Par Gervais J. Henrie

Le Ghana, à l’heure actuelle, est mieux placé dans le développement des Technologie de l’information et de la communication (TIC), par rapport à beaucoup d’autres pays africains, a déclaré le président du Comité National d’organisation du SMSI d’Accra.
‘Cette conférence est comme une récompense à notre travail’ poursuit M. Mike Gizo, avant de faire remarquer que les stratégies ghanéennes pour le développement des TIC sont bien en place, il reste juste à booster le processus.
Comme l’Afrique du Sud, l’Egypte et la Tunisie, le Ghana est connecté au réseau des réseaux des milieu des années 1990. Depuis cette date ce pays de l’Afrique de l’Ouest a été le point de rencontres de l’ICANN et de l’AFNOG (African Network Operators Group).
Depuis Juillet 2004, M. Gizo est à la tête d’un comité de vingt-six (26) personnes pour l’organisation de cette Conference Régionale de huit jours. Aujourd’hui, il est entouré d’un groupe de volontaires de plus d’une centaine de personnes.
Sur le budget mobilisé pour l’organisation de ce sommet, M. Gizo a été peu loquace se contentant de dire ‘je dépense toujours, mais j’ai un budget.’

Par Baba Thiam

Le continent noir a un véritable défi à relever dans le cadre de la gouvernance de l’Internet. La gestion des ressources du réseau des réseaux doit revenir aux Africains. En d’autres termes, il urge d’établir des règles.
A travers the African registry for internet numbers (Afrinic), l’espoir est permis. Au deuxième jour des ateliers préparatoires sur la société de l’information qui se tiennent dans la capitale ghanéenne, le président d’Afrinic a campé les enjeux d’une politique hardie de gestion des ASN (Autonomus system numbers) qui permettent d’idendifier les réseaux et les adresses IP.
Selon M. Adiel Akpologan, il y a une relation de cause à effet qui permet ainsi le développement substantiel de l’infrastructure d’enregistrer un véritable développement. Ce qui fera dire au conférencier que la participation de la communauté africaine est vivement appelée. L’expertise est là. Il suffit juste de la mobiliser. De l’avis de M. Akpologan, ‘’il faut être présent sur l’échiquier international pour prendre en charge nos ressources’’.
Afrinic s’active pour couvrir le continent. ‘’Nous sommes en train de récupérer les autres membres qui se sont déjà inscrits au niveau des autres pays’’, lance comme un défi notre interlocuteur. En effet, avant la mise en œuvre d’Afrinic en 2001, des registres régionaux s’occupaient de l’allocation des adresses IP et autres noms de domaines. L’Asie a son Apnic, l’Amérique du Nord son Arin, l’Amérique Latine itou. L’Europe également avec le Ripe NCC.

Par Gervais J. Henrie

Agée seulement de quatorze mois, Highway Africa News Agency essaie de percer de nouveaux territoires en Afrique.
Le but principal de cette organisation est de renforcer la participation des populations africaines à une société d’information globale, à travers une sensibilisation par les media.
Cette agence de presse est établie à Grahamstown en Afrique du Sud en 2003. Selon son Rédacteur en chef, Steve Lang, à l’heure actuelle, l’agence est plus active dans les régions de l’est et du sud du continent.
‘Cette conférence Préparatoire Régionale Africaine du SMSI nous a donné une opportunité d’inviter des journalistes du continent pour une participation effective,’ a-t-il ajouté.
L’équipe est composée de journalistes venant des Seychelles, du Zimbabwe, de l’Ethiopie, d’Ouganda, de la Zambie, du Sénégal, du Mali, Nigéria, Kenya et Afrique du Sud. Au rythme du sommet, ils publieront un quotidien du 2 au 5 février.
M. Lang se réjouit de la diversité actuelle de son équipe rédactionnelle à composer avec sa 1ère expérience de Genève 2003 où il n’y avait que deux journalistes.
Depuis sa création, HANA a été présent dans toutes les conférences internationales du SMSI.
‘C’est notre devoir d’informer les gens en Afrique’ souligne Brenda Zulu, une journaliste d’HANA.
‘Même si l’équipe n’a aucun spécialiste en TIC, tous les membres ont le même enthousiasme concernant la développement d’une société de l’information en Afrique,’ ajoute le Directeur de HANA, M. Chris Kabwato.
‘Notre participation active contribue à la réussite du continent dans ce processus global,’ a-t-il ajouté.
HANA est ainsi présent à Accra 2005 pour apporter sa contribution dans ce long processus.

