Project News & Upcoming Events: 2003

2001 2002 2004 2005 2006
2003: February March April May June July August September October November

February 2003

African Women's Health Conference 2003 -- February 4-7, 2003, Johannesburg, South Africa:
African Women Celebrating Our Rights to Healthy Minds, Bodies and Souls
African health rights activists and researchers from all sub-regions of the continent will meet to discuss issues with policy makers and health service providers -- bringing a forum for debate on some of the most critical issues of Gender and Health in Africa. Panel Presentations and Round Table Discussions will be held by some of the most prominent International names in the fields of Health and Rights in Africa. There will also be Workshops on best practices, Skills Exchange opportunities, and Seminal Lectures by Africans thinkers, writers and scholars. The following WORD documents are available for download: Official conference announcement and Second announcement and Call for Applications. For additional information, contact:
Contact person
Jessica Horn
AMANITARE Conference Secretariat
RAINBO
Queens Studios
121 Salusbury Road
London NW6 6RG
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7625 3400
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7625 2999
Email: conference@amanitare.org Web: http://www.amanitare.org

New Media Awards aim to promote African Information Society
Announced in October 2002, a media awards programme has been launched to promote and encourage more informed and consistent reporting and analysis of the information society and issues related to the development potential and impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The AISI Media Awards Programme was named after the African Information Society Initiative, a framework, launched by the Economic Commission for Africa six years ago to help develop national information and communication infrastructure plans and to engender an information society in African countries. The AISI Media Awards are aimed at individual journalists and media institutions that are promoting journalism that promotes a better understanding of the information society in Africa. The categories covered by the awards are Radio, Print, Television and a fourth category which covers Broadcaster of the Year, Promoting African Languages in the Information Society, Media Personality Award (sustained analysis in the news media), Media and ICT application, and the African Diaspora Media.
Main financier of the awards is the Open Society Initiative for Southern (OSISA). The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) are also sponsoring special interest categories. The IDRC Award on Reporting ICT Research and Innovation is geared towards encouraging Media practitioners to focus on issues related to ICT research and innovations in Africa under the framework of IDRC's Acacia Programme. IICD is supporting Awards on local content applications as well as a Media Award on local content. The first award aims to recognize users of innovative or pioneering applications of ICTs to local content defined as "the expression of the locally owned and adapted knowledge of a community" in Africa. The IICD Media Award will recognize an outstanding story, campaign, or project in which the significance of local knowledge and content is raised in local, national, or regional fora.
The deadline for applications is 28 February 2003. Detailed information on the awards, including instructions on how to submit entries, is available at http://www.uneca.org/aisi/mediaaward.htm or from the contact details below.
Contact person:
Aida Opoku-Mensah
Team Leader, Promoting ICTs for Development
Development Information Services Division
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
E-mail: aopoku-mensah@uneca.org
Tel: +251-1-51-11-67
Fax: +251-1-51-05-12

March 2003

Training Course on Ageing in Africa, 17 - 21 March 2003, Nairobi, Kenya
This five day training course aims to provide a broad and up-to-date understanding of the issues of ageing in Africa. It offers participants a unique opportunity to be equipped with the necessary skills to deliver better services to older people.
The course, that will be facilitated by practitioners from organisations working with older people and experts from academic and research institutions in Africa, will address key issues of ageing in the continent. Among others, it will cover: Social, psychological and biological aspects of ageing; Demographic situation and socio-economic implications for Africa; Care of older people in the family, community and institutions; Rights of older people, and their violations; Ageing and Health; HIV/AIDS and its impact on older people; Gender dimension of ageing; Older people and emergencies; Income/social security; Poverty; Research and Policies on ageing; Working with older people.
The course targets mid-level and senior programme managers, social workers, senior government officers including planners, and local authorities health care professionals from the public, private, NGOs and CBOs.
For additional information, download the Course Announcement and the Application Form both in WORD format, or contact:
Contact
HelpAge International
Africa Regional Development Centre
P.O.Box 14888, Westlands,
Nairobi, Kenya
Fax 254-2-4441052
Tel. 254-2-4444289/4446991/4449407
Email: helpage@africaonline.co.ke
Web: http://www.helpage.org

Call for Nominations: Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life - 2003
The Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) cordially invites nominations for the tenth annual 'Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life' Award, honoring creative and courageous women and women's organizations working to improve the quality of life in rural communities around the world. Since inception of the prize program in 1994, 247 Laureates have been honored with a cash donation of US$ 500 each. Names and profiles are posted on the WWSF website: http://www.woman.ch. Thirty or more Laureates will again be selected in 2003, and several of them will be invited to Geneva to personally present their work.
Deadline for nominations is 1 March 2003. For additional information, including nomination forms, contact:
Contact person:
Nad��ge Tissot
Prize program coordinator
The Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF)
P.O.Box 2001, 1211 Geneva 1, Switzerland
Tel: (..41 22) 738.66.19
Fax: (..41 22) 738.82.48
Email: prize@vtxnet.ch Web: http://www.woman.ch

