WOUGNET Update Newsletter - October 2002

[Dorothy Okello <dokello@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

WOUGNET Update Newsletter - October 2002
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Here is a list of what's new at the Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET)
website - http://www.wougnet.org For comments or queries,
please contact info@xxxxxxxxxxx

To subscribe/unsubscribe to the WOUGNET Update Newsletter, send a
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WHAT'S NEW
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1. WOMEN ORGANISATIONS IN UGANDA

= Rurama Women's Handicraft Society (RWHS)

RWHS's mission is to advance the economic livelihoods of Rurama
Parish Communities, Kabarole District, especially women. Our primary
activity is handicraft making for sale to tourists and others. We
believe in determination and hard work. We believe information
technology (IT) can advance our achieving our objectives faster than
without it. So help is needed in this area.
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/rwhs.html


= Pan African Women Liberation Organization (PAWLO)
Based in Kampala, PAWLO's mission is for increased participation of
women in the Pan African Congresses, while putting gender issues at
the center of the Pan African Movement Agenda and  continuously
assessing progress made towards achieving resolutions of the
Congresses.
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/pawlo.html


= Appeal over the life of Amina Lawal by Uganda Women Activists and
Human Rights organisations

On 3rd September 2002, activists from Uganda women organisations,
and Human Rights organisations met His Excellency the Ambassador of
the Republic of Nigeria to Uganda Sam Edem. The aim of the meeting
was to request His Excellency the Ambassador, to receive, on behalf
of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Nigeria, a 3 page
statement, from various civil society organisations  represented by
about 40 activists. The group held a one Kilometre peaceful
demonstration to the commission.
http://www.wougnet.org/Documents/IsisWICCE/AminaLawal.html



2. WOUGNET WorldSpace Satellite Radio Program (WSRP)

WOUGNET is piloting the use of WorldSpace satellite radio equipment
among its members. The WOUGNET WorldSpace Satellite Radio Program
(WSRP) was initiated in August 2002 with the ALFA Women's Groups,
ALFA Ministeries based in Mpigi District. For more information about
the WSRP and for a look at photos taken at ALFA Ministries, visit:
http://www.wougnet.org/Support/WSprogram.html. An application form
for those interested in participating in the program is also
available at the site.
http://www.wougnet.org/Support/WSprogram.html



3. LINKS AND RESOURCES

a) African/International Women Organisations

= Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS)
Launched in 1993, Third World Organization for Women in Science
(TWOWS) is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental body based
at the offices of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in
Trieste, Italy. TWOWS is the first international forum to unite
eminent women scientists from the South with the objective of
strengthening their role in the development process and promoting
their representation in scientific and technological leadership. Full
Membership is open to women scientists and scientific institutions in
the South.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/africa_int.html#TWOWS



b) Agriculture

= Electronic Delivery of Agricultural Information to Rural
Communities in Uganda
The main objective of this project is to improve access to
agricultural information by rural communities through the use of
traditional and modern ICTs to increase agricultural production. The
project followed the establishment of the Buwama and Nabweru
telecenters to ensure that local access and content are available.
The project is a collaborative effort between National Agricultural
Research Organisation (NARO) and CAB International (CABI) with
funding support from International Development Research Centre
(IDRC). The project's target groups include rural farmers, women's
groups, extension workers, youth groups, NGOs and community based
organisations.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/agriculture.html#EDAI



c) Business

= Online Women's Business Center (OWBO)
Based in the United States, Online Women's Business Center (OWBO)
promotes the growth of women-owned businesses through programs that
address business training and technical assistance. OWBO's website
may be of interest to women business owners in other countries too.
The website's primary language is English, but parts of the site are
also available in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Icelandic, and
Arabic.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/business.html#OWBO


