorpe" <csibthorpe(a)usa.net> To: "Lists: Catia_team" <Catia_team(a)catia.ws> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:27 PM Subject: [Catia_team] Multi-stakeholder engagement in Africa - the CATIAexperience > > Multi-stakeholder engagement in Africa > - the CATIA experience > > October, 2006 > > Media release > > For the past three years the Catalysing Access to ICTs in Africa programme > (CATIA)… [View More] has worked towards strengthening the context for the vibrant > adoption and use of ICTs in Africa. The programme has been set up with > nine > components, each with its particular advocacy aim, in countries as diverse > as Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal. > > CATIA has shown that one of the most effective ways to have an impact on > the ICT policy landscape in Africa is by collaborating in > multi-stakeholder > processes, where experiences, perspectives and resources can be shared, > and > a common agenda shaped. > > The programme's experiences have been documented in an article entitled > Breaking new ground towards each other, which can be downloaded off the > CATIA website (www.catia.ws) > > Some of the key findings of the article are: > > * While the multi-stakeholder approach to ICT policy development was > unusual a few years ago, many new success stories in policy engagement in > Africa are the result of collaborating across the sectors; > * Participants consider the multi-stakeholder approach an important > nation-building process that unlocks a country's expertise and resources; > * Multi-stakeholder networks increase the credibility of an advocacy > drive; > * They also tend to make policy processes more transparent, > particularly if the media is one of the stakeholders; > * Multi-stakeholder networks are dynamic, and their make-up depends on > the context. While collaborations between civil society, private sector > and > the media have proved successful, other stakeholders in policy development > processes have included academics, the government, global agencies such as > the United Nations, and policy-makers and regulators; > * The interests of the different stakeholders needs to be managed and > a common agenda forged that all stakeholders are comfortable with. > Processes > need to be put in place to ensure that all perspectives are appreciated; > * Sometimes advocacy objectives need to be aligned with government > strategies to make the advocacy goals more palatable for politicians; > * While stakeholder buy-in into an advocacy initiative is important, > this should not come at any cost. Values and principles, such as > accountability and transparency, need to be preserved and sometimes > defended. > > > _________________________________________________ > Claire Sibthorpe > Public Sector Consulting > Atos Consulting > 4 Triton Square, Regent's Place, London NW1 3HG, UK > Tel: +44 (0) 77 33312667 > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > Catia_team mailing list > Catia_team(a)catia.ws > http://catia.eyecon.co.za/mailman/listinfo/catia_team > [View Less]

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Re: [Kictanet] Does Africa need an IGF or Internet Development Forum?
by Eric Osiakwan 25 Oct '06

