Kabissa - Space for Change in Africa

Climate Change Mitigation and Indigenous Peoples’ Welfare: Analysis of the International Legal Regime

MOSES SANGALE — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:01:29 -0500

Indigenous people are most affected by global climate change not only because they eke their living directly from nature but also due to the fact that climate change adaptation requires economic and technical ability. Technology transfer, Capacity building and monetary benefits promised by the current climate change regime continue to be a day dream.

Read more about this article by clicking this link.

Enjoy your day.

Elson Makaye
TAPHGO (website hosted on Kabissa, Kabissa profile page) Information officer.

Wajibu Magazine: Redefining ourselves in Kenya

dpinkenya — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:37:59 -0500

“People who ignore their history are bound to repeat it” (Desmond Tutu)

If we really wish never again to see a repetition of the traumatic events that we experienced after the 2007 elections, we CANNOT AND WE MUST NOT bury the memory of what happened in the early months of 2008.

Recycling, rebuilding mobile phones

sokari — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:59:45 -0500

Tobias calls for African to take possession of African Wikipedia. This report asks whether it is possible for Africans to take possession of mobile phone technology by recycling, rebuilding and reselling mobile phones. The development of a "Dual Sim Card" is a great step for those who have to use multiple carriers due to connectivity issues.

Call to Africans: Take possession of Wikipedia

Tobias Eigen — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:42:12 -0500

I received the following appeal to Kabissa members to take ownership of the "African Wikipedia" from Gerard Meijssen, via the AfrophoneWikis discussion list. In it, Gerard provides a useful background explanation of the Wikipedia project, the free and open source software it runs on and how it is (and could be) utilized in Africa. In particular, note there is a bounty available for localisation of the Wikimedia software platform into African languages. There are many opportunities for Africans to take ownership of Wikipedia by building up content in their own languages as well as knowledge from their local communities that they know best.

A Prize for journalists reporting on human rights and democracy

sokari — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:47:18 -0500

The 16th edition of the Lorenzo Natali Prize has been launched. The Prize is a reward for journalists writing on human rights and democracy in the Global South.

Should African countries and the world insist on foreign observers' and journalists' coverage of Zimbabwean run-off election?

aseto — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:54:51 -0500

* Yes * No

Social media market place

sokari — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:45:52 -0500

Free Emergency Services Calls for rural mobile phoner users

sokari — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:49:12 -0500

The service was officially launched last week in Kenya and will provide mobile phones AND connectivity to health workers and villagers in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The service is jointly funded by Ericson and a Kuwaiti wireless carrier, Zain.

USB problems

P Merckx — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:21:59 -0500

Dear All, Since this morning my USB Key refuses to work, normally a red light is on for telling that it is working.

The light is not there anymore on my transcend USB Key.

When I plug the USB in my laptop, on the my computer explorer I can see removab le disk E, when I remove the USB removable disk E is gone. Before when I plugged in the USB it opened in G.

What can I do, how can I recover all my data?

Thanks Peter (from Bweducconsult in Mali - see Kabissa Profile)

Multigrade teaching

P Merckx — Mon, 12 May 2008 05:14:09 -0500

Dear All,

As an organisation working in the field of education I want to share some ideas on teaching and learning. Since several years I train teachers and trainers all over the world. For the moment I am on a consultancy in Mali where I conduct a pilot project on multigrade teaching.

Multigrade teaching is the way of teaching different grades in one classroom. Mali has a shortage of teahers and classrooms so multigrade is a temporary solution.

Together with my team I am developing teaching and learning materials for multigrade classes like:

Akokoraaba's Blog

firstbyte — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:44:33 -0500

Hi Everyone!

My name is Ohnenana Bosnu Kyeretwie. I'm from The Firstbyte Project, currenntly a Ghana-based NGO registered with the Registered General’s Department and incorporated as an independent non-profit making think-tank under the Ghana Companies Code of 1963, Act 1799.

I'll be using this blog to update you on developments within and around FIRSTBYTE as well as to share my thoughts with you on some vital issues relating to social networking in the digital age.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED IN KENYA

PURPLE IMAGES — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:19:46 -0500

Dear Partners,

Action Africa Volunteers has volunteer placements in Kenya during 2008 Summer in various fields .

