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NEW RULES FOR TELECOM OPERATORS EXPECTED IN KENYA
by alice 20 May '07

20 May '07

NEW RULES FOR TELECOM OPERATORS EXPECTED IN KENYA The Kenyan Government is preparing new licensing regime for operators of telecommunication services. Information and Communications minister, Mutahi Kagwe further revealed that the process of searching for the Second National Operator (SNO) and third mobile operator would begin again soon. He said the changes would be as a result of the planned review of the sector's 1997 policy statement. It was this document that introduced the threshold for equity participation by local investors in the telecommunications companies. Under the rule, any foreign firm entering the telecom market must offer 30 per cent sharehoding to locals."We are formulating new regulations for licensing national telecommunication operators and will gazette the new rules soon," he said. The minister was speaking after the launch of Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) Information Centre - Geographic Information System (GIS) and Quality of Service Monitoring System - in Nairobi on Tuesday. The facilities are expected to enhance CCK's capacity to serve communications industry and improve service delivery to subscribers of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services. Kagwe, however, ruled out abolishing the requirement that foreign companies investing in the telecommunication sector allocate 30 per cent shareholding to locals. He said the Government is keen to uphold the 30 per cent rule to ensure Kenyans have a share of the institutions. He said the Government would adopt measures to relax the requirement to quicken the process of appointing a Second National Operator (SNO). Kagwe warned telecommunication service providers to brace stiff competition as more players join the market and challenged them to deal with existing inadequacies and align themselves to the demand patterns in the market. "I believe that efficiency and reliability in the delivery of telecommunications services requires consistent pro-active response to customers' needs. This is the foundation of consumer satisfaction and ultimately the driver of service quality," he said. The review is seen as the Government's response to the perennial disputes between local and foreign investors that have frustrated the conclusion of major telecoms projects. CCK chairman, Joseph Njagi, said the new quality service monitoring system would enable CCK verify the quality of services offered by cellular mobile operators. "It will now become easier for CCK to determine the service and network availability in various parts of the country, their accessibility and whether the call completion rate is up to the expected standards." (SOURCE: The East African Standard)

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IGP proposal to decentralize authority over the, Internet domain name system (DNS)
by alice 20 May '07

20 May '07

IGP has published a proposal to decentralize authority over the Internet domain name system (DNS) as it transitions to a new, more secure technology known as DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC).View the paper here <http://internetgovernance.org/pdf/SecuringTheRoot.pdf> At a symposium in Washington DC last Thursday (May 17), the Internet Governance Project (IGP) unveiled a plan to decentralize control over the process of digitally signing the root zone file using public key encryption. The need for the plan was made clear recently when news of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report on DNSSEC implementation triggered international controversy by raising fears that the US government planned to control the "master keys" to the Internet. The IGP proposal would distribute control over the process of signing the root zone file to multiple organizations, all of them nongovernmental in nature, defusing fears that U.S. national security agencies will control the Internet's DNS root zone keys. The proposal increases the resilience of the system, eliminates the threat of political interference in Internet administration, and diffuses liability among the entities involved. The international meeting in Washington, "Internet Governance and Security: Exploring Global and National Solutions," was jointly hosted by Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, the George Mason University Law School's Critical Infrastructure Protection Program, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne's Executive Master's Program in e-Governance. The event brought together legal and policy experts in Internet governance, representatives of the IETF, ICANN, DHS, the U.S. Commerce Department, the Internet Systems Consortium, and students from the e-Governance program.

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Tue, 24 Oct 1995 12:16:28 -0400
by Matunga 19 May '07

