International Indigenous ICT Taskforce and Indigenous Portal on Facebook

The International Indigenous ICT Taskforce and Indigenous Portal maintain a presence on Facebook.

 If you would like to follow our work, as well as receive news on Indigenous Peoples Issues Worldwide, please visit us at:

https://www.facebook.com/indigenous.portal

Side Event: Indigenous Peoples’ Innovative and Emerging Uses of ICTs

© UNESCO
Poster of the WSIS+10 Review meeting

This session is organized within the framework of the ten-year review of the Multistakeholder First World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) hosted by UNESCO on 25-27 February 2013 at its headquarters in Paris, France. The session is organised jointly by UNESCO’s programme on Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) and the International Indigenous ICT Task Force.

Participants will discuss ways in which indigenous peoples have used ICTs to:

- preserve and promote their cultural heritage, their knowledge, traditions and languages, and

- exchange experiences and best practices; and manage their tangible heritage, including landscape and biological diversity.

A report on 'Indigenous Peoples, WSIS and Emerging uses of ICTs' will be presented and the session outcomes will include recommendations on gaps, achievements and emerging and future trends for indigenous peoples and local communities with respect to section C8 of the WSIS Plan of Action and to UNESCO’s work.

Online remote participation will be facilitated through the Cisco WebEx remote conferencing software. links will be made available from the programme page.

Details

Type of Event	Category 7-Seminar and Workshop
Start	26.02.2013 16:00 local time
End	26.02.2013 17:30 local time
Focal point	Heckler, Serena
Organizer	UNESCO’s programme on Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS)
Contact	k.ikhlef@unesco.org
Country	France
City	Paris
Venue	UNESCO Headquarters
Street	7, place de Fontenoy
Room	Room VIII
Language of Event	English, French
Estimated number of participants	100
Link 1	Programme
Link 2	World Summit on Information Society Plan of Action
Link 3	Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS)
Link 4	International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF)

Self-governing domain name for Indigenous Peoples

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

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

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.

International Indigenous Portal Launches Logo Competition

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

Last Call: Indigenous Portal Regional Editors

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)

E-Bario and E-Inclusion workshop held in Malaysia

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).

E-skills and Your Career Radio initiative

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

New Indigenous ICT Discussion List created...

(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

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

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

Content update - Indigenous Issues on the Development Gateway

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.

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

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

Mandate and Objectives of the IITF

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.