Ashoka's Social Entrepreneurs investing in social impact: Invitations for applications for an Ashoka Fellowship
Ashoka is a global non-profit organization that was founded in 1980. Ashoka's primary task is to help launch "new ideas" (unique and innovative interventions) spearheaded by social entrepreneurs. The Ashoka fellowship of social entrepreneurs creates global collaborations for leading social entrepreneurs working on problems in 44 countries around the world. Such problems are identified in fields such as health care, human rights, education, environment, and civic participation. Characteristics of social entrepreneurs typically include:

Creativity
Entrepreneurial spirit and temperament
An idea with potential for nationwide impact
Strong personal integrity

Ashoka's East African Program was launched in 2001 and is currently encouraging women and men from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania who possess the qualities above, to supply us with a description of their innovative work. This description must ideally contain a detailed outline of their unique approach to solving a widespread social problem. Your description must further indicate:

The duration, to date, of your work
The target population you are working with
Why you choose this approach and why it is more innovative than others
Any cultural and/or social conditions related to the problem being addressed
How you propose to achieve long-lasting impact and change social systems.

In addition, please supply us with the following information:

Personal background
Education
Professional experience/work experience
References - provide the name of the person or organization nominating you and their contacts (not relatives)
Membership in professional community or public service organizations (if any)
Articles and publication (if any) you have written or collaborated on
Provide newspaper articles and photos of your work if possible
Email/fax and telephone contacts.

Applications via regular mail, fax or e-mail are welcome throughout the year. However, applicants who are interested in being considered this year must contact us by mid-March 2003. All communications should be addressed to:
Contact person:
The Regional Representative
Ashoka East Africa
Office No. 3 Kisozi Complex, Kisozi close (off Kyagwe Road)
P.O. Box 8213, Kampala Uganda, East Africa
Fax: 256-41-235681
E-mail: ashoka@africaonline.co.ug, dserwadda@ashoka.org, annetum@hotmail.com (please copy to all)
Web: http://www.ashoka.org / http://www.changemakers.net

2003 Information Technology Training, Isis WICCE
The Isis-WICCE IT training for women and girls is scheduled to begin on 7th March 2003. The training which is basic targets first time users or those who have an interest in acquiring skills on how to use information technology. It is carried in a conducive atmosphere and participants are given an opportunity to explore.
Time: Every Fridays from 4.30 - 6.30p.m / Every Saturday from 10.00a.m - 12.00noon
Venue: Isis-WICCE Internet Cafe, Plot 32 Bukoto Street Kamwokya
Units to be covered: Introduction to Computers, Introduction to MS Word, Internet /E-mail messaging
Training Costs: Shs. 30,000 per unit
(Trainees can utilise the Internet cafe for practice during the week at no cost)
Activists and girls on vacation are encouraged to enroll. For more information, contact:
Contact person:
Juliet Were
Isis WICCE, Plot 32 Bukoto Street, Kamwokya
Tel: 256-41-543953
E-mail: isis@starcom.co.ug
Web: http://www.isis.or.ug

THETHA - The SANGONeT ICT Discussion Forum
The Southern African Non-Governmental Organisation Network (SANGONeT) has been providing networking, information and training services to Southern African civil society organisations (CSOs) since its inception in 1987. SANGONeT�s mission is to be a facilitator in the effective and empowering use of information communication technology (ICT) tools by development and social justice actors in Africa. As one of very few CSOs in Southern Africa dedicated to providing ICT services to the local CSO sector, SANGONeT will organise 5 one-day SANGONeT ICT Discussion Forums during 2003, called Thetha, which will focus specifically on the role and relevance of ICTs to CSOs. Thetha is a Nguni verb meaning let�s talk, discuss, debate, share opinion/ideas and engage each other. The objectives of Thetha -�� The SANGONeT ICT Discussion Forum series will be the following:
- To highlight and promote the practical benefits and opportunities provided by ICTs to Southern African CSOs;
- To provide Southern African CSOs with an opportunity to reflect on the impact of ICTs on their work and to share lessons and experiences of common concern.
The forums will focus specifically on the ICT challenges facing the CSO sector, highlighting and promoting practical benefits, opportunities and lessons learned to date. It will provide an opportunity to both CSOs which are ICT-enabled, as well as those organisations which are considering introducing ICT solutions to their work, with an opportunity to discuss issues of common concern and learn from one another�s experiences. The first Forum will be held on Thursday, 27 March 2003 (14h00-17h00), at the Parktonian Hotel, 120 De Korte Street, Braamfontein. The theme of this forum will be "ICTs for Development in South Africa �� Challenges and Opportunities". For more information about Theta, contact:
Contact person:
Eric Muragana
SANGONeT Media Coordinator
Tel: +27 11 838 6943/4 Ext no: 2114
Fax: +27 11 492 1058
Cell: +27 83 549 1023
E-mail: mediatec@sangonet.org.za
Web: http://www.sn.apc.org/corporate/news/news_frameset.html

