--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- *APCNews, the monthly newsletter of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)* - February 2000 No. 7 - --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- RESOURCES FROM APC -- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES - -- SITES OF INTEREST -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- - RESOURCES FROM APC -- NEW WEBSITE FOR APC On December 23, APC launched its new Website http://www.apc.org as a primary destination for NGOs and other social justice groups interested in using the Internet and other communications technologies to promote development and change. New sections include: *Online Events calendar - an international listing of events held *online* for peace, human rights, protection of the environment and development. *Training Materials - APC members develop a wide range of unique and practical curriculum and materials relevant to the needs of NGOs and activists. We're collecting them here. *Managing Your NGO - strategic business planning and tools online. Without a doubt, your organization has lots of information that should be included. The APC Website will push users to your site to read the resource there. If you have a suggestion for content, please send a brief description of the resource and URL to Karen Higgs, APC Web Editor . Online Events: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/calendar/ Training Materials: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/training/ Managing Your NGO: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/business/ APC BUSINESS CASE STUDIES Balancing Mission and Money: Building Sustainable Electronic Networks for Civil Society (Case studies from APC) Explore how APC members have built largely self-sustaining electronic networks for use by civil society. The path they have taken has not been easy. Balancing your mission and making money to survive at the same time is a hard act and well worth reading about. Mark Surman, independent consultant at Commons Consulting, Canada with a long-time involvement in APC, has written a report compiling the business strategies of 8 current and former APC member organizations during the late 1980s and 90s based on interviews with key players in the development of APC networks. Case Studies include Econnect (Czech Republic), ENDA (Senegal), GreenSpider (Hungary), INTERCOM (Ecuador), SANGONeT (South Africa) and Web Networks (Canada) and are available in English and very soon in Spanish. APC Business Case Studies: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/business/buscase/index.htm --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- - NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- COLNODO, Colombia: Urban Planning Databases go online for Development A few days ago, Julian Casasbuenas, director of Colnodo, APC member in Colombia, flew to Ecuador to deliver the final version of an interactive information system created for the Urban Management Program for Latin America and the Caribbean, a program designed to support more democratic urban management at the local level in the Region. The main aim of the information system, which has been under development since June last year, was to provide quick and easy access to the information housed in Urbanet, a large-scale database of information collected by the Urban Management Program. Online, or consulting a CD-ROM especially designed with the less computer-literate in mind, users can access Urbanet databases for lessons learned, manuals and guides, information on organizations and projects, publications and reports, city profiles, and directories of experts and other professionals in urban planning and processes. Urban Management Program: http://www.pgualc.org COLNODO, Colombia: Inauguration of Public Internet Access Kiosks in Marginal Colombian Neighbourhoods In December, Colnodo's Public Internet Kiosks were inaugurated by the German ambassador to Colombia. The kiosks have been working since mid 1999 and are a good example of the work being done by Colnodo to provide Unidades Informativas Barriales (Neighbourhood Information Centres) in several urban and marginal communities in Bogota. The communities of Suba, Bosa and San Cristobal all have public information centres with Internet connections provided and maintained by Colnodo, and the neighbourhoods themselves are trained to run the centres. Public Internet Kiosks: http://planeta.colnodo.apc.org INTERCOM, Ecuador: New Spanish-language Portal devoted to free computer Operating System LINUX INTERCOM, APC member in Ecuador, has launched a portal entirely devoted to the free LINUX computer operating system. Why LINUX? Because LINUX is the most powerful, stable and secure operating system available today and you don't need to buy a license to be able to use it. What's more, LINUX offers the same functionality as Microsoft Office. You can word process, edit text and images, create Web pages, receive and send email, send faxes, and much more. At the INTERCOM LINUX portal, you can get information about LINUX, programs to help you install it yourself, user