WOUGNET Update Newsletter - November 2002

[Dorothy Okello <dokello@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

WOUGNET Update Newsletter - November 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
message to wougnet-update-request@xxxxxxxxxxx with the following
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WHAT'S NEW
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1. WOMEN ORGANISATIONS IN UGANDA

= NAWODA presentation, Femmes sans frontières, October 9, 2002,
Montréal, Canada
Nakaseke Women Development Association (NAWODA) responded to a call
for presentations of community networking initiatives at Femmes sans
frontières. The Fédération nationale des femmes
canadiennes-françaises and Cybersolidaires invited presentations of
feminist community initiatives during the third Congress on Community
Networking in the Digital Era.
http://www.wougnet.org/Documents/NAWODA/nawoda_gcn.html


= ALFA Ministeries report on the WorldSpace Satellite Radio Program
(WSRP), August 27, 2002 - September 27, 2002
ALFA Ministeries has had the WorldSpace satellite radio equipment for
two months now. During this time they have been able to access audio
and data programs from the Africa Learning Channel (ALC). A report of
the successes and challenges experienced during the first month is
available at:
http://www.wougnet.org/Documents/ALFA/alfawsrp1.html
For information about the WSRP, visit:
http://www.wougnet.org/Support/WSprogram.html



2. DOCUMENTS ON WOMEN'S ISSUES IN UGANDA

= Gender and Soil Fertility Management in Mbale District,
Southeastern Uganda
This paper explores gender-related aspects of agriculture and
agricultural change in a densely populated, high potential area in
eastern Uganda, particularly in relation to declining productivity in
the region. Much recent literature has investigated the impacts of
specific agricultural policies and projects on women farmers in
sub-Saharan Africa. In many cases, these policies and projects have
resulted in unexpectedly negative consequences for women - and often
failed in other objectives as well - to a large extent because they
did not adequately consider the critical and complex roles that women
play in most African agricultural systems.
http://www.wougnet.org/documents.html#GSFM



3. LINKS AND RESOURCES

a) Agriculture

= CTA: Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society
In September 2002, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural
Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) hosted a consultative Observatory meeting on
the theme of gender in the context of ICTs for agricultural and rural
development. Available online (PDF format) are workshop documents
including background papers and workshop presentations as well as a
statement on Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society
prepared by workshop participants.
In partnership with the International Service for National
gricultural Research (ISNAR), a briefing paper has been produced on
the theme of gender and ICTs in agriculture and rural development.
Its aim is to attract the attention of policymakers, donors,
researchers, nongovernmental organizations, and farmers'
organizations to the need for dialogue and action on issues of ICT
and gender in the context of food security, poverty reduction, and
sustainable development.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/agriculture.html#CTA


= LEISA: Changing information flows in agriculture in developing
countries
LEISA, the biggest international magazine for the exchange of
experiences on low external input, sustainable agriculture, has
published a special issue on ICTs and the changing information flows
in agriculture in developing countries. The articles describe how
ICTs play an increasingly prominent role in agricultural communities
in developing countries. Included also are several examples
illustrating the importance of "old" technologies, such as
newsletters and radio, and calling on the development community to
use all available means to ensure that farmers have the information
they need in order to continue to farm sustainably. LEISA Magazine is
published quarterly by ILEIA, the Centre for Information on Low
External Input and Sustainable Agriculture. This issue of LEISA was
undertaken in collaboration with Bellanet.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/agriculture.html#LEISA



b) Business

= BITS Africa
BITS Africa is a mentorship initiative for young entrepreneurs,
especially women who are starting a technology business. Each
selected applicant will be mentored by a Global Leader for Tomorrow
(GLT) who will provide guidance and expertise to help grow the
business. It is a pilot project designed to evolve into a sustainable
business incubator for Africa. BITS Africa initiative is a program
sponsored by the World Economic Forum Global Leaders for Tomorrow and
the Africa Technology Forum - non-profit organization designed to
promote technology in Africa and foster African entrepreneurship. The
initiative addresses two issues identified by World Economic Forum
(WEF) as critical for economic growth in Africa: entrepreneurship
development and bridging the digital divide.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/business.html#BITSA