April 2003

Small Grants Fund: GenARDIS (Gender, Agriculture and Rural Development in the Information Society)
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) and the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) are pleased to announce GenARDIS (Gender, Agriculture and Rural Development in the Information Society), a Small Grants Fund for innovative, gender-sensitive activities that will contribute to the understanding and application of ICTs for agricultural and rural development in ACP countries. Rural women in ACP countries can use ICTs to improve their livelihoods and the well-being of their families and communities.
The Small Grants Fund provides an opportunity for organizations in ACP countries to strengthen their gender-related work on ICTs in agricultural and rural development. The widely used acronym "ICTs" encompasses a multitude of equipment and services, ranging from satellite communication systems, telephone booths in rural areas, digital radio programmes, the Internet and electronic databases, to e-commerce services via the web. This is a competitive call for applications for non-renewable grants of up to EUR 5,000.
Applications should be submitted by April 15, 2003 and successful applicants will be announced in June 2003. For more information about GenARDIS or for an application form:
Contact:
Web: http://ictupdate.cta.int/index.php/article/articleview/61/1/12/
E-mail: genardis@cta.nl
Fax: +31-(0)317 460 067
Postal Mail: GenARDIS Small Grants Fund, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), PO Box 380, 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands

Advance Notice: The use of ICTs to report on HIV/AIDS - A workshop for women communicators, Uganda
SciDev.Net and UNESCO are pleased to announce a training workshop in the use of information and communications technologies - in particular the internet - to improve reporting on HIV/AIDS, which will take place in Uganda in April 2003. The workshop is for women only and is aimed at those who are (or would like to be) professionally engaged in communicating HIV/AIDS information to the public -- through both print or radio - as well as health policy experts and decision-makers engaged in gathering and disseminating information about AIDS by electronic means.
The workshop will have 15 places, and include practical tuition in both basic and advanced internet skills as well as training in journalism skills.The workshop will also involve discussions and seminars on the challenges of reporting about HIV/AIDS in Africa, and the role of African people in the research and development of new vaccines and drugs.
All travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for participants, who are being invited from East Africa and neighbouring countries. We will be open for applications from 5 December 2002. Those wishing to apply will be able to complete an application form on www.scidev.net, and can be returned electronically.
The application form will also be obtainable by fax or e-mail. To receive an application form by either of these means, or further information about this workshop, contact:
Contact:
Barbara Keating
Email: Barbara.keating@scidev.net
Web: www.scidev.net

Website Assistance Project - WOUGNET, InterConnection and the Byte to Byte Technology 4H Club
WOUGNET, InterConnection and the Byte to Byte Technology 4H Club have teamed up to provide websites for WOUGNET members. InterConnection is a non profit organization in the U.S. that provides websites and Internet services as no cost. Byte to Byte is a youth club that teaches students computer, Internet and leadership skills. As a group project, the Byte to Byte club has agreed to design websites for WOUGNET members that are in need of websites. InterConnection will provide the Internet hosting services for the websites and project management support. Byte to Byte's criteria for providing support to organizations is they must be community oriented and non-political or religious in nature.
If your organization meets these criteria the next step is to complete the online application. The application is available at http://www.wougnet.org/Support/webdesign.html You can also email InterConnection at info@interconnection.org to receive an application.
Once your application has been reviewed and accepted you will be emailed a website planning checklist. The checklist outlines the information and materials Byte to Byte members will need to create a website. Basically, you will need to provide text and photos for your website. The quickest and most convenient way to send the website materials to InterConnection is by email. You can also send photos and text by standard mail. The Byte to Byte students will convert these materials into a digital format.
ALL MATERIALS NEED TO BE PROVIDED PRIOR TO APRIL 1, 2003. If materials are sent by standard mail they should be sent by March 15 to meet the deadline.
All donated websites are provided with shared name web hosting. This level of hosting service includes the capabilities to create email accounts, upload and edit web files directly to your website and view website hit statistics. If you have any questions or need additional information contact:
Contact:
Charles Brennick, Chair
InterConnection
Tel: (206) 310-4547
Fax: (206) 297-0891
Email: info@interconnection.org
Web: http://www.interconnection.org

May 2003

Empowering women through information and knowledge: from oral traditions to ICT
May 30 - June 2, 2003, Mahindra United World College of India , Paud, Pune, India
SNDT Women's University (Mumbai) and Centre for Women's Development Studies (New Delhi) are hosting an international conference on Empowering Women through Information and Knowledge: From Oral Traditions to ICT. The Conference will be a meeting ground for scholars, researchers, information professionals, activists and policy makers to exchange experiences, knowledge and insights. Further, it will help to facilitate interaction and create networks to encourage collaborative research and development activities.
"Women's information and knowledge" is broadly interpreted for the Conference to include information and knowledge created by women, for women, about women. 'Empowerment' is used to refer to an environment that enables women to take control over material assets, intellectual resources and ideological choices. It is commonly accept-ed that men and women have different yet complementary knowledge systems and information communication patterns. Women's knowledge is often contextual, rooted in experience and experiments but often not codified. Recognition of this knowledge base and its inclusion in the mainstream communication process will contribute to equalizing the gender balance and to the creation of more efficient 'knowledge societies.
The Conference on Empowering Women through Information and Knowledge: From Oral Traditions to ICT will seek to include discussions on various issues and processes related to information and knowledge required for consciousness raising, advocacy, training, education and research, decision and policy making.
Contact:
Conference Secretary
Dr Bharati Sen
SHPT School of Library Science,
SNDT Women's University
1, Nathibai Thackersey Road,
MUMBAI �� 400 020. INDIA
Tel. +91-22 2208 5439
Email: conference@gendwaar.gen.in
Web: http://gendwaar.gen.in

