Allow me to also welcome Mwende. Considering the issues mentioned by Walu that you will be taking us through, and not-so-visible participation by some, it would appear that among your "performance contract" tests may include how bring in other Kenyans. Among the proposals made at recent EA ICT Policy harmonisation workshop included need to have speacilaised courts with sitting E-compliant judges and lawyers to catapult ICT into the legal arena. This was borne of the the result from specialized courts such as Commercial Courts, Kadhi's Court, Childrens Court therefore having "Technology Courts" internet, telecommunications, broadcasting, and print media cases could be heard by expert judges. Called in to testify would be Technology witnesses- a concept now advanced, for example, in the US. Google "Technology Expert Witness" returns http://expertpages.com/experts/information_technology.htm , http://www.itexpertwitness.net/ , http://www.jurispro.com/category/computers-s-236/ , http://www.fair-opinion.com/ among many others. We appreciated "1. there is a gap between expertise on rules and regulations on ICT issues 2. Intellectual property challenges" but I am also happy to report that proposed "ICT Policy Portal" recommendation was adopted and it will be realised very soon. This will enable everyone to visit the portal read policies and comments on evolving technology issues. Food for thought at your moderation session: "in exploitation of this new knowledge and technology by itself and for itself, and in becoming part, and not just observers or simple admirers, of the innovations and advancements in the knowledge and production of the technology. Our concern is also borne out of the lessons from the history of the introduction of communications technologies into Africa and the kinds of relationships that these have engendered: first between African societies on one hand and external powers and forces on the other; and then in post-colonial times between African popular social forces on one hand and the states and their ruling elites on the other. And this forum and project, perhaps, offers an opportunity to address some of the critical issues involved so as to make contributions toward moving forward in fundamental ways." "Historically, modern (that is in the industrial era) communications technology were introduced into Africa by external forces for purposes of enhancing interests and objectives other than those of the African peoples. The coming of the telegraph and the laying of submarine cables around the continent from the late 1880s had the explicit objects of imperial military and political dominance and colonial commercial exploitation. (The role of the telegraph in subduing African resistance, such as the Ashanti, the Zulu and others in the late 19th century is well documented.) Symbolically this is why the early telegraph and telephone connections ran along railway networks and into mining and other raw material resource areas." Communications technologies enhance, or embody the potential of enhancing, the expansion of freedom of expression. What makes the new generation of technology even more enhancing of free expression, as we all know, is the potential for interactivity and enhanced access for personal participation and use in creating, producing and sharing information by citizens or groups of them. " Excerpts from: Key note address - Kwame Karikari (PDF) <http://www.freedomofexpression.org.uk/resources/africa+workshop+report+resources> Regards, Alex On Mon, Aug 18, 2008 at 3:56 PM, John Walubengo <jwalu@yahoo.com> wrote:

I am pleased to introduce, Mwende Njiraini, an Electrical and Communications Engineer who happened to be my Supervisor when I undertook the 4months training on Internet Governance. You can check the rest of that story at

http://www.diplomacy.edu/ig/IGCBP/display.asp?Topic=Team

She has a wealth of information in Internet Governance issues but I have asked her to break it down in very small dozes to avoid over-saturation. She will facilitate the rest of the IG Discussion (Tue-Friday) where she will take us through the Economic and Socio-cultural Issues starting tomorrow.

Over to you Mwende.

walu. nb: I will now temporarily join the silent majority who are enjoying themselves lurking in the background ;-)

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