Volunteering in Cameroon

rudec2006 — Sat, 10 May 2008 08:29:53 -0500

Volunteers who wish to make a change in the life of a poor farmer can volunteer with RUDEC to work with this poor farmers and bring hope to them through gardening,organic farming,smallanimal raising,old people and even tourist could visit Cameroon through us.Volunteers and tourist can look at www.rudec.org.

OSI Invites Innovative Thinkers to Confront Global Challenges

sokari — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:22:23 -0500

The Open Society Institute today launched a fellowship program to enable outstanding individuals from around the world to pursue projects that will inspire meaningful debate and shape public policy.

The Open Society Fellowship will award $2 million in 2008 to scholars, journalists, activists and others working on national security; citizenship, membership and marginalization; authoritarianism; and new strategies and tools for advocacy.

K 2 Weekly Roundup

sokari — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:58:29 -0500

Apologies for missing the last couple of weeks due to a fractured left arm which gradually on the mend. Since the last roundup on April 10th we have had 14 new members which is great. Kabissa has now passed the 1200 mark and still growing. I am also pleased to see the steady growth in numbers of members taking advantage of K2's blogging feature. Please remember there is no limit to the number of people in your organisation who can blog and also note you can post separately to "Events" which will appear on the Kabissa calender.

Interview with Dorothy Okello of WOUGNET

sokari — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:40:26 -0500

Member Spotlight: Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)

This month, Sokari Ekine interviews Dorothy Okello, the founder and director of WOUGNET. WOUGNET (Kabissa profile, website hosted on Kabissa) has been a Kabissa member since 2001.

UNESCO Open Training Platform

sokari — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:43:32 -0500

The Open Training Platform is a UNESCO funded open access free online project which provides training for trainers and trainees. There is a huge range of topics - ICTs, Gender issues, languages, HIV/AIDS, media, development, adult literacy and agriculture to name a few. This site is such a brilliant resource for learners, trainers and anyone working in the non-profit sector.

One Day Leadership Conference, Banjul Gambia

sokari — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:39:39 -0500

Theme: LEADERSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA.

TalkaSoft - Keeping Nigerian languages alive online

sokari — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:32:36 -0500

Africa is blessed with hundreds of languages (Nigeria alone has about 300 - not dialects but languages). With the ever expanding use of the internet and other media and use of Western languages, many of our indigenous languages are in danger of being lost forever.

TalkaSoft - Soro is a Nigerian initiative consisting of software which simultaneously translates from English into Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa.

This month's buzz on African Technology: Startups Nigeria

sokari — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:09:58 -0500

StartUps Nigeria by Loy, is probably the most interesting and long awaited blog on technology in Africa. The idea behind the blog is to write about and promote Nigeria Web 2.0 applications and new developments in mobile technology.

ToroDev's Establishment of an ICT4D Research & Resource Centre in Western Uganda project Finalist in Stockholm Challenge 2008

Baguma Johnstone — Sun, 04 May 2008 11:06:46 -0500

The Toro region based ICT for Development Research and Resource Centre project initiated by Toro Development Network (ToroDev - Kabissa Profile, Website hosted on Kabissa), a community based ICT4D driven NGO since 2005, has shown such fine model and progressive results that the Stockholm Challenge jury selected it as one of the finalists in the Economic Development category of the 2008 award.

Improving Quality of Education in Cameroon - RUDEA's vision

Rudea — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:49:03 -0500

The problem that exists in the Cameroonian education system especially in elementary and secondary education is the problem of quality teaching and that of quality learning. The basic problems in the elementary schools are related to language skills acquisition. Such skills include inability to write, spell, speak and understand. The writer has taught in secondary schools and in the teacher training college for close to 12 years and attests to the fact that students on entry to secondary school class cannot

Introducing Living Water Group Centre in Eldoret Kenya

ndungu — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:07:48 -0500

As a result of violence in the home at the hands of an alcoholic father, I Peter Mwangi had to become guardian to our younger siblings while I, myself, was still a youth. When I came to faith in Christ in 1987, God gave me the vision to care for the elderly, orphans, and destitute such as I and my family had been. Today, I Pastor Peter and my wife, are dedicated to serving God by ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the destitute and orphans in our area through the Living Water Group Centre.