Bridging the Gender Digital Divide through Strategic Partnerships: Africa Launch of the Digital Diaspora Initiative, Kampala, Uganda, May 5-6, 2003
Information and communications technologies (ICT) are becoming widely accepted as integral means for transforming the path of development. As envisaged in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the importance of harnessing information and communication technologies for poverty eradication cannot be overemphasized. Yet, as statistics describing the growing digital divide demonstrate, women and girls are at particular risk for exclusion from opportunities presented by ICT to secure better livelihoods and other rights. UNIFEM and its partners recognize that there is a wealth of untapped expertise among Africans in the Diaspora, particularly in the private sector, who could make a significant difference in closing the digital divide.
In January 2002 in New York, UNIFEM launched its Digital Diaspora initiative to build strategic partnerships between African IT entrepreneurs in the Diaspora and women's organizations and business associations in Africa. In May 2003, the initiative will be launched in Africa at the second meeting of the Global Advisory Committee of the Digital Diaspora Initiative.
For further information including the two-day programme, visit: http://www.wougnet.org/Events/UNIFEM/ddi_ug.html

Opportunity for OneWorld Editor in Uganda
OneWorld seeks an online volunteer Editor for a new Country Guide for Uganda. This is a fascinating opportunity to share and expand knowledge in Ugandan affairs from the OneWorld perspective, and to contribute to one of the internet's best known sites covering human rights and sustainable development. The OneWorld Volunteer Editors Project aims to provide opportunities to people living and working in the developing world to bring their knowledge and enthusiasm to the online global audience of www.oneworld.net.
The Editor should possess knowledge and strong interest in the international dimension of Ugandan affairs from perspective of human rights and sustainable development, alongside ability to write english to a good standard. Applicants should ideally be resident in Uganda, have access to good connectivity, be familiar with surfing the net and use of email, and be prepared to observe OneWorld editorial principles and guidelines. Applications should be submitted before May 13 2003 via the NetAid volunteering service at: http://www.netaid.org/ov/view_assignment.pt?assignment_id=5512
Contact:
Bill Gunyon
Project Manager - OneWorld Volunteer Editors
Email: bill.gunyon@oneworld.net

June 2003

2003 Global Summit of Women, June 26-28, 2003
The Global Summit of Women announces the 2003 Global Summit of Women which will focus on women's economic development with a special emphasis on cross-border entrepreneurship. Informally called the "Davos for Women" by past participants, the Summit has developed a reputation as an exciting, fact-filled, hands-on gathering of high caliber participants. The Global Summit of Women has celebrated women's leadership worldwide by bringing together women business, professional, and governmental leaders from around the world for three days of stimulating sessions led by opinion leaders and influencers who happen to be women. Prior Summits were hosted by Montreal, Canada ('90); Dublin, Ireland ('92); Taipei, Taiwan ('94); Miami, Florida ('97); London, U.K. ('98); Buenos Aires, Argentina ('99); Johannesburg, South Africa ('00), and Hong Kong ('01), and most recently in Barcelona, Spain ('02). Deadline for registration for the 2003 summit is May 26, 2003.
Contact:
Irene Natividad
Email: globesummit@aol.com
Web: http://www.globewomen.com/summit/global_summit03.html

Conference: "Digital Opportunities for Africa - Community Multimedia Centres", June 12-17, 2003, Dakar, Senegal
UNESCO in collaboration with AMARC Africa is organizing a pan-African symposium on Community Multimedia Centres from 12-17 June 2003 in Dakar, Senegal. The aim of this meeting is to find out more about how community radio stations across Africa are using ICTs in order to forge a strategy for larger-scale CMC development in Africa. The first part of this meeting will be a workshop from 12-15 June, bringing together representatives of a selection of community radio stations that are successfully offering some form of public access to ICTs or planning to do so and also ICT-based projects such as community telecentres planning to start community radio as part of their operations. The purpose of this workshop is to:

Exchange experiences and compare models, approaches and contexts
Identify needs and recommend measures to meet these needs for successful project implementation
Make recommendations for a coherent programmatic approach to CMC development in Africa that can serve as a rallying point for all partners and stakeholders including donors

