International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF)

Small Grants Programme under the Second Decade

2010-07-08T18:22:00.002-04:00

Applications for grants under the Small Grants Programme under the Second Decade will be accepted between 1 July 2010 and 1 October 2010

Applications for grants under the Small Grants Programme under the Second Decade will be accepted between 1 July 2010 and 1 October 2010. Applications are to be submitted to: indigenousfund@un.org during this time period. Applications submitted outside of this time period or to other email addresses will not be considered for funding. The proposals will be assessed by the Bureau of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May 2011 and successful applicants will receive notice thereafter. A list of organizations awarded grants will also be posted on this website.

Please note:
- Project must have a focus on indigenous peoples
- All applicants must submit their project proposals in accordance with the Trust Fund
Project Proposal Format and include both a summary sheet and a proposal document
- Projects will be disregarded if the required information is not present.
- Additional information pertaining to the proposal will not be accepted beyond the deadline of submission (1 October 2011)

Please visit our webpage to obtain updated grant information and application
materials: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/second_trustfund.html

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Las solicitudes para subvenciones del Programa de Pequeñas Donaciones dentro del marco del Segundo Decenio Fondo Fiduciario para el Segundo Decenio serán aceptadas entre el 1 de julio y el 1 de octubre del 2010.

Las solicitudes deben ser enviadas a: indigenousfund@un.org durante este plazo. Las solicitudes recibidas fuera de este plazo o enviadas a otras direcciones de email no serán consideradas. Las solicitudes serán evaluadas en mayo del 2011 y los candidatos exitosos serán notificados después de esta fecha. La lista de las organizaciones que reciban subsidios estará disponible en esta página web.

Por favor tomar en consideración:
- El proyecto debe tener un enfoque sobre pueblos indígenas
- Todos los candidatos deben someter sus propuestas de proyecto de acuerdo con
el formato de Propuesta del Proyecto y adjuntar la hoja resumen y el documento
de propuesta.
- Los proyectos que no tengan la información requerida no serán considerados.
- Información adicional relacionada con la propuesta no será aceptada una vez
vencido el plazo de presentación (1 de octubre de 2010).

Visite por favor esta página web para obtener información y materiales actualizados sobre las solicitudes: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/es/second.html

FCC loses key ruling on Internet `neutrality'

2010-04-06T19:04:00.003-04:00

Federal appeals court rules for Comcast and against FCC on key `net neutrality' case

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal court threw the future of Internet regulations into doubt Tuesday with a far-reaching decision that went against the Federal Communications Commission and could even hamper the government's plans to expand broadband access in the United States.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the FCC lacks authority to require broadband providers to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic flowing over their networks. That was a big victory for Comcast Corp., the nation's largest cable company, which had challenged the FCC's authority to impose such "network neutrality" obligations on broadband providers.

Supporters of network neutrality, including the FCC chairman, have argued that the policy is necessary to prevent broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against certain Web sites and online services, such as Internet phone programs or software that runs in a Web browser. Advocates contend there is precedent: Nondiscrimination rules have traditionally applied to so-called "common carrier" networks that serve the public, from roads and highways to electrical grids and telephone lines.

But broadband providers such as Comcast, AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. argue that after spending billions of dollars on their networks, they should be able to sell premium services and manage their systems to prevent certain applications from hogging capacity.

Tuesday's unanimous ruling by the three-judge panel was a setback for the FCC because it questioned the agency's authority to regulate broadband. That could cause problems beyond the FCC's effort to adopt official net neutrality regulations. It also has serious implications for the ambitious national broadband-expansion plan released by the FCC last month. The FCC needs the authority to regulate broadband so that it can push ahead with some of the plan's key recommendations. Among other things, the FCC proposes to expand broadband by tapping the federal fund that subsidizes telephone service in poor and rural communities.

In a statement, the FCC said it remains "firmly committed to promoting an open Internet and to policies that will bring the enormous benefits of broadband to all Americans" and "will rest these policies ... on a solid legal foundation."
Comcast welcomed the decision, saying "our primary goal was always to clear our name and reputation."

The case centers on Comcast's actions in 2007 when it interfered with an online file-sharing service called BitTorrent, which lets people swap movies and other big files over the Internet. The next year the FCC banned Comcast from blocking subscribers from using BitTorrent. The commission, at the time headed by Republican Kevin Martin, based its order on a set of net neutrality principles it had adopted in 2005.

But Comcast argued that the FCC order was illegal because the agency was seeking to enforce mere policy principles, which don't have the force of regulations or law. That's one reason that Martin's successor, Democratic FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, is trying to formalize those rules.

The cable company had also argued the FCC lacks authority to mandate net neutrality because it had deregulated broadband under the Bush administration, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in 2005.

The FCC now defines broadband as a lightly regulated information service. That means it is not subject to the "common carrier" obligations that make traditional telecommunications services share their networks with competitors and treat all traffic equally. But the FCC maintains that existing law gives it authority to set rules for information services.

Tuesday's court decision rejected that reasoning, concluding that Congress has not given the FCC "untrammeled freedom" to regulate without explicit legal authority.
With so much at stake, the FCC now has several options. It could ask Congress to give it explicit authority to regulate broadband. Or it could appeal Tuesday's decision.

But both of those steps could take too long because the agency "has too many important things they have to do right away," said Ben Scott, policy director for the public interest group Free Press. Free Press was among the groups that alerted the FCC after The Associated Press ran tests and reported that Comcast was interfering with attempts by some subscribers to share files online.

Scott believes that the likeliest step by the FCC is that it will simply reclassify broadband as a more heavily regulated telecommunications service. That, ironically, could be the worst-case outcome from the perspective of the phone and cable companies.

"Comcast swung an ax at the FCC to protest the BitTorrent order," Scott said. "And they sliced right through the FCC's arm and plunged the ax into their own back."

The battle over the FCC's legal jurisdiction comes amid a larger policy dispute over the merits of net neutrality. Backed by Internet companies such as Google Inc. and the online calling service Skype, the FCC says rules are needed to prevent phone and cable companies from prioritizing some traffic or degrading or services that compete with their core businesses. Indeed, BitTorrent can be used to transfer large files such as online video, which could threaten Comcast's cable TV business.

But broadband providers point to the fact that applications such as BitTorrent use an outsized amount of network capacity.

For its part, the FCC offered no details on its next step, but stressed that it remains committed to the principle of net neutrality.

"Today's court decision invalidated the prior commission's approach to preserving an open Internet," the agency's statement said. "But the court in no way disagreed with the importance of preserving a free and open Internet; nor did it close the door to other methods for achieving this important end."

Author: Joelle Tessler, AP Technology Writer
Source: Associated Press

Land rights for indigenous peoples via the web

2010-03-10T17:06:00.002-05:00

The issue of land ownership in Bolivia is a long-standing source of conflict and division. Over the past few years however, the situation has been changing for the better largely because of the determination of the indigenous peoples themselves who have enlisted the latest technology to help them overcome the bureaucratic obstacles that have prevented land transfers from taking place.

By 2001 after 11 years of land titling in Bolivia's lowlands, only one percent of land claims by indigenous peoples had been settled. Eliana Rioja, responsible for the communications programme of the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia (CIDOB) explains: "The slow progress in land titling we attributed to the reluctance of the agrarian reform institute (INRA) officials to move claims forward. They kept on coming up with confusing information or requesting technical information that was already available. Basically most of them were close to the large landowning interests." The CIDOB decided to take action to accelerate this process.

In 2001 CIDOB launched its internet land titling project, which consisted of building up a database of all land claims, systematically updating their progress, and setting out clearly the procedures for settlement.

Community leaders were taught to use computers, navigate the Internet and then understand the databases created to assist land claims. Now, dozens of blogs and community activities, accessible through the CIDOB webpage, are run mainly by indigenous women.

The result of this technical revolution in the indigenous communities has been a huge increase in the number of successful land claims. Since the community 'logged on' in 2001 half of the claims have been settled. The indigenous peoples of the lowlands now have ownership of 10 million hectares of land.

CIDOB has trained 250 communications volunteers throughout the Bolivian lowlands, an area which covers 34 different indigenous groups, most of them with their own languages. These communities live from farming, fishing and hunting. Some of these peoples live in remote lands that are only accessible on foot or by river.

CIDOB is giving a great push also to other areas of communication. More than 300 videos were produced and the film "El grito de la selva" ("The shout of the forest"), which has an archive of some 100 radio interviews and thousands of photographs, won an international prize in 2008.

The UN human rights office in Bolivia recently shared this story in a workshop held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia's largest city. The Office presented information about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Bolivia Office expects the information to reach hundreds of indigenous communities, including those in the lowlands, so that they can take more action for their rights.

Source: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Comment Deadline: 05 Feb. WSIS Questionnaire

2010-02-01T12:20:00.002-05:00

In order to fully engage all WSIS Stakeholders in the preparatory process for the upcoming WSIS Forum 2010, scheduled to be held from 10 to 14 May 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland, the organizing agencies, i.e. ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP are organizing an open consultation on thematic focus of the Forum.

In this context all WSIS Stakeholders are encouraged to submit their official contribution by completing this questionnaire and submitting it by 5 February 2010, via e-mail to wsis-info@itu.int or using the electronic form available at WSIS Forum 2010 website www.wsis.org/forum. You are also welcome to visit the www.wsis-community.org platform and participate in the ongoing discussions on the topic. Please note that all contributions will be reflected during the final review meeting, to be held on 10 February 2010 in ITU Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland. In case of queries, please do not hesitate to contact the WSIS Team by e-mail to wsis-info@itu.int or by phone (+41 22 730 60 65).

To download invitation letter, please click here -->
To download questionnaire, please click here -->

Conference on Development and Information Technologies, 23 – 24 October 2009, Castelldefels, Barcelona

2009-10-19T19:15:00.000-04:00

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) will be holding a Conference on Development and Information Technologies on 23 and 24 October 2009 at the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) in Castelldefels, Barcelona. The Conference, organised by the UOC and co-financed by the Agència Catalana de Cooperació al Desenvolupament, will be on “Mobile Phones and Internet in Latin America and Africa: What benefits for the most disadvantaged?”

If interested in submitting a paper for this event, please visit the UOC website.

Importance of ICT in Development, Human Rights Highlighted at ITU Telecom World 2009

2009-10-14T15:33:00.000-04:00

On 5 October 2009, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) opened the 11th Edition of the Telecom World Forum in Geneva. The opening featured remarks by the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon and the ITU Secretary General Mr. Touré.

Telecom World 2009 is a unique event that brings together government officials and leaders from international organisations and the business industry to discuss the role of information communication technology (ICT) in bringing solutions for the global well-being.

At the opening ceremony of Telecom World 2009, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, highlighted the importance of ICT in the work of the United Nations, in particular in the field of peace, human rights, development and climate change. He also called upon governments and the private sector to remember what is at stake and to find “more creative ways to use ICTs to usher in a new green economy” and added, “Let us work together to find new ways to cut waste, reduce emissions, create jobs, protect against disasters and promote better standards of living.”

Mr. Touré not only outlined the importance of ICT in development, but also linked ICTs to human rights. He stressed that “Communication is a basic human right,” and that “if we are to meet the Millennium Development Goals for ICTs then we will need to work in partnership. And we will need to innovate. And we will need to develop new technologies which will help us deliver on our promise to connect the world.”

During the five days of the Telecom World 2009, participants discussed several issues, such as development; ICTs and climate change; and cyber security; as well as technology foresight and access; empowering development through communications; and business models and policy developments.

With regard to cyber security, Mr. Anuj Singh, Director of the Global Response Centre (GRC), an organisation that aims to track and defend against cyber threats, demonstrated an advanced early response system to combat viral attacks. He also called upon ITU Member States to collaborate in order to respond quicker and in a more efficient way to cyber threats. To support this call, Mr. Touré added that “every country is now critically dependent on technology for commerce, finance, healthcare, emergency services, food distribution and more. Loss of vital networks would quickly cripple any nation and none is immune to cyber attack.”

The relationship between climate change and ICT was also taken up. Although ICT industries does contribute to climate change, participants also underlined ICT’s positive role in addressing the problem. At a Roundtable meeting with Heads of State and Government and chief executive officers, Mr. Ban noted “I know the information and communications technology industry itself is part of the problem, causing 2 to 3 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. But using these tools, your power, you can reduce at least 15 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from the other sectors.” ICT can also be used to encourage States as well as the private sector to use “environmentally friendly design”; to promote the development of more energy efficient devices; and to have better monitoring mechanisms in place.

Another issue debated at the forum was new mobile technologies that can revolutionize ICT in developing countries. Since the previous Telecom World Forum, held in 2003, the number of subscribers of mobiles phones has increased tremendously with an estimated 4.6 billion subscribers by the end of 2009. However, these subscribers are not equally distributed around the world. There are still regional disparities in the use of mobile technologies and internet connections. Difficult terrain and high costs, among other challenges, pose significant problems for countries wishing to implement simple internet connections. For instance, in Africa, “there is only one fixed broadband subscriber for every 1000 inhabitants, compared to Europe where there are some 200 subscribers per 1000 people.”

The Forum concluded on 9 October 2009. Delegates and participants from 186 countries recognized the contribution of the information communication technology industry to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in sectors like education and health. They also agreed on a set of recommendations, including the necessity to find new solutions for fast-moving industries; the promotion of new products and services in the world; and greater inclusion for developing countries in information technology. Moreover, the participants recognized ICT’s key role in combating climate change as it can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in various sectors and to risk reduction in case of natural disasters.

One of the other highlights of the ITU World Telecom 2009 was an exhibition on technologies and advanced applications through 35 thematic pavilions. Each pavilion linked a key issue, such as global health, social exclusion and climate change with new technologies and ICT challenges. The exhibition was built around the theme Open Networks — Connected Minds.”

Coinciding with the Telecom World 2009, was the ITU Youth Forum , for which the two sponsors: ITU and the State of Geneva, had invited 250 university students coming from 135 countries to participate. The students got selected on the basis of submitted essays on “What is the biggest problem facing your community and how would you use ICT to solve it?” During the forum, the students were able to challenge their knowledge by participating in debates and to interact with leaders from the public and private sectors.

For more information on Telecom World 2009, click here.

IITF Intervention at the 2nd Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva, Switzerland

2009-08-24T13:07:00.001-04:00

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Second Session
Geneva, August 10-14 2009

STATEMENT BY THE INDIGENOUS ICT TASK FORCE (IITF)
Speaker: Malia Nobrega, Indigenous ICT Task Force, Indigenous World Association, Waikiki Hawaiian Civic Club
Agenda Item 4a: Implementation of the Declaration at the regional and national levels

The indigenous caucus convened at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) called for universal indigenous connectivity and the development of indigenous specific information and communication technologies (ICTs). At this time the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) was formed and mandated to continue the work of WSIS.

Since then the IITF has worked successfully with indigenous delegates at forums such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) to lobby states and other multi-stake holders to recognise the special position of Indigenous Peoples.

In article 15 of the WSIS Declaration of Principals and article 22 of the Tunis Commitment states that:

"In the evolution of the Information Society, particular attention must be given to the special situation of Indigenous peoples, as well as to the preservation of their heritage and their cultural legacy."

The IITF also continues to carry out it’s work in implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples specifically Article 16 and 31 of the Declaration that states:

Article 16
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to establish their own media in their own languages and to have access to all forms of non-indigenous media without discrimination.
2. States shall take effective measures to ensure that State-owned media duly reflect indigenous cultural diversity. States, without prejudice to ensuring full freedom of expression, should encourage privately owned media to adequately reflect indigenous cultural diversity.

Article 31
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of their sciences, technologies and cultures, including human and genetic resources, seeds, medicines, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora, oral traditions, literatures, designs, sports and traditional games and visual and performing arts. They also have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over such cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions.

2. In conjunction with indigenous peoples, States shall take effective measures to recognize and protect the exercise of these rights.