19 May '07

These are some fo the email volleys that would be worth alot on e-bay today. I now can understand the motivation around KCA award to Ochuodho. I am sure Shem can share the very first packets from Kenyan soil. Rev From: Shem Ochuodho <shem(a)ARCC.OR.KE<mailto:shem@ARCC.OR.KE>> To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <DEVEL-L(a)AMERICAN.EDU<mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>> Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 21:52:18 -0500 Subject: Re: KENYA finally on FULL Internet Just to inform that after several years of "agony", Kenya has finally joined Cyberspace with a full Internet access through a dedicated leased line to Oregon from the African Regional Centre for Computing (ARCC, Nairobi). This has been possible through the kind support of the Overseas Development Agency (ODA -UK). The National Science Foundation (NSF US) supported Randy's trip for the engineering. Special thanks to: John Sutherland, Peter Hoare (ODA), Steve Goldstein (NSF), Lenore Blum (ICSI Berkeley), and Randy Bush (NSRC). Shem, ARCC, Nairobi -------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 12:16:28 -0400 From: Steve Goldstein <sgoldste(a)NSF.GOV<mailto:sgoldste@NSF.GOV>> Subject: Re: KENYA finally on FULL Internet X-To: Shem Ochuodho < shem(a)arcc.or.ke<mailto:shem@arcc.or.ke>> X-cc: africana-l(a)warthog.cc.wm.edu<mailto:africana-l@warthog.cc.wm.edu>, wg94-l(a)uku.fi<mailto:wg94-l@uku.fi>, afrik-it(a)ir.ucd.ie<mailto:afrik-it@ir.ucd.ie> , randy(a)psg.com<mailto:randy@psg.com>, sgoldstein(a)nsf.gov<mailto:sgoldstein@nsf.gov>, lblum(a)icsi.berkeley.edu<mailto:lblum@icsi.berkeley.edu>, sghuter(a)nsrc.org <mailto:sghuter@nsrc.org> To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <DEVEL-L(a)AMERICAN.EDU<mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>> At 2:52 AM 1/4/80, Shem Ochuodho wrote: >Just to inform that after several years of "agony", Kenya has finally joined >Cyberspace with a full Internet access through a dedicated leased line to >Oregon from the African Regional Centre for Computing (ARCC, Nairobi). Congratulations, and WELCOME, Shem! This was a surprise to us all, but a very pleasant one. We had expected that Randy would be visiting Kenya to help set up a UUCP-net. --Steve ___________________________________ Steve Goldstein, National Science Foundation +1(703)306-1949 Ext. 1119 "Let's not procrastinate until tomorrow!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Date: Tue, 24 Oct 1995 09:47:00 PDT From: Randy Bush <randy(a)PSG.COM<mailto:randy@PSG.COM>> Subject: Re: KENYA finally on FULL Internet X-To: Steve Goldstein < sgoldste(a)nsf.gov<mailto:sgoldste@nsf.gov>> X-cc: Shem Ochuodho <shem(a)arcc.or.ke<mailto:shem@arcc.or.ke>>, africana-l(a)warthog.cc.wm.edu<mailto:africana-l@warthog.cc.wm.edu>, wg94-l(a)uku.fi<mailto:wg94-l@uku.fi>, afrik-it(a)ir.ucd.ie<mailto:afrik-it@ir.ucd.ie>, lblum(a)icsi.berkeley.edu<mailto:lblum@icsi.berkeley.edu>, sghuter(a)nsrc.org<mailto:sghuter@nsrc.org> To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L < DEVEL-L(a)AMERICAN.EDU<mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>> > We had expected that Randy would be visiting Kenya to help set up a > UUCP-net. Damn! Blew it again. The whole month has been like that. Well, we still have a day and a half to fix it. But I had hoped to get a bit of sleep. Ah well. Thanks for catching the bug. BTW, thanks for saying 'help'. The folk here are a sharp, pretty organized, and hard working lot, and had layed years of groundwork. While a few days of a UNIX and router geek can help accellerate the process, IMIHO parachute jobs and heros don't stick. There are a lot of wasted silver bullets in these countries. And, BTW, while am doing these jobs, I have amazing support from folk on the net who bail me out of panics by making fixes ftpable, advising on what are to me (a BSDoid) strange flavors of almost-UNIX and <shudder> DOS, even sending the occasional bits of hardware in diplomatic pouches. We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before. randy

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Fwd: Financial Journalists to be barred from NSE
by Bill Kagai 19 May '07