The second part of this meeting, on 16-17 June, will bring together international partners including national development agencies and international governmental and non-governmental organizations in a roundtable on CMC project support in Africa. The roundtable will examine models of best practice and determine partnership strategies for programme development that ensures full community appropriation of NICTs, sustainability, networking and technical support systems.
Contact:
Michelle Ntab, AMARC Africa
Tel: +27 (11) 403 7913
Email: regc@global.co.za
or
Stella Hughes, UNESCO
Email: S.Hughes@unesco.org

SCECSAL XVI Conference, Kampala, Uganda - First Announcement & Call for Papers
The SCECSAL XVI Organizing Committee has the pleasure of inviting Library and Information Professionals to the sixteenth Standing Conference of Eastern, Central and Southern African Library and Information Professionals (SCECSAL XVI) to be hosted by the Uganda Library Association in Kampala (ULA). The conference theme is 'Towards a Knowledge Society for African Development'. Abstracts are invited for papers on the following sub-themes: Bridging the digital divide; From Indigenous to modern knowledge systems; Knowledge management; Information for healthcare; Information, governance and civil society; Knowledge economy; Education and training; Information and the disadvantaged groups; Information and Gender. Submissions can be made by email, post or fax. Submissions should include name, postal address, email address, telephone, and fax. Abstracts should not exceed 300 words. The committee welcomes home grown papers that show innovative ideas, report on research results, case studies, experiences, best practices, etc. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 21 June 2003.
Make Submissions to:
Mr. Phenny Birungi
Co-Chairperson,
SCECSAL XVI Organizing Committee
P O Box 4262, Kampala
Tel: +256-41-233633 or 256-41-254661
Fax: +256-41-348625
Email: library@imul.com
Web: http://www.ou.edu/cas/slis/ULA/ula_index.htm / http://www.geocities.com/scecsal/sconf16-1.html

Young Women's Leadership Institute: Tackling HIV/AIDS and Poverty in Africa, June 30 - July 4, 2003
Are you a young African woman, an emerging leader, and committed to tackling HIV/AIDS and poverty in your community? If so, AWID welcomes your application to participate in the first regional leadership institute of AWID's Young Women and Leadership Program, to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, June 30 to July 4, 2003. The Leadership Institute is a unique opportunity for dynamic young women to come together to hone their skills, articulate their own visions for a women's rights agenda, and work collaboratively to launch strategic and cutting-edge campaigns. Throughout the workshop, participants will explore the challenges posed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic and poverty in Africa, sharing their personal experiences of successful and not-so-successful initiatives in their own communities while developing new strategies to effect real change for women's rights and social justice in Africa. The insights, strategies and skills developed at the Leadership Institute will then be taken back to the participants' communities and will feed into a young women's regional network.
To participate you must:

be a young woman (between 22 and 35 years of age);
be a resident and citizen of a country in Africa;
have a minimum of 2 years experience working on gender issues, women's rights, development and/or youth activism (voluntary or employment);
be able to demonstrate how you will use what you learn at the Leadership Institute in your work and how you will continue to participate in an African Young Women's Network; and
have a working knowledge of the English language (some sessions will be translated into French).

To apply to participate in the Leadership Institute (the deadline for applications is 27 May 2003), obtain application forms from:
Contact person
Shamillah Wilson
Young Women and Leadership Program Manager
Association for Women's Rights in Development
2nd Floor Community House
41 Salt River Road, Salt River 7925
Cape Town, South Africa
Tel: 27 21 447 8821
Fax: 27 21 447 9617
Email: swilson@awid.org

July 2003

11th GASAT International Conference on Gender And Science And Technology (GASAT11), July 6-11, 2003
The Gender and Science and Technology (GASAT) Association is an international association of people concerned with issues arising from interactions between gender and science and technology. GASAT 11 will be held in Le Reduit, Mauritius in the summer of 2003, organised by the Mauritius Institute of Education. The theme of the conference is GSTEPS: Gender Steps Technology and Economic Paradigm Shifts. Themes of the conference are:

Recognising and promoting the contribution and relevance of indigenous knowledge in improving the quality of life.
Encouraging scientists, technologists and mathematicians to develop integrated strategies to attain overall sustainability.
Considering gender dimensions of Citizenship Education.

GASAT international conferences are held every two-three years and have been central in establishing strong and influential networks of individuals and organisations that are engaged in research and grassroots activities with a view to promoting gender equity in science and technology. The contributions and proceedings of GASAT conferences provide an important source of information on research and interventions in the field of gender, science and technology. In addition, GASAT provides an international forum for sharing research findings and strengthening global networks.
Conference details and on-line registration information can be found at the conference website: http://www.gasat-canada.org/conference/c1.html
Contact:
Conference Secretariat
Dr. Yashwant Ramma
Mauritius Institute of Education
Le Reduit, Mauritius
Tel: 230 4661940
Fax: 230 4674378
Email: yashramma@hotmail.com, yash_mie@yahoo.com, osmie@intnet.mu
Web: http://www.gasat-canada.org/conference/c1.html

