Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has brought charges of criminal defamation against journalist Nnamdi Onyenua, report the Independent Journalism Centre (IJC), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). Onyenua, editor of the weekly, Lagos-based magazine "Glamour Trends", was arrested on 8 June. The charges resulted from an article entitled "Secrets Behind Obasanjo's Trips" that appeared in the magazine's 6 June edition.

This article by Steve Linberg was the basis for a presentation at the Technology in Adult Education: Trends and Applications conference in Farmington, CT in June, 2001. It talks about the possible technology trends that will impact the field of literacy in the years to come.

The New Media Classroom faculty development programme has brought together an exciting group of educators, scholars and media producers from across the US to help teachers use technology to make history and other humanities subjects come to life for their students.

Today in London, the UNDP launches a powerful 'manifesto', the Human Development Report (HDR) entitled 'Making new technologies work for human development'. Its focus is 'new' technology and the global policies that could turn, for example, biotechnology and information technology into powerful tools in the fight against global poverty. But while ITDG welcomes the HDR as a vital first and powerful contribution to trigger international debate, the UK-based 'appropriate technology' charity, feels that the UNDP have overlooked the real challenge.

The Southern Africa Institute of Fundraising SAIF) presents the following Workshops:

23,24,25 July
Training the Trainer in Resource Mobilisation

6 August
Donor Marketing - Cause Related Marketing
Negotiation
6,7,8 August
Resource Mobilisation Workshop in Cape Town

7 August
Dealing with the Media Workshop

15,16,17 August
Resource Mobilisation Workshop

The Southern Africa Institute of Fundraising (SAIF) presents the following Workshops: 23,24,25 July - Training the Trainer in Resource Mobilisation; 6 August - Donor Marketing - Cause Related Marketing Negotiation; 6,7,8 August -Resource Mobilisation Workshop in Cape Town; 7 August - Dealing with the Media Workshop; 15,16,17 August - Resource Mobilisation Workshop; Training takes place at the SAIF National Office in Johannesburg, South Africa - please book early. For more information contact the National Office on +27 11 884 0351 or e-mail [email protected]

This interview is an interesting look at a multi-national's vision of the future internet and the role of open-source software. "IBM is spending millions of dollars and taking some of most important software code and adding it to Linux. That means that Linux is getting better and better, faster and faster, than any other operating system out there," claims Mike Nelson of IBM. Read about high bandwith, fast internet access and smarter computers that will be able to handle PETAbytes of information - and hope it will be deployed in Africa as readily and easily as in developed coutries.

This report from the the Commonwealth of Learning details current issues faced in telecentres. It is available as a book but can also be downloaded in .pdf format and read using Acrobat Reader. It offers information and advice on the organisation and running of telecentres. It has been designed for policy-makers, centre managers and all of those in education, training, health and community development who are keen to serve urban, peri-urban, rural and other disadvantaged communities.

In this new online science magazine, an interesting article details the unravelling of our species' origins. Beyond the fossil trail lie the genetic imprints left by our ancestors - and they suggest that we began our journey towards a global human race in Southern Africa.

Using discarded computers in rich countries for the benefit of disadvantaged populations in poorer countries is the idea behind World Computer Exchange. The first doubt that arises is how people are supposed to maintain the machines. I have heard too many stories of 'donated computers' being given to non-profit organisations, schools, etc... and then being left to rust in a storeroom because they are not useable or the recipients do not have the skills to use them. However, the WCE provides installation, connection and maintenance plans along with each donation it makes. In addition, recipient schools are partnered with tech-savvy schools in developed countries. There are, of course, tech-savvy schools in developing countries as well - it could be interesting to engage tham as partners with the recipient schools.

Its cheap, its clever and it speaks your language: the Simputer. Indian scientists have invented a handheld device with text-to-speech tanslation software. This means access to information for illiterate and/ or non-English-speaking people in developing countries. The device is produced for a fraction of the cost of a PC and uses IML (Information Markup Language). With smartcards, it can be used by more than one person. One of the striking advantages of the Simputer (SIMple comPUTER) is that it is designed for use over a long time. Not much hardware is designed with that in mind... but then, most hardware is not designed with the developing world in mind either.
Recommended: http://www.simputer.org/

In Zimbabwe journalism is in crisis, and journalists are in danger: The last year or so has seen illegal arrests and torture of reporters, a proposed ban on foreign investment in media, the bombing of a newspaper's printing presses in the capital, Harare, and the Law and Order Maintenance Act, which makes it a criminal offense to publish anything "likely to cause alarm or despondency" (and carries a prison sentence of up to seven years).

A media ethics body run by journalists providing advice and support to members of the public who experience difficulties with the print and broadcast media, supplying media training for NGOs, and undertaking research on aspects of media law and ethics.

Talking Drum Studio began in 1997 by producing programmes on election education and polling procedures. Today, TDS aims to reduce political and ethnic violence - stressing themes of peace, reconciliation and democratization.

VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) has already been making waves in Africa. Mothers in Ethiopia use it to talk to their children in the USA. ISP owners in Ghana are arrested for using it. Togo has companies that do outsourcing work with it. The Guinean state telco has watched its revenues collapse because of it. Even South Africa's Telkom (see first item in News Round-Up and Snippets) is testing it. The genie is out of the bottle and and governments and state telcos are struggling to keep up. Mawuli Tse of iBasis describes how VOIP can be used in positive ways to change life in the continent.

The state owned media took advantage of the ZCTU’s decision to postpone the two-day national strike to make unsubstantiated claims that the stay-away had been delayed due to a lack of consensus within the labour movement. While the private Press did not cover the impending strike extensively, the state media went to great lengths to portray the ZCTU as a discredited labour organization whose threat was aimed at “destroying the economy”. It also provided extensive publicity to the ZANU PF-affiliated ZFTU run by Harare municipality driver Joseph Chinotimba. Surprisingly however, none of the media has investigated the credentials of the ZFTU to find out which unions comprise its membership and how many workers they represent.

The disparity in the treatment between leaders in rich and poor countries will eventually become too obvious to be sustainable. And, if perpetuated, it will severely undermine the authority of the system of international law, causing it to be seen as merely victors' justice with a few juridical trimmings to give it legitimacy, writes Richard Gwyn.

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council has substantially revised its existing website. This revision is designed to provide: clearer navigation and more contemporary design features; improved content; new features. Please review the site and pass this message on to others. The Council hopes that the improved site will communicate and disseminate information about the Council to members and strategic partners more effectively.

To manage and run a research programme, write summaries, reports and advocacy campaign materials; prepare publications for printing; manage local and international information dissemination and exchange and an e-mail newsletter; facilitate a research reference group; organize and facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops/dialogues. Closing date: 28 July - Send CV and a letter of motivation via email
or Fax (011) 339 3270 or P O Box 11383, Jhb, 2000.

Learn how documentary films can engage and mobilize communities in this new guide for broadcasters, producers, funders and community organizations.