Par Baba Thiam

Certaines organisations de défense des libertés n’hésitent pas à assimiler la Tunisie à une terre de répression qui va accueillir le Sommet Mondial de la Société de l’information (SMSI). Une rencontre de libertés en terre de répression. Le choix est-il opportun ?
A cette question, l’universitaire Mustapha Masmoudi invoque l’histoire pour fixer le décor : ‘’La Tunisie a toujours été une terre de communication. Depuis Carthage, c’était le pays de croisement entre plusieurs cultures, dialogues, langues et civilisations.’’ Se situant toujours dans une perspective historique, M. Masmoudi, par ailleurs membre de l’African civil society for the information society (ACSIS), rappelle que ‘’dans la résolution du sommet de l’Organisation de l’unité africaine (OUA) de 94 à Tunis, il y avait une disposition sur l’utilisation des Technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) pour le développement’’. Dans ce sillage, la société civile a organisé le premier colloque sur l’Afrique face aux autoroutes de l’information. Mieux, dira-t-il, ‘’au moment où on préparait le concept de la société de l’information par le G7, (regroupant les pays les plus riches du monde), les actes du colloque ont été présentés. Juste après c’était au tour de l’OUA à Addis Abeba .’’
Comme pour couper aux détracteurs, M. Masmoudi souligne : ‘’Par sa position géographique, la Tunisie est beaucoup plus arrosée par télévision satellites que le Japon’’.
Des raisons suffisantes pour conclure que ‘’ce n’est pas par hasard’’ que Tunis accueille cet événement mondial à la suite de Genève 2003.
Le journaliste, Valentin Mbougueng, du magazine ‘’Le Nouvel Afrique Asie’’ se veut plus précis : ‘’C’est Tunis qui a été l’initiateur en 98 à l’occasion de la réunion des plénipotentiaires de l’Union internationale des télécommunications à Minneapolis’’. Selon ce camerounais qui dirige la Ligue internationale des journalistes pour l’Afrique, ‘’la Tunisie a proposé que l’Organisation des Nations Unies puisse réfléchir sur la société de l’information’’.
Par ailleurs, indique M. Mbougueng, ‘’je ne vois pas pourquoi on devrait interdire à la Tunisie d’organiser cet événement, alors que les droits des immigrés sont bafoués partout à travers l’Europe ou les Etats-Unis et le racisme a toujours cours’’. Comme un appel aux membres de la société civile qui rechignent à participer au SMSI de Tunis, notre confrère invite tous ces acteurs à se ‘’rendre massivement et discuter de toutes ces questions’’. Selon lui, ‘’notre propos n’est pas de jeter de l’huile sur le feu, mais d’éteindre le feu s’il s’avère nécessaire’’.

Par Baba Thiam

La société de l’information qui a fini de se dessiner sous nos tropiques est loin d’être appréhendée à sa juste valeur par les populations. Les médias tentent tant bien que mal de combler le fossé en jetant un pont entre les décideurs et les communautés de base. La radio communautaire Simbani (Ndlr : Parole en swahili) couvre le rendez-vous d’Accra sur la route de Tunis. Le temps d’un Sommet.
L’image peut être surréaliste. Le ministre des Télécommunications et des Technologies du Sénégal, Joseph Ndong, livrant ses impressions en direct sur la conférence préparatoire du Sommet Mondial de la Société de l’Information (SMSI) à travers les ondes de la radio Simbani Africa. Une radio communautaire qui affiche de nobles ambitions.
‘’Nous avons pris la mesure de l’importance de ces grandes réunions internationales où de grandes décisions se prennent et qui touchent de près les populations pour venir sur le terrain’’, explique Michelle Ntap, la directrice régionale Afrique de l’Association mondiale des radiodiffuseurs communautaires (AMARC). C’est ainsi que de 8 heures à 20 heures, l’antenne est ouverte sur la 107 Fm. Le temps d’un sommet.
Selon le rédacteur en chef régional de la radio, Yoro Sangharé, l’installation d’un studio dans le centre de conférence international s’explique pour d’une part, ‘’apporter l’information pour les populations’’ et d’autre part, montrer aux décideurs et aux acteurs de développement que l’Amarc, à travers son réseau et son agence d’informations est un canal de promotion du contenu local’’. Tout au long de la réunion d’Accra, six reporters dont un francophone et cinq anglophones parcourent les allées du centre Kofi Annan et du Centre de Conférence International pour collecter une information de première main qui sera diffusée aux populations. Et selon un mécanisme bien huilé l’information est relayée à travers un nœud de réseaux.
‘’Le réseau de 385 radios communautaires, mais aussi les autres radios qui font partie de notre liste de distribution reçoivent l’information de Simbani et ont la possibilité de la reprendre dans leur bulletin d’information’’, confie Michelle Ntap selon qui un cachet particulier imprime leur démarche. ‘’L’information est délivrée en langue nationale ce qui permet aux populations de mieux appréhender leur contenu’’, conclut-elle.
L’expérience du journaliste malien, Salif Sanogo, s’inscrit également dans ce sillage. En utilisant le médium de la Télévision, M. Sanogo contribue à la ‘’vulgarisation des Technologies de l’information et de la communication vers les masses’’. Bien des enjeux de la société de l’information sont ainsi compris par les populations grâce à ‘’l’homme qui fait les ordinateurs’’, dit-on à l’intérieur du pays.