Examples of Implementation of the Declaration
Two examples of the work of the IITF that implements the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are:

1. International Indigenous Portal
The IITF has worked hard on implementing the first, global Indigenous Portal. It was launched two years ago at the UN Permanent Forum on the Indigenous Issues. This is a portal that is for, by, and about indigenous peoples and can be found at indigenousportal.com. The portal has an indigenous manager and indigenous regional editors that work in 4 languages- English, French, Spanish, and Russian.

We recently launched the indigenous portal for mobile phones as well as two applications for iPhones and iPods that allows users to access the English news and audio at anytime.

We continue to look for financial support to continue our work on the indigenous portal which also includes creating partnerships with indigenous organizations to provide capacity building opportunities for indigenous peoples to use media and technology as a tool that gives voice to our people.

The indigenous portal is a platform for all indigenous peoples and organizations to share our news, audio, video, stories, etc… Join us on the portal to share stories from your community.

2. dotIndigi

Indigenous Peoples have a long history of collaboration and connection with each other. We believe the global indigenous community should be identified and enhanced by having its own sponsored gTLD on the Internet. Under a .indigi sponsored TLD those nations, tribes, peoples and organisations can assert control over their own Internet space thus reducing the current threats of cyber squatting, intellectual property rights violations and authentication of content.

A .indigi gTLD will play a strategic role in validating indigenous cultures and languages in an age of increasing globalisation. It will make it easier for individuals and groups who wish to associate with the community to identify with other users around the world. The success of the dotIndigi campaign will confirm that the World Wide Web really is inclusive of Indigenous Peoples.

Background

A top-level domain is the last part of an Internet domain name. The original set of these TLDs, defined in October 1984, is still the most familiar .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, and .org, to which .net was added in the first implementation of the domain name system. Management of TLDs is in the hands of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which operates under contract to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Over the years, new TLDs now called generic TLDs, to distinguish them from, say, country-code TLDs have been added, and now .aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, and .pro are all operational.

Most important, in June 2008, ICANN approved the recommendation of a new gTLD program which would allow just about any organization to apply to reserve its own gTLD. Under this system, for example, Microsoft could apply for .msn, Google for .google, or New York City for .nyc. The implementation plan for the new system is expected to be published in 2009. The plan must then be approved by the ICANN Board before the system is implemented. ICANN is currently aiming to receive applications for domains starting in the second quarter of 2009.

This new plan is now seen as an opportunity for indigenous peoples to have their own gTLDs .taino, for example, or .shipibo. But applying for a gTLD requires significant resources of time, money, and expertise. For that reason dotIndigi has been formed, with the aim of helping Indigenous Peoples be represented on the Internet in a space that is self-governing, representative, and restrictive of intellectual property abuses.

So what is the plan?

The Dot Indigi organisation will apply to ICANN for a new gTLD <.indigi> (or other if the community suggest a different version) to support all indigenous groups of the world.

The .indigi domain would then offer indigenous organizations the opportunity to register their own second-level domains under the .indigi gTLD for example, māori.indigi or diné.indigi. The organization would petition ICANN to approve the use of such characters as ā and é as part of indigenous names at the second and lower domain levels. Several other 2nd Level Domains will be made public to cater to indigenous individuals or smaller such groups who cannot justify the expense and set up of their own 2nd Level Domain.

Individual indigenous organizations could then govern their own domain name space and distribute or resell third-level domain names for example, Kauai.kanakamaoli.indigi. Indigenous peoples could structure their domain levels to accommodate their own culture; the Māori people could, for example, create the third-level domain .kura.māori.indigi under which each individual Māori school could have its own domain. Additional second-level domains would be made available to the public for the use of indigenous individuals or smaller indigenous groups that cannot justify the expense of setting up their own second-level domain.

It is envisaged that an annual percentage of profits would be given back to indigenous groups to participate more in ICT projects that empower their organisation and peoples.

DotIndigi would also petition to have different translations of the term .indigi to be used and to fall under the umbrella of .indigi for example .autoch could be used for autochtone the french translation of indigenous.

This initiative is being led by the New Zealand Māori Internet Society (NZMIS) with support from indigenous organisations - The Indigenous ICT Taskforce and the International Indigenous Librarians' Forum, as well as many individual Indigenous individuals from around the world. WIPO a UN Agency is also supporting this initiative and we hope that other UN Agencies and NGOs will also be able to support us in this work.

For more information on the work of the IITF and our work of continuing to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples please visit us at indigenousportal.com.

GAID GLOBAL FORUM: ICT and Invovation for Education

2009-07-16T19:32:00.002-04:00

Taíno Appointed Member of UN ICT Strategy Council

2009-05-31T22:47:00.000-04:00

United Nations (UCTP Taíno News) – Taíno community leader Roberto Borrero has been appointed to serve as a member of the Strategy Council of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA-GAID), for a two-year term starting 1 June 2009 and ending 31 March 2011. Composed of top-level policy makers, practitioners, experts and thinkers, the high-level Strategy Council provides overall strategic guidance and priority setting to UNDESA-GAID.

The Global Alliance functions as a partnership and network supported by the United Nations, under the authority of the Secretary-General and the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Borrero will share his experience as a member of the International Indigenous ICT Taskforce (IITF) with representatives of governments, civil society/not-for-profit, private sector and international organizations.

UNDESA-GAID plans to focus on its key message of how ICTs and innovation can be harnessed to meet key global challenges such as poverty eradication, the financial crisis, climate change, governance and mainstreaming gender within the broader United Nations Development Agenda.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations established the Global Alliance in March 2006, to meet the need for an inclusive, multi-stakeholder global forum and platform for policy dialogue and partnership-building, to promote the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and to enable and catalyze multi-stakeholder partnerships for action under the GAID umbrella.

UCTPTN 05.30.2009

World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2009, 18 – 22 May 2009, Geneva

2009-05-14T16:58:00.001-04:00

ITU, UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP will be holding the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2009 from 18 to 22 May 2009, at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva. The Forum will offer participants a series of high-level panels addressing issues critical to the WSIS implementation and follow-up in multi-stakeholder set-ups.

Visit the ITU website for the draft agenda, invitation, and registration.

Self-governing domain name for Indigenous Peoples

2009-02-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

UCTP Taino News - A dynamic campaign, Dot Indigi, is underway to secure a new internet domain-name that would assist Indigenous Peoples around the world by creating an online space that is self-governing, representative and restrictive of Intellectual Property abuses. About 1.5 billion internet users are accustomed to being affiliated to domain-names such as “.com, .org, .edu, .gov” etc. The “Dot Indigi” campaign would produce a new domain or gTLD like a “.com” but it would be recognized as “.indigi”.

The Dot Indigi partnership is formed between the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) and the New Zealand Maori Internet Society (NZMIS) with the conditional support of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The IITF will act as the advisory board to the organization while Māori ICT advocate Karaitiana Taiuru, the recently appointed leader of the Dot Indigi group, will manage the daily affairs of .indigi while growing the organization.

The campaign organizers assert that .indigi will cater to the plethora of Indigenous Peoples who do not have the resources to apply for their own gTLD. The use of .indigi would also remove existing Indigenous representation issues of the predominantly English Internet naming system. The ability to include non English characters will be a priority at the 2nd and subsequent levels.

The .indigi domain will offer registration at the 2nd Level Domain to indigenous organizations who would then govern their own domain name space and resell/distribute 3rd Level Domain names or retain a general project type name at the 2nd Level via the official .indigi registrars.

“Caribbean Indigenous Peoples such as the Taino would be able to apply for taino.indigi for example and create a new set of domain names to accommodate their specific needs” stated Roberto Borrero, a member of the IITF who represents the United Confederation of Taino People.

The Dot Indigi organization also plans to make available several other 2nd Level Domains, which would be made public to cater to indigenous individuals or smaller groups who may not be able to justify the expense and set up of their own 2nd Level Domain. The organization is now promoting the campaign via social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo as well as on Twitter and Google Groups.

The application for the new .indigi domain name will be presented to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). A multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to coordinating the Internet's addressing system, ICANN is now seeking to expand the domain-name system.

ICANN’s rationale for the expansion is that new domains will allow for more innovation, choice and change to the Internet's addressing system, which now constrained by only 21 generic top-level domain names.

Photo: Asia Pacific Internet leader and pioneer of Māori Internet and Software technologies, Karaitiana Taiuru is the head of the Dot Indigi organization.

UCTPTN 02.09.2008

CALL FOR PAPERS, SUBMISSIONS, SURVEYS & NOMINATIONS

2008-11-14T15:20:00.001-05:00

Education and Information Systems, Technologies and
Applications: EISTA 2009

CALL FOR PAPERS, SUBMISSIONS, SURVEYS & NOMINATIONS

Call for papers for the 7th International Conference on Education and Information Systems, Technologies and Applications
Submissions Deadline: 26 November 2008

The Education and Information Systems, Technologies and Applications (EISTA) is announcing a Call for Papers for the 7th International Conference on Education and Information Systems, Technologies and Applications. The Conference will take place in Orlando , Florida USA , from 10-13 July 2009. Relationships between education/training and information communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly accelerating, sometimes in unexpected ways, with original ideas and innovative tools, methodologies and synergies. The main objective of EISTA 2009 is to bring together researchers and practitioners from both areas, in order to support the bridging process between education/training and information communication technologies (ICTs) communities.

For further details:

http://www.iiis2009.org/imsci/Website/AboutConfer.asp?vc=5

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, IITF and Indigenous Portal Project Joint Intervention

2008-10-06T18:23:00.006-04:00

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
October 2, 2008, Geneva, Switzerland
Item #4
Topic: Right to Education

Presenter: Lei Kaupu (kainoa_12@hotmail.com)
Joint Intervention:
Indigenous ICT Task Force, Indigenous Portal Project

Aloha. My name is Lei Kaupu. I am a Native Hawaiian, a student at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, and an editor for the Indigenous Portal Project. This is an intervention on behalf of the Indigenous ICT Task Force and the members of the Indigenous Portal Project.

The Indigenous Portal project is an outcome of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). The indigenous caucus there called for universal indigenous connectivity and the development of Indigenous specific Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs). The development of an indigenous portal was endorsed as supporting this vision.

At the 2007 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues the indigenous portal was launched and since then we have hired indigenous peoples to fill the positions of the manager and editors for 8 regions of the world.

A portal is much more than a web interface. It is a focal point where indigenous content will be available from our peoples and other stakeholders. Our portal allows us to share, with our own voices, our traditions, values, history and language as well as our aspirations for the future. The indigenous portal is run, for, and by indigenous peoples.

From September 27-29, 2008, Indigenous ICT experts gathered to train the board members, the portal manager, and editors here in Geneva. All participants learned to upload content to the portal including video and audio content. Video cameras and audio recorders were given to each editor and trained to use them effectively.

Indigenous to indigenous training is a model that works well in educational models in indigenous communities as we’ve experienced in various projects.

Another example of this is from the Pacific that our organization called Pacific Voices has worked closely on. I come from Miloli’i, a fishing village on the island of Hawai’i. My village doesn’t have any electricity or running water. Our ‘opio and children are choosing to not continue our traditional fishing practices and would rather leave the village to do other activities. However, since 2004, Pacific Voices has partnered with elders and other community members to bring indigenous ICT trainers into the village and have worked closely with our children and elders. We have used various technology tools to document traditional knowledge and to produce how-to videos where our elders teach our youth to prepare traditional fish bait, fish nets, and other practices. Our children are now becoming more and more interested in these practices and also using technology to document these soon to be lost practices. Our indigenous youth now ask us for more and more trainings and possible cultural exchanges with other indigenous youth which they have enjoyed over the years. Since then we’ve also hosted a film and multimedia festival with 5 other fishing communities from Hawai’i. We will submit more information about our project and other trainings that have worked for your considerations of lessons learned and challenges for this study on the right to education.

The Indigenous Portal would also like to offer it’s assistance in carrying out this study and any future work by posting all information regarding this study on the portal for example a call for papers, deadline postings on our calendar, and any other information regarding this study under the education category. Each of our editors can also assist with reaching out to indigenous organizations in their
region.

We are committed to working closely with members of the Experts Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and our indigenous brothers and sisters. We welcome all of you to visit us and share your voice at indigenousportal.com.

Thank you.

Open Consultation on the participation of relevant stakeholders in the ITU

2008-06-12T13:59:00.001-04:00

Open Consultation on the participation of relevant stakeholders in the ITU

Deadline: 15 June 2008

As part of the process leading towards an increased inclusiveness of the International Telecommunication Union to civil society entities, in the aftermath of WSIS, the ITU is currently leading a consultation process on modalities for civil society participation in the Union . All entities that were accredited to the World Summit on the Information Society are invited to reply to the online questionnaire until 15 June 2008.

UN AND COMPUTER MAKER HP PARTNER TO BOOST IT SKILLS OF AFRICA’S YOUNG

2008-05-09T13:10:00.000-04:00

New York, May 8 2008 - The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Hewlett-Packard (HP) have joined forces to help young unemployed people across Africa build their entrepreneurial and information technology (IT) skills, it was announced today.

The Graduate Entrepreneurship Training Through IT (GET-IT) initiative will initially be launched in six nations – Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda – and eventually be expanded further to span the African continent.

The scheme seeks to train youth and graduates, who are between the ages of 16 and 25 and do not have jobs, acquire IT skills and run their own businesses.

GET-IT courses will focus on teaching practical solutions for businesses in finance, management, marketing and technology management.

“By providing IT technology, curricula and training for entrepreneurs, we aim to foster jobs and opportunities in Africa,” said Kandeh K. Yumkella, UNIDO Director-General.

HP started the programme last year in 18 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and its new partnership with the UN will allow it to extend its reach in Africa.

“It is essential that UNIDO assists developing countries in Africa in educating their young generation in information technology and creating achievable prospects,” Mr. Yumkella noted.

2008-05-08 00:00:00.000

International Indigenous Portal Launches Logo Competition

2008-05-08T13:45:00.000-04:00

UCTP Taino News – The International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) launched their logo competition at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on April 22, 2008. The logo will form the basis of the visual identity of the “Indigenous Portal” at http://www.indigenousportal.com/, the IITF’s premier project. The winning logo design will be published on the web site of the Indigenous Portal and will be used on publications and public information materials. The winning designer will receive an 80 GB iPod Classic, iPod microphone, and equipment warranty.

An international indigenous owned and operated initiative coming out of the World Summit on the Information Society, the Indigenous Portal is a way to share indigenous voices, traditions, perspectives on the internet in a way that supports the work of the global Indigenous community.

The competition is open to participation from Indigenous Peoples from around the world and entries can be electronic or made on paper [canvas A4 size] Artists can use ink, pencil, charcoal, crayon, water colour, marker, or any material that are available in their respective environments. The IITF is requesting that each design submitted should be accompanied by a brief description of the meaning on the back of the entry along with personal information name, age, gender, indigenous people to which the individual belongs, full address, country, phone number, fax, e-mail and other alternative contact information.

The Indigenous Portal Board will make the final selection of the entries assisted by the Regional Editors of the Portal, which now include the Pacific, the Caribbean, Russia, Asia, and the Arctic. Selection will be based on artistic expression, usefulness as a logo design, and how well the design captures the goals and objectives of Portal.

Design entries must be received before July 1st 2008. For further information on submissions visit the Indigenous Portal or email indigenousportal@gmail.com.

UCTPTN 05.07.2008

Concurso de logotipo del Portal Indígena – Gane un iPod y un micrófono

2008-05-08T12:31:00.000-04:00

www.indigenousportal.com

El Portal Indígena necesita un logotipo. El logotipo formará la base de la identidad visual del Portal Indígena. Será publicado en el sitio web del Portal Indígena y se usará en publicaciones y en materiales de información al público. Los diseños artísticos ganadores recibirán un iPod Classic de 80 GB, un micrófono iPod, y la garantía de los equipos. El portal es un sitio para compartir voces, tradiciones y perspectivas indígenas de una forma que respalde la labor de la comunidad indígena mundial.