= Entrepreneurship and ICTs - The Art of Making Things Happen
Produced by Balancing Act, the 'Entrepreneurship and ICTs' CD-ROM
looks at the kind of ICT ideas that have fuelled the growth of ICT
sector across Africa. It provides a list of questions that need to be
answered for most new ICT business ideas and offers some templates
for the structure of your business plan. Whether you're a first-timer
or are already running your own business, these questions provide
useful ways of thinking about new ideas or planned expansion.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/business.html#BA-EICT


= Oasis Information Service
Oasis Information Service provides small-scale entrepreneurs with the
latest news on how to run their businesses, improve skills and deal
with customers. Targeted groups are hairdressers, dressmakers, metal
workers and wood and soapstone carvers. The firm's website is in
English and Swahili. Based in Kenya, Oasis Information Service was
started by Intermediate Technology Development Group with financial
support from the Britain's Department for International Development.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/business.html#OIS



c) Development

= Rapha Outreach Ministries (ROM)
Based in Mbale, Eastern Uganda, Rapha Outreach Ministries's mission
is to bring hope to vulnerable children through educational
opportunities and spiritual growth through bible teaching. ROM is
seeking partners and donors to support its mission.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/development.html#RAPHA



d) Environment

= African Rural Energy Enterprise Development (AREED)
The United Nations Environment Programme has initiated an African
Rural Energy Enterprise Development (AREED) initiative. AREED seeks
to develop new sustainable energy enterprises that use clean,
efficient, and renewable energy technologies to meet the energy needs
of under-served populations, thereby reducing the environmental and
health consequences of existing energy use patterns.
The AREED approach offers rural energy entrepreneurs a combination of
enterprise development services and start-up financing. This
integrated financial and technical support allows entrepreneurs to
plan and structure their companies in a manner that prepares them for
growth and makes eventual investments by mainstream financial
partners less risky.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/environment.html#AREED



e) Health

= Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR)
CPAR is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization that is inspired by
the vision of a healthy planet, where health is broadly defined to
include human well-being, environmental integrity, and social
justice. We are dedicated to supporting vulnerable, low-income people
in the developing world in their efforts to achieve good health. CPAR
works toward this end by helping individuals, communities and
grassroots organizations to become increasingly self-reliant. With
established field offices in four countries (Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania
and Ethiopia), CPAR implements community-based programs in a wide
range of development sectors including: Primary Health Care, Water
and sanitation, Food security and nutrition, Natural Resource
Management, Income Generating Activities, Peace building and
Reconciliation.
To mitigate against the impact of the armed conflict, CPAR-Uganda has
begun a creative peace-building program in Gulu, Apac and Lira
districts which includes exploring how to make information accessible
to war-affected youth living in northern Ugandan.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/health.html#CPAR



f) Women & Gender

= Gender & Women's Studies for Africa's Transformation
The Strengthening Gender & Women's Studies for Africa's
Transformation (GWS Africa) project web site is the first ever site,
wholly dedicated to the promotion and development of Gender and
Women's Studies on the African continent. The African Gender
Institute has established www.gwsafrica.org in collaboration with the
community of scholars currently engaged in gender studies all over
the continent, and we invite ongoing dialogue and networking.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#GWS

New electronic journal - Feminist Africa
In October 2002, GWS Africa announced the launch of a new electronic
journal -Feminist Africa (FA), http://www.feministafrica.org.
Feminist Africa is a publication which has grown out of the African
Gender Institute's many years of commitment to capacity-building,
research, networking and teaching in an environment in which
market-oriented approaches now threaten to undermine progressive
African gender initiatives.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#GWS


