WOUGNET Update Newsletter - April 2008

[Dorothy Okello <dokello@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

WOUGNET Update Newsletter - April 2008
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A monthly electronic newsletter from Women of 
Uganda Network (WOUGNET) - http://www.wougnet.org
For comments or queries, contact info@xxxxxxxxxxx

To subscribe/unsubscribe to the WOUGNET Update 
Newsletter, send a message to 
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This month's contents:
1. Women Organisations in Uganda
2. ICT Policy
3. Links & Resources
4. Project News and Events
5. Tech Support
6. WOUGNET News

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*** Call for feedback on the new WOUGNET website ***

WOUGNET has launched its newly redesigned website 
- http://www.wougnet.org. With a new look and 
feel it is better suited for engaging with 
WOUGNET members, partners and visitors. The new 
site retains its wealth of information from the 
old site (and a link to the old site is also made available).
The key feature with the new website is to allow 
members and registered users contribute directly 
to the website content, participate in forums, 
and be part of the WOUGNET website development. 
Please join the discussion forum to discuss the 
new changes to the WOUGNET website - you need to 
register first in order to participate in the 
forum at 
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_fireboard&Itemid=67. 
We would also like to hear your suggestions on 
how we can expand or improve the site.

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*** Getting the most out of the WOUGNET website - 
Weekly Hands-on Training Sessions ***
Following the launch of the newly redesigned 
website - http://www.wougnet.org, we look forward 
to more engagement by all on the website. The key 
feature with the new website is to allow members 
and registered users contribute directly to the 
website content, participate in forums, and be 
part of the WOUGNET website development. If you 
are comfortable using MS WORD or OpenOffice, you 
should be comfortable editing your organisational 
profile on the WOUGNET website, contributing news 
articles, providing information on your upcoming events, etc.
If you already have your organisation profile on 
the website and/or if you would like to register 
and become a contributor to the website, we are 
conducting hands-on sessions at the WOUGNET 
Secretariat to get you acquainted to the new 
website. The hands-on sessions which are free of 
charge will be conducted twice a week on 
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 - 5:00pm at 
the Secretariat which is located at Plot 53 Kira 
Road, Kamwokya. The first hands-on session was 
held on Wednesday 12th March 2008.
For more information, please send email to 
info@xxxxxxxxxxx, call 041-4532035, or simply stop by the office.
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WOMEN ORGANISATIONS IN UGANDA
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= AMwA: New Regional Coordinator, Africa Programmes

Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) announce the 
appointment of Ms. Christine Butegwa Acuc who 
joined as the Regional Coordinator, Africa 
Programmes with effect from 3rd March 2008 based 
at our New Head Office in Kampala, Uganda. 
Christine is the first Regional Coordinator, 
Africa Programmes in line with the structure of the repositioned AMwA.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=143&Itemid=32



= EASSI Women's Day Campaign

The Eastern African Sub-regional Support 
Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) 
conducted an SMS Women's Day campaign from 25th 
February 2008 to 14th March 2008.  EASSI is a 
woman's organisation that monitors the 
commitments Governments in the Eastern African 
countries have made to advancing women's 
concerns. The SMS campaign reflects on the girl 
child in Kenya and the region that has suffered 
unbearable atrocities as a result of the 
post-election violence. We stand together with 
her and others and offer our support to Kenya and 
the region for peace and political progress. The 
postings made during the campaign are available at:
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_mamblog&Itemid=83



= Isis-WICCE Resource Centre - February 2008

Isis-WICCE Resource Centre Update: A current 
awareness bulletin for selected new information 
materials received in the Resource Centre. February 2008.
ABOUT THE CENTRE: Isis-WICCE Resource Centre was 
founded by a group of three women who were 
documentalits in Geneva, Switzerland in 1974. 
Their aim was to enable women of the world 
communicate with one another, generate knowledge 
and share information in order to break the 
isolation and overcome gender inequality. Read 
more about the move to Africa in the next issue.
The new materials are listed according to category.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=0&Itemid=29



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ICT POLICY
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= Making e-Gov work: A gender-responsive enabling ICT environment