Requisitos del concurso
¿Quién puede participar?
Gente indígena de todo el mundo

Requisitos de la entrada:

La entrada puede ser electrónica o hecha en papel [tamaño canvas A4]. Puede usar tinta, lápiz, carbón, lápiz de cera, acuarela, plumón o cualquier material que pudiera tener en su entorno. No enmarque su obra. Cada diseño debe ir acompañado de una descripción breve del significado en la parte posterior de la entrada

Información personal:

Cada entrada debe tener la siguiente información en la parte posterior: nombre, edad, sexo, pueblo indígena al que pertenece la persona, dirección completa, país, número de teléfono, fax, correo electrónico y otra información alternativa de contacto.

Premio:

Los diseños artísticos ganadores recibirán un iPod Classic de 80 GB, un micrófono iPod, y la garantía de los equipos.

Decisión sobre el concurso:

El Directorio del Portal Indígena hará la selección final de las entradas con la ayuda de los Editores Regionales del Portal

Criterios para la evaluación de las entradas:

Expresión artística, utilidad como diseño de logotipo para el Portal Indígena, determinar si se adapta bien al Portal y si captura las metas y los objetivos del Portal.

Plazo:

Envíe el diseño, con el formulario de inscripción, antes del 1 de julio de 2008 a la siguiente dirección:

Logo Competition
c/o Pacific Voices
2847 Waialae Ave 509
Honolulu HI 96826
USA

Aceptaremos también entradas hechas en forma electrónica. Para más información, escríbanos a info- indigenousportal@gmail.com

INDIGENOUS FORUM DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON PACIFIC REGION

2008-04-23T14:12:00.001-04:00

23 April 2008
Economic and Social Council
HR/4947

Department of Public Information - News and Media Division - New York
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Seventh Session
5th Meeting (PM)

INDIGENOUS FORUM DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON PACIFIC REGION
Continuing its seventh annual session with a half-day discussion on the Pacific, delegates to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues called for the Forum to take a more robust role in inducing other parts of the United Nations system to carry out mandates for securing the rights of the indigenous peoples in the region.

TEANAU TUIONO, Indigenous ICT Task Force, said improving “connectivity” among indigenous peoples was an urgent issue. At the same time, he warned against a tendency to label the exercise of legitimate political dissent by indigenous peoples as a form of terrorism. Recently, the Government of New Zealand had seized the server hosting the website of the Indigenous ICT Task Force. The homes of writers were raided under the pretext of anti-terrorism. Others were arrested at gunpoint, including one who was incarcerated for as long as a month. Household members were pinned to the ground with guns to their heads, including a 12 year-old girl. He said he himself had been separated from his partner and children and was detained, and his laptop confiscated.

He said the website was currently being hosted on a server run by indigenous people. Information and communication technology (ICT) was a powerful medium to support the work of indigenous peoples, and to facilitate the exchange of information. He recommended that the Forum speak out against Governments that used fear of terrorism as an excuse to prevent dissent over the Internet. In addition, the Forum should support indigenous ICT initiatives by allowing its logo to be used on his website. Indeed, ICT networks were a “necessity” for healthy societies.

Excerpt Source:

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/hr4947.dochtm

SHARE YOUR STORY AT INDIGENOUSPORTAL.COM

2008-04-22T08:24:00.000-04:00

The Indigenous ICT Task Force presents:

SHARE YOUR STORY AT INDIGENOUSPORTAL.COM

TUES, APRIL 22, 2008 • 1:15PM - 2:45PM DC2- 13th Floor Conference Room at Two United Nations Plaza (44th Street between 1st and 2nd Ave.)

Speakers: Mr. Roberto Borrero, Mr. Kenneth Deer, Ms. Malia Nobrega, Mr. Teanau Tuiono

*Logo Competition --- Win an iPod 80GB --- Deadline July 1, 2008

Voices of the Earth: Indigenous communities and rural poverty

2008-04-15T17:47:00.002-04:00

IPS Latin America has just launched a new radio service in Aymara, Quechua and two Maya languages, working with the community radio network AMARC-Pulsar. The radio broadcasts are part of a special coverage of indigenous peoples in Latin America focused on land and rural issues, which is being supported by IFAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Read more »

More about: Globalization and the South, Latin America, Poverty & MDGs, Sustainable development

Free four-day Online e-learning Course: NETWORKING IN SUPPORT OF DEVELOPMENT for e-agriculture.org Community Members

2008-04-08T10:10:00.001-04:00

Free four-day Online e-learning Course: NETWORKING IN SUPPORT OF DEVELOPMENT for e-agriculture.org Community Members

The Food and Agriculture Organization and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation invite applications from the e-agriculture.org Community to participate in a free four-day Online e-learning Course:

NETWORKING IN SUPPORT OF DEVELOPMENT

The First Course for Applicants in Africa will be held 6-9 May 2008.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 23 APRIL 2008.

A Second Course for Applicants in Asia will be held in late 2008.

--------------------------------------

The Networking in Support of Development Online Course will cover how different information and communication technologies (ICT) in a country - local, national and international - fit together to provide a workable means of communication, and the issues that affect each level. The course will include e-learning materials, online discussions, and individual assignments. It is one of many modules offered in The Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK), a partnership-based e-learning initiative to train individuals and support institutions and networks world-wide in the effective management of agricultural information.

Who should take this Course?
Anyone who is currently, or would like to be, involved in the development and use of information and communication technology to support existing communication traditions and networks, especially in rural areas.

No prior knowledge of ICT is required.

What are the topics to be covered?

* Day 1 - Information and Communication Technology as media looks at how ICT can be used in support of development as a medium for communication and information exchange.

* Day 2 - ICT's influence on the shape of the future looks at traditional and new media and how ICT might change information delivery over the next 3-5 years.

* Day 3 - Costs and effectiveness of the links in the ICT chain looks at the different links in the network chain: international, national and local, the different technologies used, and the costs involved.

* Day 4 - Impact of regulatory frameworks on ICT choices and costs looks at the areas of ICT policy and regulation where there are strategic choices to be made that will help unlock lower cost communications.

Partcipants will need to show they have:
* Professional involvement in ICT networking in Agriculture and Rural Development in Africa/Asia
* Individual access to the Internet
* Ability to read and write English fluently
* At least 4 hours available each day of the four-day course
* Be a member of the e-agriculture.org Community.

Developed in cooperation with Balancing Act.

To apply, please visit: www.e-agriculture.org

Deadline for applicants in Africa: 23 April 2008. Participation
limited to 30 people.

Net Neutrality: Beware the New New Thing

2008-04-05T12:51:00.003-04:00

Beware the New New Thing

By DAMIAN KULASH Jr.
http://www.nytimes. com/2008/ 04/05/opinion/ 05kulash. html

Los Angeles

RECENTLY, the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust task force invited me to be the lead witness for its hearing on "net neutrality." I've collaborated with the Future of Music Coalition, and my band, OK Go, has been among the first to find real success on the Internet --- our songs and videos have been streamed and downloaded hundreds of millions of times (orders of magnitude above our CD sales) --- so the committee thought I'd make a decent spokesman for up-and-coming musicians in this new era of digital pandemonium.

I'm flattered, of course, but it makes you wonder if Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner sit around arguing who was listening to Vampire Weekend first.

If you haven't been following the debate on net neutrality, you're not alone. The details of the issue can lead into realms where only tech geeks and policy wonks dare to tread, but at root there's a pretty simple question: How much control should network operators be allowed to have over the information on their lines?

Most people assume that the Internet is a democratic free-for-all by nature --- that it could be no other way. But the openness of the Internet as we know it is a byproduct of the fact that the network was started on phone lines. The phone system is subject to "common carriage" laws, which require phone companies to treat all calls and customers equally. They can't offer tiered service in which higher-paying customers get their calls through faster or clearer, or calls originating on a competitor's network are blocked or slowed.

These laws have been on the books for about as long as telephones have been ringing, and were meant to keep Bell from using its elephantine market share to squash everyone else. And because of common carriage, digital data running over the phone lines has essentially been off limits to the people who laid the lines. But in the last decade, the network providers have argued that since the Internet is no longer primarily run on phone lines, the laws of data equality no longer apply. They reason that they own the fiber optic and coaxial lines, so they should be able to do whatever they want with the information crossing them.

Under current law, they're right. They can block certain files or Web sites for their subscribers, or slow or obstruct certain applications. And they do, albeit pretty rarely. Network providers have censored anti-Bush comments from an online Pearl Jam concert, refused to allow a text-messaging program from the pro-choice group Naral (saying it was "unsavory"), blocked access to the Internet phone service (and direct competitor) Vonage and selectively throttled online traffic that was using the BitTorrent protocol.

When the network operators pull these stunts, there is generally widespread outrage. But outright censorship and obstruction of access are only one part of the issue, and they represent the lesser threat, in the long run. What we should worry about more is not what's kept from us today, but what will be built (or not built) in the years to come.

We hate when things are taken from us (so we rage at censorship), but we also love to get new things. And the providers are chomping at the bit to offer them to us: new high-bandwidth treats like superfast high-definition video and quick movie downloads. They can make it sound great: newer, bigger, faster, better! But the new fast lanes they propose will be theirs to control and exploit and sell access to, without the level playing field that common carriage built into today's network.

They won't be blocking anything per se --- we'll never know what we're not getting --- they'll just be leapfrogging today's technology with a new, higher-bandwidth network where they get to be the gatekeepers and toll collectors. The superlative new video on offer will be available from (surprise, surprise) them, or companies who've paid them for the privilege of access to their customers. If this model sounds familiar, that's because it is. It's how cable TV operates.

We can't allow a system of gatekeepers to get built into the network. The Internet shouldn't be harnessed for the profit of a few, rather than the good of the many; value should come from the quality of information, not the control of access to it.

For some parallel examples: there are only two guitar companies who make most of the guitars sold in America, but they don't control what we play on those guitars. Whether we use a Mac or a PC doesn't govern what we can make with our computers. The telephone company doesn't get to decide what we discuss over our phone lines. It would be absurd to let the handful of companies who connect us to the Internet determine what we can do online. Congress needs to establish basic ground rules for an open Internet, just as common carriage laws did for the phone system.

The Internet, for now, is the type of place where my band's homemade videos find a wider audience than the industry's million-dollar productions. A good idea is still more important than deep pockets. If network providers are allowed to build the next generation of the Net as a pay-to-play system, we will all pay the price.

Damian Kulash Jr. is the lead singer for OK Go.

*The material in this post is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.For more information go to: http://www4. law.cornell. edu/uscode/ 17/107.html http://oregon. uoregon.edu/ ~csundt/document s.htm If you wish to use copyrighted material from this email for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner*.*

World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference 08 Scholarships

2008-03-06T13:55:00.001-05:00

Call for applications: deadline Friday, 14 March

The inaugural World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference - WITBC 08 - will be held at The Edge in Auckland, Aotearoa-New Zealand, from March 26-28, 2008. The conference theme is 'reclaiming the future' of our indigenous languages, cultures and identities.

Host broadcaster Maori Television is committed to the development of the industry by supporting New Zealand tertiary students who are studying in broadcasting related fields with a particular emphasis on indigenous culture and language.

Maori Television is pleased to be able to offer five (5) student scholarships to attend WITBC 08. The scholarships cover the conference delegate fee, plus attendance at the two networking functions on Day One and Day Two.

Scholarships will be awarded to five students who can demonstrate a commitment in their studies and in their future aspirations, to the development of indigenous culture and language.

More information and application forms are available at http://witbc.org/STUDENTS/

Applications close Friday March 14, 2008 at 5PM. Applications should be sent to:
Hone Paul, Maori Television, PO Box 113017, Newmarket, Auckland.
Email: hone.paul@maoritelevision.com.
Fax: 09 539 7199.

The Best Free Software

2008-03-03T17:26:00.005-05:00

157 software tools. No fees. No expiration dates. No problems. Sometimes even no downloads. No kidding.

by Eric Griffith and PC Magazine Staff

We did the math: If you bought popular apps instead of trying their gratis counter-parts, at the manufacturers' list prices you'd be out $5,183 and change! Why spend money when you can get what you need for nothing? Sometimes, you do get what you don't pay for.

---------------------------------
Hall of Fame
---------------------------------

Adobe Reader
www.adobe.com
Windows MacOS Linux Mobile
This simplest of Adobe's PDF programs lets you do just about anything PDF-related (besides create new ones), including online collaboration. It includes a host of features to aid users with disabilities.

AIM
www.aim.com
Windows MacOS Linux Web
One of the most widely used pieces of free software ever, AOL Instant Messenger offers a ton of capabilities.
Read our full review of AIM 6.5.

Audacity
www.audacity.sourceforge.net
Windows MacOS Linux
Whether you're recording or editing, Audacity is all about audio in practically any format.

Firefox
www.mozilla.com
Windows MacOS Linux
This PC Mag Editors' Choice Web browser has been on top of the heap since version 1.5 came out in late 2005.
Read our full review of Firefox 2.0.

GIMP
www.gimp.org
Windows MacOS Linux
The GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) does most of what Photoshop does; the Gimpshop project (plasticbugs.com) even makes it look like Photoshop.
Read our full review of The GIMP 2.0.

iTunes
www.apple.com/itunes
Windows MacOS
When you're attached to the top media player in the land (iPod), success is a given. iTunes continues to build sales and refine its organization of songs, video, games, podcasts, and more.
Read our full review of Apple iTunes 7.6.

OpenOffice.org
www.openoffice.org

Windows MacOS Linux
You can spend a lot for Microsoft Office or nothing for this suite with full-function word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentations, even an equations editor.
Read our full review of OpenOffice.org 2.3.

Skype
www.skype.com
Windows MacOS Linux
You'll pay to call regular phones, but if you sign up all your friends, Skype provides easy (and even international) calls and video-conferencing for nothing.
Read our full review of Skype 3.0.

Thunderbird
www.mozilla.com/thunderbird
Windows MacOS Linux
Mozilla's no-cost e-mail alternative is extensible, fast, and easy to master. And a wealth of free add-ons means there's not much this program won't do, from calendars to encryption.
Read our full review of Thunderbird 2.

Ubuntu
www.ubuntu.com
Linux
This Linux-based OS comes with many of these Hall of Fame products (Firefox, OpenOffice.org) preinstalled.

WinAmp
www.winamp.com
Windows
After a decade of playing music, the "skinnable" WinAmp has several versions, including one with full CD ripping and burning.

=======================
Operating Systems
=======================

ajaxWindows
www.ajaxwindows.com
Web
A virtual operating system (aka Web OS), it uses Asynchronous Java-Script and XML (AJAX) programming to mimic the look and feel of a Windows desktop in Firefox or IE. It stores files (using Gmail) and runs its own applications, plus Web apps like Meebo and Google Maps. If you can launch a Web browser, you can get work done through ajaxWindows.

eyeOS
www.eyeos.info
Web
This Web OS has ultra-simplified applications, including an RSS reader, satellite maps, a word processor, even a browser—yes, for browsing the Web while on the Web.

Freespire 2.0
www.freespire.com
Linux
This community-driven OS is based on Linspire (formerly Lindows)—a Linux distro that looks like Windows, with an emphasis on compatibility with other platforms.

Glide
www.glidedigital.com
Web Flash
Sleek style sets this Web OS apart, as does the ability (using a separate utility) to sync files, bookmarks, and e-mail from your real OS. Read our full review of Glide Effortless.

gOS
www.thinkgos.com
Linux
Ubuntu-based and powered by Google's apps (just don't call it Google OS), gOS comes with the $200 PCs from Wal-Mart, but you can download it for any PC.

==========================

See more FREE SOFTWARE at Antivirus/Anti-Malware ; Firewalls & Security ; Finance & Office ; Calendar/PIMs ; Backup/Sync & App Launchers ; Utilities ; Downloads & Interface Enhancement ; File View/Conversion & Networking ; Blogging, RSS Readers, & Instant Messaging ; Communication & Audio ; Video ; Graphics ; Browsers & Browser Add-Ons ; Games/Fun ; Free (Okay, Cheap) Hardware

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2260079,00.asp

Last Call: Indigenous Portal Regional Editors

2008-02-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

Indigenous Portal Regional Editors

The Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) is seeking to hire eight regional Indigenous web editors to work on the Indigenous Portal website. This is a part-time paid position with opportunity for a longer period.