By Angella Nabwowe

In an effort to reduce call costs between countries, facilitate commerce and regional integration, the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) has embarked on an ambitious project to develop a single SIM-card usable right across the African continent.
A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a small printed circuit board that must be inserted in any GSM-based mobile phone when signing on as a subscriber. The SIM card stores data that identifies the caller to the network service provider.
The single African SIM-card, to be used for both mobile and fixed lines is envisaged to improve the intra-Africa network.
Akossi Akossi, the secretary general of the Africa Telecommunications Union, revealed this initiative while presenting a paper on postal services, infrastructure and access at the African Regional preparatory conference for the WSIS.
The feasibility study, expected to last 12 months has a budget of $800 000. The African Development Bank (ADB) is providing the financial backing while the ATU is to provide all the equipment needed for the project. The project is to be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
“The roaming system is very expensive with strictly prepaid arrangements; even having a satellite phone is very expensive. The tariffs are going to be very reasonable and receiving calls across countries will be free, unlike roaming.”
In terms of the project, subscribers will be given a special country code on payment of a flat fee. “Tariff is the same in all participating countries and we shall consider the region a single network,” said Akossi.
He called on investors in the international business community to show an interest in the project in order to speed up the institutional frame work. According to Akossi, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is supporting the project which is on the verge of becoming reality.
For governments, the advantage of the African SIM card will be an improvement of infrastructure at national, regional and continental level as well as harmonised telecommunications regulations. Existing telephony providers will have the advantage of operating in a much larger market.
Akossi, however, cites the example of infrastructure and consequential connectivity as a possible major draw back to the project, but said implementation is expected to kick-start after twelve months.
The pan-African mobile network is expected to improve on the development of commerce and socio-economic integration of African countries.
He pointed out that invitations have already been sent out to stakeholders for a review meeting to take place in March, 2005 to finalise the terms of reference and management of the project.

By Brenda Zulu

Indigenous groups are not at all well represented at the on-going WSIS Africa preparatory conference taking place in Accra.
A check by Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) revealed that a delegation of seven men and one women, representing the royalty of Osu Alata, are the only indigenous groups at the conference.
Leader of the Osu Alata Dzasetse, Hansen Nii Nortey Palm said they were invited by the Ghanian government to witness the opening ceremony and to find out about ICT development opportunities.
"We hope by the end this conference we will see and know what development is there in technology," said Hansen Nii Nortey Palm.
He added that, as royalty, they have mobile phones which have helped facilitate communications, but acknowledged that the phones were still very expensive for an average person.
The director of the Foundation for Contemporary art in Ghana, Joe Nkrumah said that property right owners such as chiefs from other African countries have not been taken on board.
He said there is a need to consult in the information society about the balancing of the rights of those who own intellectual property and the need to develop an enabling environment necessary for protection against the misappropriation of traditional knowledge.
He said art was an important form of knowledge, and that positive protection of traditional knowledge is very important to Africa. “It is rather unfortunate that we are badly structured as indigenous people. We are still stuck in the traditional mood,” observed Nkrumah.
He also observed that the African genius is still dormant and that our heritage has not even been touched.He added that African communities share in the value of the knowledge they hold as groups because there is no single creator or discoverer of the information. “Communities hold indigenous knowledge which is information and wisdom that is locally held and unique to an African culture or community,” said Nkrumah.
Meanwhile, Bornwell Mwewa, coordinator of the Open Knowledge Network (OKN) said there is a need to have structures on the ground for indigenous knowledge groups or networks.
OKN is a network that attempts to improve the livelihood of local communities through the use of information networks sharing locally generated development content among several access points.
Mwewa said more concerted efforts should be made by organisers of the event to get the indigenous knowledge groups to participate in the WSIS process to talk about their views on local content.
“There is no-one who is here who does not have access,” observed Mwewa.

