--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- *APCNews, the monthly newsletter of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)* - April 2001 No. 18 - --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- -- NEWS FROM APC -- -- NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS -- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS -- -- ONLINE TOOLS -- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES - -- ONLINE EVENTS -- -- SITES OF INTEREST -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- COLNODO, COLOMBIA: Mapping communities digitally in Bogota Colnodo, APC´s member in Colombia, is helping grassroots groups and communities literally map their problem areas on a computer screen. The geo-referencing maps look just like common street plans. The difference is that these maps are available online and are annotated by the members of the communities themselves, allowing them to plot geographically where particular factories, schools, rivers, etc., are located in the neighbourhood. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=7208fa55989312c051c4e05a01805725 ENDA, SENEGAL: Information and communication technologies (ICT) for the promotion of gender equality in Senegal ENDA Third-World, APC member in Dakar, in partnership with Siggil Jigeen, has launched "Information and Communication Technologies supporting women's gender equality programmes in Senegal". The project aims to raise public awareness of the need to replace the notions of "marital power" and "paternal power" with ideas of "joint parenting" and "joint responsibility for the family". This will be done through research, content production, information and communication, training and lobbying - using the many tools offered by the Internet. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=6c957f436d725d790c5ec177d26d15f8 ECONNECT, CZECH REPUBLIC: The "Death of Czech TV" and the emergence of a new independent visual medium In late 2000, a controversy over a threat to the supposed independence of public television in the Czech Republic led to the appearance of articles in the national press proclaiming dramatically the "death of public television". To put some perspective on the actual state of broadcasting in this day and age, sociologist and ecologist, Bohuslav Blazek, took a digital camera and made a documentary about the events based on a series of interviews with politicians, members of parliament, and television employees. He then published the documentary on the Internet. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=ffe72f9dbc35f36f010dd5b9d3d25d0d ECONNECT, CZECH REPUBLIC: Econnect Press Service ranked fifth amongst 500 NGO initiatives March 8, 2001 -- Three Czech foundations (VIA Foundation, Civilia, and NROS) presented the "Prorok 2000", an award that is aimed at inspiring NGOs while at the same time providing hard- earned publicity for innovative social projects. Judges from the media and activists involved at the grassroots of civil society action placed Econnect's Press Service fifth out of a total of five hundred projects created by Czech NGOs. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=e4069c772d30b39e47cf06aa58dc2c74 ECONNECT, CZECH REPUBLIC: Volunteering Portal launched in the Czech Republic 2001 is the Year of the Volunteer and Econnect, APC member in Prague, launched a portal focusing on volunteering and related topics for one year starting March 29. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=7392a9e609363f7657ee4dadd9d171a1 GREENNET, UK: GreenNet gets funding to expand Internet training The GreenNet Education Trust (GET) has been awarded funding from the European Social Fund (ESF). This funding will partially fund renovations to the training room and improve training facilities at GreenNet, APC member in London, over a two year period. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=d9f39b350b7715c64d715eb47d7b4c3e INTERCOM, Ecuador: APC member gets United Nations Ecuador Document Centre online INTERCOM, APC member in Ecuador, has launched a public site for the Document Centre of the United Nations in Ecuador. The online centre is a result of the reform going on at the United Nations aimed at "broadening and strengthening services". http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=cb5e6133e49e846665e5ac7f968abc67 INTERCOM, Ecuador: Ecuadorian non-profit communications specialists unite to give civil society a voice nationally Alternative multimedia organisations in Ecuador have joined together to create Altermedios, an association they hope will build and support democratisation of communications nationally. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=9f7266212e4db0db06145d91465887ec JCA-NET, JAPAN: The launch of LaborNet Japan Following successful efforts in the US, UK and South Korea to network workers online, LaborNet Japan, a portal for the Japanese labour movement, was launched on February 10. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=539c8dd69478c0642b6bdec8faae8a84 SANGONET, SOUTH AFRICA: New Website APC's member in South Africa has a new look Website. Visit it at: http://www.sn.apc.org/ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM APC -- Announcing a new APC Award: the APC Africa Hafkin Communications Prize APC's Africa Programme is pleased to announce the inaugural APC Africa 'Hafkin' Prize to honour the work of Dr. Nancy J. Hafkin, who has been a pioneer and innovator in the area of networking, development information, and electronic communications in Africa, over the course of a twenty-three year career. The competition for the USD$7,500.00 Hafkin prize is open to civil society organisations, government institutions, educational organisations, community-based groups, networks, social movements or individuals anywhere in Africa that have successfully initiated and implemented projects that involve the use of ICTs for development and social justice. The theme for the 2001 Hafkin Prize is: *** Women-Led, Women-Informed, Women-Inspired Initiatives *** Visit the APC Africa Hafkin Prize website now for nomination details, and stay tuned, we'll announce the winner in August! Hafkin Prize: http://www.apc.org/english/hafkin New Appointments: Africa and Latin America Internet Rights co- ordinators join APC projects Wawa Ngenge joins APC, as our half-time Africa ICT Policy Monitor Project Co-ordinator, from the SDNP office in