manuals, information about compatible software, technical support and advice, all in Spanish! INTERCOM - Nodo Ecuanex (http://www.ecuanex.net.ec), is a not-for-profit Internet Solution Provider, founded in 1990 by a group of 21 NGOs and academic institutions. It was the first electronic communication organization to serve the development community in Ecuador. Visit the LINUX portal in Spanish: http://linux.ecuanex.net.ec NODO50, Part of Ipanex, Spanish State: New Homepage and New Tools at Nodo50 Nodo50 has a new homepage on their Website which features daily news from the wide range of social justice organizations hosted by Nodo50. Nodo50 clients can now read their email on the Web at: http://www.nodo50.org/correoweb New Nodo50 Homepage:http://www.nodo50.org --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- - COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES -- COLLABORATION REQUESTED - Publicize Potential Environmental Disaster in Sri Lanka Publicity is needed by the growing international campaign against an attempt by Freeport-McMoRan, under their alias "IMC-Agrico", to strip mine the ancient Sri Lankan heartland for phosphate-rich apatite. Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. has spent more than a decade secretly negotiating the proposed mining agreement with the Sri Lankan Government. A massive outcry from residents of the affected area -- made public in numerous petitions, mass rallies, marches, acts of civil disobedience, a Fundamental Rights petition currently being heard by the Sri Lanka Supreme Court, etc. -- and a virtually unanimous condemnation by Sri Lankan scientists, scholars, journalists, environmentalists, religious leaders, trade unions and even some politicians, has been literally ignored by the (bribed) Sri Lankan Government. Jon Walters , the elected International Representative (Jatyantara Niyojita) of the grassroots Committee Protecting the Eppawala Phosphate Deposit writes: "Any advice and/or help that APC and APC members can give me for getting this issue more publicity, for putting pressure on Freeport-McMoRan and its accomplices, etc. will be greatly appreciated. A whole network of Japanese environmentalist organizations is currently involved in a massive campaign to convince Tomen Corporation -- which is considering financing the operation -- to withdraw." Extensive visual and textual documentation of the history and society of the region, the plans for its decimation, links to electronic articles about the issue, and the local protest movement can be found on on the Americans for Eppawala Website: http://people.whitman.edu/~walterjs/ COLLABORATION REQUESTED - Fundraising Information for new APC Partner in South Korea Co-working with numerous other Korean NGOs, Jinbonet, APC's newest partner based in South Korea, has recently launched a searchable directory service for Korean NGOs and a portal site for socially-conscious Koreans (see Sites of Interest). They are now looking for funding to produce a similar social directory but this time, more ambitiously, focused on the whole of Asia and Asian NGOs. They are inexperienced in fundraising and need helpful suggestions regarding donor organizations. If you can collaborate, please contact Della . --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- SITES OF INTEREST - Jinbonet Directory of Progressive Korean NGOs Collaborating with numerous Korean NGOs, Jinbonet, APC's newest partner in Asia, has set up a directory search service for Korean NGOs and launched a portal site for the Korean Social movement. And now you can search the directory and get the results in English! http://english.jinbo.net [English language Website] [Produced by Jinbonet, APC partner in South Korea] - Pinochet Behind Bars (Pinochet entre rejas) Nodo50's campaign with information on the detention of former Chilean dictator, Pinochet in London. http://www.nodo50.org/entrerejas/ [Spanish language Website] [Produced by Nodo50, part of IPANEX, APC member in the Spanish State] - Dividing the Peace to Invest in Peace (Dividendo de paz. Invertir en Paz) Campaign by the coordinator of ONGD for the development of the Spanish State and against military spending with social costs. http://www.congde.org/dividendodepaz/ [Spanish language Website] [Produced by Nodo50, part of IPANEX, APC member in the Spanish State] - Ten years of Human Development Reports available on CD- ROM from the UNDP The UNDP Human Development Report is now available on CD- ROM - all 10 years of it. Readers will be able to track the fortunes of 174 countries across the spectrum of human achievements and deprivations. All 10 Reports can be searched by topic, country and/or year, with each year's text available in interactive HTML and downloadable PDF formats. A statistical database can be used to customize tables and color charts. For additional information: http://www.undp.org/hdro/cdrom.html --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- The material for this newsletter is compiled and edited by the APC Web Editor, 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 c.1999 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).