By Gervais J. Henrie

ICT issues are not just for the elites or new audiences from the First World, according to Highway Africa News Agency’s (HANA) editor Steve Lang.
It was this simple realisation that led to the creation of Africa’s first multi-media news agency specialising in information and communication technology issues (ICTs).
‘There was a need to build a core group of IT journalists, to promote awareness of IT issues in Africa,’ says Lang.
In the first sixteen months of its existence HANA has been present at all major international ICT conferences dealing with issues affecting Africa.
‘This is one of HANA’s failings,’ admitted Lang. ‘We have been a predominantly conference-based reporting agency.’
Born during the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) process, HANA has covered major conferences in Geneva, Tunis, Cairo, Marrakech, Cape Town and now Accra, continuing the agency’s focus on ICT issues for Africa.
‘We have the responsibility of highlighting the African perspectives to this global debate,’ says Brenda Zulu, a freelance journalist from Zambia, who is here with HANA.
Since its formation in Grahamstown, South Africa in 2003, HANA has been primarily an East and Southern African based news agency.
To HANA’s editor, the way forward now is to break new ground by looking at issues on a wider stage.
The HANA team at Accra 2005 is made up of fifteen journalists from the Seychelles to Senegal and from Ethiopia to Mali. ‘This is compared to only two during our first assignment in Geneva in 2003. More nationalities means different backgrounds to the issues,’ remarks Lang.
Breaking new ground also means publishing French articles in the conference newspaper, giving HANA a broader legitimacy, amongst the Franco-africain.
HANA’s director Chris Kabwato explains that although there are no ICT specialists in the news team, the members are enthusiastic about reporting technical issues to mainstream African audiences.
‘This way Africa is actively involved and benefiting from the information society process,’ he says.

By Brenda Zulu

The African regional preparatory conference for the World Summit on Information
Society (WSIS) has called on people to give more consideration and a voice to the rural women of Africa.
African women continue to face uphill battles to get their voices and concerns heard in development matters, the workshop on ICTs and poverty reduction revealed when Salamatu Garba, national coordinator for the Women Farmers Advanced Network (WOFAN) presented a case study of women farmers of Kano in Nigeria.
Her presentation showcased Africa as one of the most important, yet challenging areas for those who aim to achieve gender equality while using information technology as a tool in poverty reduction.
As formal or legislated discrimination against women falls away, the key challenge confronting Africa is how to change mindsets hardened by centuries of socialisation and cemented by custom, culture and religion.
Garba’s presentation on grass roots economic empowerment and ICTs showed that priorities and the potential of women seem grossly undermined and limited in new media, whereas traditional media, such as radio, appear to have improved the status of women in Kano who were previously forced into stereotypical female roles.
Garba said WOFAN operates in rural areas of Kano state in northern Nigeria where girls are often married at 10 or 12 and are, in many cases poor, pregnant and powerless. She said WOFAN has developed the rights of women and children in Islam.
She explained that WOFAN discovered that as most women were illiterate, they were dependent on men to interpret what the Koran had to say about reproductive rights.
Women have since studied and learnt to interpret the Koran for themselves. They now use radio programmes to teach other women about their rights and about how they have been denied access to health, livelihoods, empowerment and functional literacy.