Africa SMME Awards: Call for nominations
The Africa Centre for Investment Analysis (ACIA), together with a number of national and international organisations, is hosting its fifth Annual Development Finance Conference in October 2003 in Johannesburg. Together with the SMME Awards, the best SMMEs of the year will also be announced. The Awards-event will enjoy considerable media coverage from SABC Africa and other sister media organisations throughout the continent. The winners in these categories will win significant cash prizes and certificates of excellence. The Africa SMME Awards are presented to businesses that strive for excellence in order to be competitive in regional, national and international markets. These businesses are well established, in good financial shape and enjoy a reputation for quality, integrity and service. Furthermore, they act socially responsible, support community development efforts and create a work environment in which their employees can learn and grow. Each winner will receive a cash-prize and the unique Africa SMME of the year trophy.
In order to be considered for any of the awards, nominations should be made before the July 31, 2003 (extended deadline). For further information, contact:
Contact:
Jako Volschenk
Project Co-ordinator
Africa Centre for Investment Analysis
University of Stellenbsoch Business School
Tel: +27 21 918 4258
Email: jako@acia.sun.ac.za
Web: http://www.acia.sun.ac.za

Cisco Networking Academy Program Announcement, Makerere University/Cisco Systems Networking Academy
Are you a woman lacking strong ICT skills? Do you want to build ICT capacity in your organization? Are you deficient in maintaining your organization's computer infrastructure? Have you considered improving your organization's ICT knowledge base? If the answers to any of these questions are yes, you may like to strongly consider enrolling in the Cisco Networking Academy Program at the Institute of Computer Science at Makerere University. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) comprises of four semesters as summarized below:

Semester One: OSI model and industry standards; Network topologies IP addressing, including subnet masks Networking components; Basic network design
Semester Two: Beginning router configurations; Routed and routing protocols
Semester Three: Advanced router configurations; LAN switching theory and VLANs; Advanced LAN and LAN switched design
Semester Four: WAN theory and Design; WAN technology, PPP, Frame Relay, ISDN; Network troubleshooting

Next intakes: 15 July 2003; 15 September 2003; 15 November 2003
Time commitment: 9 hours per week for 6 months
Tuition: $300 for students $500 for working professionals.
New flexible payment scheme for women: women have the option to pay the tuition when they are able to either at the beginning, middle or end of the course.
Requirements: Basic knowledge of computers.
For further information, contact:
Contact:
Julianne Susanne Sansa
Tel: +256 (0)77 310038
Email: cisco@ics.mak.ac.ug

August 2003

Forum on ICTs and Gender, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 20-23, 2003
The Forum will be a multi-stakeholder initiative, bringing together public, private and not-for-profit stakeholders to examine issues surrounding gender and information and communication technologies. In general, the purpose is to foster a greater appreciation of the gender-related barriers that exist in developing and developed countries, to develop an understanding of why women need access to ICTs, and to discuss strategies for overcoming these barriers. This will translate into policies that support women's access to ICTs and successful networking to enhance women's participation in the information economy, especially in the developing world. It is expected that this forum will facilitate an informed appreciation of the gender-related barriers to ICT access. The Thematic Sessions will result in the development of strategies to help bridge the gender digital divide by drawing on best practices, success stories and lessons learned from current ICT and Gender projects. These outcomes will be used as the basis of an issues paper for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). For further information, contact:
Contact:
Global Knowledge Partnership
Email: gender@gkpsecretariat.org.my
Web: http://www.globalknowledge.org/gender2003/

September 2003

Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) 2003 Gender Festival, September 3-6, 2003
On behalf of the Feminist Activist Coalition (FemAct), Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP) is pleased to announce the 2003 Gender Festival (GF), formerly popularly known as the Annual Gender Studies Conference (AGSC). The four-day event will take place on the 03rd to the 06th of September, 2003, at TGNP's Gender Resource Centre, Mabibo - Dar es Salaam. The theme of this year's Gender Festival will be focused on: "Gender, Democracy and Development: An Alternative World is Possible".
This event, which now takes place once every two years, is an open space for bringing together gender and civil society members of organizations, institutions and all development actors at various levels. It provides a major opportunity for gender and civil society activists to convene, share, take stock of achievements and constraints and foster joint action plans to further the civil society development agenda. At the conference, individuals and groups share outputs of their work, sharpen their skills and capacities, network and establish further linkages with other different actors.
We encourage the active participation of all civil society organizations, gender groups and all other organizations and individuals working in policy, programme, technical, service delivery, and other areas at local, national, and international levels. This conference is an open space for sharing skills, ideas, strategies and celebrating achievements on various development initiatives. The Gender Festival is a collective capacity building, skills building, and networking fora for civil society and development actors in and outside the country.
You can register online at http://www.tgnp.co.tz/. For further information, contact:
Contact:
Mary Rusimbi, Executive Director
Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP)
P.O. Box 8921, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Tel: 255 22 2443 205/450/286
Fax: 255 22 2443 244
Email: tgnp@tgnp.co.tz
Web: http://www.tgnp.co.tz

