Africa, technology, media, humanitarian issues, Africa jobs.

Thursday, December 23, 2004

BostonHerald.com - the Edge: Give till it rocks: All-star humanitarian CDs are back in vogue: "Watching Live Aid, whether for the first or second time, brings up tough questions. Do musical charity efforts really help the intended beneficiaries? Or do they do more to make well-off musicians and their fans feel good about themselves? "

Development Gateway Award: "Washington, DC, November 23, 2004 -- The Development Gateway Foundation is seeking nominations for the second Development Gateway Award. The $100,000 award will recognize outstanding achievement in using information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve people's lives in developing countries. "

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

International Development Jobs, Vacancy, careers: "FARM-Africa is an international NGO committed to improving the lives of marginal farmers and herders through innovative approaches to natural resource management. FARM-Africa has ambitious plans to extend its successful grass root development and research work in Africa and disseminate its expertise more widely through training, publications, policy influencing and working with local organisations.
We wish to appoint two experienced, committed and dynamic professionals to work with our team in London and our country programmes in Africa. Our strategy focuses on building the capacity of individual staff in our country programmes to plan, fund, manage and evaluate their own initiatives. Your role will be to work alongside these staff to pass on your expertise and skills and promote learning. " [Addis Ababa/Nairobi]

United Nations Environment Programme - UNEP Job Vacancy - Publications Officer: "Under the supervision of the Senior Environmental Affairs Officer of the Global Environment Outlook Section (GEO), Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA), and within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following: Plan, develop and co-ordinate comprehensive production schedules for the GEO report series and other relevant documents generated by the GEO Section and ensure compliance by staff of the section, collaborating centre network and other contributors. "

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Banned additives in award-winning wine: "The previous vintage of KWV's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc won a double gold medal at South Africa's top wine competition, the Veritas awards, in September. But tests KWV carried out in the past few weeks have shown the 2003 wine was also artificially flavoured with pyrazine, a widely used food flavouring. "

Monday, December 20, 2004

Frame grabbing or Sceencapping New one on me: screencapping seems to be DVD-ese for frame grabbing...

Moreover to harvest blogs quicker with ping server: "We are pleased to give publishers control over the speed with which they notify Moreover of new content,? said Jim Pitkow, Chief Executive Officer and President of Moreover Technologies. ?By using our Ping Server, publishers can ensure that their content is immediately available across Moreover's unparalleled distribution network.? "

Thursday, December 16, 2004

Google Checks Out Library Books: "The Libraries of Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan, the University of Oxford, and The New York Public Library Join with Google to Digitally Scan Library Books and Make Them Searchable Online "

Foreign Policy Association - Job Board: "The Africa Center for Strategic Studies is looking for an Information Technology Specialist to perform the following duties in support of the information technology database management and services at the Center. This is a temporary, until April 1, 2005, position to be filled while the position is being advertised and filled as a US Government term position. "

ISS Vacancies: Director: Research: "The Institute for Security Studies is advertising for a new senior management position. The Director of Research will be responsible for the overall management of the Institute's programme of research and publications. (S)he will co-ordinate the work of other ISS offices, Programme Heads in Pretoria and the publication staff. (S)he will be managing editor of the Institute's journal the African Security Review. The Institute has programmes on early warning, civil-military relations, arms management, crime and justice, peacekeeping, organised crime / corruption / money laundering / terrorism, plus a number of smaller projects. "

Thursday, December 09, 2004

The velocity of aid money... : "War, Money and Aid
Is the impact of humanitarian aid on local economies overstated? A closer look yields some surprising results."

Desmond Tutu lecture: "The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989. Nelson Mandela was released in February 1990. But what is happening in Russia today? The level of mafia controlled crime, the conflict with Chechnya giving such awful examples of carnage as the theatre hostage disaster and more recently the Beslan School hostage catastrophe makes what occurs in South Africa look like a Sunday school picnic."