However, since we don't currently have a place to care for the orphans, we and other church members visit the children in their homes or on the streets, and trusting God to work in the children's lives.

A Shark named Shiva

dpinkenya — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:45:23 -0500

In a world of Information, Communications and Technology overdrive, it is very rare that a unique concept can survive for very long without being adopted, or adapted, replicated or cloned and in some cases corrupted. This imaginary space that so many of us have learnt to exist within and become incapable of living without has like everything else the ability to create and destroy. The embodiment of opposites is one of the oldest concepts known to humankind.

Shiva is one such deity worshipped by millions in India and elsewhere as destroyer and benefactor. Despite him being considered a God, I can’t imagine anything more human.

HINT's IT Project selected as a finalist in the Stockholm Challenge awards 2008!

Tinshu — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:45:52 -0500

HINT IT project Rural Electrification And Communication Technology (REACT) has been selected as one of 145 finalists in the prestigious Stockholm challenge Award 2008 out of a total of over 2000 applicants from all over the world.

Here is the information letter as received this week:

Dear Tinshu Genesis Gemuh,
read more

Job Opportunity in Accra: FREE THE SLAVES seeks West Africa Regional Coordinator

Tobias Eigen — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:10:57 -0500

Based in Accra, Ghana, the West Africa Coordinator will be the key regional liaison for Free the Slaves' Supporting Grassroots Partnerships Program. Free the Slaves' partnerships program works with local anti-slavery movements to support holistic ways of bringing people out of slavery. The West Africa Coordinator, working part-time, will report to the Director of Partnerships, based in Washington DC.

The position will be approximately 40% time or a total of 2 full days per week (schedule to be determined by West Africa Regional

Importance of meetups in Web 2.0 - example of Barack Obama

Tobias Eigen — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:49:53 -0500

Marc Osten of Summit Collaborative made an interesting contribution today, quoted below, to the NTEN Discuss email list. It's very relevant to the ideas Kabissa has been nurturing during the course of the last year for creating opportunities for face to face (F2F = face to face in Marc's jargon below) contact for people in the Kabissa community through local meetups.

Kabissa Ambassadors

NCAA on the Web

Nwankwooby — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:54:27 -0500

The National coalition on Affirmative Action (website, kabissa profile) is an umbrella organisation of over 60 NGOs committed to the promotion of women's human rights and the integration of affirmative action principles in the constitution and laws of Nigeria, as a strategy for increasing the numbers of women in governance.

NCAA is seeking to establish new alliances and partners for human rights work worldwide. If you would like to collaborate with us, please contact the National Coordinator at Fourth Dimension Complex, 16 Fifth Avenue, City Layout, Enugu, Enugu State Nigeria.

For more information on NCAA visit our website at http://www.aacoalition.org

Oby Nwankwo National Coordinator

Ngukwase Surma, Chairperson, Advocacy Committee

Sad news for FOSS? One Laptop Per Child may switch from Linux to Windows XP

Tobias Eigen — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:23:30 -0500

Via muti.co.za, I just came across this disheartening news report in InfoWorld about a new direction that the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme seems to be heading. The picture (thank you nirak @ flickr) expresses my fears but if you have been following the OLPC story over the last several years you will want to also read this article.

The folks at olpcnews.com have also been reporting on the issue and tend to have more (and more current) information than anyone else. Check out this olpcnews.com article about the speech by OLPC founder Negroponte about OLPC and XP, in which he is quoted as saying:

"Eventually Windows might be the sole operating system, and Sugar would be educational software running on top of it."

idealist.org Podcasts About Ubuntu

liz — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:34:12 -0500

I just found out that idealist.org is now doing Community Podcasts, and their latest one looks at "how people are building community through software." Specifically, they take a look at Ubuntu and the community of developers working on this free, open source operating system.