DATE: 18-22 February, 2002
VENUE: Oxford, UNITED KINGDOM
A current concern and priority for managers and senior practitioners in the NGO sector is how to build the capacity of their organisations and that of their partner organisations. Southern and Eastern NGOs, other civil society groups and Northern NGOs and official agencies seek to develop and implement strategies that focus not only on programme performance but also on strengthening organisations. This course takes an Organisational Development Approach to Capacity Building, focusing on the strengthening of the organisation as its central theme. Deadline of applications: 18 January, 2002.

Want to learn more about the Linux operating system, from a desktop user perspective? Need to get the software and install it? These notes from Karen Zgoda may be of interest. Installfests are held all over the world, including in African cities, by Linux User Groups. Read on for more info.

The group Initiatives Citoyennes has launched a web site that will cover internet topics, telecoms regulation and other related subjects. It will also host a discussion forum and mailing list.
[source: Batik via NEWS UPDATE 90 http://balancingact-africa.com">

This new comittee aims to halt cybercrime in Nigeria.

Although slow to adopt the internet, Eritrea is now finding that initial demand for connectivity exceeds gateway capacity. As the technology resource
person for a USAID project this year Carole Roberts describes recent developments and the future plans to meet the new demand.

INTERFUND is a development agency that seeks to combat poverty and inequality, and strives to promote democracy and human rights. The successful candidate should be a motivated self starter,
able to network at a high level within organisations and has excellent interpersonal skills.

The Paris-based journalist watchdog Reporters sans frontieres (RSF) has written to Security Minister, Ahmadou Camara, expressing its concern over a serious assault on a photographer carried out by members of the Guinean police force in the capital Conakry on 4 December.

Virtually every household and business in rural areas throughout southern Africa want, and can afford basic telephone services provided by a commercial operator at a potential profit to the latter. Through constructive and well-thought-out policies and regulations guided by sound business practice, governments and regulators can ensure that private telephone companies provide rural communities with the telephone services needed for socio-economic development to take place. In so doing, governments can begin to meet their universal access goals both quickly and at relatively little expense.

Three years ago, on 13 December 1998, Norbert Zongo, director of the weekly newspaper "L'Indépendant", was murdered on a road in southern Burkina Faso. RSF is stunned that the investigation is not progressing. The people behind the murder have not been troubled, thereby reinforcing the feeling that the justice system in Burkina Faso is seriously flawed.

Abdoulaye Tiémogo, the publication director of the weekly magazine Canard Déchaîné was released from jail on Decemner 7. Tiémogo was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on 19 October for "defamation", and had been in detention for seven weeks.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) applauds the creation on December 7 of the Zimbabwe Foreign Correspondents Association (ZFCA), which has vowed to challenge a restrictive new press law in court.

This website presents interviews with over 300 people who live in mountain and highland regions round the world. Their testimonies offer a personal perspective on change and development.

The current position of internet use and provision in Zambia is nowhere near its potential, Microlink Technologies Limited managing director Jimmy Pittchar has said. Microlink is the latest internet service provider (ISP) to enter the Zambian market with a total investment of USD 1 million.

The Policy Directorate is seeking two energetic, experienced and analytical professionals who enjoy working with people, doing research, writing and liaising with a wide range of people and organisations, in the above positions.

This article on Wired tells about a free, downloadable update that can be downloaded from the Microsoft web site. The point? It makes your email much safer. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express, the download is recommended. It also berates MS for not marketing their security updates (patches).

Lawrence Lessig of Stanford Law School, and before that of various other places, is one of the best-known voices in the world of electronic freedoms. Lessig's new book, The Future of Ideas, is the latest work of many in his efforts to illuminate and create a freer world online. Lessig has agreed to answer your questions; please be courteous by limiting your questions to one per post.
[Source: slashdot.org">

Acacia is a program of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to help sub-Saharan African communities develop the ability to use ICTs for their social and economic development. The Acacia program is commencing its second phase, which will look to build on the first phase, notably by focussing on disseminating findings widely, learning from its initial projects and developing new types of projects. The September newsletter summarizes some of the lessons from Phase I and outlines current activities and plans for Phase II.

Dr Burkhard Luber, Executive Staff of the Threshold Foundation, offers new Tele-Teaching about Online Efficiency for international NGOs. Based on similar On-site Trainings for NGOs by Burkhard Luber in many countries worldwide for several years, this new course targets NGO workers wanting to improve their Internet capacity and thereby advancing the efficiency of their organizations. It is focused on persons already having a basic knowledge of emailing and web surfing, who are now wanting to get hold of more sophisticated know-how and material about Internet-based opportunities.