Learn about... Web 2.0 in African Civil Society
Wikis, Social Networking and the Blogosphere
What makes a great Web 2.0 website
Open Source Software and Creative Commons
This guide is the outcome of research and analysis by Kabissa in 2007 on how African Civil Society organisations are, will be and could be using the latest technologies of blogs, wikis, and social networking tools, commonly known collectively as Web 2.0.
Web 2.0, while arguably overly hyped in the media, presents a powerful new opportunity for African organizations to make more effective use of their often limited Internet connections. Thanks to dynamic and user-friendly Web 2.0 services and tools, organizations can now more easily create a stable and up-to-date presence on the Internet, establish lasting and useful relationships with like minded organizations around the world and join a global conversation on issues and concerns dear to them.
The purpose of the Web 2.0 guide is to provide our members and other stakeholders seeking to harness Web 2.0 to strengthen and empower civil society organizations in Africa and around the world.
The guide introduces the concepts and terminology of Web 2.0 and then goes on to provide a resource bank where we showcase Web 2.0 applications developed in Africa for Africans including local ISPs and Blogs; a Glossary of Web 2.0 terms such as Blogosphere, Folksonomy and Tag Cloud; a general list of relevant Web 2.0 websites and resources.
Kabissa is particularly interested in working with African Civil Society Organizations since they have a critical role to play in promoting positive change in their communities. The concept of Civil Society is not in wide currency, so we provide here a definition from the website of the LSE Centre for Civil Society:
"Civil society refers to the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from those of the state, family and market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Civil societies are often populated by organisations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organisations, community groups, women's organisations, faith-based organisations, professional associations, trades unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy groups."