In his closing remarks at the end of the Second 
Annual African e-Gov Forum 2008, Hon. Dr Ham 
Mukasa-Mulira, Minister of ICT, identified a 
gender-responsive ICT enabling environment as a 
key issue that will need to be addressed by the 
Ministry in its ICT policy priorities and in 
implementing eGovernment in Uganda.
The Second Annual African e-Gov Forum 2008 was 
held from 4 - 6 March 2008 at the Serena Hotel in 
Kampala. The event was organised by the 
Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation 
(CTO) in collaboration with the Ministry of ICT 
and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). 
Following on from the successful inaugural event 
in Accra, Ghana, in March 2007, which was 
attended by 150 key ICT decision makers from both 
the Private and Public Sector, the CTO is 
building support for this vital conference. The 
2008 topic of "Utilising ICT for more efficient, 
effective and inclusive governance" was selected 
by the CTO for these key reasons: (1) good 
governance is critical in any nation, 
principality, or community; (2) the CTO firmly 
believes that connectivity and harnessing the 
potential of ICT is the enabler to make rapid 
improvement in this; and (3) to achieve this 
improvement it is vital that the Public and 
Private Sectors develop understanding and 
partnerships so that real benefits can be felt by 
both administrations and the citizens they serve.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1



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LINKS & RESOURCES
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= Citizen Journalism in Africa

The Citizen Journalism in Africa project (CJA - 
www.citizenjournalismafrica.org)  is a three-year 
initiative funded by both Hivos - www.hivos.nl 
and the EU. Hivos is working with SANGONet - 
www.sangonet.org.za (South Africa) on this 
project. The aim of the project is to increase 
civil society organisations? use of and 
interaction with various forms of media. This 
will help them maximise their communication 
strategies and reach. It is hoped that this will 
strengthen the organisations? use of media and 
increase quality information dissemination 
capacity using multiple platforms. The project is 
targeting six countries i.e. South Africa, 
Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia and 
Tanzania. In each of these countries, two Country 
Focal Points (CFPs) will act as country hubs, 
working with 15 local organisations. The focus of 
the interaction with local organisations will be 
knowledge sharing, learning journalism skills, 
media, publication skills and information 
dissemination. It is hoped that these 
organisations will also learn how to use these 
skills and resources effectively.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=66&Itemid=105



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PROJECT NEWS AND EVENTS
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= Call for Submissions: Mashariki Innovations 
Local Governance Awards Programme (MILGAP)
The Mashariki Innovations Local Governance Awards 
Programme (MILGAP) is a biennial sub-regional 
(Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) awards programme 
that seeks to promote excellence in public 
service delivery through recognising and 
rewarding innovative projects in local governance.
The main objectives of  MILGAP are to: identify 
and highlight innovative examples that promote 
the principles of good local governance; reward 
projects that focus on eradication of poverty; 
publicize innovative community projects; 
facilitate the adaptation, replication and 
scaling-up of projects; present role models of best practice.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1




= EVS Annual Africa Day, Saturday, April 19 2008
Evert Vermeer Stichting (EVS - 
www.evertvermeerstichting.nl) is an 
Amsterdam-based non-profit organisation that 
believes that all people in the South and North 
have the same rights to provide for their basic 
needs, to reduce poverty, to develop democracy, 
and to natural resources and the environment. EVS 
focus is on international cooperation and sustainable poverty reduction.
On 19th April 2008, Evert Vermeer Stichting will 
organise the Annual Africa Day. This is a day 
full of workshops, lectures and other activities 
on Africa, and is usually visited by Africa 
professionals and interested citizens. This year, 
Hivos - www.hivos.nl together with Africa 
Interactive will organise a workshop on Citizen 
Journalism during the Annual Africa Day. This 
workshop will look at a definition of citizen 
journalism and its' impact on civil society 
organisations and mainstream media in Africa.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=14&year=2008&month=04&day=19&Itemid=58



= Club of Madrid Mission in Uganda

The Uganda Women Parliamentarian?s Association 
(UWOPA) in conjunction with Association of 
European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA) and 
the Club of Madrid (CoM) organized a mission of 
some of its members to Uganda from the 5th to the 
7th of March 2008. The mission run for three (3) 
days prior to the International Women?s Day due 8th March 2008.
The Club of Madrid is an independent organization 
dedicated to strengthening democracy around the 
world by drawing on the unique experience and 
resources of its Members ? 70 democratic former 
heads of state and government. In partnership 
with other organizations and governments that 
share its democracy-promotion goals, the Club of 
Madrid provides peer to peer counsel, strategic 
support and technical advice to leaders and 
institutions working towards democratic transition and consolidation.
This mission to Uganda focused on gender 
legislation and was graced by the former 
President of Ireland, Mary Robinson and the 
former Prime Minister of Norway, Kjell Magne Bondevik.
The three day visit in Uganda by the Club of 
Madrid delegation held from 5th to 7th March, 
2008 ended on a good note with the President of 
Uganda, H.E Yoweri Museveni making an appeal for 
the re-tabling and passing of the Domestic 
Relations Bill and the Domestic Violence Bill to 
deal with family relations and domestic violence.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122&Itemid=32