Overview:

The IITF was created during the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis in 2005 by Indigenous representatives who want to implement the Plan of Action of that process.

The IITF is a non-profit organization of Indigenous individuals who are involved in the Information Society. They include educators, editors, website managers, community activists and others who have an interest is closing the digital divide between Indigenous Peoples and the rest of the world.

The IITF has created a portal at www.indigenousportal.com with one general site and regional sub-sites in eight regions of the world: North America, South America, Central American and the Caribbean, Artic, Africa, Asia, Pacific and Russia.

These regional sites will run the language most suitable to the Indigenous Peoples in their region.
The initial plan is to have one Indigenous Portal Project Manager to create and oversee the development of the portal and regional managers to maintain the portal for their particular region.

The project is funded through Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), initially facilitated by INCOMINDIOS, a Swiss based NGO and carried by the IITF. The project is at the moment co-managed and the entire management will gradually be passed to the Permanent Portal Board consisting of Indigenous representatives from eight regions of the world and the IITF as the carrying organisation. By the end of the project the Permanent Board and the IITF will be the sole entities managing and carrying the project.

This project is very dynamic and challenging and will require an Indigenous person with the skills and experience to meet this demanding opportunity.

The position as a Indigenous Portal Regional Editor is perfect for a dynamic, insightful, well-organized, detail-oriented individual or ORGANIZATION with a passion for information and communication technologies and international development. The ideal candidate is a strong writer and communicator, technology savvy and able to share the vision of the project. She/he is also an effective planner and able to contribute to the overall strategic development and implementation of this exciting project. This person is someone who is goal-oriented and able to work well both independently and collaboratively.

Job Description

Content
- Regularly gathering and uploading fresh, accurate and reliable content, such as news, in the region of responsibility
- Finding and updating new resources of information for the website
- Ensuring that the designated language(s) content will be provided

Editorial
- Researching, collecting and requesting content added to site
- Working with the Indigenous Portal Project Manager to update featured topic every few weeks

Tech Support on Site Usage
- Working with technical team to co-ordinate site maintenance

Community Outreach
- Acting as a contact for their language community
- Creating excitement about the website and the community
- Facilitating, supporting and growing the online community
- Find ways in which the site may be improved to better support community projects.

Research
- Undertake ongoing research, reporting and recommendation development with the support of other team members
- Write progress reports every three months

Qualifications that are an asset but not obligatory
• Knowledge of issues around telecentres and community-building technology.
• Understanding and use of communications technologies including blogs and content management systems.
• Understanding of internet culture and enjoy spending time online
• Ability to network with people
• Strong written and oral communications skills, with an enthusiasm for sharing ideas and an ability to translate them into actions. Fluency in a relevant language (English/ Spanish/French). Multiple languages are an asset.
• Work experience in the non-profit and/or technology sector (ideally with a focus on Information and Communication Technologies for Development).
• Travel experience in developing countries with an understanding of internet access issues and the objectives and challenges of telecentres an asset.
• Experience with the media.
• Creative thinker and problem-solver.
• Ability to manage multiple shifting priorities and large amounts of information.
• Ability to work in multicultural and "skill-diverse" teams
• Strong knowledge of international issues, human rights and development, with a particular focus in information and communications technologies.

Application Process:

Electronically submit a cover letter expressing your interest in this position, your curriculum vitae (CV), and a listing of two references to:

The Indigenous Portal Board Members
indigenousportal@gmail.com

An email confirming the receipt of your application will be sent to you upon receiving all documents.

Deadline for application- February 28, 2008
Position starts: ~ 2008 (tba)

Aboriginal archive offers new DRM

2008-02-05T11:39:00.000-05:00

A new method of digital rights management (DRM) which relies on a user's profile has been pioneered by Aboriginal Australians.

The Mukurtu Wumpurrarni-kari Archive has been developed by a community based in Australia's Northern Territory.

It asks every person who logs in for their name, age, sex and standing within their community.

This information then restricts what they can search for in the archive, offering a new take on DRM

Dr Kimberly Christen, who helped to develop the archive, told BBC World Service's Digital Planet programme that the need to create these profiles came from community traditions over what can and cannot be seen.

"It grew out of the Warumungu community people themselves, who were really interested in repatriating a lot of images and things that had been taken from the community," she said.

"You find this a lot in indigenous communities, not just in Australia but around the world... this really big push in these communities to get this information back and let people start looking at it and narrating it themselves."

Where to look

Dr Christen, who is an assistant professor based at Washington State University, stumbled across the idea of the archive by chance after meeting a group of missionaries who had digitally archived photos of the Warumungu community since the 1930s.

After loading them onto her laptop, she took them back to Tennant Creek and set up a slideshow - where she noticed that people turned away when certain images came up on screen.

For example, men cannot view women's rituals, and people from one community cannot view material from another without first seeking permission. Meanwhile images of the deceased cannot be viewed by their families.

Offline website

"The way people were looking at the photos was embedded in the social system that already existed in the community," she said.

"People would come in and out of the area of the screen to look when they could look."

This threw up issues surrounding how the material could be archived, as it was not only about preserving the information into a database in a traditional sense, but also how people would access it depending on their gender, their relationship to other people and where they were situated.

Dr Christen and her team of software developers came up with what is described as "a website that's not online", containing photos, digital video clips, audio files, digital reproductions of cultural artefacts and documents.

The system has also been designed with a "two-click mantra" in mind, making the content easy to access for those with low computer literacy skills.

Images are arranged in their own categories, with content tagged with restrictions.

The project believes it has established a cultural solution as well as an opportunity for Aboriginals to collate much of what was once lost. The hope of the project's designers is that as culture and traditions change, history can be rewritten and changed by people themselves.

Source: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7214240.stm

E-Bario and E-Inclusion workshop held in Malaysia

2008-01-13T22:38:00.000-05:00

IITF NEWS - The e-Bario Knowledge Fair, a multi-disciplinary conference, took place on 6-8 December 2007 and incorporated the UNDP Workshop on E-inclusion and Media for Asia’s Indigenous Peoples.

The e-Bario Knowledge Fair was held in the remote village of Bario, in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, one of the states of East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Bario is the traditional home of the Kelabit people, one of Malaysia's smallest indigenous ethnic minority groups. It is also the home of the multi-award winning e-Bario project that introduced computers, telephones and the internet to this isolated community.

Teanau Tuiono, a member of the IITF and manager of its project "www.indigenousportal.com" participated in the conference, which provided a unique opportunity to "share the progress of the Portal to a range of Indigenous ICT and Non-indigenous academics."

Arising from the joint proceedings, the delegates formulated the e-Bario Vision for Indigenous Peoples,which was presented to the 3rd Global Knowledge Conference (GK3).

Guide to managing ICT in the voluntary and community sector

2007-12-20T10:59:00.000-05:00

Produced by: ICT Hub (2007)

This guide is aimed at staff and volunteers from voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) who want to manage their information communication technology (ICT) better. It is intended particularly for staff and volunteers from small and medium-sized organisations and especially for those people who don't have access to "paid for" technical advice and support. The main sections reflect some of the key issues that VCOs face in managing ICT, from policies and procedures to keep things running; and how to produce an ICT strategy to putting realistic costs into funding bids. Case studies help to illustrate how others have taken up the challenge of ICT and there is plenty of signposting to other information, especially to useful websites.

For more information, click here.

E-skills and Your Career Radio initiative

2007-11-30T11:59:00.000-05:00

E-skills and Your Career, has just been introduced on radio by Jidaw (http://www.jidaw.com/). The focus is developing skills and careers for opportunities provided through Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). E-skills and Your Career is created to raise awareness of electronic skills (e-skills), new opportunities and new thinking to address real issues and solve problems in society - unemployment, education, business development and entrepreneurship. careeraware.com (http://www.careeraware.com/), the companion website contains all content broadcast on radio as well as related content and ideas and provides information for those unable to listen to the program due to reasons of location and or time.

VIEW FULL TEXT

Source: Content update - Culture and Development on the Development Gateway
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/culture/rc/ItemDetail.do~1121912?intcmp=700
Contributed by Ayo Adediran on 26 November, 2007

Breaking Down the Firewall

2007-11-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

Internet censorship is the book burning of the modern age, denying as much as a third of the world's population access to news and information.

But a new brand of activists -- or "hacktivists" -- are using their computer expertise to help people stranded in Web-censored countries abroad (and corporate offices and military bases at home) jump the firewall. The key innovation, developed by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, is a software program called Psiphon. In the latest version (due out this winter), prospective users, or aid groups, contact the Citizen Lab to receive passwords and Web links. Once signed in, users are then patched directly into the Psiphon network of servers. A search bar pops up on their own screen, and they can surf the Web freely. All censors see is an unfamiliar IP address, which could be for anything from a bank transaction to an eBay sale.

According to Ronald Deibert, the lab's director, the biggest threat to the system is censors who might sign up for the service to learn Psiphon's IP addresses and block them. But the lab has developed a high-tech shell game to counter this measure. As soon as one address is blocked, Psiphon assigns it to another region and puts in a new one. When the next one gets discovered, Psiphon again swaps in a new one. The process can go on indefinitely, until the censors grow tired or the firewalls come down.

--Meryl Rothstein

Source: http://www.esquire.com/features/best-brightest-2007/sixideas1207

Seventh Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

2007-11-13T15:54:00.000-05:00

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Dear friends,

Pre-registration for the Seventh Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is now open.

The Seventh Session will take place at United Nations Headquarters, in New York, from 21 April to 2 May 2008. The special theme will be "Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges."

Pre-registration is open to indigenous peoples' organizations, academic institutions and NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status. Please visit the Seventh Session webpage, where you will find all online registration forms:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/session_seventh.html

Best regards,

Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
indigenouspermanentforum@un.org

*************************************

Estimados amigos,

El proceso de pre-inscripción para el Séptimo período de sesiones del Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas ya está abierto.

El Séptimo período de sesiones se llevará a cabo del 21 de abril al 2 de mayo de 2008 en la sede de las Naciones Unidas, en Nueva York y el tema especial será "El cambio climático, la diversidad biocultural y los medios de vida: la custodia por los pueblos indígenas y nuevos retos".

La pre-inscripción está abierta para las organizaciones de pueblos indígenas, las instituciones académicas y las ONGs con estatus consultivo ante el ECOSOC. Les invitamos a visitar la página web del séptimo período de sesiones, en donde podrá acceder a los formularios de pre-inscripción en línea: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/es/session_seventh.html

Saludos cordiales,

Secretaría del Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas
indigenouspermanentforum@un.org

Buy a Laptop for a Child, Get Another Laptop Free

2007-09-25T15:27:00.000-04:00

A children’s laptop, equipped with a camera and wireless communication ability.

One Laptop Per Child Web Site

by STEVE LOHR
Published: September 24, 2007
New York Times

One Laptop Per Child, an ambitious project to bring computing to the developing world’s children, has considerable momentum. Years of work by engineers and scientists have paid off in a pioneering low-cost machine that is light, rugged and surprisingly versatile. The early reviews have been glowing, and mass production is set to start next month.

Orders, however, are slow. “I have to some degree underestimated the difference between shaking the hand of a head of state and having a check written,” said Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of the nonprofit project. “And yes, it has been a disappointment.”

But Mr. Negroponte, the founding director of the M.I.T. Media Laboratory, views the problem as a temporary one in the long-term pursuit of using technology as a new channel of learning and self-expression for children worldwide.

And he is reaching out to the public to try to give the laptop campaign a boost. The marketing program, to be announced today, is called “Give 1 Get 1,” in which Americans and Canadians can buy two laptops for $399.

One of the machines will be given to a child in a developing nation, and the other one will be shipped to the purchaser by Christmas. The donated computer is a tax-deductible charitable contribution. The program will run for two weeks, with orders accepted from Nov. 12 to Nov. 26.

Just what Americans will do with the slender green-and-white laptops is uncertain. Some people may donate them to local schools or youth organizations, said Walter Bender, president of the laptop project, while others will keep them for their own family or their own use.

The machines have high-resolution screens, cameras and peer-to-peer technology so the laptops can communicate wirelessly with one another. The machine runs on free, open source software. “Everything in the machine is open to the hacker, so people can poke at it, change it and make it their own,” said Mr. Bender, a computer researcher. “Part of what we’re doing here is broadening the community of users, broadening the base of ideas and contributions, and that will be tremendously valuable.”

The machine, called the XO Laptop, was not engineered with affluent children in mind. It was intended to be inexpensive, with costs eventually approaching $100 a machine, and sturdy enough to withstand harsh conditions in rural villages. It is also extremely energy efficient, with power consumption that is 10 percent or less of a conventional laptop computer.

Staff members of the laptop project were concerned that American children might try the pared-down machines and find them lacking compared to their Apple, Hewlett-Packard or Dell laptops. Then, in this era of immediate global communications, they might post their criticisms on Web sites and blogs read around the world, damaging the reputation of the XO Laptop, the project staff worried.

So the laptop project sponsored focus-group research with American children, ages 7 to 11, at the end of August. The results were reassuringly positive. The focus-group subjects liked the fact that the machine was intended specifically for children, and appreciated features like the machine-to-machine wireless communication. “Completely beastly” was the verdict of one boy. Another environmentally conscious youngster noted that the laptop “prevents global warming.”
Still, the “Give 1 Get 1” initiative is mainly about the giving. “The real reason is to get this thing started,” Mr. Negroponte said.

He said that if, for example, donations reached $40 million, that would mean 100,000 laptops could be distributed free in the developing world. The idea, he said, would be to give perhaps 5,000 machines to 20 countries to try out and get started.

“It could trigger a lot of things,” Mr. Negroponte said.

Late last year, Mr. Negroponte said he had hoped for orders for three million laptops, but those pledges have fallen short. Orders of a million each from populous Nigeria and Brazil did not materialize.

Still, the project has had successes. Peru, for example, will buy and distribute 250,000 of the laptops over the next year — many of them allocated for remote rural areas. Mexico and Uruguay, Mr. Negroponte noted, have made firm commitments. In a sponsorship program, the government of Italy has agreed to purchase 50,000 laptops for distribution in Ethiopia.

Each country will have different ideas about how to use the machines. Alan Kay, a computer researcher and adviser to the laptop project, said he expects one popular use will be to load textbooks at 25 cents or so each on the laptops, which has a high-resolution screen for easy reading.

“It’s probably going to be mundane in the early stages,” said Mr. Kay, who heads a nonprofit education group, whose learning software will be on the XO Laptop. “I’m an optimist that this will eventually work out,” Mr. Kay said.

Historic Milestone for Indigenous Peoples Worldwide as UN Adopts Rights Declaration

2007-09-13T17:00:00.000-04:00

PRESS RELEASE
Historic Milestone for Indigenous Peoples Worldwide
as UN Adopts Rights Declaration

New York, 13 September - Marking an historic achievement for the more than 370 million indigenous peoples worldwide, the General Assembly today adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the result of more than two decades of consultation and dialogue among governments and indigenous peoples from all regions.

"Today, by adopting the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples we are making further progress to improve the situation of indigenous peoples around the world," stated General Assembly President Haya Al Khalifa.

"We are also taking another major step forward towards the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warmly welcomed the adoption, calling it "a triumph for indigenous peoples around the world."

He further noted that "this marks a historic moment when UN Member States and indigenous peoples reconciled with their painful histories and resolved to move forward together on the path of human rights, justice and development for all."

Adopted by the Human Rights Council in June 2006, the Declaration emphasizes the rights of indigenous peoples to maintain and strengthen their own institutions, cultures and traditions and to pursue their development in keeping with their own needs and aspirations. It establishes an important standard for eliminating human rights violations against indigenous peoples worldwide and for combating discrimination and marginalization.