25 Oct '06

Loud Applause, Vincent ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: <alice(a)apc.org> Reply-To: Kenya ICT Policy - kictanet <kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke> Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:30:23 +0300 >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Vincent Waiswa Bagiire" <vincent(a)cipesa.org> >To: "Africa ICT Policy Forum" <africtic(a)dgroups.org> > > >> Does Africa need an IGF or Internet Development Forum? >> >> The Internet … [View More]Government Forum (IGF) convenes in Athens at the end of >> October (next week) to chart a way forward for making the running of the >> Internet more inclusive, and more democratic. Several key issues of >> concern for various governments and members of the Internet community >> worldwide were amply articulated in the run-up to the World Summits on the >> Information Society (WSIS) a process that has continued ahead of the >> IGF. Simply put, these issues revolve around enabling control of the >> Internet and its technical arms to be decentralised from ICANN and its >> few chosen agents, increasing security of the Internet, having >> international oversight over the Internet, among others. >> >> Africa stands to be a great beneficiary of the Internet, in areas ranging >> from communication to education, health to trade, and governance to >> knowledge creation. The case of how Africa embraced the mobile phone when >> conditions were created for more players to come in, and when technology >> allowed connecting thousands of people at lower costs, could be a learning >> example. Africa has got the highest growth rate of mobile phone >> connections in the world, and the mobile phone has become the centre of >> the continents connectivity successes. But Africa has also been >> registering high bandwidth consumption rates. According to the African >> Internet Service Providers Association, bandwidth demand in Africa rose by >> 19% in 2001, 28% in 2002, and 37% in 2003. This high growth rate comes >> against the background of very high bandwidth prices in Africa - which are >> several times higher than in Europe, America, and even Asia and the >> acute shortage of Internet infrastructure in most of Africa. >> As far as Internet usage is concerned, Africa is doing pretty badly. The >> ITU World Telecom/ ICT Development Report 2006 says while in a number of >> countries more than 50% of the population is using the Internet, an >> average of 2.6 percent of Africans are online. This compares miserably >> with the Americas (28.2%), Europe (31.1%), and Asia (8.1%). In the >> broadband sector, Africas show is even gloomier, as it has just 0.1% of >> the worlds connections. Comparatively, in the mobile phone sector the >> continent boasts 4% of global totals. The continent is not doing any >> superbly in terms of ownership of personal computers, the main medium on >> which the Internet is run. According to the Information Economy Report >> 2005 of the UN Conference on Trade and Investment, while the Republic of >> Korea in 2003 had 26.7 m PCs, the whole of Africa had 11.5 m PCs. Clearly, >> too few Africans are using the Internet at the moment, and this needs to >> be addressed for the continent to harvest benefits from the Internet. >> The question to ask then is, why are so few Africans using the Internet? >> And the answer to this question should provide the pointer to what needs >> to be done for more Africans to be brought into cyberspace. Are issues >> related to Internet Governance the main hindrance to Africans usage of >> the Internet? The answer is a plain no. Africans are not using the >> Internet because the technology deployed tends to be expensive, often the >> licensing procedures for Internet Service provision are expensive and >> cumbersome, ISPs charge exorbitantly for their services, monopoly >> providers do not give little attention to improving affordability, the >> content on the Internet is often irrelevant or not in a language many >> Africans understand, governments are rarely acting proactively and smartly >> to enable the poor and remote parts of their countries to have >> connectivity. Now those are the issues that need to be at the top of the >> agenda for those promoting Internet usage in Africa. Those are issues that >> should be addressed by an envisaged Internet Development Forum (ADF). >> >> As it is, African countries have been working towards developing a common >> position on the issues they will be addressing at the IGF in Athens. Among >> these are the need for security of the Internet, freedom of expression, >> multilingualism and local content on the Internet, Internet >> infrastructure, and Intellectual Property Rights. Reining in SPAM or >> unsolicited mail mainly used for commercial promotion, social or political >> activism, the need for cyber laws, and need for international management >> of the internet are the other issues African delegates will be >> passionately addressing themselves to. They say management of the Internet >> should be multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full >> involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society and >> international organisations. It should ensure an equitable distribution of >> resources, facilitate access for all and ensure a stable and secure >> functioning of the Internet. >> >> Who controls the Internet has not hindered vast number of Asians and >> Europeans from using the Internet. And it has not been the key hinderance >> to Africa use of the Internet. So Africa must lay its emphasis elsewhere: >> the emphasis should be on improving connectivity (and this connectivity >> should be low-cost, including wireless and VSAT), giving more Africans to >> know-how of using the internet, and generating content that is relevant to >> Africans, and easy for them to access and use. >> >> At Athens, African delegates are likely to strongly express their concern >> about Internet naming and addressing. In this light, they are likely to >> talk about the need for a dotAfrica as the continental Top-Level Domain >> name. The African Networks Operators Group (AfNOG) is spearheading the >> building of a