19 May '07

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Date: May 19, 2007 12:10 PM Subject: Financial Journalists to be barred from NSE To: Business journalists may soon be barred from dealing in stocks and securities at the stock market if their work involves writing stories and analyses on the same. This is among the raft of proposals contained in a new Bill that was tabled in Parliament yesterday. The Bill proposes that financial journalists be barred from dealing in stocks they plan to write on grounds of a possible conflict of interest. "Journalists should not write or broadcast about shares, securities and other market instruments in whose performance they know they or their families have significant financial interest," says the Bill in part. Full story... http://bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1070&Itemid=3… -- With Kind Regards, Bildad Kagai MD - MediaCorp Limited Suite B2, Tetu Apartments StateHouse Avenue P. O. Box 20311-00200 Tel. 254 20 272 8332 URL. www.mediacorp.co.ke --

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Re: [kictanet] Media Bill
by Wainaina Mungai 18 May '07

18 May '07

I stand with Dorcas on the media issue. What the media is saying is like Paul Wolfowitz insisting that he should from now on be allowed to "self-regulate" ;-) so that he can effectively police corruption in developing countries (as he had promised when he was appointed). Laws/rules should not scare our fellow Kenyans in the media unless they know they will soon cross a line they should not. We saw it with the 'matatu' industry that was a law unto themselves ("self-regulating") until order was forced on them by the government. Our media has already failed to play the role of a conscience for our society. When our conscience is dead, the law has to be put to effect to guide us. --- Wainaina Mungai > -------Original Message------- > From: Dorcas Muthoni <dmuthoni(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [kictanet] Media Bill > Sent: 18 May '07 18:06 > > Nice, But the media is far from self regulation. Or at least, we have not > seen enough of that. The govt definitely has a role. > > Mis-information is really a great role the media is recently playing. > > The public has to be guarded against irresponsible journalism and govt is > definitely one of those key stakeholders in ensuring this. A supplier/s > cannot be solely trusted on this. > > > On 5/18/07, KANJA WARURU <[LINK: mailto:kanjawaruru@yahoo.com] > kanjawaruru(a)yahoo.com> wrote: Alice, > In brief, the Bill seeks to establish > a Media Council of Kenya and a Media Advisory Board to > regulate journalist, enforce a code of conduct and > manage a complaints committee. > > The Media Owners Association has been campaigning > against establishment of statutory media regulation to > replace the existing self-regulation mechanism. > > On Thursday 17th May the MOA issued a press statement > to make their two points clear to the govt.. > > 1, MOA rejects the Media Bill 2007. > > 2, We have our own Bill which we would be happy to > replace with the govt Bill. > > Will keep you posted on that. > Kanja > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > The fish are biting. > Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. > [LINK: http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php] > http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php > > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > [LINK: mailto:kictanet@kictanet.or.ke] kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > [LINK: http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet] > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at [LINK: > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dmuthoni%40gmail.com] > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/dmuthoni%40gmail.com > > > -------------------- > _______________________________________________ > kictanet mailing list > [LINK: compose.php?to=kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke] kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke > [LINK: http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet] > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet > > Please unsubscribe or change your options at [LINK: > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org] > http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wainaina%40madeinkenya.org

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Fwd: Re: Holding our Leaders Accountable
by Alex Gakuru 18 May '07