"The 13th of September 2007 will be remembered as an international human rights day for the Indigenous Peoples of the world, a day that the United Nations and its Member States, together with Indigenous Peoples, reconciled with past painful histories and decided to march into the future on the path of human rights," said
Ms. Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

The Declaration addresses both individual and collective rights, cultural rights and identity, rights to education, health, employment, language and others. The Declaration explicitly encourages harmonious and cooperative relations between States and Indigenous Peoples. It prohibits discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.

Calling the Declaration "tangible proof of the increasing cooperation of States, Indigenous Peoples and the international community as a whole for the promotion and protection of the human rights of indigenous peoples", Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Sha Zukang said that the UN "has fulfilled its role as the world's parliament and has responded to the trust that Indigenous Peoples around the world placed in it, that it will stand for dignity and justice, development and peace for all, without discrimination."

The Declaration was adopted by an overwhelming majority of the General Assembly, with 143 countries voting in support, 4 voting against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstaining (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burundi, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Samoa, Ukraine).

To view a webcast of the General Assembly session, see:
www.un.org/webcast/ga.html

For more information on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please see:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.html

For media enquiries, please contact: Renata Sivacolundhu,
Department of Public Information, tel: 212.963.2932, e-mail:
sivacolundhu@un.org

For Secretariat of the Permanent Forum,
please contact: Mirian Masaquiza,,
tel: 917.367.6006,
e-mail: IndigenousPermanentForum@un.org

Building a free and safe internet

2007-08-23T17:33:00.000-04:00

For almost 60 years, the Council of Europe has been finding solutions and responding to issues that affect now 800 million people and organisations in Europe, by working with and influencing member states’ policies and legal frameworks. These responses are set out in our conventions and other standard-setting documents. Even if many of these texts were developed before the Internet came into existence, many of the provisions of those conventions and documents apply equally to online environments. By drafting treaties and setting standards about the Internet, the Council of Europe seeks to secure peoples’ enjoyment of a maximum of rights and services, subject to a minimum of restrictions, while at the same time seeking to ensure the level of security that users are entitled to expect. The concrete and practical Council of Europe responses to Internet governance issues mentioned later significantly contribute to the development, sustainability, value, robustness and security of the Internet.

View full text ››

Source: Development Gateway
Contributor: john ngahu Published Date: August 19, 2007

Video: Community Technology Delivers Opportunities to Youth

2007-08-16T17:53:00.000-04:00

The Children's Partnership is pleased to announce the release of our new video, "Community Technology Delivers Opportunities to Youth", produced in partnership with youth from the Bresee Foundation. This video is an important new tool for civic leaders and policy makers working to increase children's access to and meaningful use of technology. This new video lets the youth and adults featured in it speak for themselves about the difference community technology programs make in their neighborhoods and schools. They share their own perspectives on how technology has helped them improve their health, educational achievement, preparation for the workforce, and civic participation.

View full text ››

Source: Development Gateway
Contributor: Thomas BEKKERS Published Date: August 19, 2007

Wikiversity: An "Open University" project based on Wikimedia technology

2007-08-14T17:36:00.000-04:00

"Welcome to Wikiversity, "where teachers learn, and learners teach".

Wikiversity: An "Open University" project based on Wikimedia technology. The wikiversity is an ambitious project aiming to build a free online learning community more or less similar to "Open Universities" projects. Practitioners will find a set of Wikibook, Wikiqoute, Wikisource (Free Content Library), Wikimedia Commons, Wiktionary and all other accessible Open Content based on wikimedia technolgy. Wikiversity described itself as "a community for the creation and use of free learning materials and activities. Wikiversity is a multidimensional social organization dedicated to learning, teaching, research and service." Its primary goals are to create and host free content, multimedia learning materials, resources, and curricula for all age groups in all languages and to develop collaborative learning projects and communities around these materials. Learners and teachers are invited to join the Wikiversity community as editors of this wiki website where anyone can edit the pages.

View full text

Source: Development Gateway
Contributed by Thomas BEKKERS on 14 Aug , 2007

Recording and preserving the Dakota language

2007-07-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

Photo by Elizabeth Flores , Star Tribune
Because tribal elder Curtis Campbell is one of just a handful of fluent Dakota speakers left, he and Wayne Wells have spent hundreds of hours together at Campbell’s home on the Prairie Island Reservation recording words and phrases of the dying native language. Wells was amused by a translation.

Recording and preserving the Dakota language

A device resembling a small computer, called a phraselator, is being used to record and preserver the Dakota language. The electronic interpreter was first used in combat zones.

By Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1293363.html

WELCH, MINN.
Dakota language teacher Wayne Wells pulled a chair next to tribal elder Curtis Campbell, who had settled into his favorite living room rocker to begin an unusual recording session. Wells clutched a gray metal box called a "phraselator," an electronic interpreter first introduced in Iraq and Afghanistan for use by U.S. soldiers at military checkpoints and security zones. He handed a microphone to Campbell, and asked him to repeat -- in Dakota -- decidedly civilian phrases such as "I want some coffee."

Campbell responded, "Pezutasapa mak'u wo." And the words were added to a databank of hundreds of phrases and sentences stored in the device. Word by word, the effort is helping students at Prairie Island Indian Community preserve their fragile native language.

"There's only about two or three people here who speak Dakota fluently, so time is of the essence," said Wells, the language teacher at the community outside of Red Wing. "If the kids don't learn it now, there won't be anyone left who knows it."

Last year, the Prairie Island Community became one of more than 50 Indian communities nationwide to integrate phraselators into their arsenal of language preservation tools. The hand-held device resembles a small computer, with a monitor showing tabs for 'weather,"family,"animals" and "Dakota virtues and values," among other subjects.

"You can scroll up and down and find different phrases," explained 12-year-old Kachina Yeager, one of Wells' students, sitting on her front porch and fiddling with the tabs. "Say I want to hear the word for 'mother.' I can find it here and then tap it. Or I can just speak 'mother' into the top of the phraselator."

A few seconds after explaining this, Campbell's deep voice boomed "een na" out of the phraselator.

The first batch of phraselators was loaded with phrases in languages such as Arabic, Pashto and Farsi, said John Hall, president of VoxTec International, the device's Maryland-based manufacturer. The stock phrases would include "show me your hands" or "stay away from the area," he said. But a few years ago, it began catching on with Indian communities as well, Hall said.

Because Campbell is one of just a handful of native speakers left, he and Wells have spent hundreds of hours together in his living room decorated with tall Indian vases from the Southwest and Native American art on the walls.

Last week, the two were completing a section on food. The session showed the challenges of bringing ancient languages into modern times. Wells asked Campbell to translate, "I want some cake."There is no word for 'cake'," responded Campbell. "How about 'sweet bread'?" Ditto for "restaurant."How about 'food house'?" he asked.

Campbell, a retired construction worker, said he speaks Dakota fluently in part because of a lucky turn in his childhood.

Growing up in the 1940s, he was able to avoid being sent to a Indian boarding school, where children were beaten if they spoke their native language. He did, however, have to cut his long shiny hair in order to start school at a little one-room schoolhouse, he recalled, and had to learn to speak English fluently. But he continued to speak Dakota at home.

Wells wasn't so fortunate. He said his grandfather refused to speak Dakota with his children because he was so "traumatized" by the boarding school experience. So Wells learned Dakota at the University of Minnesota. He's still nowhere near fluent, but
recording with the phraselator is helping, he said.

Kachina's mother, Shelley Buck-Yaeger, has been so impressed with the device that she's planning to buy one for the family. Her parents didn't speak Dakota either, she said, and she's always wanted to learn.

Plus the phraselators are practically indestructible, a key feature given the wear and tear they can undergo at the hands of active children. Made for combat, they can be dropped 6 feet onto cement without damage, according to the VoxTech advertisements.

The phraselators aren't cheap: The cost of purchasing three of them, plus installing the software, and receiving training and technical support, was about $25,000, said Alan Childs, treasurer for the Prairie Island tribal council.

But the device can be used for more than just basic translation, he said. It can also preserve traditional Dakota songs and stories, said Childs, who is a singer in the community.

Over the years, there have been other attempts to preserve the Dakota language, which now only has about 100 fluent speakers in four Indian communities in Minnesota, Childs said. It's still too soon to tell whether the phraselators are going to make a breakthrough, he said. But a combination of a fancy high-tech tool and a dedicated teacher from the tribe could start making a difference, he said.

"You start building the wheel," Childs said, "and eventually it will start turning."

========

Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511 • hopfen@startribune.com

=========

Related Content
Audio: Wayne Wells and Curtis Campbell, Sr.

The new Google Earth Outreach will let nonprofits tell their story using layers on Google Earth.

2007-07-05T14:34:00.000-04:00

By Christopher NicksonStaff Writer, Digital Trends News

In a new venture, Google is using its Google Earth to help nonprofits. Called Google Earth Outreach, it will use Google Earth layers to allow the nonprofits to tell their stories. The program will provide the resources and software the nonprofits need to implement the technology.

While most of us know Google Earth as something free, there’s also a Pro version (which costs $400) that has tools for building maps and layers.

Google took its first steps in this direction back in April, when it showed a “Crisis in Darfur” layer that had been created by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The layer showed affected areas in the region, along with video and audio testimony of the crisis. Since then others have created layers, including the United Nations Environment Program.

“Our goal with Google Earth Outreach is to help public service organizations worldwide leverage our mapping technology to further their goals by providing tailored technical guidance and grants,” said John Hanke, director of Google Earth & Maps.

The Outreach site will have video tutorials, case studies, and forums moderated by staff. Organizations will also be able to apply for grants for further technical support.

The site will also have a showcase of some of the most compelling new stories. Google says there have been 250 million downloads of Google Earth to date.

New Indigenous ICT Discussion List created...

2007-07-03T10:35:00.000-04:00

(IITF) - At the Tunisia phase of WSIS Indigenous delegates agreed to establish an Indigenous ICT Task Force to continue the work of WSIS in particular the aspirations of the indigenous parallel event in Tunis called Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society: “Towards an International Indigenous Portal.”

This discussion list will allow the members of the Indigenous ICT Task Force to share ideas and programs with the wider audience and facilitate further discussion.

Everything about this list: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/indigenousict

Global Forum on Youth of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development

2007-06-24T12:13:00.001-04:00

Global Forum on Youth of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development,
24-26 September, Geneva

Co-hosted by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the Global Youth Forum will engage youth in debates and discussions with their peer representatives, policy makers, private sector, technology and thought leaders and others. It will feature roundtables, workshops and an open marketplace (deadline for application to present projects, initiatives or case studies is 30 June 2007). On-line registration is available. More information on the GAID website.

International Indigenous ICT Task Force Launches an Indigenous Internet Portal Created, Owned, and Operated by Indigenous Peoples

2007-06-06T11:58:00.000-04:00

New York, NY May 21, 2007 – At United Nations Headquarters, the Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) successfully launched a unique internet portal about Indigenous Peoples, for Indigenous Peoples and by Indigenous Peoples during the 6th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This new and exciting portal web site will serve Indigenous communities around the world by operating in four basic languages: English, Spanish, French and Russian.

“The portal you see today is only the beginning or skeleton of what the portal will look like when it is fully functional” stated Kenneth Deer (Mohawk), a member of the IITF and the moderator of the historic event. “This project will encourage Indigenous Peoples to use the Information Society to their benefit and promote capacity building” said Deer.

Other members of the IITF in attendance for the launch included Malia Nobrega (Hawai'i), Irina Kurilova (Russia), Lucky Sherpa (Nepal), Teanau Tuiono (Aotearoa, New Zealand), Marcos Terena (Brazil), and Roberto Múcaro Borrero (Borikén, Puerto Rico).

One of the portal developers, Teanau Tuiono (Maori) explained that “the site is divided into eight geographical regions in order to accommodate the vast cultural diversity of the Indigenous Peoples. In each region, an Indigenous editor will control and encourage content by, for and about Indigenous Peoples in their area in any language that they chose.”

“There will be a multitude of links to sites such as Indigenous Peoples radio and Youtube videos with indigenous content. The potential of the portal is endless” stated Tuiono. (see photo above)

“Each region will have an Indigenous editor to add content and links. They will be trained in the software and supplied with proper equipment and connections to enable them to operate effectively” stated Malia Nobrega.

Nobrega also announced that job postings for the editorial positions as well as the general portal manager position are now posted at the portal site (www.indigenousportal.com). Indigenous Peoples were encouraged to visit the portal and apply for the positions.

“What is important to note about the project is that its success is based on the dedication of a group of indigenous volunteers who worked in collaboration with non-indigenous partners” said Roberto Múcaro Borrero (Taino).

Borrero continued stating “The non-indigenous partners did not impose conditions on their assistance and we were able to produce a portal that reflected the aspirations of Indigenous Peoples who participated throughout the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)”

The launch was described as one step of an ongoing project, in development, by the IITF.

The International Indigenous ICT Task Force

The International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) is a volunteer body created at the WSIS in Tunis in 2005. The objective of the IITF is to implement the Plan of Action of the WSIS process which specifically mentions Indigenous Peoples, and the objectives of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society. Article 15 of the WSIS Declaration states: “In the evolution of the Information Society, particular attention must be given to the special situation of Indigenous Peoples, as well as to the preservation of their heritage and their cultural legacy.”

Members of the IITF are from the seven geographical regions from around the world.

One of the first projects of the IITF was the creation a portal for and by Indigenous Peoples with a goal to build capacity and encourage the use of the internet. A working group of the IITF was enacted created to undertake this objective, and began writing a project proposal. The group was also charged with taking steps to implement a separate “portal board”, which could initiate the long-term administration of the portal project. With assistance from the Swiss Development Agency through the offices of Incomindios, a Swiss based NGO, the planning and organization of the portal project took shape leading to its successful launch at the United Nations.

For more information contact: indigenousportal@gmail.com

eLAC2007 is the Regional Plan of Action for the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean

2007-06-02T22:21:00.000-04:00

It is a regionally concerted public policy agenda which recognizes the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for economic and social development in the countries of the region.

The eLAC2007 Action Plan is based on dialogue and cooperation between all Latin American and Caribbean countries and on the construction of a shared political consensus and strategic vision.

eLAC2007 sets 30 concrete goals encompassing 70 activities with the potential to yield tangible results and provide an effective response to the needs of the region_s countries in accordance with the situation of each. The goals are based on current projects and activities and are designed to build on synergies and improve regional coordination, while encouraging the launch of new initiatives. They also favour the preparation and implementation of national initiatives on the basis of information-sharing to enhance knowledge and understanding in critical areas.

See full story at:
http://www.eclac.org/socinfo/elac/default.asp?idioma=IN

Content update - Indigenous Issues on the Development Gateway

2007-05-29T14:42:00.001-04:00

Content update - Indigenous Issues on the Development Gateway:

Among the 18 new resources, which were recently added to Indigenous Issues on the Development Gateway at http://topics.developmentgateway.org/indigenousrights , please note two articles on the International Indigenous ICT Task Force.

WSIS follow-up UNESCO Action Lines, 21-25 May, Geneva

2007-05-21T00:36:00.000-04:00

In accordance with the Tunis Agenda, UNESCO is organizing 6 multistakeholder consultation meetings on the following action lines: C-3, C-7, C-8, C-9 and C-10 at both the ITU Bulding and the Palais des Nations. Check here the registration form and the online discussion forum.

Indigenous Peoples All But Forgotten During World Telecommunication and Information Society Day*

2007-05-17T21:47:00.001-04:00

New York, NY (UCTP News) 17 May 2007 - At an event organized by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) entitled “Tale of Two Worlds: Keeping Pace with a Moving Target” representatives of governments and UN agencies, along with civil society and industry executives met to share diverse perspectives on the occasion of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2007.

The event included not only a message from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon but also a message from Dr. Hamadoun Toure, Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and opening remarks by Jose Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The opening remarks, welcoming statements and keynote addresses were followed by two sessions, one focusing on “Visions of a Connected Future” and the other on “Universal Access.”

