So I was supposed to do two more posts on the referendum – one on devolution and one on the youth…but that was before I forgot my FES cheatsheet at this place where i was do-ee-a-ring on the highspeed connection and then once I got the cheatsheet back and made it all the way to the cybercafe, I realized that I didn’t have my flashdisk that had the commentary from the speakers….foiled again. Hopefully I should have them up in the next day or two.
Then there’s going to be a live TV and radio debate on the referendum that promises to be both substantive (Ok we hope) and hot I was itching to live blog, but I have a flight to catch later on tonight and I am not sure how much of it I’ll be able to catch. My mum has generously made the services of her little ka-handheld radio available so that i don’t miss anything on the way to the airport so hopefully I will be able to blog most of the debate. Those of you who listen to the radio online shouldn’t miss it…if anything it signals some progression in Kenyan politics and in the media’s role of keeping the public informed. On the “No” side will be Mutula Kilonzo, Anyang’ Nyong’o, and Chris Okemo. On the “Yes” side will be Raphael Tuju, Paul Muite and Mukhisa Kituyi. I was having dinner at my aunt’s place last night and the general consensus was that the “No” lineup sounded “more impressive.” We’ll see how that pans out (the “No” ground campaign is definitely the one that’s on a roll).
So where am I off to? To Camden, Maine for this year’s Poptech Conference. I will be attending as one of the twelve Sun Pan-African fellows. I am super-excited to be attending the conference, looking forward to meeting with the other fellows (including Ndesanjo of Jikomboe), hope to return with some concrete ideas/projects, and will try not to be over-geeked (gawked?) out while I am there.
safe trip: I don’t put much stock in the debate since they are all “moderates” – we want to hear from the radicals, who are on the campaign trail and perhaps even see Raila & Kibaki debate face-to-face.
Also it is shocking that Wako has not been interviewed since his document started all this madness.
FYI: Sorry its a little lengthy
Africa Source II – Free and Open Source Software for Local Communities
Kalangala, Uganda – Jan 08-Jan 15, 2006
—————————————————————–
Please note that the deadline for sending in applications has been extended
until October 24th, 2005.
We welcome applications from those working in Africa who are;
– campaigners, practitioners or project managers working within non-profits and
interested in technology
– system administrators within NGOs, or acting as technical support to
non-profits or community centres
– trainers and consultants to the non-profit sector, or those working in
resource centres who are interested in technology
What is Africa Source II?
Africa Source II will be an eight day hands-on workshop aimed at building the
technical skills of those working with and within NGOs on the continent. It
will take place in one of the most beautiful parts of the Kalangala Island on
Victoria Lake during the beginning of January 2006.
Africa Source II will focus on how technology, in particular Free and Open
Source Software (FOSS) can be integrated into the project work of NGO’s. Over a
hundred NGO Support Professionals and NGO Staff working at the local level
across the region are expected at this meeting. Together with a handful of
field leaders from Africa, Europe, North America and Asia, they will explore
how technology can best serve the non-profit sector in Africa both in terms of
access and content.
What will happen there?
There will be a range of sessions for participants to take part in, they will
include:
* How to help NGO’s plan and implement FOSS applications in order to increase
their capacity
* How to use FOSS applications to handle information, publish content using
citizen’s media tools and engage supporters
* How FOSS can increase accessibility through localisation, translation into
local language and dialects
During these sessions participants will get an opportunity to learn from peers
about how technology has impacted their work through case studies and skill
shares. The workshops will be lead by a range of facilitators from the region
with strong experience in deploying free and open source solutions and of
working in the non-profit sector, as well as a number of experienced NGO
practitioners. They will be joined by a handful of international field leaders
from specific fields, such as community radio, alternative access solutions and
the use of mobile phones for NGO work.
The camp will focus on learning by doing, rather than by listening. We aim for a
“workshop vibe” as opposed to a “conference vibe”; participants will be hosted
at an Island location, with shared housing. The agenda of the event is very
hands-on and intensive, with an emphasis on active participation over passive
learning. Like other source events, Africa Source II will be intentionally
designed to foster community building, this creates an atmosphere conducive to
learning, but more importantly is essential if longer term relationships are to
be built.
Building on the previous Africa Source event (Namibia, March 2004), which
brought together African FOSS developers working in the social sector, Africa
Source II will in contrast work at a different level, concentrating on bringing
together those working with NGOs and technology at the practitioner and
intermediary level. Participants should have experience working with computers
and the internet and a project or initiative planned in the future
incorporating technology for the non-profit sector. They do not, however, have
to be technical experts.
Besides new ideas, skills and contacts that participants will gain, they will
also leave the workshop equipped with an event specific version of
NGO-in-a-box, a toolkit of FOSS and materials specific to the NGO sector.
Who is organising Africa Source II?
The Association for Progressive Communication APC (regional network), Fantsuam
Foundation (Nigeria), Schoolnet Africa (regional network), Translate.org.za,
WOUGNET (Uganda), Creative Commons South Africa, Aspiration (US) and The
Tactical Technology Collective (the Netherlands) will collaborate to organise
the content of the workshop and to build strong relationships between the
participants. The project partners are committed to examining the challenges of
implementing FOSS in the African context, stretching its potential to fit the
needs on the ground, and building local capacities to realise this. Our local
partners and hosts are the East African Center for Open Source (EACOSS), Linux
Solutions and WOUGNET.
Previous source events have taken place in Croatia – September 2003, Namibia –
March 2004, India – February 2005, and Tajikistan October 2005. In 2006 an
event will be held in the Middle East.
How can I apply?
For more information please visit http://www.tacticaltech.org/africasource2
Applications will be invited between September and November 2005. This is a
competitive process and participants will be selected by the Advisory Group
based on their potential to use the skills they gain, their interests and the
experiences they can bring to the event. There will be a small registration fee
for the event. A limited number of travel and registration fee scholarships are
available and may be applied for on application. If you would like to receive
an application form or have any questions please write to
africasource2@tacticaltech.org
Who was moderating the debate? Still can’t get my head arond the notion of Kenyan politicians having informed debate.
Rose Kimotho, MD of Citizen/Kameme FM. She didn’t have the gravitas to control the panel though/manage the debate and was a bit biased.
I have found that buying tickets online actually save me a lot of money.
A time limit you don’t have in aa but to start: you can rotate the circle as long as, as you like and also for minutes on end, wait for you docked the next ball with a tap on the Center. Who wants to prove himself against other gamers from around the world, is also a link to Apple’s game Center. Small Tip: When playing in airplane mode, you will no longer bother with the sometimes to common advertising banners. Nevertheless there is an absolute download recommendation for this addictive little game by us.