--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- *APCNews, the monthly newsletter of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)* - June 2001 No. 20 - --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- -- NEWS FROM APC -- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS -- -- APC ACTION AREA: BUILDING INFORMATION COMMUNITIES -- -- ONLINE TOOLS -- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES - -- ONLINE EVENTS -- -- SITES OF INTEREST -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM THE MEMBERS -- CHASQUE/ITEM, URUGUAY: Social Watch Report 2001 launched at UN Headquarters The Social Watch Report 2001 was launched before the international community at the UN headquarters in New York on May 4th, during a discussion panel on "Social Priorities in Financing for Development". The event was chaired by the director of the UN Division for Social Policies and Development, John Langmore, with the participation of some of the key authors of the report: Roberto Bissio (Director of the Third World Institute, ITeM, Montevideo), Areli Sandoval (Equipo Pueblo, Mexico), Jens Martens (from the German NGO WEED) and Sonia Correa (IBASE, Brazil). John Langmore introduced the Social Watch initiative to the audience and referred to the role played by the network and the report with regard to international negotiations on social development issues. He specially highlighted the key role played by Social Watch in the critique of the "Better World for All" report published by the OECD, the World Bank, the IMF and the UN Secretary General. Langmore underscored the "huge impact" of Roberto Bissio's speech at the NGO Forum in Geneva (June 2000) where he questioned the report which had just been introduced by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. According to John Langmore, the immediate and emphatic reaction from Social Watch decisively prevented this initiative from prospering. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=0b7dd1afa30d128dae1c535feffea0b7 c2o, AUSTRALIA: Pegasus domain (peg.apc.org) to go! Regretfully, c2o, APC member in Australia will discontinue hosting of the peg.apc.org domain address from September 1, 2001. Until recently, redirection and forwarding accounts had sustained the availability of the original Pegasus Networks domain address. Pegasus was the first national Internet provider, outside of academia, in Australia and one of the founding members of APC. Pegasus commenced services in 1989 and was folded firstly into Microplex in 1997, then Optus in 1998. Pegasus not only provided networking infrastructure, vision and resources to countless initiatives in Australia, it was active in the Pacific Rim, supporting projects such as Pactok, Interdoc/AsiaLink, IDRC's PAN Asia Networking and collaborated with numerous community organisations and individuals in the region. c2o, AUSTRALIA: Unheard History of Cyberspace c2o partner, Toy Satellite, has released an album of critical soundworks from the Department of Ongoing Digital Situations (DOODS). DOODS formed in the mid-90s, responding to the corporatisation of public media, public communication technologies and public education. They launched their much-exhibited Website in 1995. DOODS co-founder, Ion Van Gemsy's "Unheard History of Cyberspace", is a map of sonic activity occurring in parallel with significant social and personal markers identifying the public advance onto the Internet. The "Unheard History of Cyberspace" is dedicated to the social activists who shaped and extended the net across Asia from the late 80s to the early 90s, some of whom appear in sound fragments recorded by composer and former Internet activist, Andrew Garton. Secret City: http://www.toysatellite.org/secession/ COLNODO, COLOMBIA: Colnodo develops all-Spanish software to measure the impact of community telecentres For the last year, Colnodo has been developing a low-cost, easy-to-use, electronic registration system that allows the capture of information to measure and assess the use and impact of public telecentres based in urban/marginal zones and used for development purpose (such as education, democracy and citizen participation, human rights, conflict resolution, environmental protection, etc.). The system, which was made public for the first time at the end of May, facilitates the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data, which can then be applied in different impact evaluation methodologies, at any stage of the project process - which marks a break-through for telecentre owners, evaluators, donors, and researchers in Latin America. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=cb1ae55cfcc785161ce99609edcc3bf5 COLNODO, COLOMBIA: Women-run telecentres in Bogota are a model As part of the information made available for the Americas Summit held in Quebec in April, the Organisation of American States (OAS) has just published a series of digital videos on connectivity in the Americas focusing on the experience of telecentres established in Latin America and the Caribbean. One of the projects highlighted is the Neighbourhood Information Kiosks initiative begun and now supported by APC member Colnodo, in Suba, Bosa and San Cristobal, three marginal barrios in Bogota. The Neighbourhood Information Kiosks are entirely women-run. Connectivity in the Americas: http://www.americascanada.org/politics/connectivity/connactivities/cangovt-e.asp#telecentres JCA-NET, JAPAN: Japanese networkers protest threats to online privacy closer to the centre of power Japanese networkers are moving closer to the centre of Japanese government as they continue their fight against privacy-violating technology and policy, including wiretapping by law enforcement agencies. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=9e11f169c84642db35aefc41dc3bae5f WEB NETWORKS, Canada: APC's Open Source software is being used by a variety of Canadian non-profit sites Web Networks has launched its "Action Page" products based on the APC ActionApps online database tools. Groups such as Amnesty International (www.ai-lgbt.org), Community Arts Ontario (www.artsonline.ca) and various initiatives in public health dentistry (www.oaphd.on.ca), civic lobbying (www.standupfortoronto.ca) and early childhood education (www.mothercraft.ca) are using Action Pages, and a number of international development and labour initiatives are under development. For more information contact Oliver Zielke at oliver@web.net APC ActionApps: http://www.apc.org/actionapps --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- NEWS FROM APC -- New member: LaborNet, USA APC is delighted to announce that LaborNet is now a member of our international network. LaborNet was founded in 1991 to build a democratic communication network for the labour movement by linking up workers on the Internet to build solidarity, internationalism and democracy. LaborNet educates workers on how to use communication technology to support their struggles for health, safety and justice in the workplace, and continue to do this through their close support to LaborTech conferences around the world. The first regular Labor News Web page in the United States was created by LaborNet in the early 90s. Since then, LaborNet has continued to work at building labour solidarity online not only in the United States but internationally, through the APC and with independent labour communicators on the Internet. LaborNet US has supported the developments of LaborNets in Korea, in Austria and most recently in Japan. LaborNet supports a democratic labour movement with the right to communicate as a key element of democratic rights. They work to defend the Internet from censorship and the privatisation of information that would limit and destroy our rights to communicate. LaborNet has also played an important role in defending trade unionists and unorganised workers in the US and around the world who are using Websites to defend their rights. LaborNet: http://www.labornet.org/ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- APC ACTION AREA: INTERNET RIGHTS-- EUROPE: Internet Censorship case studies Belgrade's Radio B92 was famous for not following the Serbian government line during the wars in the 1990s and even broadcast its uncensored news in audio streams online and via email bulletins in order to maintain its independence. However, in 1998, B92's servers were shut down. Find out how they continued to publish despite the censorship. You can read this case study, and others commissioned especially by APC, at: http://www.apc.org/english/rights/censorship/cases/ [in English] EUROPE: The State of Internet Rights in Europe - APC's Country Reports Estonia has more computers per capita than France and Italy "Estonia is among the first of Eastern Europe's transition economies that is deemed to have the potential to enter into the European Union. The country has concentrated on economic reforms and providing public Internet access for its 1.4 million citizens. Programmes such as "Tiger Leap" began as a way of providing ICT for schools but have been expanded to help create an open and democratic Estonian information society. More than one in 10 Estonians are now on-line including residents on remote islands in the Baltic Sea. Estonia ranks among the top 15 countries in Europe in computers per capita, ahead of France and Italy." - from the APC report on Internet Rights in Finland. APC has reports on the state of Internet Rights from over a dozen European nations. See APC Europe Internet Rights Country Reports: http://www.apc.org/english/rights/europe/index.htm [in English] EUROPE: The APC Europe Internet Rights Initiative Welcomes European Parliament Draft Report on Echelon London, May 31, 2001 -- Echelon exists. Now it's official: A report published by the European parliament removes any lingering doubt. Echelon, a shadowy, US-led worldwide electronic spying network, is a reality. In the cold war, eavesdropping was aimed at military and diplomatic communications, but today it has switched to commercial targets and private individuals. Echelon computers can store millions of records on individuals, intercepting faxes, phone calls, and emails. The report was prompted by claims that the US and other nations was using Echelon to spy on European companies on behalf of American firms. Though Members of the European Parliament claim there is no conclusive proof of industrial espionage, there is concern about the threat posed to privacy. The vice-chairman of the Echelon parliamentary committee, said: "People should treat their emails like seaside postcards; that is to say put anything you like on them but don't be surprised if someone else reads them." http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=01ac1b10fae13c0a61c5292ba72d70b1 Read the full statement from APC: http://www.apc.org/english/press/archive/apc_p016.htm EUROPE: Ongoing Developments: Soon to come on APC's Internet Rights Website * A report on the state of Internet Rights in the European Union, written by Martine Paulet and Chris Bailey, specialists in European politics and public policy. Chris is APC's European IR project coordinator. * Lobbying for Internet Rights. Guidelines on how the EU and national level government bodies operate. How to lobby. Lobbying experiences, etc. APC is at present discussing concrete proposals for a joint project with the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) in this area. * Internet Rights for the Balkans. Issues of telecommunications infrastructure development and Internet access for this region in which the Internet can play an essential role in overcoming very long-standing conflicts. There will be an emphasis on youth in the region, most of whom have grown up surrounded by war and its traumas and see the communication possibilities offered by the Internet as a way to move on. "The Internet is the only free media in this country, the only way to communicate with the international public. We are making connections with young people all over the world. We are saying: 'Look at us, we are the same age, we think the same, we like the same music, we are also Europeans and we want to be part of Europe'" (From "This is Serbia calling", a new book on Radio B92). The APC Europe project is planning a meeting in Belgrade shortly to meet with B92 and develop a perspective for this work. * Community and alternative media access to Internet broadband technology. * Internet Rights at the workplace. APC Europe Internet Rights: http://www.apc.org/english/rights/europe/ LATIN AMERICA: Introducing APC's Latin American and Caribbean ICT Policy Monitor Initiative The central goal of the APC Latin American Policy Monitor (Proyecto "Monitor de Políticas de Internet en América Latina y el Caribe") is to ensure that the needs and demands of civil society in the region are taken into account at the time of developing ICT policies - especially those related to access and the appropriation of ICTs as a basic human right. An online regional consultation took place from April 24-May 11 2001, in which the main objectives and focus of the project was presented to a diverse group of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) actors and organisations for their consideration. More than 120 people representing almost all of the LAC countries took part. Input from the group determined the themes that will be researched throughout the project, and identified some of the countries where some case studies (along the lines of case studies currently going up online in the APC Europe IR initiative) will be realised. http://www.apc.org/english/news/fulltext.shtml?sh_itm=57ae3812db85801e82587a02e9aa7390 --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- APC ACTION AREA: BUILDING INFORMATION COMMUNITIES -- Knowledge is only powerful if it is linked to practice and action, and if it is locally generated. The APC aims to build new information communities, and to link and support the many that already exist and are successfully using and promoting new technologies. The "Building Information Communities" (BIC) is a key activity area in APC's Action Plan for 2000-2002 that emerged in response to a strong interest expressed by APC member organisations for the APC to work with them to develop information resources that would serve the special needs of civil society organisations. Consultation on "Building Information Communities" The goals of the consultation, which took place in February-March 2001, was to bring together online information workers from all APC members, interested partner organisations, and some specialists from the international community, to discuss what is really involved in building online information community, to consider valuable new areas for engagement, and to look at opportunities for the APC to facilitate synergy and collaboration between members working locally. The APC community identified significant information projects that respond to their organisation and users. APC member representatives are currently considering potential project proposals for actual engagement. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE TOOLS --- FAO/IADB/ITU: Telecentres for Socioeconomic and Rural Development in Latin America and the Caribbean Investment opportunities and design recommendations with a special emphasis on Central America. An executive summary and the full report may be downloaded from: http://www.iadb.org/regions/itdev/telecenters/index.htm [in English] http://www.iadb.org/ict4dev/telecentros/ [in Spanish] IDRC/Fundacion Acceso: The Internet: Why? and What for? (Thoughts on ICTs for development in Latin America and the Caribbean) Internet projects in Latin America and the Caribbean need to go beyond connectivity and technology to make meaningful contributions to development, say the authors of a new report on the Internet and development. This report by Ricardo Gomez of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Juliana Martinez of Costa Rica's Fundacion Acceso, synthesises the experiences of about 50 IDRC-funded information and communication technology (ICT) projects since 1997. http://www.acceso.or.cr/PPPP/index_en.shtml [English] http://www.acceso.or.cr/PPPP/ [Spanish] http://www.acceso.or.cr/PPPP/index_fr.shtml [French] IUDC: Annotated collection of evaluation resources in a Spanish-language portal