18 May '07

Bill, You may be just right and in the process, we stand higher chances of getting the ICT laws passed to send these "hackers" to jail. Alex Bill Kagai <mediacorp.research(a)mediacorp.co.ke> wrote: Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 17:14:05 +0300 From: "Bill Kagai" <mediacorp.research(a)mediacorp.co.ke> Subject: Re: [kictanet] Holding our Leaders Accountable To: Alex Gakuru <alex.gakuru(a)yahoo.com> William Ruto website was working fine..when I bumped into it this morning..now it has been re-directed to the KACC website... No wonder these guys are avoiding ICT foras. Any slightly distorted media can cost them jobs... I see a dialogue entry point..by collectively working together with the August house members to sort out this persistent website beef they have had to keep with....from Kalonzo Musyoka and now to Ruto.. I would not touch ICTs with ten yard pole if I were a politician...I can say... Bill On 5/18/07, Alex Gakuru <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> wrote: Thanks Bill, I found websites for hon. Julia Ojiambo, hon. William Ruto, hon. Kalonzo Musyoka, hon. Raila Odinga, hon. Najib Balala, hon. Uhuru Kenyatta but did not succeed for hon. Musalia Mudavadi, hon. Joseph Nyaga, and Nazlin Umar. I deliberataly avoided looking for hon. Mutahi Kagwe's website. Noticeably, Uhuru Kenyatta is ".ke" and registered his domain in May 2005. The others have dot coms and dot net. The oldest was created in June and two were registered two days apart in September last year. <http://www.kenic.or.ke/cgi-bin/kenic/whois> domain: UHURUKENYATTA.CO.KE created: 2006/05/05 changed: 2007/05/10 expiry: 2008/05/05 from <http://www.whois.net/> Domain Name: RAILA2007.COM Updated Date: 15-nov-2006 Creation Date: 12-jun-2006 Expiration Date: 12-jun-2008 Domain Name: WILLIAMRUTTO.COM Updated Date: 20-nov-2006 Creation Date: 01-sep-2006 Expiration Date: 01-sep-2007 Domain Name: KALONZOMUSYOKAFORPRESIDENT.COM Updated Date: 16-feb-2007 Creation Date: 03-sep-2006 Expiration Date: 03-sep-2007 Domain Name: ELECTJULIA.COM Updated Date: 14-feb-2007 Creation Date: 01-feb-2007 Expiration Date: 01-feb-2009 Domain Name: NAJIBBALALA.NET Updated Date: 14-mar-2007 Creation Date: 14-mar-2007 Expiration Date: 14-mar-2008 It was quite interesting, thanks. Alex On 5/18/07, Bill Kagai <mediacorp.research(a)mediacorp.co.ke> wrote: Interesting debate..but I beg to disagree with Muriuki and others who toe this thought process.....a quick google drill shows that the joke is on us. I checked randomly on some of your anticipated guests...and... 1. Ruto William Samoei Education BSc. Hons (UON) Born 1966 Email - info(a)williamrutto.com URL. www.williamrutto.com Verdict Cannot be ICT illiterate 2. Eng. Raila Odinga Eduction - M.Sc (Mechanical Engineering), University of Magdeburg Born 1945 Email. railaodinga(a)yahoo.com URL. http://www.raila2007.com/ Verdict Also not ICT illiterate..actually used a laptop launching his vision.. 3. Najib Balala Born 1967 Education - Business Administration Leadership, Harvard University Urban Management, University of Toronto Email najib(a)mombasa.co.ke URL www.najibbalala.net Verdict Also not ICT illiterate. For those doing work/research..Why don't you check... - is ICT community possibly alienating itself from the rest?? -what were these chaps avoiding by evading the dabate?? -and other questions... Then you will realise that these chaps are much cleverer than we think... Bill -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+research= mediacorp.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+research=mediacorp.co.ke@kictanet.or.ke ] On Behalf Of Muriuki Mureithi Sent: 18 May 2007 11:55 To: Bill Kagai Subject: Re: [kictanet] Holding our Leaders Accountable Many thanks for the comments that have come through the list . it shows the dynamism of the ICT fraternity . The absence of the presidential aspirants talks loudly that either they are not familiar with issues , or if they are familiar they do not them consider significant at national level or they do not care. Either way we in the ICT world are proactive people and instead of castigating them let us roll our sleeves and work with them and make sure they understand the issues, the significance and why they matter. This is an on-going programme and as indicated in the debate and we shall have another session in July and hopefully the political scenario on the presidential aspirants will be clearer . For now, to determine who to invite was based on government of national unity versus the opposition as broadly perceived in the national political arena. After the party elections we shall have clarity on who to invite in the next round . The overall objective of the project is to ensure that we place the ICT agenda as campaign issue and we need to show the presidential aspirants that ICT is an national issue Muriuki Mureithi Team leader ICT mainstreaming in the Political Arena project KICTANET -- -- With Kind Regards, Bildad Kagai MD - MediaCorp Limited Suite B2, Tetu Apartments StateHouse Avenue P. O. Box 20311-00200 Tel. 254 20 272 8332 URL. www.mediacorp.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/alexgakuru.lists%40gmail.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/mediacorp.research%40mediaco… _______________________________________________ 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/alex.gakuru%40yahoo.com --------------------------------- Don't get soaked. Take a quick peak at the forecast with theYahoo! Search weather shortcut. _______________________________________________ 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/alex.gakuru%40yahoo.com