dotAfrica, purportedly to attend to African interests. AfNOG >> argues that it is important to have a dotAfrica to help Africa get its >> recognition as an entity with a high stake in Internet Governance. This >> proposed dotAfrica would target 100,000 organisations under the >> name.Africa or nom.Africa (for Francophone Africa). Many proponents of >> dotAfrica tend to justify its need by arguing that since regions like Asia >> and the European Union have adopted the idea of having dotAsia and dotEU, >> it would also be good for Africa to adopt dotAfrica. They also point out >> that dotAfrica would help Africa to market itself in the area of >> innovation. But some critics feel the clamour for dotAfrica appears to >> merely be a matter of emulating what the Asians and Europeans are doing, >> or engendering African pride, and will not translate into cheaper >> connectivity and accessibility of the Internet on the continent. >> >> The Athens IGF, which is providing the basis for Africans to define their >> priorities as far as the Internet is concerned, was a blueprint for global >> Internet governance. As such its concerns are not targeted at Africa; >> instead they tend to reflect the interests and concerns of the vast >> majority of users mainly outside of America the Internet as a democratic >> and inclusive forum whose management is not monopolised by the Americans >> and those they handpick. It can hence be argued that the core spirit of >> the IGF is therefore not necessarily about making more people use this >> medium, because this is not exactly at the top of the list of priorities >> for concerned parties in Europe and much of Asia, who in any case have had >> a louder and more enlightened voice in Internet governance discourse. >> Back in Tunis in November 2005 at the World Summit on the Information >> Society, the Tunis Agenda adopted by heads of state called for development >> in the broader Internet governance arrangements to include international >> interconnection costs, capacity building and technology/know-how transfer. >> It called for realisation of multilingualism on the Internet, development >> of software that is easy to localise and enables users to choose >> appropriate solutions from different software models including >> open-source, free and proprietary software. Those are some of the great >> pronouncements made at Tunis, which could help develop Internet usage in >> Africa, but which few Africans are articulating. >> Africa has its humongous work to do in the area of content, since content >> drives access to new technologies and vice versa. But the development of >> content cannot be achieved without empowering people and organisations in >> Africa, and enabling them to develop and disseminate their content, and to >> use globally available information resources for their day-to-day >> challenges. The majority of the African population lives in rural areas >> and depends on local content. Specific attention should therefore be paid >> to the advancement of indigenous content including its sharing and >> localisation. >> >> And low-cost technologies like Wi-Fi and VSAT must be adopted to play a >> leading role in Africas Internet development. A good example of how to go >> about this is provided by Knysna municipality in South Africa, which is >> touted as the first completely Wi-Fi covered town in Africa. The >> municipality awarded a tender to build a wireless local-loop access and >> transit infrastructure to cover its entire jurisdiction. Outdoor hotspots >> are installed throughout the region, including in informal settlements, >> and the municipality uses the network to provide free basic Internet and >> voice services to the community. And while UniNet, which built the >> network, provides sustainable low-cost commercial internet, VOIP and data >> services to the community, other service providers in the region can >> utilise the network for delivery of services to their clients >> effectively creating the first open access network in South Africa. To the >> users, there are high quality low-cost fixed line telephony and internet, >> access to low cost VOIP and data services, free local calls (on-net), free >> basic internet services in libraries and on all hotspots. If such >> innovative policies and actions as informed the Knysna connectivity >> project are replicated across municipalities and nations in Africa, the >> continent could potentially witness an Internet boom in a couple of years. >> >> In a nutshell, Africa needs to be concerned about developing Internet >> usage first, rather than dwelling on who governs the Internet and how. >> Africa needs low cost equipment, affordable services and applications, a >> better quality and greater numbers of ICT graduates, accessibility of the >> Internet on mobile phones, cheaper bandwidth including through fibre >> optics, eradication of monopolies and duopolies in Internet service >> provision. Africa also needs government subsidies to extend Internet >> access to all communities; it needs free and open source software that can >> support e-governance, education and health; and it needs to attract >> investment in ICT activities like business process outsourcing. The way >> the Internet is governed now allows for all these; the way most African >> governments are positioned now and planning on putting their issues >> forward at Athens, doesnt quite allow it. >> >> Best regards, >> Vincent >> >> -- >> Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, >> Director, CIPESA >> Plot 30, Bukoto Street, P.O. Box 26970 Kampala >> Tel: 256-41-533057 >> Fax: 256-41-533054 >> Cell: 256-77-702256 or 256-71-702256 >> Email: vincent(a)cipesa.org >> www.cipesa.org >> >> >> >> >> Dgroups is a joint initiative of Bellanet, DFID, Hivos, ICA, ICCO, IICD, >> OneWorld, UNAIDS and World Bank >> --- You are currently subscribed to africtic as: alice(a)apc.org >> To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-africtic-617601R(a)dgroups.org > > >_______________________________________________ >kictanet mailing list >kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://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" -- [View Less]