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Jobs: Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor - East/Central Africa: "Based in Nairobi, the Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor will assist the country offices and regional management unit in East and Central Africa to deepen the quality of HIV/AIDS programming. The Advisor will take the lead on developing strategic approaches to HIV/AIDS programming as it relates to the Regional Strategy?s focus on inequality and discrimination, particularly issues of stigmatization and related challenges. S/he will provide technical assistance and leadership in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS within rights based programming and the Household Livelihood Security framework across COs. S/he will support country office staff in the design, monitoring and evaluation of programs. "

TZ-Dar Es Salaam-Chief Financial Officer - Tanzania: "Is a fast growing International Mobile Phone Operator that is expanding operations across Sub-Sahara Africa. To assist the growth they now wish to appoint a Chief Financial Officer to their Tanzanian OpCo."

XAccess Projects - Kenya - Cargo Bikes: "In early 2005, XAccess will lead a flagship project in Makindu, Kenya, in which we will distribute 50 of our low-cost load-carrying bicycles through a combination of retail sales, daily or weekly rentals, and microcredit. We will also investigate, quantify, and catalog the results as a major step in the large-scale dispersal of the technology. The Makindu Project will be a six-month project with a brief 12 month follow-up visit. "

Angola job: Editor Discussion Programmes: "Editor Discussion Programmes, BBC World Service Trust

Angola

You?ll provide dynamic, creative leadership and management of a radio production team taking responsibility for delivering a youth-oriented radio talk show and an array of radio spots in support of an HIV/AIDS campaign in Angola. "

$93 billion a year in developing country remittances: "The International Monetary Fund reports that at least $93 billion a year is sent to developing countries from migrants supporting family and friends back home. In many countries these private remittances amount to many times the value of official government-to-government aid flows. Once almost the sole domain of Western Union and informal ?money movers,? the money transfer industry is seeing many new entrants and business models. This session focuses on how new business models are offering the poor better prices and more options for funds transfer, and how better service can provide greater profits by integrating remittances more fully into financial services offerings for migrants and their families."

Monday, December 06, 2004

klnX: The Open Swahili Localization Project: "Today, 4th December 2004, The Open Swahili Localization Project, also known as Kilinux, is proud to announce the first ever release of a free office suite software in Swahili, called 'Jambo OpenOffice.'


A full coverage of the release in six languages is now available in the website: http://oo.o.ne.tz "

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Foreign Policy Association - Job Board: "The International Crisis Group is seeking an intern to work in the Southern Africa region from January 2005 for three up to six months supporting the Director of the Southern Africa Project. The internship will provide valuable research and political analysis experience. This unpaid posting (ICG only pays for the flight ticket) would suit a candidate with a recent post graduate degree in political science, conflict studies or public administration and with specific knowledge and/ or experience in the Southern Africa region. "

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Foreign Policy Association - Job Board: "About the Project: IFES seeks a Program Assistant to assist with its programs in Angola, Mozambique and other areas of East and Southern Africa. Program Assistant is the entry-level professional position at IFES. The Program Assistant will provide administrative and implementation support to the Africa Program Manager. "

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Ugandan recipes: "Find a hive with bee larvae, smoke them and eat like you would eat white ants, or cook in groundnut sauce; serve with steamed matooke, sweet potatoes, cassava or kalo (millet bread).
You would have tasted a rare cuisine of the Bagisu. "

Monday, November 22, 2004

Foreign Policy Association - African Development Foundation: "The African Development Foundation (www.adf.gov), a U.S. government agency fostering participatory grassroots development in Africa, seeks experienced professionals to serve as ADF country representatives for (1) Swaziland and Zimbabwe; (2) Sao Tome and Cape Verde; (3) Mali; (4) Benin; (5) Kenya; (6) Tanzania and Zambia; and (7) Nigeria. These are personal services contract positions. For a full copy of the solicitation, go to www.fedbizopps.gov and search for 'African Development Foundation' under the Department of Treasury- Bureau of Public Debt. "

Sunday, November 14, 2004

NewsXchange 2004: "Some 500 broadcast news professionals are expected to convene on The Algarve, making it the largest truly international broadcast news event of its kind.