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Media Bill
by alice 18 May '07

18 May '07

Hi All Has anyone got a copy of the media bill that is hotly contested by media sector? I thought that they (the media) had worked jointly with the government to draft this bill, so it would be interesting to find out what the points of contention are. Is it the issue of cross ownership? best alice

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Re: [kictanet] Holding our Leaders Accountable
by Bill Kagai 18 May '07

18 May '07

Interesting debate..but I beg to disagree with Muriuki and others who toe this thought process.....a quick google drill shows that the joke is on us. I checked randomly on some of your anticipated guests...and... 1. Ruto William Samoei Education – BSc. Hons (UON) Born – 1966 Email - info(a)williamrutto.com URL. www.williamrutto.com Verdict – Cannot be ICT illiterate 2. Eng. Raila Odinga Eduction - M.Sc (Mechanical Engineering), University of Magdeburg Born – 1945 Email. railaodinga(a)yahoo.com URL. http://www.raila2007.com/ Verdict – Also not ICT illiterate..actually used a laptop launching his vision.. 3. Najib Balala Born – 1967 Education - Business Administration Leadership, Harvard University Urban Management, University of Toronto Email – najib(a)mombasa.co.ke URL – www.najibbalala.net Verdict – Also not ICT illiterate. For those doing work/research..Why don't you check... - is ICT community possibly alienating itself from the rest?? -what were these chaps avoiding by evading the dabate?? -and other questions... Then you will realise that these chaps are much cleverer than we think... Bill -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+research=mediacorp.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+research=mediacorp.co.ke@kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Muriuki Mureithi Sent: 18 May 2007 11:55 To: Bill Kagai Subject: Re: [kictanet] Holding our Leaders Accountable Many thanks for the comments that have come through the list . it shows the dynamism of the ICT fraternity . The absence of the presidential aspirants talks loudly that either they are not familiar with issues , or if they are familiar they do not them consider significant at national level or they do not care. Either way we in the ICT world are proactive people and instead of castigating them let us roll our sleeves and work with them and make sure they understand the issues, the significance and why they matter. This is an on-going programme and as indicated in the debate and we shall have another session in July and hopefully the political scenario on the presidential aspirants will be clearer . For now, to determine who to invite was based on government of national unity versus the opposition as broadly perceived in the national political arena. After the party elections we shall have clarity on who to invite in the next round . The overall objective of the project is to ensure that we place the ICT agenda as campaign issue and we need to show the presidential aspirants that ICT is an national issue Muriuki Mureithi Team leader ICT mainstreaming in the Political Arena project KICTANET -- -- With Kind Regards, Bildad Kagai MD - MediaCorp Limited Suite B2, Tetu Apartments StateHouse Avenue P. O. Box 20311-00200 Tel. 254 20 272 8332 URL. www.mediacorp.co.ke --

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Re: [kictanet] Holding our Leaders Accountable
by bitange＠jambo.co.ke 18 May '07

18 May '07

Dear All, The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2007 is contained in the Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 51 (Bills No. 22)of today May 18, 2007. We are hoping that it will go for its first reading next week. Regards Bitange Ndemo. ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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APC Press release: Global Information Society Watch -- First report looks at ICT policy's impact]
by alice 18 May '07