By Emrakeb Assefa

ACCRA – A bustling setting with Ghanaians surfing the internet typifies a day at BusyInternet, an internet hub situated in the heart of Accra, Ghana. Combining a unique mix of social and business objectives, BusyInternet boasts that it provides the best IT services in Africa.
The boasting is not hollow; as any visitor who enters the two-story BusyInternet building would soon find out.
Located in a 14 000 square foot former gas-bottling factory with an investment of two million dollars, the centre offers its customers high-speed workstations for low-cost public internet access, a photocopying shop and serviced offices for, among other things, an incubation program.
As the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) African Regional preparatory meeting kicks off in Accra this week, the role BusyInternet plays in bringing ordinary Ghanaians closer to digital opportunities represents a beacon of hope in a continent beset by a lack of access to ICTs.
"Busy," as the locals call it, is exactly what delegates attending the preparatory meeting look for when they speak of African-owned measures required to build an all inclusive information society on the continent. As the largest internet center in West Africa, Busy is a model for homegrown African initiatives aimed at bridging the digital divide.
Established in 2001, BusyInternet provides high-tech services to a growing ‘digital’ community in Accra. The internet centre is a promising ‘hybrid’ model for Africa. Equipped with Pentium III computers, flat-screen monitors and internet access via satellite, business at Busy is booming.
“Busy is making a lot of money, but it is also putting Ghana on the digital map of Africa,” says Eric Osiakwan, one of the Ghanaian internet consultants who regularly use Busy’s services.
As in many other African countries, the internet has been warmly welcomed in Ghana. Five years ago, there were no internet cafes in Ghana; now there are at least 250 in Accra alone, according to official Ghanaian figures. Nua Internet Surveys, a company in Ireland that tracks internet use, estimated that there were about 20 000 Internet users in Ghana last year.
Busy is the first in a series of internet centres across Africa. According to the Busy website (http://www.busyinternet.com/), the company plans to open similar centres in other African countries including Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Uganda. With plans to launch two new centres each year, Busy seeks to spread rapidly across Africa, creating a network of centres of excellence where participants and businesses can share best practices and help each other exploit new opportunities.
What makes this primarily commercial entity remarkable is that it has combined commercial interests with public service initiatives such as its new program, BusyIncubator. This initiative allows the company to assist small start-up entities to grow and become sustainable.
According to Lesley Dodoo, 41, head of the BusyIncubator, the program is a key Ghanaian initiative focused on transforming the local economy to meet the opportunities of the digital age. The BusyIncubator program was launched last year with a $300 000 grant from the World Bank and the government of Japan’s InfoDev (Information for Development) program.
The first of its kind in West Africa, this small business incubation program is designed to increase the chances of survival of young companies by providing them with opportunities to grow in a supportive and nurturing environment.
“Incubating a business means providing new start-up businesses that qualify with a set of facilities -- physical space, shared services, business and legal advice, and sometimes financial inputs to cushion them during their early days of formation,” Dodoo says.
“We assist them until their ‘graduation’, when they have the capacity to survive in the outside competitive environment,” explains Dodoo, an ICT/management expert who worked at the Ghanaian ministry of finance for 11 years.
To date, five companies have “graduated” from the program – Data Management International Inc, EshopAfrica, Interface Technologies, Soft Internet Solutions and Graphicolor. This year another six companies are in the facility learning how to “survive” in the market in the areas of connectivity solutions, software development, management consulting, entrepreneurship development and business process outsourcing, among other ICT-based skills.
The Busy team, led by managing director Estelle Akofio-Sowah, is made up of 90 employees from across West Africa. Six out of the ten management team are women.

By David Muwanga

Uganda is waiting for a decision from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) phase two before committing itself to the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF).
“Though Uganda and other developing countries supported the establishment of the fund, it was not approved by the WSIS phase one summit in Geneva in 2003,” said Patrick Mwesigwa, the technical director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
“Instead, the summit asked the United Nations Secretary General’s office to set up a task force to carry out a study on the existing financial mechanisms and look into the feasibility of setting up the fund,” he told Highway News Agency (HANA).
He said Uganda, like other developing countries, is confronted with problems related to limited financial resources, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of access. He pointed out other limiting factors such as a lack of awareness about the benefits of ICT’s in social economic development.
“Some countries have on their own decided to contribute to the fund, and Uganda’s position is that the fund should be set up in order to address the enormous financial requirements to meet the WSIS targets and the millennium development goals,” he said.
Mwesigwa said that government is committed to implement the WSIS Plan of Action through the national ICT policy and the telecom policy that is currently under review.