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Does Africa need an IGF or Internet Development Forum?
by alice＠apc.org 24 Oct '06

24 Oct '06

----- Original Message ----- From: "Vincent Waiswa Bagiire" <vincent(a)cipesa.org> To: "Africa ICT Policy Forum" <africtic(a)dgroups.org> > Does Africa need an IGF or Internet Development Forum? > > The Internet Government Forum (IGF) convenes in Athens at the end of > October (next week) to chart a way forward for making the running of the > Internet more inclusive, and more democratic. Several key issues of > concern for various governments and members of … [View More]the Internet community > worldwide were amply articulated in the run-up to the World Summits on the > Information Society (WSIS) – a process that has continued ahead of the > IGF. Simply put, these issues revolve around enabling control of the > ‘Internet’ and its technical arms to be decentralised from ICANN and its > few chosen agents, increasing security of the Internet, having > international oversight over the Internet, among others. > > Africa stands to be a great beneficiary of the Internet, in areas ranging > from communication to education, health to trade, and governance to > knowledge creation. The case of how Africa embraced the mobile phone when > conditions were created for more players to come in, and when technology > allowed connecting thousands of people at lower costs, could be a learning > example. Africa has got the highest growth rate of mobile phone > connections in the world, and the mobile phone has become the centre of > the continent’s connectivity successes. But Africa has also been > registering high bandwidth consumption rates. According to the African > Internet Service Providers Association, bandwidth demand in Africa rose by > 19% in 2001, 28% in 2002, and 37% in 2003. This high growth rate comes > against the background of very high bandwidth prices in Africa - which are > several times higher than in Europe, America, and even Asia – and the > acute shortage of Internet infrastructure in most of Africa. > As far as Internet usage is concerned, Africa is doing pretty badly. The > ITU World Telecom/ ICT Development Report 2006 says while in a number of > countries more than 50% of the population is using the Internet, an > average of 2.6 percent of Africans are online. This compares miserably > with the Americas (28.2%), Europe (31.1%), and Asia (8.1%). In the > broadband sector, Africa’s show is even gloomier, as it has just 0.1% of > the world’s connections. Comparatively, in the mobile phone sector the > continent boasts 4% of global totals. The continent is not doing any > superbly in terms of ownership of personal computers, the main medium on > which the Internet is run. According to the Information Economy Report > 2005 of the UN Conference on Trade and Investment, while the Republic of > Korea in 2003 had 26.7 m PCs, the whole of Africa had 11.5 m PCs. Clearly, > too few Africans are using the Internet at the moment, and this needs to > be addressed for the continent to harvest benefits from the Internet. > The question to ask then is, why are so few Africans using the Internet? > And the answer to this question should provide the pointer to what needs > to be done for more Africans to be brought into cyberspace. Are issues > related to Internet Governance the main hindrance to African’s usage of > the Internet? The answer is a plain no. Africans are not using the > Internet because the technology deployed tends to be expensive, often the > licensing procedures for Internet Service provision are expensive and > cumbersome, ISPs charge exorbitantly for their services, monopoly > providers do not give little attention to improving affordability, the > content on the Internet is often irrelevant or not in a language many > Africans understand, governments are rarely acting proactively and smartly > to enable the poor and remote parts of their countries to have > connectivity. Now those are the issues that need to be at the top of the > agenda for those promoting Internet usage in Africa. Those are issues that > should be addressed by an envisaged ‘Internet Development Forum’ (ADF). > > As it is, African countries have been working towards developing a common > position on the issues they will be addressing at the IGF in Athens. Among > these are the need for security of the Internet, freedom of expression, > multilingualism and local content on the Internet, Internet > infrastructure, and Intellectual Property Rights. Reining in SPAM or > unsolicited mail mainly used for commercial promotion, social or political > activism, the need for cyber laws, and need for “international” management > of the internet are the other issues African delegates will be > passionately addressing themselves to. They say management of the Internet > should be “multilateral, transparent and democratic, with the full > involvement of governments, the private sector, civil society and > international organisations. It should ensure an equitable distribution of > resources, facilitate access for all and ensure a stable and secure > functioning of the Internet.” > > Who controls the Internet has not hindered vast number of Asians and > Europeans from using the Internet. And it has not been the key hinderance > to Africa’ use of the Internet. So Africa must lay its emphasis elsewhere: > the emphasis should be on improving connectivity (and this connectivity > should be low-cost, including wireless and VSAT), giving more Africans to > know-how of using the internet, and generating content that is relevant to > Africans, and easy for them to access and use. > > At Athens, African delegates are likely to strongly express their concern > about Internet naming and addressing. In this light, they are likely to > talk about the need for a dotAfrica as the continental Top-Level Domain > name. The African Networks Operators Group (AfNOG) is spearheading the > building of a dotAfrica, purportedly to attend to African interests. AfNOG > argues that it is important to have a dotAfrica to help Africa get its > recognition as an entity with a high stake in Internet Governance. This > proposed dotAfrica would target 100,000 organisations under the > name.Africa or nom.Africa (for Francophone Africa). Many proponents of > dotAfrica tend to justify its need by arguing that since regions like Asia > and the European Union have adopted the idea of having dotAsia and dotEU, > it would also be good for Africa to adopt dotAfrica. They also point out > that dotAfrica would help Africa to market itself in the area of > innovation. But some critics feel the clamour for dotAfrica appears to > merely be a matter of emulating what the Asians and Europeans are doing, > or engendering ‘African pride’, and will not translate into cheaper > connectivity and accessibility of the Internet on the continent. > > The Athens IGF, which is providing the basis for Africans to define their > priorities as far as the Internet is concerned, was a blueprint for global > Internet governance. As such its concerns are not targeted at Africa; > instead they tend to reflect the interests and concerns of the vast > majority of users mainly outside of America – the Internet as a democratic > and inclusive forum whose management is not monopolised by the Americans > and those they handpick. It can hence be argued that the core spirit of > the IGF is therefore not necessarily about making more people use this > medium, because this is not exactly at the top of the list of priorities > for concerned parties in Europe and much of Asia, who in any case have had > a louder and more enlightened voice in Internet governance discourse. > Back in Tunis in November 2005 at the World Summit on the Information > Society, the Tunis Agenda adopted by heads of state called for development > in the broader Internet governance arrangements to include international > interconnection costs, capacity building and technology/know-how transfer. > It called for realisation of multilingualism on the Internet, development > of software that is easy to localise and enables users to choose > appropriate solutions from different software models including > open-source, free and proprietary software. Those are some of the great > pronouncements made at Tunis, which could help develop Internet usage in > Africa, but which few Africans are articulating. > Africa has its humongous work to do in the area of content, since content > drives access to new technologies and vice versa. But the development of > content cannot be achieved without empowering people and organisations in > Africa, and enabling them to develop and disseminate their content, and to > use globally available information resources for their day-to-day > challenges. The majority of the African population lives in rural areas > and depends on local content. Specific attention should therefore be paid > to the advancement of indigenous content including its sharing and > localisation. > > And low-cost technologies like Wi-Fi and VSAT must be adopted to play a > leading role in Africa’s Internet development. A good example of how to go > about this is provided by Knysna municipality in South Africa, which is > touted as “the first completely Wi-Fi covered town in Africa”. The > municipality awarded a tender to build a wireless local-loop access and > transit infrastructure to cover its entire jurisdiction. Outdoor hotspots > are installed throughout the region, including in informal settlements, > and the municipality uses the network to provide free basic Internet and > voice services to the community. And while UniNet, which built the > network, provides sustainable low-cost commercial internet, VOIP and data > services to the community, other service providers in the region can > utilise the network for delivery of services to their clients – > effectively creating the first open access network in South Africa. To the > users, there are high quality low-cost fixed line telephony and internet, > access to low cost VOIP and data services, free local calls (on-net), free > basic internet services in libraries and on all hotspots. If such > innovative policies and actions as informed the Knysna connectivity > project are replicated across municipalities and nations in Africa, the > continent could potentially witness an Internet boom in a couple of years. > > In a nutshell, Africa needs to be concerned about developing Internet > usage first, rather than dwelling on who governs the Internet and how. > Africa needs low cost equipment, affordable services and applications, a > better quality and greater numbers of ICT graduates, accessibility of the > Internet on mobile phones, cheaper bandwidth including through fibre > optics, eradication of monopolies and duopolies in Internet service > provision. Africa also needs government subsidies to extend Internet > access to all communities; it needs free and open source software that can > support e-governance, education and health; and it needs to attract > investment in ICT activities like business process outsourcing. The way > the Internet is governed now allows for all these; the way most African > governments are positioned now and planning on putting their issues > forward at Athens, doesn’t quite allow it. > > Best regards, > Vincent > > -- > Vincent Waiswa Bagiire, > Director, CIPESA > Plot 30, Bukoto Street, P.O. Box 26970 Kampala > Tel: 256-41-533057 > Fax: 256-41-533054 > Cell: 256-77-702256 or 256-71-702256 > Email: vincent(a)cipesa.org > www.cipesa.org > > > > > Dgroups is a joint initiative of Bellanet, DFID, Hivos, ICA, ICCO, IICD, > OneWorld, UNAIDS and World Bank > --- You are currently subscribed to africtic as: alice(a)apc.org > To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-africtic-617601R(a)dgroups.org [View Less]