Yaounde, Cameroon where he has been working as national co- ordinator of SDNP Cameroon (Sustainable DevelopmentNetworking Programme). In addition to his new APC responsibilities, Wawa is active on many ICT policy fronts in Africa -- as an ISOC trustee, as well as an awareness-raiser on ICANN issues. He is also a primary motivator behind SchoolNet in Cameroon. Roberto Roggiero is Project Co- ordinator for APC's ICT Policy Monitor in Latin America and the Caribbean. Based at INTERCOM - Ecuanex, APC's member network in Quito, Ecuador, Roberto brings years of ICT and development experience as INTERCOM's Executive Director. According to Roberto, while ICT Policy issues have received minimal attention among NGOs and activists, the need to pay attention to developments in the Internet market and Internet governance in the region is growing day by day. "With the privatisation of telecommunications in Latin America, the right to communicate over the Internet will be affected not only by government actions but by corporate decisions. For that reason, civil society needs to have their awareness raised about the potential in using the Internet to communicate, and therefore the risks to the right to communicate that would come about if that communication is limited or barriers to its freedom put up." Read more about APC and Internet Rights: http://www.apc.org/english/rights/ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS -- CHANGENET, SLOVAKIA: NGO news in English from Slovakia In March, ChangeNet launched an English version of its comprehensive news service focused on civil society in Slovakia. The news brings you a selection of the most significant articles published in the Slovak newspapers daily. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=8b7a6610bc0bb9b9f5660315e7ba2ead --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS -- APC's Europe Internet Rights initiative organises communications activists to keep the Internet a secure and accessible tool for social justice PRAGUE, Czech Republic, February 22 2001 -- "Leave the Internet alone". This was the core message addressed to governments and big business by a group of lawyers, computer programmers, academics, and communications activists from East and West Europe who gathered in Prague from February 18 to 22 to plan a defence of the Internet for social justice work during a workshop organised by APC's Europe Internet Rights project. "APC is committed to giving a voice to activists and civil society groups who want to defend the Internet as an accessible and secure communications medium", says Karen Banks, APC Europe Internet Rights project manager. In the past, APC members and partners defended Website content that had been threatened by unreasonable government and commercial interests in South Korea, South Africa, the UK and Spain. At the Prague conference, the participants discussed various strategies to respond to these threats. Among these is a Rapid Response Network (RRN) that would set up a technically and legally robust system to automatically replicate threatened content across the Internet within 24 hours. More: http://www.apc.org/english/press/archive/apc_p014.htm APC Launches our new Internet Rights Website - with a special focus on Europe APC currently has three regional Internet rights (IR) projects underway - in Europe, Latin America and now Africa. The European project is the most developed, having started in mid 2000. You can see the first reports from the APC Europe Civil Society Internet Rights project (APC IR Europe) come online now. More information will be added over the next weeks and months including: * APC's "Rapid Response Network" site mirroring strategy and procedures * Online resource kit of Internet Rights educational documents and case studies * Raising civil society awareness of issues and document-specific response strategies * Europe Internet Rights policy monitor database * Active Europe and global Internet Rights working groups http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=eb428a57285afb46d58053fbf7a229bb --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE TOOLS -- LAUNCH OF THE APC ActionApps: Collaborative Web-publishing tools for not-for-profits APC is pleased to announce the launch of the APC ActionApps. The APC ActionApps make professional Web publishing fast... easy... affordable. Plus APC ActionApps' Content Pooling technology can increase your audience like never before. To find out more about APC ActionApps, visit the APC ActionApps Website. It: .. explains clearly what the ActionApps do: how ActionApps can help NGOs publish better and faster online and how Content Pooling can save time and build audience .. offers a live interactive ActionApps demonstration: visitors can try this hands-on online demonstration adding their own news article to a fictitious Website driven by ActionApps .. shows how organisations can use the ActionApps: links to real-life examples and illustrates how ActionApps are a solution for organisations that need to share the burden of keeping their Websites current, cheaply, while building traffic at the same time .. builds links between the not-for-profit community and the open source/free software developer communities: through the Website, developers can learn about - and join - the software development project behind the APC ActionApps .. lists APC members currently offering the ActionApps service: more will be added in the next few months, especially when the service in Spanish is made available This Website will be available very shortly in Spanish. The APC ActionApps Website in English is now online at: http://www.apc.org/actionapps/ -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES - JINBONET, SOUTH KOREA: Workers fired by Daewoo Motors need your support The workers at Daewoo Motors have gone out on strike against the lay-offs of 1,750 workers at the beginning of the year. Since then the South Korean government has brutally repressed the workers, sending in riot police to break up the strike. Workers, students, and social movement activists have been engaged in an all-out battle against the government ever since, resulting in the arrest of dozens and the injury of hundreds. APC partner in Korea, Jinbonet, has produced a Website to catalogue the government's violent treatment of the strikers and protesters, and to demand redress for the workers. Please support the Daewoo