By Haru Mutasa

The auditorium packed to capacity with delegates spilling onto the floor is all the proof one needs to understand why the ICANN exhibition booth at the conference had over 100 delegates wanting information on the first day.
Seventeen-year-old Jude Akwei from Accra Academy, a secondary school in the greater Accra region was still scribbling in his notebook as he walked out of the At-Large workshop yesterday. “The session was a great idea to bring us all together like this. If we all work hand in hand a lot can be achieved in a much shorter time,” he said excitedly, “I even got a great idea from the workshop which I still want to keep to myself until I have thought it out more. Let’s just say I am very excited about it.”
The four-hour workshop covered an array of topics from the basics of how the Internet works to what sparked the most debate – civil society’s role in the non-profit organisation of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
“We want to increase participation in the ICANN process; especially from developing countries,” said ICANN’s communications officer Kieran Baker, “The overall objective is to get people connected to the ICT issues in the region and partnering with different organisations here in Africa.”
At-Large groups were set up to facilitate this participatory process and give Africa's internet users the opportunity to actively participate in matters and decisions made about the internet and how they are affected as users.
A host of groups participate in the At-Large structures on the continent and around the world. These include civil society groups, academic and research organisations, consumer advocacy groups and computer user organisations where they all play a role in community development in their respective countries and regions.
“ICANN is the only organisation where individual users can participate at all levels- anytime - anywhere- via email,” said Baker, “This gives individual users the voice and ability to make an impact on decision making processes within the ICANN structure on all internet issues. Participation is on a regional level.
Here in Africa this means joining a Regional at-Large Structure like the African Youth Foundation for young people.” The vibrant workshop also highlighted issues still needing attention such as involving the disabled and women in participatory processes – another way Africans can eventually bridge the digital divide.
“Communication is the beginning of a community,” said workshop leader professor Francis Allotey, “We as Africans have to do to it ourselves (bridge the digital divide) because nobody else will do it for us.” ICANN has already started encouraging community participation by creating a separate ICANN website www.afralo.org and translating all materials and hosting conferences in French and Portuguese.

By Haru Mutasa

Outside one of the meeting rooms at the conference, Akos Nyikor hurriedly dresses a coat hanger with a traditional Ghanaian garment made by a local seamstress and quietly sets up her booth. Eight years ago Akos and her sister Ester started up their small dressmaking business in Accra and she hopes to sell a few garments to delegates.
“I buy cloth from the local market and make the outfits I sell out of them. Sometimes we use other designers to sew the dresses if there is something that a specific customer wants. Business is hard but it gives me money for my family.”
Both sisters learnt from their mother, many years ago, what garments and colours to use as well as how to make them.
“These clothes are part of Ghana’s heritage so why not keep making them,” said Nyikor, “my customers are not just Ghanains but foreigners too. People love them because they are so colourful.”
Customers cannot find information on Nyikor’s family business because there is nothing posted on the internet. She relies on word of mouth to sell her wares and is somewhat removed from all the hype of the information society.
Opportunities with Creative Commons to own ideas
“Less than 1 percent of African languages have any presence on the Internet. What percentage of knowledge, history and culture of Africa is on the internet?” said Knowledge Network (OKN) representative Peter Benjamin, “Yet how many conferences, like this one, tell you to go to the internet to find information on anything you want?”
Speaking at the Creative Commons (CC) workshop on Tuesday, Benjamin explained how his organisation is working with African countries to try and address this problem so African stories and cultures can be made available on the internet. This process has been taken one step further. OKN, working together with Creative Commons, a non-profit organisation that gives authors and artists flexible protection licenses, is also making sure African communities get recognised for their work and own their output through CC licenses.
“Creative Commons can be described as people putting welcome mats on their work,” said Heather Ford a CC volunteer, “Anyone anywhere in the world is then allowed to use the products for example ideas on something but the owner of the information can say ‘you can only do so under certain conditions - these are the things you can do to it and nothing else’.”
This means dressmakers around the world can use Nyikor’s ideas on the condition they give her recognition for the garments they produce and sell. A lot more research and case studies need to be done to recognise the full impact CC licenses can have on communities, but participants at the workshop were optimistic this initiative has the potential to empower Africans like Nyikor and go a long way toward bridging the digital divide.

By Angella Nabwowe

Rwanda’s president Paul Kagame says if Africans are to receive greater access to information and communications technologies, the Geneva Plan of Action alone will not deliver the desired results. He said that we will also need to work towards achieving greater regional cooperation.
Paul Kagame was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Africa Regional preparatory conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).
Kagame said that Africa needs solidarity and must present a unified stance to achieve socio-economic development through the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs).
Kagame described ICTs as a tool for embracing a vision and for ushering in other opportunities, adding that in Rwanda government recognises the ICT potential to deal with many problems. “In my view, as far as Africa is concerned, only regional integration will help build a global information society,” said Kagame.
He said each country needs to build a strong relationship between the business and public sectors. This is especially true in landlocked countries such as Rwanda. He added that African states must work together and take the necessary steps by involving all stakeholders. “If we continue to work together and take necessary action, involve civil society, private sector, we shall be able to create infrastructure that reaches every one, this is the only way we can make a tangible difference in the lives of our people”, he said.
Kagame emphasized the need to increase investments in research and development in order to create a conducive environment to be able to compete in the global market. “The necessary conditions for the establishment of (ICTs) are not yet in place and we do not have the luxury to wait, since other continents are making quick advancements”.
The Tunisian commitment
Speaking at the same event, the Tunisian prime minister, Mouhamed Ghounnushi, announced a grant of 400 000 dinars ($325 000) to facilitate the work of civil societies in developing countries. He reiterated Tunisia’s commitment to ensuring the success of the 2nd phase of the WSIS in Tunis in November this year. He added that it will ensure the active participation of grass-roots organisations, the public sector, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and other stake holders.
Ghounnushi echoed president Kagame’s call for a vision with greater solidarity at the international level, “We are deeply convinced that the African regional preparatory conference will help better clarify visions, exchange view points, deepen the awareness of the current challenges lying ahead for a world to be characterised by more justice, solidarity and tolerance,” said Ghounnushi.