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Tech Support
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= Jaxtr - Low cost internet calls

On several mailing lists in Uganda there have 
been requests to join friends in making free 
calls using Jaxtr, however many are unaware about 
this application, so here is a brief on how it 
works. Jaxtr is a California-based company 
developed an application that allows you to make 
and receive phone calls through the Internet. 
Initially launched in December 2006, the 
application ?jaxtr? is a social networking VOIP 
service, which connects users to their online 
communities. When you subscribe to jaxtr, you are 
assigned a number. Others can then call you by 
dialing this phone number. It works for both 
mobile phones and fixed/landlines. Users can also 
receive text messages and voicemail, but it is 
through the website rather than a user's mobile phone.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119&Itemid=77



= Things To Consider When Buying A Printer

This article discusses at various issues one 
needs to consider when buying a printer:
1. Faster Speed May Require USB 2.0.
2. Consider a Multifunction Unit.
3. Always Buy Extra Toner or Cartridges.
4. Separate Colored Ink Cartridges.
5. Make Sure it Fits on Your Desk.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=12&id=36&Itemid=77



= Some Viruses Come Pre-Installed

From iPods to navigation systems, some of 
today's hottest gadgets are landing on store 
shelves with some unwanted extras from the 
factory ­ pre-installed viruses that steal 
passwords, open doors for hackers and make 
computers spew spam. Computer users have been 
warned for years about virus threats from 
downloading opening suspicious e-mail 
attachments. Now they run the risk of picking up 
a digital infection just by plugging a new gadget into their PCs.
Recent cases reviewed by The Associated Press 
include some of the most widely used tech 
devices: iPods, digital picture frames, external hard-drives
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=27&Itemid=62



= Time Is Right For Linux PCs To Emerge

The free Linux operating system handles big tasks 
like running supercomputers and ATMs. Now Linux 
has a chance to finally crack Microsoft Corp.'s 
hold on desktop computers and laptops because of 
the rise of innovative, inexpensive machines.
Linux gets high marks for security and stability 
and is widely used behind the scenes in corporate 
servers, making it a natural candidate to steal 
desktop thunder from Microsoft's dominant Windows.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=27&Itemid=62


For more information or for assistance in 
managing your computer and in using the Internet, 
contact techsupport@xxxxxxxxxxx


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WOUGNET News
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= Access, Influence and Empowerment: The 1st 
Swedish Workshop on ICT, Gender and Development
The Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions 
(SPIDER) together with the Sida Gender Helpdesk 
at Stockholm University organized a  workshop on 
''Access, Influence and Empowerment'', the First 
Swedish Workshop on ICT, Gender and Development. 
The workshop took place in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 6, 2008.
The aim of the workshop was to get an overview of 
(potential) actors and activities in Sweden in 
the area of ICT and gender with bearing on 
development countries issues, and to find areas 
where ICT could promote and create equality among 
women and men. The one day workshop gathered 
participants from a wide variety of organisations 
such as universities, authorities, NGOs and 
private enterprises. WOUGNET was invited to share 
experiences on our work in the area of Gender and 
ICTs from the perspective of a developing country.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=144&Itemid=32



= Consultative Meeting of Women Leaders with 
Brother Colonel Muammar Al-Gaddafi
The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social 
Development organised a Consultative meeting of 
women with Brother Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, 
held on Tuesday 18th March 2008 at 2:00 pm at 
Serena Conference centre. Women were invited to 
participate in the meeting and among them were 
Ministers, Members of political parties, Local 
Council Leaders, CSOs, Members of Parliament, 
University Students, Women Special Presidential 
Advisers, Judges, Armed Forces, Headmistresses 
and Special Presidential Advisers. WOUGNET was 
among the twenty women leaders selected by the 
National Association of Women Organisations in 
Uganda (NAWOU) to participate in the consultative meeting.
The visitors were welcomed by Honourable Lukia 
Nakadama, who said that women had been invited to 
show solidarity to our brother leader Colonel 
Gaddafi, thank him for the work he has done in 
empowering women and the Youth in Africa. She 
expressed gratitude to the women mobilisers, who 
responded in a short time and were able to 
respond and mobilise women to come for this meeting.
http://www.wougnet.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=0&Itemid=29



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The Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) website and
mailing lists are hosted by Kabissa - Space for Change in Africa

WOUGNET is supported by APC, CTA, Dimitra/FAO and Hivos

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