--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- *APCNews, the monthly newsletter of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)* - February 2001 No. 17 - --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- -- NEWS FROM APC -- -- NEWS FROM OUR PROGRAMMES -- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS -- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES -- -- ONLINE EVENTS -- -- SITES OF INTEREST -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- Colnodo, Colombia: "We can't allow the war to go on; It is pushing us over the edge": Colombian civil society demonstrate their support for reopening dialogue with armed groups Ongoing conflict inside Colombia inspired a variety of civil society actors to work together on campaigns and public demonstrations in favour of finding peaceful solutions to the crisis. In the final weeks of January, Colombian civil society organisations and local figures met together in support of re- opening peace talks between the Colombian government and armed guerrilla groups. Read: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=133508f591d06c0558605c7aa7556291 Colnodo, Colombia: Innovative Colombian APC member launches their new Website Colnodo launched a new portal-style Website for 2001. The site features their groundbreaking, open-source based e-commerce and database solutions for NGOs and foundations, a job bank (Bolsa de Empleo), project information, as well as details of the specialised services that Colnodo offers its NGO and civil society clients. Read: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=7cdca10c294aca28d1da5907f6ac836c c2o: Digital artists at work in Taipei international arts festival c2o partner, Toy Satellite, is producing an electronic music and video performance, "Sunset Serpent", for the Taipei International Arts Festival. This will involve a street party/rave promoting drug-free youth culture. Four members from Toy Satellite will perform and DJ alongside live video, VJ, and visual mixing. And a contemporary Taiwanese dance company will accompany the performances. Read: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=f3b87372f526e713c2162fea9d5cf436 GreenNet, UK: GreenNet is the "Best Buy" for ethical Internet users in the United Kingdom Ethical Consumer magazine, a guide to more environmental and socially aware consumption, has selected GreenNet, APC member in London, as the "best buy" for those looking for an ethical Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the United Kingdom. The Ethical Consumer study looked at the 10 largest UK ISPs and 2 alternative ISPs (GreenNet and Poptel) and evaluated them on issues such as: environmental reporting, pollution, oppressive regimes, workers' rights, and irresponsible marketing. GreenNet scored the top rating in all categories and is voted as the best buy, followed by Poptel and WorldOnline. Read: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=233f6674571ac7176f87c2da81a78d28 JCA-NET, Japan: LaborNet Japan to be launched February 10 JCA-NET, APC's member network in Tokyo, is working around the clock with trade unionists, and media activists to launch "LaborNet Japan", a Website devoted to promoting workers' rights nationally and internationally. Groups currently involved include Zenkowan Union, a Japanese dockers' union which organised solidarity actions with Liverpool workers during the mid 1990s, Asia Pacific Workers' Solidarity Links, a regional network of independent trade unions in the Asia Pacific region, and Video Press, an organisation that produces video programming on and for the labour movement. The site is in Japanese but will have a section in English as soon as time allows. We'll keep you informed. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM APC -- Communications groups make recommendations to the World Social Forum Workshop on Communication and Citizenship The World Social Forum, Porto Alegre, Brazil, January 27-28 Porto Alegre, Brazil, January 30, 2001 -- The World Social Forum met for the first time from January 25-30, in rejection of the current situation of commercial globalisation by financial and commercial institutions and to propose that "another world is possible". APC, Latin American Information Agency (ALAI), and WomenAction, an international network of women in new media, offered a workshop on Communication and Citizenship attended by social and citizens' organisations, media, journalists, and associations. Ignacio Ramonet, director of Le Monde Diplomatique, eminent Brazilian sociologist, Emir Sader, and Monique Simard, women's advocate from Quebec, amongst others, gave a series of critical and often pessimistic commentaries regarding the crisis in journalism and the media at this moment, and the domination of mass media by three major global corporations. Workshop participants made a series of recommendations to the Forum regarding inclusion of communication as a theme in the next forum. Read the recommendations: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=b6532e3c4ae936745fcd76b6ecb49ae1 APC 'ActionApps' Set to Launch APC is on the verge of launching its ActionApps software. APC ActionApps are Website plug-ins for NGOs. Using simple to fill forms, they empower the people who create information to publish it online themselves (e.g., in a news listing, calendar, or membership directory). And ActionApps' Content Pooling technology lets multiple NGOs exchange articles between their Websites, helping each to reach new audiences. A Website that explains and demonstrates how to use APC ActionApps, will be available from APC's main site by mid- February. Be sure to visit our site then. And for open source software developers, a new version of the software has just been released at www.sourceforge.net/projects/apc-aa. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM OUR PROGRAMMES -- APC WNSP: Women In Sync: A three-part publication from the Women's Programme In May 2000, APC celebrated 10 years of building an international Internet community for environment, human rights, development and peace. A major part of that celebration is due to the ground-breaking work of APC's Women's Networking Support Programme (WNSP). APC WNSP began in the early 1990s and continues to be one of the strongest Internet-based women's networks in the world. After eight years of incubating women's networking projects and working together online, APC WNSP has just published "Women in Sync" a collection of stories and experiences of the women and organisations who have become a part of the APC WNSP network. "Women in Sync" is designed to be a toolkit to encourage and support women's electronic networking. Read: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=513c5059ac10bc2941970b3881eb2e05 APC WNSP: Women from sixteen countries meet to build an ICT gender evaluation tool Thirty-five women from 16 countries participated in APC WNSP's workshop on "Building An ICT Gender Evaluation Tool" from January 17- 21 in Manila, Philippines. The workshop was held to develop a framework for integrating a gender perspective in the evaluation of the social impacts of ICT (information and communications technologies) initiatives, and to build the capacity of WNSP in ICT evaluation. Read: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=bd17f40232f44bf587a3ec8fdf23380f --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS -- National Update: Universal Telecommunications Service principles being drafted in South Africa Johannesburg, January 29, 2001 -- A new telecommunications Act was passed in South African in 1996. Now, not surprising in such a fast changing sector, people are going back to the drawing board to work on new legislation. On Monday, 29 January 2001, Anriette Esterhuysen, APC's executive director and communications worker in South Africa for over a decade, attended a workshop convened by the Link Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg to discuss Universal Service issues. Discussion was intense and dynamic, but demonstrated that, while there is general consensus about universal service targets, there is not much agreement on how to achieve those targets. Read: http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=ed8a9e6b9811c7e1cec22bf2c17c4b0c --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES -- APC: Online Resource Centre Project Co-ordinator wanted Working with APC member organisations, and our project partners, the Co-ordinator will lead the development of APC's Online Resource Centre, as well as implement online training events. APC is offering this full-time position on the basis of a one year contract. Apply by: February 5, 2001 Read more: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/orc_coord.htm Instituto Regional de Bienestar y Desarrollo (Peru): Equipment for telecentre needed The Regional Institute for Welfare and Development in Piura, Peru is looking for twenty Internet-ready computers to use in their Training and Information Centre for young people on low incomes. If you can help them, please contact ong_irebids@yahoo.es and they will be happy to give you more information. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- EVENTS -- Free Course on GNU/Linux for Colombian Schools 1 - 25 February, online 3- 31 March, Bogotá, Colombia Knowledge and Information Systems of the Urban Poor in Developing Countries 22 January - 30 March, online 'dot civ'' a Canadian Civil Society Consultation around the 'dot force' initiative 25 January - 13 April IV Latin American and the Caribbean Workshop on Internet Network Technology / V Latin American School of Networking 28 May - 2 June, Merida, Venezuela Symposium on Information and Communications Technology and Law in Argentina 10 - 14 September, Buenos Aires, Argentina URBARED - learning and building a new social policy for Latin America cities Ongoing, online For information on all these events, visit Online Events: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/calendar/ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- SITES OF INTEREST -- FIRST MONDAY First Monday is a free, monthly peer-reviewed journal about the Internet, published on the Internet. It frequently covers issues related to Internet use in the South. The January 2001 issue of First Monday (volume 6, number 1) includes articles on: Internet, Innovation, and Open Source: Actors in the Network; and Censorship and Protest: The Regulation of BBS in China People Daily. First Monday: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_1/ THE STOCKHOLM CHALLENGE AWARD The Stockholm Challenge Award is a non profit initiative whose task is to spread knowledge and encourage the use of information technology. The essence of the Challenge is to reduce barriers and make information available. The prize organisers are looking for IT-projects which engage and inform people and offer them a new way to develop and improve their lives. The contest is free and projects can compete in seven categories: New Economy, Education, Health and Quality of Life, Public Services and Democracy, Culture and Entertainment, Environment, a Global Village. Visit: http://www.challenge.stockholm.se to fill in the entry form by March 1. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- APCNews, in English, and APCNoticias, in Spanish, are distributed the first week of every month by APC, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), the international Internet community for peace, human rights, development and the environment. APCNews Archive: http://www.apc.org/english/news/apcnews/ Copyright. 2001 Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Permission is granted to use this document for personal use, for training and educational publications, and activities by peace, environmental, human rights or development organizations. Please provide an acknowledgment to APC.