18 May '07

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW REPORT MONITORS POLITICAL WILL TO MAKE THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION REALITY FOR ALL MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY, Thursday May 17 -- A new watchdog report monitoring promises made by governments and the United Nations to ensure that information technology is used to benefit millions of people, will be launched in Geneva on May 22. The fruits of the information technology 'revolution' are unevenly distributed between countries and within societies. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo it is claimed that as little as 2.5% of the population owns a telephone, whereas neighbouring Nigeria has one of the fastest growing IT markets in Africa. In India, a burgeoning technology industry has failed to provide phones or internet to vast rural areas. The gap is not only “digital” The reasons for the inequalities are complex but, claim the editors of the report - the Association for Progressive Communications and the Third World Institute - “experience shows that the status quo prevails unless citizens actively demand change from their governments. A ‘Global Information Society Watch’ is needed to make governments and international organisations accountable.” Launch of first Global Information Society Watch report The Global Information Society Watch 2007 report - the first in a series of annual reports - looks at the state of the field of information and communication technology (ICT) policy at local and global levels and particularly how policy impacts on the lives of people living in developing countries. Studies of the ICT policy situation in twenty-two countries from four regions are featured: Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda); Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines); Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru); and Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania), with one report from a Western European country (Spain). The report concludes that when it comes to ICTs for development, there are some conspicuous similarities between countries. Excluding Spain, the other twenty-one countries each show obvious evidence of the “digital divide” which impacts on the majority of people negatively. According to Brazilian authors RITS, the absence of a people-orientated policy framework in Brazil runs the risk of condemning the vast majority of people to “eternal disconnection”. The report also includes provocative, analytical essays on five international institutions (including the ITU, ICANN and the World Intellectual Property Organisation) questioning the extent to which they allow all stakeholders to participate in their processes. There is a special section on how to measure progress. “This report is an important effort at a critical time,” says Markus Kummer, executive coordinator of the Secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). “It is of utmost importance to know the extent to which the people affected have a voice in the policy-making organisations. Participation of all stakeholders in policy processes is a key element of good global governance. In this sense, the report will also be good input to the IGF in its continuing work on a development agenda for internet governance and the special emphasis being placed on capacity building for all stakeholders. More so, while so much attention is being put on the effort to overcome the inequities in global information access it is important to make sure that the people who need this access are actually served by those efforts.” "There is a lack of ICT-oriented indexes which focus on inclusion and exclusion in ICT policy decisions. Global Information Society Watch is a serious attempt to bridge this gap," says Rikke Frank Jørgensen, senior adviser at the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Connecting the dots to form the big ICT policy picture Alice Wanjira Munyua is part of KICTANet, a citizen-coalition that has worked critically with the Kenyan government to ensure issues of universal access and consumer rights are being addressed in Kenya’s first national ICT policy. “Rather than just publishing statistics,” she comments, “this new report provides an opportunity to share examples of the road travelled in policy-making, which will hopefully reduce the risk of following inappropriate paths.” “While international organisations and research institutions regularly churn out reports packed with data about the diffusion of ICTs and offer mainstream assessments of policy trends, they generally devote little attention to what all this means for the global public interest. Global Information Society Watch [...] connects the dots between national and global-level trends and gives readers a ‘big picture’ understanding of where we are heading and the risks and opportunities that entails,” explains Dr William J. Drake, director of the “Information Revolution and Global Governance” project, Graduate Institute for International Studies (Switzerland). More citizen involvement in policy-making is key “Increase in access to ICTs will not reduce poverty,” state APC and ITeM in their introduction to the 2007 report. “But there is a real danger that lack of access to ICTs can deepen existing social exclusion and create new forms of exclusion. In this context we believe it is essential for civil society networks to participate in and watch over ICT policy processes at the global, regional and national levels.” OBTAIN THE REPORT Download or read online: http://www.GlobalISWatch.org ABOUT THE EDITORS In compiling this publication, the APC and ITeM are following up on their long-term interest in the impact of civil society on governance processes and their efforts to enhance public participation in national and international forums. The APC network has been involved in global, regional and national ICT policy processes since 2000, with a focus on human rights and social inclusion in the information society and on promoting “digital inclusion”. Association for Progressive Communications (APC): http://www.apc.org ITeM has been active in researching and promoting the use of ICTs to strengthen citizen involvement in decision-making processes. It hosts international civil society advocacy initiatives such as “Social Watch”, which monitors social development and gender policies, and “IFIwatchnet”, which monitors the activities of the international financial institutions. Third World Institute (known by its Spanish acronym, ITeM): http://www.item.org.uy FOR MORE INFORMATION Pablo Accuosto Third World Institute Paullier 977 Montevideo 11200 URUGUAY Tel: + 598 2 412 4224 ext. 110 Email: accuosto(a)item.org.uy Karen Banks Association for Progressive Communications c/o GreenNet, Development House 56-64 Leonard Street London EC2A 4JX UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7065 0935 Email: karenb(a)gn.apc.org

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