= eCommunity Link
The ultimate goal of the eCommunity Link is to support Economic and
Social Entrepreneurs in developing countries to launch innovative
businesses and social enterprises that support local content, provide
connectivity to local communities, and utilize ICT for socially
valuable purposes, such as education, health, governance, gender
equality, rural development, environmental management, and that
create income-generating activities for poor communities.
The eCommunity Link is conducting a survey to collect case studies of
existing pilots in connecting the local communities using ICT with
local contents. For additional information about the survey, contact
Kayoko Shibata at genderict@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/business.html#eLINK



d) Development

= Foundation for African Development (FAD)
Foundation for African Development (FAD) is a Ugandan
non-governmental organization established in 1979. FAD's mission is
to contribute to the development of genuine, strong, self-reliant
Civil Society through promotion of democratic values, human rights,
social and economic development. FAD's activities are in the
following departments: Education and Training, Publications,
Consultancy, Research, and Gender and Youth in Development.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#FAD


= Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS)
Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) is a non-governmental,
non-profit making research and policy institute. It works on the
issues of environment and development, good governance and people's
participation, and poverty alleviation and economic growth as
approaches for addressing sustainable development.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#BCAS



e)  ICT-related organisations

= Computers for Africa
Computers for  Africa (CFA) launches new website: Computers for
Africa refurbishes used computers, networks them, and ships
ready-to-set-up labs to non-profit organizations in Africa. The CFA
website at http://www.computers4africa.org includes information on
CFA goals and guidelines as well as CFA programmes and projects.
(This item has been repeated because an incorrect CFA url had been
provided in the September newsletter).
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/cfaea.html


= I-Network Uganda
Launched in 2001 (and originally named IN-Uganda), I-Network is an
association of individuals or organizations rallied around the theme
ICT for Development. It started as a club of organizations and
professionals associated with the activities of IICD in Uganda. The
core objective of the I-Network is knowledge sharing of ICT
development experiences via seminars/workshops, newsletters and a
website -- all coordinated through a membership base. I-N is
supported by the International Institute for Communication and
Development (IICD) Country programme in Uganda. IICD works with
partner organisations in Uganda to support project formulation and
implementation, capacity development and knowledge sharing.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/ictresources.html#INUG


= Rowing Upstream: Snapshots of Pioneers of the Information Age in
Africa
Published in August 2002, Rowing Upstream: Snapshots of Pioneers of
the Information Age in Africa captures the experiences of Ford and
Rockefeller grantees making innovative use of technology, assesses
African utilization of the Web, and examines donor support of ICT. An
Internet timeline takes you back to the beginning of email use on the
Continent. In the last chapter, some of Africa's pioneers tell their
"Untold Stories". Rowing Upstream is produced by the Project for
Information Access and Connectivity (PIAC) which during its five-year
existence worked on a number of activities including the
dissemination of African information.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/ictresources.html#PIAC


= Digital Opportunity Channel: Funding Resources
A list of donor agencies that offer programmes in the field of ICTs
is available at the Digital Opportunity Channel. Only agencies with a
clear and identifiable commitment towards ICTs are included. The
Digital Opportunity Channel is an online community focusing on the
use of information and communications technologies (ICT) for
sustainable development. The channel is a joint endeavour of OneWorld
and the Digital Divide Network.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/ictresources.html#DOC-FUND


= NSRC Help Desk & Support Organization Resources
Since the early 1990s, the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) has
been a part of several efforts to improve support and Help Desk
organizations at several locations around the world. From these
efforts we have created several documents, reports, and presentations
that might help your organization as it attempts to support the
ever-increasing number of people using your network and resources.
Resources available include: CD-ROM & Installer Program Creation,
Making your website more visible, Setting up a functional support
organisation, and Web resources for NGOs and Nonprofits.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/ictresources.html#NSRC-HD



f) Human Rights

= Give Me A Chance
Give Me A Chance is an independent, indigenous, non political, non
governmental organization whose main mission is to address issue of
Human Rights, Conflict Resolution and Preventive Diplomacy through:
Civil Peace Program, Child Resettlement Program, Prison Babies
Program.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/rights.html#GMAC