Indigenous Peoples were brought to the forefront of the session in comments made by Roberto Múcaro Borrero (Taino) who was representing the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF). Borrero informed the panel that the IITF was an indigenous initiative with a mandate to follow-up on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). He also noted that while indigenous peoples were a “major group” represented throughout the WSIS processes they were relatively “invisible” from all official follow-up mechanisms.

Offering a recent example, Borrero pointed out the lack of indigenous presence in the GAID publication “Foundations of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development.” He also stated that “transparency, inclusion, and genuine partnerships” were essential to follow-up initiatives. He then asked the panel, which included Mr. Sarbuland Khan, the Executive Coordinator of GAID, “How can we be speaking about the future when we cannot even communicate in the present?”

Borrero then noted the willingness of the IITF to share information such as the May 21 launching of a new international indigenous portal developed by Indigenous Peoples at the sixth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues but consistent outreach to GAID and the ITU yielded no response.

In direct response to Borrero’s comments, Mr. Sarbuland Khan, assured him and all those gathered that GAID was indeed interested in working with Indigenous Peoples and particularly the IITF. He stressed the networking potential being developed by GAID and hoped that the IITF would be come a part of the GAID “family.”

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day is observed annually on 17 May and marks the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union. World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated since 1969.

*Article source:
http://www.uctp.blogspot.com

VENEZUELA: The Gift of Native Tongues, On the Air

2007-05-15T20:26:00.000-04:00

By Humberto Márquez

CARACAS, May 4 (IPS) - Eiker García and Nelson Maldonado took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, producing a long "mmm" sound, following the instructions of the professional radio presenter who was giving them breathing and elocution lessons.

García and Maldonado are young Ye'kuana Indians from the Watamo and La Esmeralda communities in the Amazon rainforest some 800 kilometres south of Caracas, where one of eight indigenous community radio stations, networked with the public Venezuelan National Radio (RNV) station, is to be installed later this year.

"We're learning to overcome our fear of the microphone and how to conduct interviews," García told IPS during a break in the lessons. He was still enjoying the excitement caused by his first airplane flight.

Maldonado told IPS that very few of their people were qualified for this work. "The community sent us on this first course because we are cultural promoters back home," he said.

Twenty-one young people from 10 different indigenous groups, nearly all of them from remote border regions, participated in the short introductory course on radio broadcasting in late April, in preparation for the installation of the radio stations next October.

The course was provided by the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL).

"CONATEL will assign the frequencies and provide the transmitters and other necessary equipment to instal eight FM stations, and will also give support in technical and management aspects to guide those responsible for the facilities," general services manager for CONATEL Wilfredo Morales told IPS.

See full story at:
http://uctp.blogspot.com/2007/05/venezuela-gift-of-native-tongues-on-air.html

Related Story:
ARGENTINA: First-Ever Permit for Indigenous Community Radio - May 2005
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=28876

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2007

2007-05-02T16:15:00.000-04:00

17 May marks the anniversary of the signature of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union. Since 1973, the occasion has been recognized as World Telecommunication Day.

Following the World Summit on the Information Society, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/60/252 which identifies 17 May as World Information Society Day.

The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference which met in Antalya (Turkey) in November 2006 therefore decided to henceforth celebrate 17 May as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2007

2007-04-26T23:42:00.000-04:00

IITF Special Event at the Sixth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Launching of the International Indigenous Internet Portal
Monday, 21 May

1:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m
Conference Room 9

Speakers:
Kenneth Deer
Roberto Mucaro Borrero
Teanau Tuiono
Malia Nobrega

Organizer:
International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF)
Co-sponsors: Incomindios, Switzerland; Na Koa Ikaika I ka Lahui, Hawaii

IITF Letter to President Joe Shirley, Navajo Nation

2007-04-26T21:35:00.000-04:00

To:
Hon. President Joe Shirley,
Navajo Nation
c/o George Hardeen,
Communications Director
E-mail: pressoffice@opvp.org
Ofc: 928-871-7917
Cell: 928-309-8532

Dear Hon. President Shirley:

On behalf of the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF), I am writing to thank you thank you for the information that your Communications Director has forwarded concerning your presentation on ICTs in New York. I am sorry that while you were in New York we could not meet to discuss potential follow-up to our partnership formed during the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, Tunisia.

If you recall you and your delegation worked together with the WSIS Indigenous Caucus and members of the International Indigenous Steering Committee present at the Tunis meeting. As per the results of the final report by the WSIS Indigenous Steering Committee we looked forward to supporting each others initiatives whenever possible.

With that in mind, and as I have already indicated to you in the previous communication that I sent to Mr. George Hardeen, indigenous peoples involved in the ICT issue have been keen to receive substantive follow-up on the Navajo Nation’s work in this area not only for your Nation but for other indigenous peoples. For example, we have been waiting to receive information about the ITU office, which is planned to be opened in Window Rock and how we as an indigenous follow-up initiative of the WSIS can be involved.

We would also like to bring your attention to one of the tasks the IITF was entrusted to begin work on, which was an international indigenous portal. We will be presenting the results of our work at the upcoming Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues this May. It is important for the IITF to be aware of how the Navajo Nation can support the call for an international indigenous portal and assist us in the realization of the current International Indigenous Portal Project.

Please inform us if any members of the Navajo Nation will be attending the Permanent Forum as we feel that would be an opportune time to meet and discuss these issues.

I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

Roberto Múcaro Borrero
IITF Caribbean Focal Point
C/O UCTP PO BOX 4515 • NEW YORK, NY • 10163
PHONE: 212.604.4186

Navajo President Joe Shirley, Jr., addresses international UN conference on information, communication, technology

2007-04-26T20:39:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK, N.Y.- Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., has renewed the Navajo Nation's commitment and leadership to help bring information,communication and technology (ICT) to the indigenous people of the world.

Speaking before the 7th Infopoverty World Conference 2007 at the United Nations here Thursday and Friday, he said the Navajo Nation can assist to preserve languages, cultures and ways of life while providing access to education and economic development online.

President Shirley said that in 2005 when the UN learned that the Navajo Nation had created one of the largest wireless networks in the world through satellite technology, it asked if it could share that knowledge with the rest of the world.

He said that led to the Navajo Nation joining the International Telecommunications Union and the Observatory for Cultural and Audiovisual Communication, or OCCAM, and creating plans to open an international office for indigenous nations in Window Rock later this year.

He said all 110 Navajo Nation communities have wireless internet access, and every Navajo who wants an e-mail address can have one.

"There is not another Native American tribe or organization in the world that is coming close to taking the kind of leadership position that the Navajo Nation is," said Ernest Franklin, Executive director of the Navajo Nation Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, who attended with President Shirley.

TO READ THE FULL STORY CLICK HERE

Audio: President Shirley

Cluster of WSIS-related events, 14-25 May 2007, Geneva

2007-04-25T11:19:00.000-04:00

A series follow-up and implementation meetings of the World Summit on the Information Society outcomes will take place in Geneva . Organized around the 10th session of the UN Commission for Science and Technology for Development (21-25 May) and the World Information Society Day ceremony (16 May 2007), the cluster will also include multi-stakeholder implementation facilitation meetings and various ICT-related meetings and consultations. Registration is available on-line. More information on the WSIS website and on the CONGO website.

Informal consultation between ITU and civil society, 18 May, Geneva

2007-04-23T23:11:00.000-04:00

An informal consultation between the International Telecommunication Union and civil society on the participation of all relevant stakeholders in the ITU activities will take place on Friday 18 May,between 10:00 and 13:00, in Room K1/K2 (ITU). The meeting will takeplace in the context of the implementation of PP-06 Resolution 141,which calls for a study of the participation of relevant stakeholders in the activities of the Union related to WSIS.

International Communications Foundation (ICF)

2007-04-22T23:15:00.000-04:00

The International Communications Foundation was established in 1988 with a purpose to contribute to harmonious and fruitful development ofthe world by promoting international communications through studiesand grant making in a wide range of areas related to internationaltelecommunications. Their applications are invited through public announcement. Grant-making areas include: Research Grant, Grant forholding International Conferences, Grant for Social-Contribution andCultural Activities.

For more Information, see: www.icf.or.jp/english/index.html

World Radio Communication Conference

2007-04-22T15:23:00.000-04:00

22 October - 16 November 2007
World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) 2007, Geneva, Switzerland.

http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/index.asp?category=conferences&link=wrc-07&lang=en

UNESCO shares training resources on the Web through the Open Training Platform

2007-04-18T13:35:00.000-04:00

UNESCO invites development stakeholders to share training resources on the Web through the Open Training Platform: http://www.opentrainingplatform.com

It aims at making available training and capacity-building resources developed by a variety of stakeholders worldwide in a myriad subject, including literacy, computers, business, environment, community development and much more. The platform is at the service of:

- Any trainers and learners offered access to the free (and when possible) open capacity building resources they need

- All development stakeholders producing training materials, who can share theirs and use existing ones.

We therefore propose development stakeholders to support this collective effort to share capacity building resource for development. They can contribute by:

- Registering and up loading their training materials on the Open Training Platform, maximizing their use and impact and advertising the institution’s effort and commitment in a certain area

- Promoting the Open Training Platform, increasing the traffic and the use of it, bringing new contributors on board thus improving its usefulness and quality (using your network, newsletter or website for which ready-to-use web banners available from the Platform homepage http://opentraining.unesco-ci.org/cgi-bin/page.cgi?&p=promote&d=1)

*****

Related News

Press release March 2007

“UNESCO invites development stakeholders to share training resources on the Web”

UNESCO launches an online platform http://www.opentrainingplatform.org to make available training and capacity-building resources developed by a variety of stakeholders worldwide in a myriad subject, including literacy, computers, business, environment, community development and much more.

The objective of this platform is to provide trainers and learners with the learning resources they need, and a space where they can share and use material. It therefore also to advocates open content in non formal education: most of the training programmes featured on the platform have open licenses, such as Creative Commons, which make them accessible to anyone to use for non-commercial purposes such as teaching and learning.

The platform has been designed to include material from any partners involved in development, notably UN agencies, governments and NGOs, especially those involved in the Open Education Resource movement. UNESCO invites any player to share their capacity building resources on this user-friendly platform.

The user-rated resources made available on the platform target the wide range specific needs: those of policy makers, development and educational specialists, teachers, trainers, and learners. Material is also organized to serve communities: civil servants, members of civil society, cultural actors, decision-makers, development and social workers, educators, environment specialists, farmers, health specialists, librarians, archivists and information specialists, media professionals, scientists, and trainers.

It reflects the conviction that there is much scope to increase the use of information and communication technologies in development, for both communities and individuals.”

For more information, please contact:
Armelle Arrou
Information Society Division
UNESCO
1 rue Miollis
F-75732 Paris Cedex 15
Tel: 33 1 45 68 42 08
Email Armelle

Brazil Offers Internet Access to Native Tribes

2007-04-15T09:57:00.000-04:00

Brazil's government has signed an agreement with the Forest People's Network to provide an Internet signal by satellite to 150 communities, including many reachable only by riverboat, allowing them to report illegal logging and ranching, request help and coordinate efforts to preserve the forest.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/033007T.shtml

10th UN Inter-Agency Round Table on Communication for Development

2007-02-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

The 10th UN Inter-Agency Round Table on Communication for Development, which will be hosted by UNESCO in Addis Ababa on 12-14 February 2007, aims at developing a UN system-wide common approach to Communication for Development in the context of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Held on a biennial basis since 1988, the UN Inter-Agency Round Table on Communication for Development seeks to address cooperation issues among the UN agencies regarding the implementation of programmes and projects in this domain.

The theme chosen for the 10th UN Inter-Agency Round Table is 'Developing a UN system-wide common approach to communication for development in view of acheiving the Millennium Development Goals'.

The theme was selected because of the unprecedented political support for the MDGs, which provide a strong unifying basis for inter-agency collaboration, and the recognition of Communication for Development’s potential to help deliver the MDGs.

*Article Source:
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=23422&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

IITF ARCHIVE: Global Systems Selling Out Indigenous Knowledge - Forum (2003)

2006-12-12T14:05:00.000-05:00

by Marty Logan

GENEVA, Dec 12 (IPS) - In one part of the northern Philippines, the naming of a child begins with a history ”lesson”.

Two weeks after he or she is born, village elders gather to select a name, a process that includes narrating the history of each family member, explains Minnie Degawan of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance.

Sharing that knowledge is a way to place the burden of responsibility for raising the child -- according to the qualities of his or her namesake -- on both the child's parents and the entire village.

”This is one example of how our community can speak knowledge,” says Degawan. And it is knowledge with responsibility, she asserts, much different from the information that today's ”wired” citizens can passively take from the Internet and other information and communications technologies (ICTs).

Today, that culture of knowledge and responsibility is threatened by attempts to commodify symbols and other traditional knowledge (TK), Degawan and other speakers told the Global Forum on Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society at the World Summit on the Information Society, which closed Friday in Geneva.

And the global copyright system designed to protect intellectual property does not help indigenous peoples, they added.

Much of Inuit culture was historically protected by customary law, said Violet Ford, a vice president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference, which represents 155,000 Inuit people in Canada, Alaska, Greenland and Russia.

”Now it is in the 'public domain',” and governments say it does not require protection, she added.

Symbols such as the Inuit kayak, amauti (traditional women's coat) and Inukshuk (a pile of rocks used as a navigation marker) have been copied and used to sell myriad products. The Inukshuk, for example, now adorns the box of a product used to combat erectile dysfunction, said Ford.

But while the copyright system does not accept the concept of a group registering its traditional knowledge, more than 100 individuals and companies in Canada alone have applied for a copyright on the Inukshuk, she added.

”Without protection, Inuit culture will continue to be sought after as a commodityàdevalued and minimised.”

Indigenous peoples have long called for nations to establish 'sui generis', new and unique national systems to protect their traditional knowledge, but have made little headway.

The bodies that regulate copyright, including the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), are suggesting other solutions, including that indigenous peoples enter into contracts with those who wish to use their cultural symbols and other knowledge..

Violet Ford says that path is full of obstacles, particularly because many indigenous groups do not have much experience in contract law and would be at a disadvantage in negotiations.

”The current position of the Inuit is to work globally (to reform the copyright system) via WIPO,” she added.

A WIPO official says some indigenous groups have successfully completed contracts that protect their traditional knowledge.

”The point is to work out what elements of your culture are likely to be misused,” says Tony Taubman, head of WIPO's traditional knowledge division.

”Often it's the well-meaning academic researcher (who misuses TK). They see this as information in the public domain and want to report on it as an academic (exercise),” he added in an interview.

Taubman says he recognises that indigenous peoples are debating whether they should work within the existing system of copyright protection or insist on creating something unique, and that WIPO must do more to reach out to them to try and resolve the issue, as long as they are willing to cooperate.

Degawan is sure that she does not want to adhere to that system. For one, it would ”crystallise” her culture.

”Knowledge is not something that you own but is something that is developed over the ages, through practiceàyou have to share it because if you don't share it, it becomes static.”

”We need to inform the WIPO that what they have may be appropriate for them à but it is not appropriate for my culture,” Degawan added. (END/2003)

*Article source: http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=21517

Using ICTs to Achieve Growth and Development, 4-5 December, Geneva

2006-11-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

The Expert Meeting in Support of the Implementation and Follow-up of WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) - organized jointly by UNCTAD, ILO and OECD - will be held on 4-5 December at the Palais des Nations, Geneva , starting 10:00. All NGOs are requested to check the requirements for participation here. For substantive questions about the Expert Meeting contact the UNCTAD ICT and E-business Branch.... For more information about the Expert Meeting, including nominations, participation and registration, please consult the official expert meeting website.

Relevant Meetings...

2006-10-13T14:05:00.000-04:00

1.) WSIS implementation meetings UNESCO, 16-22 October, Paris and
Beijing
As one of the facilitating agency for the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society, UNESCO organizes multi-stakeholder consultations on Access to Information and Knowledge, Ethical Dimension of the Information Society, E-Learning and
Media in Paris . Another consultation will be held on E-science in Beijing.