= Africawoman
Africawoman is a fully-wired women-led news and broadcasting service.
The service currently operates in four countries - Ghana, Kenya,
Uganda and Zimbabwe - but will eventually include every African
country. It is run by about 40 women journalists and activists.
Africawoman's vision is driven by a monthly web-based newspaper that
is distributed via the Internet to activists and community radio
networks. It creates a distinctive African women's news agenda and
enables news written by women to be accessed by rural women, using
radio to by-pass the challenges of literacy and distribution.  The
project also involves training the women journalists in a monthly
"virtual newsroom" to plan and write the next edition. Africawoman is
funded by the UK Government's Department for International
Development (DFID) and by the British Council.
http://www.wougnet.org/Links/aboutwomen.html#AWN



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EVENTS & NEWS
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February 2003

= New Media Awards aim to promote African Information Society
Announced in October 2002, a media awards programme has been launched
to promote and encourage more informed and consistent reporting and
analysis of the information society and issues related  to the
development potential and impact of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs). The AISI Media Awards are aimed at individual
journalists and media institutions that are promoting journalism that
promotes a better understanding of the information society in Africa.
Main financier of the awards is the Open Society Initiative for
Southern (OSISA). The International Development Research Centre
(IDRC) and the International Institute for Communication and
Development (IICD) are also sponsoring special interest categories.
The IDRC Award on Reporting ICT Research and Innovation is geared
towards encouraging media practitioners to focus on issues related to
ICT research and innovations in Africa under the framework of IDRC's
Acacia Programme. IICD is supporting Awards on local content
applications as well as a Media Award on local content. The deadline
for applications is 28 February 2003.
http://www.wougnet.org/Events/projectnews03.html#ECA-MA


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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WSIS Gender Caucus
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World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

= WSIS Gender Caucus documents
WSIS Gender Caucus documents produced to-date
are available online for download as WORD or PDF files.
http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/wsisgcdocs.html


= UNESCO WSIS website
Since the beginning of its preparation for the WSIS, UNESCO has
involved NGO and civil society representatives in the preparation
process for the WSIS. The UNESCO WSIS website is dedicated to the
preparatory activities for the WSIS and includes information relevant
to the position papers and events organised in the framework of the
WSIS preparation.
http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/wsisgc.html#UNESCO


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WebDesign
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Donated Website: National Association of Women Organisations in
Uganda (NAWOU)
      * URL:  http://www.nawou.interconnection.org/
      * Site designed and created by: Rebecca Yoo, Virtual
                Volunteer for InterConnection

Established in 1992, NAWOU's mission is to promote a co-ordinated
network of women organisations for the efficient use of resources for
the improvement of the status of women in Uganda.
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/nawou.html



Donated Website: Hope After Rape (HAR)
      * URL:  http://www.har.interconnection.org/
      * Site designed and created by: Sheena Salmon, Virtual
                Volunteer for InterConnection

Established in 1994, HAR's mission is to facilitate the recovery of
abused children, women and their families through training, research,
advocacy and provision of psychosocial suport services.
http://www.wougnet.org/Profiles/har.html


The WebDesign program is a partnership of WOUGNET and InterConnection
to donate websites to WOUGNET members that meet InterConnection's
criteria for website donation. Information about the WebDesign
program, including an application form, is available at:
http://www.wougnet.org/Support/webdesign.html
To receive information by email, contact webadmin@xxxxxxxxxxxx



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TechTips
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http://www.wougnet.org/Support/techtips.html

Featured Tip: Managing Your Email

While e-mail is a great tool for information sharing and gathering,
for convenience and for saving time and costs, sometimes e-mail can
waste more time than it saves. The article "Managing Your E-Mail" on
the Business Know-How site provides guidelines and helpful hints to
maximize your time and minimize needless SPAM e-mails and
administrative tasks. Suggestions such as sorting & prioritizing,
using subject headers and knowing when not to e-mail can help you to
streamline your work and manage information overload. "Managing Your
E-Mail" is at http://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/manemail.htm.
http://www.wougnet.org/Support/TechTips/techtip_6.html


TechTips is a program to answer computer or IT-related queries of
concern to WOUGNET members and our guests. We welcome contributions of
tips and websites that have helped your organisation. Contributions
can be submitted online from the TechTips page or via email to
techtips@xxxxxxxxxxxx


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