= Human Strategies for Human Rights expanded website
Human Strategies for Human Rights (HSHR) is a United States based non
profit organization that provides grassroots NGOs with on-site
organizational capacity building, personnel empowerment training and
strategic guidance in the promotion and protection of human rights as
well as through on-line human rights mentoring. HSHR has redesigned
and expanded its website including resources on Online NGO Mentoring
and Human Rights Activist support services, E-publications such Human
Rights Glossary, Basic Reference Guide for NGOs on International
Human Rights, Human Rights Acronyms, and Case studies addressing
issues related to NGO capacity building, women's rights and human
rights.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#HSHR



g) Women & Gender

= ILO Publications: Gender Issues and Women at Work
Established in 1919, and since 1946 a member of the United Nations
Organization, the International Labour Organization has focused on
workplace issues, actively seeking to create decent work for all -
work which is freely chosen and performed in an environment of
equity, security and human dignity. ILO research contributes to
enhancing public awareness of crucial labour and employment issues in
subject areas such as Gender Issues and Women at Work, and Child
Labour.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#ILOpub


= COL: Identifying barriers to ICTs in education based on gender
differences
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and its network are continuing
work in addressing gender barriers, such as those encountered by
women, to the use of information and communications technologies
(ICTs) for education and training, and especially for open and
distance learning. From 1998 to 2001, COL convened four regional
expert group meetings to identify barriers to information and
communications technologies (ICTs) in education based on gender
differences. Reports from these meetings are available online
(Acrobat PDF format).
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#COLWDD


= Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG)
IGWG, established in 1997, is a network of NGOs, including the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID), Cooperating
Agencies (CAs), and the Center for Population, Health  and Nutrition
(PHN) of the USAID. The IGWG promotes gender equity within PHN
programs, in order to improve Reproductive Health/HIV/AIDS outcomes
and foster sustainable development.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#IGWG


= One World: Gender and Micro-finance resource page
One World has assembled a collection of research papers about gender
and microfinance in the developing world. This web resource is a
follow-up to the One World Action Conference in March 2002 "Women's
Empowerment or the Feminisation of Debt? Towards a New Agenda in
African Micro-Finance". Papers from that conference are being posted
as background for the November 2002 Micro Credit Summit in New York
where gender and women's empowerment will be part of the mainstream
agenda - http://www.microcreditsummit.org/plus5/ . The Gender and
Micro-finance page is intended to act as an ongoing resource for
those wishing to look at the issue of Micro-finance from a gender
perspective.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#OWGM


= SID-WID Network
The Society for International Development - Women in Development
(SID-WID) Network provides a space for women and men working on
gender to strategize together for social justice within the
international development arena. SID-WID was first born in 1976 and
over the decades the SID-WID network has promoted gender justice
through a variety of programmes and activities through out the world.
In the last five years, the focus of SID-WID has been on reproductive
health, globalization/economic and social justice, information and
communication technologies and gender policy. Using the opportunity
created by SID's on-going dialogues at different international and
national events in the last decade, as well as the SID journal
Development (which regularly features gender issues), SID-WID members
have been involved in the on-going struggle to bring about gender
justice.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#SIDWID


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EVENTS & NEWS
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October 2002

= PANOS Media Fellowships on ICTs-enabled Communication Strategies
for Social Change - Call for Proposals 2002

Panos seeks to offer a number of fellowship grants to journalists or
development experts to research and write articles in national and
international media on ICTs and their development impact. Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are recognised as a powerful
tool to facilitate social development. Panos sees the need to have an
independent account by journalists and development experts who can
reflect the range of perspectives among user communities, the rural
poor, government officers, development workers, policy makers, and
other stakeholders, as to what 'ICTs for development' means in their
societies. These views need to frame the debate around ICTs-enabled
development discourses. Deadline: October 13, 2002.
http://www.wougnet.org/projectnews.html#PMF


To list your event/news on the WOUGNET website, send details about
the event/news including contact information to: news@xxxxxxxxxxx




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