The University Complutense of Madrid, one of the oldest academic institutions in Spain, has compiled an idiosyncratic collection of links to evaluation and participation resources in Spanish, English and other European languages. http://www.ucm.es/info/IUDC/Guia.htm [in Spanish] -- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- COLLABORATING OPPORTUNITIES - OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, UNITED NATIONS: Travel Grants for NGOs for THE World Conference Against Racism in Durban The Office of the High Commissioner has received some funding to provide financial assistance to NGOs wishing to participate in the World Conference Against Racism (31 August - 7 September) and the NGO Forum (28 August - 1 September) in Durban, South Africa. There is currently funding to provide travel grants to approximately 350 NGOs. To receive an application form and instructions contact: Laurie Wiseberg Deadline for applications: 15 June 2001 VIRGINIA TECH/NEW SCHOOL UNIVERSITY, USA: Call for Papers on Critical Practices and Theories of Online Activism This edited volume seeks to bring together essays that discuss current issues surrounding how activists, social movement groups/organisations, and grassroots organisations are using the Internet for social change work. This volume seeks to highlight the importance of current social movement theory, cultural studies, media studies, and cyberculture studies to explore how cyberspace can or can not aid people working towards social change. The editors seek submissions that discuss the following: The application of social movement theory to Internet social movement groups; Essays by activists about of how cyberspace has changed activism or allowed activists to create social change; Comparative analyses of online activist groups and offline activist groups; Theoretical frameworks for studying online activism/social movements; Case studies on race-, gender-, or sexuality-based movements on the Internet. Essays should be in the range of 5,000 - 8,000 words. Please submit completed essays in English for consideration in Rich Text File (RTF) format as an attached document to: Martha McCaughey (marth@vt.edu) or Mike Ayers (mayers@vt.edu) by September 15, 2001 BELLANET, CANADA: Technical Office wanted Bellanet is seeking a Technical Officer for application development (70%) and system administration (30%). This is a two-year position based in Ottawa, Canada. Applicants should possess a university degree in Computer Science and/or Information System Management, and 5 - 8 years of relevant work experience, at least 3 of which involve administering a network environment. Deadline for applications is June 15, 2001. Full job description and application details: http://www.bellanet.org --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- ONLINE EVENTS -- ICANN At- Large Study Committee's Outreach Meeting Stockholm, Sweden June 5 starting 08:30am Third Annual Summit: East-West Collaboration in the Development of Interactive Media Budapest, Hungary 10-11 June 2001 Blackout to Protest the US Government's Energy Policy Worldwide June 21 7-10pm in your time zone As an alternative to George W. Bush's energy policies and lack of emphasis on efficiency, conservation and alternative fuels, there will be a voluntary rolling blackout on the first day of summer/winter (depending on your hemisphere). It's a simple protest and a symbolic act. Turn out your lights from 7 PM - 10 PM on June 21 and spread the word via email to your government representatives and environmental contacts. Let them know we want global education, participation and funding in conservation, efficiency and alternative fuel efforts -- and an end to over exploitation and misuse of the earth's resources. Organised by the Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter, USA. APC Online Events: http://www.apc.org/english/ngos/calendar/ --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- SITES OF INTEREST -- UNITES United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS), a global volunteering effort to help bridge the international digital divide, has launched a new, expanded Website. UNITES: http://www.unites.org [in English] IDEALIST.org in Spanish Last month, Idealist, one the primary sites on the Web for advertising and finding jobs in the NGO sector, launched a full version of Idealist.org in Spanish at http://www.idealist.org/es Before using this new site, we suggest you read: http://www.idealist.org/es/bienvenidos.html AMERICASCANADA.org: Politics & Democracy > Connectivity AmericasCanada.org is a site operated by the Hemisphere Summit Office (HSO), created by Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to collect information about the social, cultural, political and economic issues and events that bind the countries of the western hemisphere. Projects featured in their "Connectivity" section include: Internet by Radio for Ashaninka-speaking indigenous communities; The Street Children Telecentre project in Esmeraldas, Ecuador; and Telecentres in Latin America (highlighting the work of APC member in Bogota, Colnodo). http://www.americascanada.org/politics/connectivity/connactivities/cangovt-e.asp [in English] http://www.americascanada.org/politics/connectivity/connactivities/cangovt-s.asp [in Spanish] Note: APCNews will next appear in August. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- 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.