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Online ICT Bill Discussions Report
by John Walubengo 17 Oct '06

17 Oct '06

just in case you are interested in what transpired during the above eWorkshop... walu. nb: apologies for cross-posting. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Spam!] Re: [Kictanet] Fwd: RE: ECM162473 - My Order
by Eric Osiakwan 17 Oct '06

17 Oct '06

I support the idea from Dr. Nedmo and this is one of the positive actions that KICTANET should take which should have all the representation like TESPOK, Academia and all the constituencies to go see the AG. Eric here >bitange(a)jambo.co.ke wrote: > >Dear Walubengo, >The Ministry finalized the ICT Bill and sent it to the AG. I have made >several calls to AG offices trying to push it forward to Parliament. >Perharps we need an industry delegation to the AG seeking … [View More]his intervention >to push it to Parliament. I too need it urgently as there are some laws >that would help move our sector forward. > > >Regards > > >Ndemo. > > > >> Tried to buy a book through the Internet (using my VISA >> INT'Nl credit card) only to be told several days later that >> apparently this reputable Online bookshop does NOT do >> eCommerce with KENYA. (ref email below) >> >> No reasons given but I can bet it has something to do with >> lack of e-Legislations...just wondering how far we (Kenya) >> is from discussing and eventually passing their ICT Bill >> (which contains eCommerce clauses)... >> >> Is the PS (Min of Info&Comm) in a position to kindly favour >> us with a roadmap/timeline? >> >> walu. >> >> >> --- "Edwards, Pat" >wrote: >> >>> From: "Edwards, Pat" > >>> To: "'jwalu(a)yahoo.com'" >>> Subject: RE: ECM162473 - My Order >>> Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2006 12:47:15 +0100 >>> >>> >>> Hello >>> >>> I am sorry but we only supply to your country if we have >>> received >>> pre-payment via money order, if you wish to make these >>> arrangements please >>> let me know >>> >>> Kind regards >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: MyAccount(a)PearsonEducationBooks.com >>> [mailto:MyAccount@PearsonEducationBooks.com] >>> Sent: 09 October 2006 07:05 >>> To: PearsonEdEMA, ECOMM CS >>> Subject: ECM162473 - My Order >>> >>> >>> Customer Email Address: jwalu(a)yahoo.com >>> >>> Plse let me know how far my book is from reaching >>> Nairobi. Do you have an >>> online tracking system similar to the one used by courier >>> services (FedEX, >>> DHL, etc) which shows the stages/destinations the book >>> has travelled so >>> far? >>> >>> Also, I need to know if I could have the password to the >>> internet >>> resources so that I can start looking at the online >>> material as I await >>> the book. >>> >>> walu. >>> >>> >>> >> **************************************************************************** >>> This email may contain confidential material. >>> If you were not an intended recipient, >>> please notify the sender and delete all copies. >>> We may monitor email to and from our network. >>> >>> >> **************************************************************************** >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> __________________________________________________ >> Do You Yahoo!? >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >> http://mail.yahoo.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> kictanet mailing list >> kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet >> >> Please unsubscribe or change your options at >> http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/bitange%40jambo.co.ke >> > > > >_______________________________________________ >kictanet mailing list >kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke >http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > >Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/ kictanet/andrew.limo%40yahoo.com > > > >--------------------------------- >How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messengers low PC-to-Phone call rates. > > > -- 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://afrispa.skybuilders.com/users/Eric/blog.html Slang: "Tomorrow Now" -- [View Less]