Highway Africa News Agency (HANA)’s David Kezio-Musoke interviewed president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame on the future ICT prospects of Rwanda and his involvement in the Accra preparatory regional summit. Below are excerpts of the interview.

QUESTION: While other countries let the process of making an effective ICT policy die out at ministerial level, Rwanda together with other African countries such as South Africa, Egypt and Tunisia, is now being used as a role model of a country with an effective ICT policy at national level. How have you achieved that?
ANSWER: We made the choice in terms of overall objectives and we have made that choice with help from United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). They have offered the resources, including the human resource. It is on that basis that everyone has started using us a model.
Can you give us a brief outline of Rwanda’s current ICT infrastructure and it’s future prospects?
Today we have put in place broadband infrastructure. It is possible to wireless internet access. We have the fibre optic infrastructure in the city and most of the towns and the provinces. We are working to expand it to other areas of the countries. We are expanding internet connectivity to schools. All secondary schools should be connected within the next 12 years. We have a digital backbone provided by different providers like Rwanda Telecom Rwandatel and RwandaCell. Rwandatel is under privatisation.
Rwanda just like other East and Central African countries relies on satellite as a sole medium for the international connectivity, are you subscribed to the upcoming East African Submarine Cable System commonly known as the EASSy project?
Yes Rwanda is a subscriber to the submarine cable system through the government owned Rwanda Telecom, RwandaTel. Rwandatel is in a process of changing its status to privately owned but even if it changes, it still won’t make much difference. This month we are going to have a meeting with the other East and Southern African countries to see the progress of putting up this East African coastal fibre optic cable.
Why isn’t Rwanda subscribed to the regional ICT regulatory bodies like the Association for Regulators of Information and Communications for Eastern and Southern Africa (ARICEA) and East African Regulatory, Posts and Telecommunications Organisation (EARPTO)?
I wouldn’t say anything on that. I am not well conversant on that. I would say we have been participating in the East African regional discussions and other discussions where the region is looking at including the issue of raising resources. We are glad and we are part of them.
How much is Rwanda doing to promote community radios?
We are promoting that. In fact we have been working with a lady called Linda Chalker of UNILEVER. They are selling to us radios that are powered by energy from the sun. They are cheap, a big package is to be delivered by UNILEVER to our communities. This has been driven by the desire of the ‘participatory justice system’ we have in Rwanda. This system is in place given the background of our history. Taking radios to these people has helped deal with a bulk of people who suffered during the course of our history.
Are their any people demanding new frequencies?
We have radio stations at district levels. We have given one to a radio in the north near the border with Congo and we are doing that we other districts, so far eight districts.
You are quite enthusiastic about ICT issues. Other presidents were invited for this Accra preparatory regional summit but didn’t turn up but you did. What is your main agenda?
There are things that I can answer and others I can't. I can answer the part of my interest and my Rwanda’s interest. We have been invited to other conferences before and we have always participated. We have a lot to learn from other experiences and we would love others to share from ours. My coming was driven by the desire, first of all to fulfil obligation of my brother the President of Ghana, and secondary, the desire to participate in this conference putting in mind the ICT situation in Rwanda. I had to come whether others are coming or not. I was focusing on the ICT interest of my country
Are you carrying any message for the Accra delegates?
Firstly I agree that ICTs play a very important role in socio-economic development of society with the use of effective technology and access to information is also very important. We (Rwanda) believe in that and that is what we want to emphasise to others and also demonstrate to them. Secondly the other message is that ICT can’t be important unless you make it accessible. If ICT is to be made important it has to be accessed by a majority of our people. It should not remain in the hands of only the privileged.
Thirdly, we need to pull our own resources from the region. It is important that our efforts cut across borders. We should cross borders in terms of coordination if we are to build effective ICTs.

