--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- *APCNews, the monthly newsletter of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)* - August 2000 No. 12 - --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- -- NEWS FROM APC -- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS -- -- ONLINE TOOLS -- -- ONLINE EVENTS -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS COMLINK, Germany - Technical Problems Plaguing Global Internet Administrator Adversely Affect International Community's Participation in ICANN Process HANOVER, Germany, July 29 - On the eve of the deadline for voter registration in the first Internet governance elections, a small Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Germany appears to have proved that server congestion at the ICANN registration site could have been avoided and voter participation diversified. Christian Schulze, computer technician at the non-profit ISP, ComLink, spent little more than two hours yesterday to come up with an alternative registration form which bypasses ICANN's troubled server and registers prospective voters almost instantly. Yesterday and today, NGOs and other users were hurrying to use Schulze's quick fix to register new at-large members before the July 31 deadline. However, online social justice and Internet rights groups fear that it is too late to ensure wide-spread and diverse civil society participation in this election -- ICANN's attempt to address public concern about corporate domination of its board. More: http://www.apc.org/english/news/archive/com_001.htm GREENNET, UK - GreenNet and APC on Internet Rights and the British RIP Bill: We're Making News July 11, 2000 -- After recent press articles on the RIP bill GreenNet was asked by a number of journalists to give their position on what would happen if the bill became law. GreenNet issued the following statement: "GreenNet are considering the implications for our users' privacy of information and our legal position in defending that privacy if the RIP Bill becomes law. One of our options would be to move to another location not bound by UK law. We are in discussion with Poptel (another British ISP) about how we can work together on this issue, as we have similar concerns about the proposed bill and its implications for civil society. More: http://www.apc.org/english/news/archive/gn_004.htm INTERCOM, Ecuador - Latin American Anti-Corruption Network Spreads the Word Online Ecuador's Red Civica Anticorrupcion (Civil Anti-Corruption Network) is debating online in a very active discussion list put online by INTERCOM, APC's member organization in Ecuador. The list was created to share and make better use of information provided by individuals, institutions, social networks, grass-roots groups, and international organisations, who have banded together to fight corruption. More: http://www.apc.org/english/news/archive/int_006.htm --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM APC -- NGO presence at ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council of the United Nations) almost non-existent: APC pushes for implementation of the recommended "International ICT Action Plan" NEW YORK, USA, July 11, 2000 -- Last week's meeting largely consisted of panel discussions by experts, and presentations by ministers (or their designates) from each member state on its national and international commitments to supporting the implementation of ICTs for development. There was almost no NGO presence. A few minutes in the last hour of the last day of the meeting were allocated to NGO commentary on the Expert Panel report. More: http://www.apc.org/english/about/work/ecosoc_0700.htm --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS -- AROUND THE ICANN ELECTIONS - Special Reports INTERNET RIGHTS NEWS: Major Outcome of the Civil Society Forum in Yokohama: Launch of the Civil Society Internet Forum (CSIF) 31 July, 2000 -- Members of civil society organizations from around the globe, including APC, met in Yokohama, Japan in July 2000 to launch a new framework for the creation of a global Internet community. Participants in the meeting agreed to two basic goals of the Civil Society Internet Forum in principle: to make the Internet a ground and instrument for global civil society beyond national boundaries; and to work for the democratization of the Internet and Internet governance. More: http://www.apc.org/english/news/archive/ir_004.htm INTERNET RIGHTS NEWS: Challenges to Privacy on the Internet -Criminal Justice and Human Rights Lawyers in Japan attention captured by APC TOKYO, Japan, July 19 2000 -- Following yesterday's highly successful public seminars and press conference on Internet surveillance and the APC Civil Society Internet Rights Initiative, APC and JCA-Net, APC's Japanese member organization, were invited today to conduct a further seminar, specifically for lawyers, at