2.) 6-24 November 2006: ITU Plenipotentiary Conference ( Antalya , Turkey ) http://www.itu.int/plenipotentiary

Internet governance and global civil society

2006-10-06T14:27:00.000-04:00

The United Nations Working Group on Internet Governance defines internet governance as "the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the internet." WGIG defined four key areas concerning internet governance.

For more information, see www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/internet-governance/article-142724

Beyond WSIS: Making a Difference Globally (2006)

2006-08-27T00:08:00.000-04:00

A chapter within the new ITU/UNCTAD World Information Society Report 2006 focusing on WSIS implementation, including analysis based on the Stocktaking Database. The entire report is available here.

Interim Portal Board Meets in Geneva

2006-07-26T21:11:00.000-04:00

A sub-group of the International Indigenous ICT Task Force, this interim working group will meet to plan and implement the International Indigenous Portal. Facilitaing this meeting is the International Committee for the Indians of the Americas (Incomindios), which is an organization founded by Native Americans and Swiss citizens with the declared goal of assisting the native peoples of North, Central and South America morally and materially in their struggle for political, economic and cultural sovereignty.

Visit Incomindios at http://www.incomindios.ch/english/indexenglish.html

GLOBAL ALLIANCE OUTLINES WORK TO SOLVE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY NEEDS OF THE POOR

2006-06-21T14:57:00.000-04:00

After two days of meetings in Malaysia involving over 700 experts from around the world, the United Nations initiative to foster information and communication technologies (ICT) in developing countries has established a framework for their activities.

The Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development adopted Tuesday the Kuala Lumpur Vision, outlining the principles of the Alliance’s future work.

Pledging to overcome the social and digital divides between developed and developing world, the Vision promotes policies and partnerships that can help create an “arc of digital opportunity.”

“The irony of the present situation is that those who are currently with the least access to technology are precisely the ones who would benefit the most if wonders of modern information and communication technologies become indeed accessible and relevant to all of humanity,” the document says.

“We must think big while remaining solidly rooted in the real needs of real people, communities and countries (and) put the problems and needs of the majority of humanity onto the ‘radar screens’ of thinkers, business executives and government decision-makers,” it states.

Proposed initiatives include creating a Cyber Development Corps, establishing resource centers to boost human capital, and setting up networks and working groups to promote outreach and partnership for action.

Launched on Monday in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, the Alliance aims to strengthen collaborations between the public and private sectors, expanding and replicating best practices and promoting solutions for early harvest.

The Alliance’s next move will be to establish a business plan. “We received a tremendous response from all continents and regions,” said Sarbuland Khan, Executive Coordinator of the Alliance’s Secretariat. “Ideas and objectives have now been put on the table, but need to be translated into meaningful action,” he added.

Inaugural Meeting of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development

2006-06-20T15:34:00.000-04:00

Inaugural Meeting
Kuala Lumpur, 19-20 June 2006
Hosted by the Government of Malaysia

In a follow up to the recent decision of the Secretary-General (see press release), the inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development was held on 19-20 June 2006 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia following a generous invitation by the Government of Malaysia.

IITF Side Event at Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2006

2006-05-22T12:39:00.000-04:00

"Indigenous Peoples and the WSIS: Towards International Indigenous Connectivity"
Tuesday, 23 May 2006, Conference Room 3
1:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.

"A follow up on the work accomplished at WSIS in Tunisia as well as a discussion of post-WSIS follow-up. Reports on Indigenous Connectivity in the Americas and on the
creation of an international indigenous portal."

Invited Speakers:

Kenneth Deer (Post-WSIS)
Tarcila Rivera (Americas connectivity)
Anne-Kristin Håkansson (IITF & Portal)
Joe Shirley (Update on ITU Office)
Dan Hughes (Govt support of ICT Issues)

Organizer:
International Indigenous ICT Task force

Co-Sponser: Government of Canada and Government of Sweden

World Information Society Day: May 17 May 2006

2006-05-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in November 2005, adopted the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, which recognized that there is a need to build more awareness of the Internet. It specifically called upon the declaration of May 17th as World Information Society Day; the annual observance was officially proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. This Day will help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information communications technologies (ICTs) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. The theme for 2006 is "promoting global cybersecurity". More information.

ANNAN CALLS FOR GLOBAL SECURITY IN CYBERSPACE

2006-05-17T13:59:00.000-04:00

From on-line banking to the benefits of telemedicine, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the world community to enhance global
security in cyberspace so as to realize the full potential of information and communication technologies (ICT) and accelerate the pace of development.

“In an increasingly interconnected and networked world, it has become critically important to safeguard our vital systems and infrastructures against attack by cybercriminals, while instilling confidence in online transactions in order to promote trade, commerce, banking, telemedicine, e-government and a host of other e-applications,” he said in a message marking the first World Information Society
Day.

“As this depends on the security practices of each and every networked country, business and citizen, we need to develop a global culture of cybersecurity,” he
added

He called on all Member States and stakeholders to help increase global awareness of cybersecurity, and to develop an international network of initiatives and
ICT-based countermeasures to enhance security and build trust in the use of information and communication technologies.

“This is essential for the continued growth and development of our economies, and especially important for developing countries,” Mr. Annan said.

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005, decided to mark the Day in recognition of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the world’s oldest international organization, which was founded on 17 May 1865 and is now a UN specialized agency.

IITF ARCHIVE: Digital Divides and the New Information Colonialism, Indigenous Peoples at WSIS

2006-04-24T20:41:00.000-04:00

Interview with Mohawk journalist Kenneth Deer - August 12, 2003

The information society is being colonized by developed countries and we have a great fear that our intellectual knowledge is being harvested through the information society. That's a big fear for indigenous peoples. As we learn how to use the information systems and as we put our knowledge in there, our stories, our history, etc. The big fear is that the developed countries, corporations, pharmaceuticals, etc. are going to harvest our information for their own gain, and we'll again be left out without the benefits of having shared this knowledge.

- Kenneth Deer commenting on the Information Society

The upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) poses a distinct set of problems for the world's indigenous peoples. The Information Warfare Monitor recently interviewed Kenneth Deer of the Indigenous Media Network (IMN) and the editor of The Eastern Door, on the subject of how indigenous communities are confronting the unique challenges posed by ICTs and the growing digital divide.

Konstantin Kilibarda (KK): Can you give us some background information on your organization and its involvement in the upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)?

Kenneth Deer (KD): The Indigenous Media Network is an organization of indigenous journalists from around the world. It's still a fledgling, a very young organization, which was created really at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues last year, in 2002. The object was to try to link indigenous peoples from around the world, to make sure that we could share experiences, share stories, etc. When we found out about WSIS - we didn't really, none of us knew about it, surprisingly - or I shouldn't be surprised I guess. Lots of indigenous people didn't know about WSIS and what we wanted to do, as people involved in media who are therefore very much involved in the information society, we felt that we had to say something, we had to produce something to present to WSIS. We realized that there was not very much indigenous participation in PrepCom-1 and PrepCom-2, and we needed to increase our participation. That�s why we got ourselves together to try to do something for WSIS. I tried, myself personally, through my own newspaper The Eastern Door and through the Indigenous Media Network to get to PrepCom-2, but we were denied funding. That was I think a big setback.

KK: I was reading about Wayne Lord recently, who's involved in this issue apparently in the name of indigenous peoples here in Canada

KD: Well, Wayne Lord is government. Let me explain Wayne Lord to you. He works for the Canadian government in the Department of Foreign Affairs. I think he's a director and his field is indigenous issues. He, himself, is indigenous. He says he's Metis. So he always carries the Canadian government flag in this issue. However, at the same time, he's also a member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. He's a government representative on there which when you are there, you're supposed to be there as an independent expert. So his independence is somewhat compromised. So when you listen to Wayne Lord talk, or if you ever talk to him, you should make clear what hat he's wearing. Now, because Wayne Lord has this position with the Canadian government and the Canadian government has a big part to play in WSIS they are taking the lead in the creation of an extra event called, I think they're calling it the Global Forum on Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society.

KK: They're creating this?

KD: Well this is the curious part. They are pushing for this because they know that indigenous people don't have enough participation. So this was at first supposed to be a side event, but now it has been elevated by WSIS to an official event. Now the Canadian government is going to contribute C$ 200,000, the city of Geneva is supposed to commit 200,000 Swiss Francs and other governments will be contributing to the Forum as well perhaps Australia, Finland, you know, some of the Scandinavian countries, etc. But the governments know, however, that if there is going to be a Global Forum on Indigenous People it cannot be governments that are running it, it has to be indigenous peoples. So they're scrambling now to get somebody to take ownership of this forum to organize it and to run it. Right now, I think, it's going to be the Secretariat for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which Wayne Lord is a member of. Now I have no objection to that. It's just as good a body as any that can do this. The Secretariat is brand-new, they're only less than a year old and this is a big project to handle. I hope they can do it well. So I support their work. So when you see Wayne Lord's name though

KK: Is there a concern then that the process will be controlled by governments in this case, or that there will be an attempt to co-opt whatever comes out of such a Global Forum?

KD: Well, its pretty clear that generally who pays the piper calls the tune. It all depends on what's going to happen in terms of what kind of board or supervising entity will be set up to run this Global Forum. We want to make sure that there is a lot of indigenous input into this global forum and we hope that as an indigenous person I support the Global Forum. It's an interesting idea and I think that we can do some creative stuff with this, as long as the government gives us the money and lets us do it. I can understand that some of the governments because they're contributing want to have some they won't have any say in the Forum itself, in the political forum but they will want to display in the event, during the event, what governments are doing for indigenous peoples. For instance, Canada will want to display its Indigenous Portal that it has. I have no objection to that if governments want to say, Well look, this is what we're doing for indigenous peoples. I have no problem with that, because it will be informative. The important part of the forum will be to have as many indigenous people as possible in Geneva to attend. Hopefully, the high majority of the budget will be used for travel. So we would like to get as many as one-hundred indigenous people there. Not only participants, but also we need panelists, speakers, and also some demonstrators. People who can demonstrate as well what indigenous people are doing in the field of the information society. They can show good use of their radio stations, or their TV stations, whatever. I would personally like to see a demonstration of indigenous communications. In our case we communicated through wampums, you know runners carrying wampums giving messages and sharing information. Also story-telling is a big part of indigenous information sharing. And other indigenous peoples have different ways and different forms of communication that I'd love to see being demonstrated.

KK: Just staying on the Canadian level, I was curious to know - since there have been tensions between the Canadian government and indigenous peoples, and within indigenous communities themselves, over the First Nations Governance Act (FNGA) - if those tensions have played out in preparations for WSIS?

KD: No. Well first of all there's been very little preparation. There has been very little contact. I haven't experienced any tensions though, and I don't intend to bring up that issue (laughing). I think it may remember the Global Forum will have political meetings. Indigenous people from around the world will be there to meet and they will come up with a declaration. What will be in that declaration I can't predict. But I think domestic issues tend to take second place to really the global issues. So I don't expect FNGA to play a big part in this.

KK: Why do you think then that at a global level indigenous people are mobilizing for WSIS? What do indigenous activists or at least your group feel is at stake in Geneva?

KD: Well first of all we're still informing people about WSIS. You know 99% of indigenous people don't even know that this is going to take place. We're dealing with the 1% and we're trying to educate the other 99% and it's very difficult because a lot of indigenous people are on the wrong side of the digital divide. I think that divide is going to be a big part of the whole discussion. How to close the gap between people who have broad access to the information society and those that don't. So its hard to get people who are on the wrong side of the digital divide well represented in a world conference that is taking place on the right side well not to say the right side but on the developed side of the digital divide. It seems to be that that's a big problem. Another problem is the lack of communication that exists between developed countries and non-developed areas. Even non-developed areas in developed countries. Take for instance a developed country like Finland, or Sweden and Norway, who have large and vast areas of land that are inhabited by indigenous reindeer herders who may or may not be plugged into these technologies. We don't know, we're trying to find out you know about the Masai in Africa, or the Mayans in Central America. There are so many questions and you know WSIS isn't going to be the end. WSIS is going to be the beginning. We're looking at this as a stepping stone to 2005, to Tunis and beyond.

KK: Can you maybe give us a description and you've touched on this somewhat but how do current IT trends impact the lives of indigenous peoples? What do you think needs to change in order for this situation as you described it to improve?

KD: We look at it, the way I look at it anyway, is that ICTs, the information society has its own culture. That culture is enveloping and its difficult for indigenous people to have an impact on it. We have to impact that information society, because that information society - It's like colonialism. The information society is being colonized by developed countries and we have a great fear that our intellectual knowledge is being harvested through the information society. That's a big fear for indigenous peoples. As we learn how to use the information systems and as we put our knowledge in there, our stories, our history, etc. The big fear is that the developed countries, corporations, pharmaceuticals, etc. are going to harvest our information for their own gain, and we'll again be left out without the benefits of having shared this knowledge. People want us indigenous people are under a lot of pressure to share their knowledge. But indigenous people, most of the time, don't benefit from that sharing. It's just the big multinationals that will. They benefit form our discoveries you know and they're the ones that make the money.

KK: Along a similar vein, in preparations for WSIS, people have brought up the issue of languages on the Internet and the issue of English language predominance. There seem to be some initiatives from some European countries to break that down in order to promote cultural diversity. Are there specific initiatives in regards to indigenous languages, which are particularly endangered? It seems that so far the initiative for linguistic diversity is coming from other hegemonic or colonial languages, like French or Spanish

KD: Well, like I said, the culture of the information society itself is all enveloping and we're being absorbed into that as well and we have to push back. I think indigenous peoples are trying to find ways of using modern technology to save their languages. Here in my community, we have Mohawk lessons burned on CDs, we try to have Mohawk lessons on the radio, etc. We're using in our won small way, different parts of the information society to protect and save our language. The Internet is a whole different animal. It's very, very difficult. Some languages are still not written. If you can't write them, how can you put them onto the Internet? Furthermore, how do you use the Internet for individuals that are still illiterate for instance. And these are problems that are going to be on our agenda, you know. What are the problems of literacy and language? I can't predict the conclusions people will come to, but those are our major issues.

KK: It seems that some institutions, NGOs, etc. are offering up IT as a panacea for so-called Third and Fourth World development problems. Other people are taking about other issues like the ones you mentioned, i.e. literacy. Are there other concerns on the table?

KD: Well I guess a major issue is access. Especially in isolated areas where phone-lines are a luxury, they're not a facet of life. I guess you have to find ways to use satellite or other ways of communication. If indigenous peoples really want to plug-into the information society this will have to be addressed. But that's a big if, maybe they don't want to plug in.

KK: How appropriate are commercial technologies - which are tailored more to the needs of profit than human-societies - in terms of solving these problems?

KD: Well, I think that the material, the technologies that are produced in the developed world are usually made for the developed world. They're not really made for people on the other side of the digital divide where most people don't have access to phone-lines. What can you do in that case, it's not appropriate at all. An IBM computer in the middle of the jungle is useless. There's no electricity, no telephone line, it has absolutely no value.

KK: As an aside, I was wondering if you heard of the appropriate technology movement? I guess in places like Brazil and India they've been developing low-tech IT solutions.

KD: Yeah, like the Simputer from India. I'm not an expert on it though (laughs) I'm a newspaper guy after all.

KK: Geneva may be, at least, a good opportunity to network with some of the people working on this.

KD: That is why we have to bring as many indigenous people as we can, so that they can see what's there and see what's going to be shown at WSIS and see if it can be applied back home. That's a very, very important part of bringing people to Geneva. It's also a learning experience for them.

KK: What is the preferred outcome then for indigenous peoples at the upcoming talks? Are there any issues that are dividing indigenous peoples in the preparations?