By David Muwanga

An African agency working to bridge the digital divide between Africa and the developed west, has identified partners who are prepared to contribute towards the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF).
The partners identified by the African Digital Initiatives and Financing Agency (ADIFA) include the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union and the Global Knowledge Partnerships (GKP) among others.
“Realising that a lack of financing information communication technology projects and programmes is a fundamental problem in Africa which has, to a large extent contributed to the widening of the digital divide between African communities, countries and between Africa and the rest of the world,” ADIFA’s executive director Ebrima D. Jobe has said.
He urged Africa to entice donors and financing entities to be responsive to the outcome of international conventions and heed recommendations that would help improve the lives of African people.
“We need to forge strategic partnerships and play a catalytic role in enticing and facilitating interventions in projects and establish close links with African regional and sub-regional organisations with interest in financing ICT’s,” Jobe said.
He said regional bodies should monitor ICT initiatives in Africa and assist countries in their efforts to secure the necessary financial resources to implement projects emanating from e-strategies in particular.
“They should help governments, civil society, the private sector, women, the youth and the physically disadvantaged in establishing relationships and partnerships with financing mechanisms for information society development,”.
ADIFA has a network of national focal points in 53 African countries.

By Gervais J. Henrie

Despite competing against continental heavyweights South Africa and Egypt, Ghana managed to come out tops to the host of the WSIS Africa Regional Conference, currently being held here in Accra.
Head of the National Planning Committee for the conference, Mike Gizo sees this as another symbol of his country’s vision to embrace the goals of ICTs for development.
Speaking briefly between telephone calls in the busy corridor of the Accra International Conference Centre, Gizo remarked that Ghana’s action plan speaks of “ICT for accelerated development.”
“We are moving at the cheetah’s pace in the process,” he proudly commented.
Some 800 delegates from around the world have been converging on the Accra International Conference Centre and the Kofi Annan India Centre of Excellent to discuss “Access - Africa’s key to an inclusive Information Society”.
Following a meeting between the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the African Network Operators Group (AFNOG) here in 2002, Gizo said his 26 member committee felt confident about hosting this event. All preparations started during the middle of last year and some 150 volunteers have been mobilised to ensure the smooth running of events.
“This conference is really an eye opener for Ghanaians who are not IT literate,” believes Taiwo Thomas, an exhibitor marketing the services of CIS at the conference.
“So far the visitors are impressed with the many home-grown products we have here. This conference will showcase how innovative Ghanaians can be,” echoes Andrew Ameyaw, who is selling Persol’s services.
Asked how much the conference will cost his country, shuffling through papers, Gizo said “I’m still spending, but I have a budget.”

By Haru Mutasa

Ghanaian president John Agyekum Kufuor yesterday called on Africans to unite and present a common front on issues affecting the continent at PrepCom II in Geneva later this month.
Addressing delegates at the official opening of the second African Regional Preparatory Conference for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Kufuor said the gathering should urgently spell out, and develop ICT structures and policies to facilitate ICT access in communities.
“Africa cannot continue to exist as a poor relation of the rest of the world and as an embarrassment to itself,” he said, “The mastery and exploitation of the science and technology of information communication are hastening the transformation of societies all over the world for the better. Africa of this century is very much awake to this reality, and is determined to join in this heritage to improve the quality of life of its people.”
The road to human development is not easy and Kufuor gave some reasons why it is difficult to broaden ICT usage in societies across the continent. These problems include a lack of financing mechanisms and inadequate telecommunications structures.
“We appear to be prisoners of our colonial past with each little country clinging to its telecommunications network,” said Kufuor, “Let’s harmonise telecom infrastructure usage under a common regulatory environment on all sub regions of Africa under the NEPAD arrangements and come out with an African ICT infrastructure backbone plan that will run across the whole continent and beyond.”
The president encouraged delegates to make brave decisions and critically assess how their nations are doing in terms of ICT access. This means agreeing on a clear vision on how the continent can take full advantage of the benefits of ICTs which will empower people with the necessary skills needed to put Africa on the road to development.
“We do not have a lot of time. Future generations will not forgive us if we should lack the will to take these decisions,” he said, “Africa should not, and need not be a scar on the conscience of the world. It is time for us to take our place as proud members of the world community.”