the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA). More: http://www.apc.org/english/news/archive/ir_003.htm INTERNET RIGHTS NEWS: Internet Rights at risk in Japan, Korea and the UK - Civil Society response becomes global TOKYO, Japan, July 18, 2000 -- Around 200 people attended a public seminar this evening organised by APC and JCA-Net as part of APC's Civil Society Internet Rights Initiative. Earlier in the day, a meeting and press conference held at the Japanese Diet (Parliament) had attracted about 60 Diet members and media reporters. The central theme of the day's events was "surveillance" and the campaign against Japan's Wiretapping Act which gives the Japanese police powers to intercept e-mail and other forms of digital communication. More: http://www.apc.org/english/news/archive/ir_002.htm INTERNET RIGHTS NEWS: Civil Society organizes for the first time to counter-balance dominance of Internet governance by government and business YOKOHAMA, Japan, July 13, 2000 -- "Historic". That was the word used frequently by speakers at the Civil Society Forum to describe the event. For the first time, civil society representatives from around the world met to assert their right to be represented on the ICANN Board. Packing a room close to the registration desk at the official Yokohama ICANN meeting, the number of people who took part in the forum surprised even the organisers. At a pre-meeting, event organizers, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), APC and JCA-NET, APC's Japanese member organization, had concluded that the meeting could be considered a big success if 50 people attended. In fact, more than 70 packed the room across the way from the ICANN delegates. More: http://www.apc.org/english/news/archive/ir_001.htm APC-ICANN AWARENESS-RAISING CAMPAIGN ICANN STATISTICS: At-large Membership Registration Closed July 31, 2000 Preliminary total registration numbers by region are: Africa - 787 Asia/Australia/Pacific - 93,782 Europe - 35,942 Latin America/Caribbean- 6,486 North America - 21,596 [From ICANN Press Release: July 31, 2000 http://members.icann.org] ICANN: THE NEXT STEPS: Getting civil society candidates elected to the ICANN board - Important dates - How the ICANN board nomination process works - How we will decide 'our' candidates - What you can do - Vote for a civil society candidate in August - If you want to select pro-civil society candidates Read more: http://www.apc.org/english/rights/governance/ [Internet Rights For Civil Society is just one of APC's three Action Areas. To find out more visit APC Action Areas 2000-2001: http://www.apc.org/english/about/work/action_areas_01.htm] --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE TOOLS --- Vocational and Technical Training in ICT TechKnowlogia: Vol 2 Issue 4 Jul/August 2000 TechKnowLogia is an international online journal that provides policy makers, strategists, practitioners and technologists at the local, national and global levels with a strategic forum to: - Explore the vital role of different information technologies (print, audio, visual and digital) in the development of human and knowledge capital; - Share policies, strategies, experiences and tools in harnessing technologies for knowledge dissemination, effective learning, and efficient education services; - Review the latest systems and products of technologies of today, and peek into the world of tomorrow; and - Exchange information about resources, knowledge networks and centers of expertise. The thematic focus of this issue of the journal is Vocational and Technical training, and includes articles such as: Low-Investment Internet-Based Distance Learning Solutions: Systems and Procedures; and High Tech/Grassroots Education: Community Learning Centers (CLCs) for Skill Building TechKnowlogia: http://www.TechKnowLogia.org/ -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE EVENTS -- CONTROVERSIAL WORLD BANK WEBSITE - GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT GATEWAY - UP FOR DISCUSSION ONLINE PREPARATIONS FOR UNITED NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM Now till August 31 More: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/calendar/00_08.htm --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- The material for this newsletter is compiled and edited by the APC Communications Manager, Karen Higgs . APCNews, in English, and APCNoticias, in Spanish, are distributed the first week of every month. An archive of APCNews can be found at http://www.apc.org/english/news/apcnews/index.htm Copyright 2000. Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Permission is granted to use this document for personal use and for training and educational publications and activities by peace, environmental, human rights or development organizations, provided an acknowledgment is given to the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).