workers campaign in any way you can, including sending messages of support. Financial contributions are also urgently needed. The Daewoo Struggle: http://dwtubon.nodong.net/english/ CHANGENET, SLOVAKIA: Volunteer English editors needed, few hours per month APC partner in Slovakia, ChangeNet is looking for native English volunteers to proofread and correct their English translations of news articles focusing on civil society in Slovakia to go on their news portal. The work involved should not take more than a few hours per month, as ChangeNet already has several volunteers working on the project, however they would like to balance the load. ChangeNet is the most cited non-profit news source in Slovakia. If you would like to collaborate, please contact: Norbert Brazda brazda@changenet.sk FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, EUROPE: Save the Kyoto climate treaty! Flood George Bush with your e-mails! The world is on the brink of climate disaster today, as the White House confirmed that President George W. Bush has decided to pull out of the 1997 Kyoto Treaty. At Kyoto, the world's developed countries agreed for the first time to cut emissions of climate changing gases. White House officials have taken legal advice on how to pull out of the Treaty, which the US signed but which remains unratified by the Senate. The United States, with 5% of the world's population, emits more than 20% of the world's carbon dioxide, the main climate-changing gas. The US promised to cut emissions by 7% over 1990 levels by 2012 at the latest, but US emissions in fact rose by more than 10% between 1990 and 2000. For more information visit http://www.foeeurope.org/climate or e-mail protest@foeeurope.org PAKISTAN CENTRE FOR PHILANTHROPY, ISLAMABAD: Three Posts Open The founding Board on Indigenous Philanthropy is pleased to announce the establishment of the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy in Islamabad. This Centre would help others to do philanthropy through action research, publications, pilot demonstrations, training and other technical support services. The Centre's founding Board, composed of some of Pakistan's most committed and respected philanthropists, NGO leaders and public officials, is now seeking motivated and experienced professionals to form the Centre's leadership team headed by the Executive Director. Posts vacant include: Executive Director, Philanthropy Services Programme Officer, and The Research & Communications Programme Officer. For more information write to: haider.ghani@akfp.org INFODEV, WORLD BANK: Grants for ICT projects for development offered InfoDev's next grant competition will close on June 1, 2001. Proposals are invited from the development community. A new format has been designed this year to reduce the work involved in preparing a proposal and as in the past, proposals will be subject to outside peer review prior to approval. The evaluation of proposals received by June 1 should be completed by the end of July, and the winners funded shortly thereafter. InfoDev expects to hold about three competitions per year, but encourage early application. The Information for Development Program InfoDev is a global grant program managed by the World Bank to promote innovative projects on the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for economic and social development, with a special emphasis on the needs of the poor in developing countries. For more information, visit the InfoDev Website: http://www.infodev.org --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE EVENTS -- Forum on Communications: Second People's Summit of the Americas Quebec City, Canada 17-19 April 2001 How will the proposed Free Trade Zone of the Americas (FTZA) impact the community and alternative media? What can be done by community media journalists, associations, and media activists to protect the Right to Communicate? Third Annual Summit: East-West Collaboration in the Development of Interactive Media Budapest, Hungary 10-11 June 2001 Global CN2001: II World Congress of Citizens' Networks Renewing Communities in the Digital Era Buenos Aires, Argentina December 5-7 Including details on submission of abstracts. For information about these events see APC's Online Events Calendar: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/calendar/ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- SITES OF INTEREST -- World Social Forum 2001: what the mass media chooses to ignore Those who want social change and were heartened by the breath of fresh air that the World Social Forum blew through progressive thinking will now have even more reason to stay mobilised. In the second week of March, the first of the documents summarising the debates at WSF-2001 were posted on the Website set up by the organisers of the January Porto Alegre, Brazil event. They include reports on the conferences and declarations issued by the hundreds of organisations present, reports and assessments. Throughout 2001, the site will offer constant updates on the mobilisations that are challenging the "New Order" so that participants in WSF-2002, also to be hosted in Porto Alegre, can make a start on exchanging ideas well before next year's encounter. WSF: http://www.worldsocialforum.org Down to Earth: a science and environmental biweekly Can online information really become a development tool for Indian villages that hardly even have electricity? This report from India's Centre for Science and the Environment surveys the issues that matter at the grassroots. http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20010215/dte_analy.htm Transparency International Integrity Awards TI's awards recognise individuals and organisations around the globe that are making a distinct difference in ending corruption. Last year's winners included Mustapha Adib, a Moroccan army captain who was condemned to five years in prison after he had exposed corruption in the Moroccan Air Force; and the Concerned Citizen's of Abra for Good Government (CCAGG), a citizens group in a remote province of the Philippines which insists that government money is not plundered but reaches the poor. Nominations can be made online by May 30, 2001. http://www.transparency.de/activities/iw_guidelines.html --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 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 organisations. Please provide an acknowledgement to APC.