ICT Stories Competition 2003: Now open to enter you story!
Have you been working on a project that uses Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a tool for achieving development? Then this is an opportunity for you to share your experiences with the world!
In almost all projects up-to-date knowledge about Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is crucial, but resources and access to this knowledge are often limited. Moreover, in most projects there is neither time nor money to carefully compare the various options available. In such situations, the experiences of others facing the same problems become invaluable.
Opportunities to learn from one's own experiences and to share the experiences with others are an important means to strengthen respective knowledge bases. Others find inspiration and can learn from those successes and mistakes, without having to start a new project from scratch, not knowing what others already know about the inherent risks and costs, as well as about possible approaches to manage them.
Knowledge is generated throughout the entire course of a project. The ICT Stories objective is to capture the learning process that accompanies the introduction and implementation of ICTs in a project in exemplary stories. Most Stories applicants have had to struggle to go through hurdles and a lot of ups and downs for their projects to happen, and their stories become vehicles to share such knowledge. These stories describe good practices and lessons learned from contributors' experiences.
Enter the competition and win. Based on a set of criteria three winning stories will be selected by a renowned jury. The writers of these stories will be given the opportunity to travel to Switzerland to present their findings at the ICT4D platform at the WSIS!
Submission deadline is September 26, 2003. For more information and a submission form, contact:
Contact:
Email: stories@iicd.org
Web: http://www.iicd.org/stories/

The APC WNSP and GKP Gender and ICT Awards: Recognizing Innovative and Effective Efforts
The APC Women's Networking Support Programme (WNSP) and Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) Gender and ICT Awards aim to honor and bring international recognition to the innovative and effective projects by women to use ICTs for the promotion of gender equality and/or women's empowerment. Specifically, the Awards objectives are to:

Recognise gender and ICT initiatives globally and provide further impetus for others to mainstream gender in the field of ICTs for women's empowerment, and therefore support our advocacy work;
Provide a much-needed venue to recognise community-based or small-scale initiatives designed and implemented by women and women's organisations/networks; while providing recognition too to larger scale but cost-effective multi-stakeholder initiatives;
Provide much needed opportunities to develop new collaborations/partnerships and opportunities for upscaling small-scale and community-based initiatives.

The awards are open to projects from all around the world. The Gender and ICT Awards will be launched, and winners will be showcased and celebrated, at a special event and venue parallel to the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva, Switzerland, from December 10-12, 2003.
A prize of US$8,000 will be awarded to one winner in each of the following four categories:

Outstanding Multi-stakeholder Initiative: (a) Global/regional (b) National/local
Outstanding Individual or Community-Based Initiative: (a) Advocacy/Networking (b) Capacity building

Applications will be accepted from July 15 to September 10, 2003. (Applications sent by postal mail must be postmarked by August 25, 2003). Winners will be selected and announced by November 1, 2003. For additional information and a copy of the application form, contact:
Contact:
Email: awards-apply@apcwomen.org
Web: http://www.genderawards.net/

World Bank Videoconference - "Young Women & Development - Realising their Potential", September 21,2003
On September 21, 2003, the Dubai Women's College, Dubai, will host a videoconference as part of the World Bank annual meeting activities. The videoconference will involve the participation of young university women in Afghanistan, Dubai, Jordan, Turkey, Yemen and Uganda. The objective of the videoconference is to initiate dialogue and discussion with young women on how they perceive development. The Uganda center for the videoconference is the Global Distance Learning Centre, Uganda Management Institute. The key questions for the videoconference are:

In both industrial and other nations, women are still underrepresented in Parliaments and in managerial positions (whether it is in academic institutions, Government agencies, or the private sector). In your opinion, what are the two key barriers that young women face in trying to achieve positions of leadership?
How can these barriers or constraints be overcome and who needs to address them?
How can information and communication technologies (ICTs) better help you empower yourselves to overcome these barriers?

Issues identified during the session are also expected to feed into the dialogue at Marseilles Knowledge for Development Conference, scheduled for March 2004, as well as lead to capacity building activities to be followed through by the World Bank Institute.
This announcement is for participation at the Uganda center. The target audience is university students, with particular focus on young women students. Government officials, academic staff, policy makers, and members of the civil society are also welcome to participate in the videoconference. Please confirm your attendance by September 17, 2003, by contacting WOUGNET. Following the videoconference, an electronic network will be setup to enable young women students continue the discussion online and continue to learn from each other. To be considered for membership of the electronic network, please complete and submit the application form if you satisfy the following eligibility criteria: (Deadline for applications: September 4, 2004).
For more information or to request a copy of the form via email, contact: Dorothy Okello
WOUGNET Coordinator
P.O. Box 4411
Kampala, Uganda
Tel/Fax: 256-(0)41-234924
E-mail: info@wougnet.org