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Fwd: eLA 2007
by John Walubengo 17 Oct '06

17 Oct '06

in case you didn't get this one... walu. --- LM <mleonardo(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 05:47:18 -0700 (PDT) > From: LM <mleonardo(a)yahoo.com> > Subject: eLA 2007 > To: jwalu(a)yahoo.com > > Walu, > Kindly circulate in KIPList. This promises to be very > big indeed. > > L > > > > eLA 2007 - The Conference > Meeting the networking needs of the Pan-African > eLearning and distance education … [View More]sector, the annual > eLearning Africa conference is the key networking venue > for practitioners and professionals from Africa and all > over the world. > > Main Facts: > eLA is the largest gathering of eLearning and distance > education professionals in Africa , enabling participants > to develop multinational and cross-industry contacts and > partnerships, as well as to enhance their knowledge, > expertise, and abilities. The 2006 event attracted 832 > participants from 80 countries representing all > continents, with 70% coming from Africa, making it Africa > s largest eLearning conference. Last years gathering > featured the work of more than 230 speakers from 46 > countries, addressing all forms of technology-enhanced > learning and including a rich mix of themes, topics and a > variety of session formats. Delegates are high-level > decision makers and practitioners from education, > business, and government - the three key areas driving > eLearning adoption and innovation. > The conference is held in English and French. It > includes plenary sessions with world-class experts, > smaller presentation and special focus sessions, > practical demonstrations and debates on specific topics, > as well as various informal networking opportunities > where practitioners share their experiences, ideas, new > information and perspectives. An exhibition and > demonstration area accompany the programme, where leading > international eLearning manufacturers, suppliers and > service providers present their latest products and > services. Participants evaluated the exhibition as a > critical meeting point for professional interaction > within the conference. A full-day program of workshops > conducted by leading eLearning practitioners precedes the > event. These small, intensive sessions offer attendees a > unique opportunity to fine-tune their skills and acquire > new ones. A number of special events take place alongside > the conference, such as product launches, special > interest group > get-togethers, sponsored workshops, best practice > showcases, and meetings. > > New features at eLA 2007: eLA 2007 will also have a > number of exciting features that extend the scope and > outreach of the conference, adding value for both > presenters and attendees: > > A high-level policy maker and industry leader summit > entitled Accelerating the Building of Infrastructures > and Capacities for African Educational Systems > The African TVET Summit Access and Inclusion for TVET > in Africa through New ICT-based Solutions > A convention of major donors and development agencies > focusing on ICT-Enhanced Education and Training in > Development Cooperation > Two break-out workshops, one in Kisumu at Lake Victoria > and one in Mombassa on the Indian Ocean > http://www.elearning-africa.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Yahoo! Small > Business. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com [View Less]

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