KD: The preferred outcome, of course - I think - would be to have indigenous people get the capacity to have an impact on the information society. That they can be able to have their culture, their languages, impacting the information society and figuring out how they're going to do that. To have the capacity to have an impact on the information society and to use the information society for their needs - not for the needs of the developed world but for their own needs. That's what you want to have. It has to be useful to them, and right now it's not - at least not in a major way. In some ways the technologies are useful but that's the problem with the term information society it's such a broad term. It doesn't mean just the Internet, it means newspapers like mine, or radio stations, TV stations, burning CDs, etc. I remember indigenous people from the South asking me how to set up a radio station. For them the best means of communication, for instance in the jungle or in the Andes, is a radio station. You don't need a lot of technology. For a modern radio station you just need a little box, an antenna and a generator, a microphone and you can broadcast. Everyone can get a radio and they can broadcast in their own languages. It's the simplest thing. To many that's high tech.

KK: If I'm not mistaken, there will be groups talking about community radio networks at the upcoming talks? I know when I visited Ecuador, community radio networks were a huge thing, and I know in Venezuela people have been setting up community radio networks to undermine the hegemony of corporate media conglomerates in the Andes.

KD: Right. And now one of the issues that is going to come up at WSIS is the issue of frequencies. Governments have to allow space, frequencies, for indigenous views, because states use that to stop indigenous people from having their own radio stations. And that's a big problem, which is going to be something the governments will have to deal with, that they have to recognize. Indigenous people need greater access to radio-waves, to these frequencies.

In terms of your other question What will divide indigenous people? I don't know (laughing) I don't want to say anything that will create a division. Indigenous peoples have a lot of solidarity, we have similar problems. We've all been colonized, we've all been removed from our land and our natural resources and in most cases we're not benefiting. A lot of people look at the information society, like they do at globalization, as the new colonialism. Globalization and the information society are seen as part of that colonial process. We have a lot of solidarity, so I'm not looking for divisions. Actually, I'm looking for a lot of solidarity.

KK: How can interested non-indigenous individuals and organizations lend their solidarity to initiatives of indigenous peoples?

KD: Well I think non-indigenous peoples have their own democracies (laughing) however you want to describe them; and they should be using those to help indigenous peoples. Like the whole issue of frequencies and also the issue of helping monetarily so that indigenous people can have the resources to plug into the information society (should they want to). Indigenous people should have that option after all. They shouldn't be forced to plug-in, but they should be able to have the same type of access that most people in developed countries take for granted if they want it, and indigenous peoples in most countries don't. I think non-indigenous people have to be able to support indigenous peoples and try to influence their governments and multinational companies, etc. to respect the rights of and assist indigenous peoples as much as they can.

Article Source: http://www.infowar-monitor.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=soundbyte&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=6&page=1

ICT Related Events

2006-04-13T13:01:00.000-04:00

Executive masters in e-governance Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne 2006/2007, Lausanne, Switzerland
Application Deadline: 31 May 2006
This international programme is conducted in collaboration with highlyrenowned partners and prestigious institutions worldwide, withresidential classroom modules in Switzerland , Europe , North Americaand Asia. The dynamic and forward-looking executive educationprogramme will sharpen your leadership competencies and equip you withthe essential skills in effective ICT application and management in afast-changing networked world. For more information, visithttp://egov.epfl.ch

9th International Conference on Interactive Computer-aided Learning
27- 29 September 2006, Villach, Austria
Application Deadline: 19 May 2006
This interdisciplinary conference aims to focus on the exchange ofrelevant trends and research results as well as the presentation ofpractical experiences gained while developing and testing elements ofinteractive computer-aided learning. For more information, visit
www.icl-conference.org

MODERN TECHNOLOGY: Vast Navajo nation connects communities via Web

2006-03-16T00:39:00.000-05:00

By Marty Logan
Updated Dec 6, 2005, 11:32 pm

TUNIS (IPS/GIN) - The Indigenous Navajo people of the southwestern United States are now using the Internet to reconnect to their traditional culture and help improve their communities.

“We used to have a hard time building infrastructure to support economic and community development,” said Ernest Franklin Jr., from the Navajo Nation. That was partly because information about the Navajo Nation’s resources would not be passed on to new leaders of the huge Navajo territory, he told IPS.

What they needed to change that trend, tribal leaders decided, was a communications system to link more than 200,000 people in 110 communities scattered over 27,000 square miles.

“We knew that, if we were to establish a fiber optic cable, it would never get done because of all the red tape of working with the government,” Mr. Franklin said. “But after renting space on a satellite, we were able to hook up all the communities in three months. Then, we created 110 websites—that’s how people learned how to develop their communities.”

The Navajo used the websites to first provide information about planning and community development, which in turn led locals to draw up inventories of resources like land, water, roads and power lines, and finally to draft local governance laws that would empower individual communities to take the lead in rebuilding their lives.
Today, 20 Navajo communities have adopted land-use plans, and 30 more are in progress, Mr. Franklin noted.

“Now, we have communities that are more sustainable, and the people are very proud because they are building them themselves,” he added. “The U.S. government always used to come in and say ‘here’s housing’ or ‘here’s corn, you don’t need to grow your own’—and that created slums and dependence and made people lose respect for themselves and their communities. We want to get back to being self-sustaining.”
To ensure that the information age is not just a passing fad, the Navajo have equipped their 110 community centers with computers and broadband Internet access. High school students on hand to help users are known as “Web Warriors.”

On Nov. 17, the Navajo Nation went global, signing a deal with the WSIS organizer, the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU), that will enable it to spread—what is now known as—“The Navajo Model” to other communities where the roughly 350 million Indigenous people live, starting with Brazil.

Indigenous people are often described as the “poorest of the poor,” and the description holds true for their access to the Internet and other resources developed by the information society. Before the project started five years ago, only 22 percent of the Navajo Nation’s population had access to telephones, 15 percent to computers and 10 percent to the Internet—and that’s in one of the world’s richest countries. The project is now getting people connected fast.

After WSIS I in Geneva in 2003, a group of Indigenous people identified obstacles and challenges to their peoples’ equitable participation in the Information Age. These included poverty, which reduces access to the Internet; fear that the new technologies would force them to conform to one model of living; lack of money to pay the high costs of training; and a shortfall of computer software in Indigenous languages.

A project being endorsed by the Indigenous Caucus in the United States could answer some of those fears. An Aboriginal portal would be set up, “where anyone who wanted to deal with anything Indigenous or learn about anything Indigenous could go,” Indigenous Caucus co-chair Kenneth Deer told IPS.

A portal is an Internet site that typically includes a list of websites on a related topic, along with a search engine. Two such portals exist on Indigenous people’s issues, but governments (Canada and Australia) operate them, pointed out Mr. Deer, a member of the Mohawk nation from Canada.

The proposed international portal would be Indigenous-owned and operated, hosted at a central location, but with support from each of the world’s regions. It could also offer content in local languages (of which roughly 200 exist in the United States alone, though most of them are dying).

Money is the biggest challenge to making it work. “Before this, the problem was one of lack of expertise,” said Mr. Deer. “What we need now is secure funding for at least three to five years.”

Navajo engineers are helping to run the ITU’s television service at the WSIS. “A lot of Indigenous people are scared of technology because they think it’s going to run their lives,” Mr. Franklin said.

But he pointed out that the Navajo have long adopted technologies such as rug-making and silver-smithing, and are now world-renowned practitioners of those arts. “We didn’t invent the Internet, but we brought it into our communities, and are using it to make them stronger.”

© Copyright 2007 FCN Publishing, FinalCall.com

WSIS Follow-up Conference Held in Copenhagen February 2006

2006-02-25T16:22:00.000-05:00

The World Federation of United Nations Associations Task Force on WSIS & The Danish Network on WSIS organized a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on February 21-22, 2006 to follow up on the World Summit on the Information Society, which concluded on November 18, 2005 with an agreement among world leaders on ambitious objectives and promises for the future Information Society. The conference, called "Where to go from Tunis? Implementation of and follow-up to the World Summit on the Information Society and the role of Civil Society in this process," evaluated the results of the WSIS process and took stock of what impact the summit can have on global development in general, and more specifically on the future of the Information Society, particularly from a civil society perspective. The event presented keynote speeches and workshops focused on four concrete issues and approaches, including one on "Human Rights and ICT's." More information.

Composition of IITF

2006-02-18T21:36:00.000-05:00

Indigenous participation in the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) will consist of four (4) members from each of the world regions as recognized by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for a total of twenty-eight (28) members, as follows:

· Africa

· Asia

· North America

· Central/South America

. Caribbean

· Pacific

· Former USSR and Eastern Europe

· Arctic

Mandate and Objectives of the IITF

2006-02-17T21:26:00.000-05:00

Mandate of the IITF:

The IITF was set up by the Indigenous Caucus at the Tunis Summit as an Indigenous mechanism for follow-up the WSIS work.

The work of the IITF will be based on the WSIS-related documents, that is those developed by Indigenous Peoples themselves and those adopted by Governments in the Summit proceedings.

The IITF will actively seek to inform Indigenous Peoples on a broad scale on the WSIS process and its follow-up.

The IITF will actively seek partnerships with Governments, UN agencies and NGOs to work on common projects related to the Information Society, and particularly with the goal to prepare for a Global Indigenous ICT Forum in 2007.

The core objectives of the International Indigenous ICT Task Force for the fiscal years 2006-07 are to continue the WSIS work, and particularly the work that has been done in Tunis in the following ways:

- Fundraising to host a Global Indigenous ICT Forum no later than November 2007

- Informing Indigenous Peoples on the WSIS process and its follow-up and ensuring a broad Indigenous involvement

- Raising awareness among Indigenous Peoples about the challenges and opportunities posed by the evolving Information Society, particularly with a view to promoting cultural diversity, strengthening Indigenous cultures and identities and to issues related to unauthorized use, appropriation and exploitation of traditional knowledge

- Developing an international Indigenous Portal

- Elaborating a draft for a Tunis e-strategy to be discussed and adopted at the Global Indigenous ICT Forum

- Finding possibilities for carrying out ICT capacity-building for Indigenous Peoples

- Promoting the development of national and international partnerships

- Promoting the establishment of working groups within the IICTF to deal with issues related to the Information Society and ICT utilization

In order to achieve these core objectives, the International Indigenous ICT Task Force will need to:

- Identify funding requirements;
*fund-raising efforts at the local, national, regional and international levels should commence immediately

- Recruit partners and participants;
* efforts to recruit partners and participants at the local, national, regional and international levels should commence immediately

- Foster international awareness of the needs and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples with a view to ICTs and connectivity

- Foster and form partnerships and collaborations between Indigenous Peoples and government departments, United Nations agencies, NGOs, the academic community and the private sector in relation to meeting the indigenous outcomes of WSIS.

The Indigenous ICT Task Force

2006-02-16T21:17:00.000-05:00

The International Indigenous ICT Task Force was born in the context of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

WSIS was the first United Nations Summit that was convened in two phases. WSIS(1) took place from 10-12 December 2003 in Geneva and WSIS(2) from 16 to 18 November 2005 in Tunis.

Generally, WSIS aimed to ensure that the benefits of the Information Society, and particularly the Internet, are accessible to all while promoting specific advantages in areas such as e-commerce, e-governance, e-health, education, literacy, cultural diversity, gender equality, sustainable development and environmental protection.

Indigenous Peoples were involved in both WSIS phases. A small international Indigenous delegation under the umbrella of the Indigenous Media Network participated in a number of preparatory meetings to voice Indigenous concerns and aspirations, to work towards including them in the final Summit documents and to establish Indigenous Peoples as a stakeholder in the evolution of the Information Society. The Geneva and Tunis Summits themselves were accompanied by two larger parallel events on Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society, enabling a number of Indigenous representatives to become involved into the political WSIS process.

Due to the efforts of Indigenous Peoples, a special “Indigenous paragraph” was included in the Geneva WSIS Declaration of Principles (Art.15) and the Tunis Commitment (Art.22):

“In the evolution of the Information Society, particular attention must be given to the special situation of Indigenous peoples, as well as to the preservation of their heritage and their cultural legacy.”

This paragraph establishes Indigenous Peoples as a stakeholder in the WSIS process, its implementation and follow-up.

At the Tunisia phase of WSIS Indigenous delegates agreed to establish an Indigenous ICT Taskforce to continue the work of WSIS from an Indigenous point of view.

Cultural diversity in the Information Society, respect for and protection of traditional knowledge, the strengthening of Indigenous cultures and identities through ICTs and Indigenous connectivity should continue to be a focus for discussions at any number of international gatherings, including, but not limited to, the UN Permanent Forum, the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, and the Summit of the Americas.

A "Terms of Reference" was developed by the IITF to seek to guide the formulation of the international Indigenous ICT agenda, through communications which are open, transparent and culturally appropriate.

It should be understood by all parties that the issues related to participation of Indigenous Peoples in the Information Society and of Indigenous connectivity are still evolving. The Terms of Reference should therefore be viewed as a “work in progress” as further research, dialogues, policies and partnerships are developed.

WSIS Golden Book Submission by IITF: Stakeholder Commitments and Initiatives

2006-01-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

Organisation name- Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF)
Country- International
Organisation website-
Organisation type- Civil Society

Contact person for media interviews-
Family name: Nobrega
First name: Malia
Address: 2847 Waialae Ave #509 Honolulu, HI 96826
email: malianob@aol.com
telephone: (808) 286-5461

Except from Golden Book Description:

In December 2003, the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in Geneva to ensure that these benefits are accessible to all while promoting specific advantages in areas such as e-commerce, e-governance, e-health, education, literacy,
cultural diversity, gender equality, sustainable development and environmental protection.

Also in December 2003, the Government of Canada and the Aboriginal Canada Portal and Connectivity Working Group, in cooperation with Indigenous peoples, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and other UN Agencies, a number of member states and our Swiss and City of Geneva hosts, helped organize the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society.

The Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues prepared a report on the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society, which is available (in English only) on the Aboriginal Canada Portal, at the following URL:

http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/cac/international/discussion.nsf/fmenu_en.html?OpenForm

From these events came the WSIS Declaration and Plan of Action, as well as the Declaration and Plan of Action of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society. Together, these documents provide guidance to states, Indigenous peoples, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and academics interested in using new technologies to improve communications and the quality of life for Indigenous peoples around the world.

Article 15 of the WSIS Declaration states:

"In the evolution of the Information Society, particular attention must be given to the special situation of Indigenous peoples, as well as to the preservation of their heritage and their cultural legacy.”

In March 2005, the Government of Canada, the Aboriginal Canada Portal and Connectivity Working Group and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues hosted the WSIS Indigenous Thematic Planning Conference for Tunisia. This was a global conference, with
participants from each of the world's regions, as recognized by the UN Permanent Forum.

The purpose of the WSIS Indigenous Thematic Planning Conference for Tunisia was to explore opportunities for: bridging the digital divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples; the effective use of information and communication technologies by Indigenous peoples for
sustainable development, poverty reduction, and other goals; and, for keeping the issue of connectivity front and centre on the international Indigenous agenda.

At the Tunisia phase of WSIS Indigenous delegates agreed to establish an Indigenous ICT Task Force to continue the work of WSIS in particular the aspirations of the indigenous parallel event in Tunis called Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society:

“Towards an International Indigenous Portal”

Indigenous connectivity should continue to be a focus for discussions at any number of international gatherings, including, but not limited to, the UN Permanent Forum, the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, and the Summit of the Americas.

SEE: http://www.itu.int/wsis/goldenbook/search/search-compute.asp

IITF Established in Tunisia

2005-11-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

Indigenous ICT Task Force: The Indigenous Caucus at the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis decided to continue the work of the IISC.

IICTF Regional Focal Points:

Africa, Saoudata Aboubacrine -

Arctic, Ann-Kristin Håkansson - akigua@telia.com , Naja Paulsen ;

Asia, Lucky Sherpa - Chupinit Kesmanee -

Central and South American, & the Caribbean, Marcos Terena - , Roberto Mucaro Borrero (Caribbean) - uctp_ny@yahoo.com

North America, Kenneth Deer - kend@easterndoor.com

Pacific, Teanau Tuiono - teanau.tuiono@gmail.com , Malia Nobrega - malianob@aol.com

Russian Federation, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Transcaucasia, Irina Kurilova -