October 2003

5th Annual Development Finance Conference, October 8-9, 2003, Johannesburg
The Africa Centre for Investment Analysis (ACIA), together with African Project Development Facility (APDF) and a number of national and international organisations, is this year hosting its 5th Annual African Development Finance Conference in Johannesburg from 8 to 9 October 2003. The Theme of the conference is Financing Development in Africa.
The conference aims to examine issues of development finance relevant to promoting sustainable development in Africa. Presentations will cover best practices, case studies and empirical research in development finance relevant to promoting sustainable development in Africa. This year the conference will specifically focus on the economic impact of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in Africa. Africa SMME Awards will be presented to businesses that strive for excellence in order to be competitive in regional, national and international markets.
Contact:
Lidia du Plessis
ACIA Conference Co-ordinator
Tel: +27 21 918 4245
Email: Lidia@acia.sun.ac.za
Web: http://www.acia.sun.ac.za

Talk to Her: A Dialogue to Action among Young Women in ICT, October 24 - November 21, 2003
From October 24 until November 21st 2003, young women from across the globe will connect in an electronic forum to discuss strategies for integration of gender dimensions and empowerment of young women and girls at all levels of the ICT for development field. Their goals will be to identify challenges, prioritize needs for support and uncover strategies for building communities of learning, that will allow young women to begin or advance their engagement with ICTs.
Background documents and case studies will supplement the discussions by summarizing the involvement of young women and girls in policy processes such as the World Summit on the Information Society, and by examining the existing global and regional communities available to young women in ICT for development. For more info and to sign up:
Contact:
Maja Andjelkovic
Gender Strategy Coordinator
Youth Creating Digital Opportunities
Email: mandjelkovic@iisd.ca
Web: http://groups.takingitglobal.org/ycdogender

November 2003

2003-2004 Stockholm Challenge Award
The Stockholm Challenge is an international awards programme for pioneering projects using IT in innovative ways, in areas such as environment, education, health, culture, e-government and e-business. The focus is on how IT can benefit people and society - technology itself is not the issue. The Stockholm Challenge was initiated in 1994 by the City of Stockholm, and is run in conjunction with the European Commission. In 2002 nearly 600 projects from 78 countries entered the Stockholm Challenge. The aim is to diminish the digital divide and to create an information society for all. The competition is open to private, public and academic contestants. Projects compete in six categories, in areas where IT has great influence on people's lives, culture, education, environment, health, e-government and e-business.
The Stockholm Challenge jury, a group of senior international experts, evaluate the projects on the basis of four basic criteria; innovation, user need, transferability and accessibility. Every project is also evaluated in relation to its own economic, social and cultural context. This enables projects from both developed and developing countries to compete on equal terms. Stockholm Challenge rewards projects that are of great importance to local progress, and of such innovative and pioneering structure that it should serve as a model for regions, cities and countries. For the projects, the Stockholm Challenge, is also a unique international platform where they can showcase their best practice solutions and network with other innovative projects from all over the world.
Project entries must be submitted online at http://www.challenge.stockholm.se/entryform_index.html, and the deadline for submitting an entry is November 1, 2003. For more information, contact:
Contact:
Pernilla Nylander
Project Manager & Marketing
Stockholm Challenge Award
Email: pernilla.nylander@challenge.stockholm.se
Web: http://www.challenge.stockholm.se

16 Days of Action against Gender-based Violence - Violence Against Women Violates Human Rights: Maintaining the Momentum Ten Years After Vienna (1993-2003), November 25 - December 10, 2003
In June of 1993, representatives of nations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from around the world gathered in Vienna, Austria for the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights. Women's human rights advocates had worked for two years nationally, regionally and globally to ensure that women's rights were recognized as human rights there and that violence against women was included in the discussion. The resulting document, the Vienna Declaration and Platform of Action signed by 171 states, was historic in its emphasis on the global pervasiveness of gender-based violence and in its compelling appeal to governments and the United Nations to take action to eliminate such violence. Ten years have passed since the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and the DEVAW, and it is time to look at how both the human rights framework and various international initiatives have affected the work being done to end violence against women at the grassroots level.
And the 16 Days Campaign itself continues to grow with the participation of over one thousand organizations in approximately one hundred and thirty countries! But of course there is much work yet to be done, as violence against women continues to pervade all corners of the globe. In appreciation of the tenth anniversary of the Vienna breakthrough, participants are encouraged to reflect on the advances and challenges of their anti-violence work during the past decade. As activists from different locations involved in the struggle to eliminate gender-based violence and ensure women's human rights in our communities and in the world, it is crucial that we take time to consider where the movement has been and where it is heading. What advancements have been made in your community, organization, region and country? What are the major issues and obstacles you still face? What are the major obstacles still confronting us all at the global level? How has framing violence against women as a human rights concern affected your work? How can we continue to strengthen the level of collaboration among 16 Days advocates around the world? By continuing to examine these issues critically we can expand upon our strengths as organizers, prevail over the difficulties we face and enable social change.
The 16 Days Campaign is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991. Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. This 16-day period also highlights other significant dates including December 1, which is World AIDS Day, and December 6, which marks the Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.
Contact the Center for Women's Global Leadership for a 2003 Take Action Kit.
Contact:
Center for Women's Global Leadership
160 Ryders Lane
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8555, USA
Phone: (1-732) 932-8782
Fax: (1-732) 932-1180
E-mail: cwgl@igc.org Web: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu

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Last update: October-24, 2003