This year's event focuses on a wide range of issues, ranging from a look at the 2004 elections (and the just completed US presidential election) to the diversity of Arabic Media. Also, in conjunction with the International News Safety Institute, we will again focus on the most important safety issues faced by journalists today.

To bring a truly international flavour to the event, we will examine 'new' Europe and the role of public service broadcasting and we'll also explore journalistic coverage of humanitarian issues, with a particular focus on the crisis in Darfur. "

Thursday, November 11, 2004

US-MD-Bethesda-Country Manager/ Chief of Party: "Project Description
Abt Associates, Inc is in need of a Country Manager/Chief of Party to be the lead official for a international project. The purpose of this project is to establish and operate a safe, secure, reliable, and sustainable Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) to procure pharmaceuticals and other products needed to provide care and treatment of persons with HIV/AIDS and related infections. The plan will focus significant resources on 15 of the most afflicted countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. These focus countries, which are home to nearly fifty percent of AIDS infections worldwide, are: Botswana, Cote d?Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Vietnam. "

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

UK-London-Analyst, Africa: "Founded in 1986, Pyramid Research provides international market analysis and consulting services to the global communications industry. Pyramid covers fixed, wireless, and Internet/media markets in more than 80 countries. We are headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and have additional offices in Miami, London and Hong Kong.
In our London office, we are seeking an analyst with the following qualifications to cover Africa: Strong market and business analysis skills: Sales orientation and entrepreneurial mindset: Ability to actively contribute to the team and take responsibility: Excellent logic and analytical skills -- both quantitative and qualitative: Proficiency with Excel and other standard software packages: Excellent writing and presentation skills: Impeccable business English: Impeccable spoken French: Relevant regional and/or industry knowledge. "

Monday, November 08, 2004

MAISHA. . . "Life"MAISHA ANNOUNCES DEADLINE FOR FIRST SCREENWRITERS’ LAB FOR EAST AFRICANS AND SOUTH ASIANS
Contact: Ms. Musarait Kashmiri, Program Director, Maisha maishafilmlab@infocom.co.ug

Maisha will be holding its first Screenwriters’ Lab in Kampala, Uganda in August 2005. The deadline for receiving Screenwriters Lab applications is Tuesday, March 1st, 2005. All application information is located on the Maisha website www.maishafilmlab.com. Citizens of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania can apply for the program along with citizens of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Foreign Policy Association - Job Board - ReliefWeb internship: "The intern will assist the New York-based information management team in the research and posting of content on humanitarian emergencies and related issues. This includes:
- Performing Internet based research on specific countries and emergencies in order to update and extend the coverage of ReliefWeb "

Monday, November 01, 2004

Foreign Policy Association - Job Board: "The Congressional Hunger Center seeks applicants for the Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program. This two-year service-learning initiative begins with a one-year field placement in countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The second year of the program places fellows in a policy setting (often in the field organization's headquarters) to focus on public policy and its effects on hunger, food security and poverty. "

Friday, October 29, 2004

Times Online - Industry sectors: "
ONE of Africa?s fastest- growing telecom companies, Celtel, which has Lord Prior, the Tory grandee, on its board, is preparing a $2 billion (?1.1 billion) flotation on the London stock market. "

Thursday, October 28, 2004

Obesity in Africa: "The First IASO Regional Congress will be held at Sun City, South Africa from October 28-31, 2004. This is the inaugural meeting of what we hope will become an annual event in the three intervening years between the World Obesity Congress."

Guardian Unlimited | Arts news | Do they know it's going to No 1?: "The days when you could deflate the egos of the country's top pop stars so they could all squeeze into one studio to sing a song for charity seemed consigned to rock history. But Midge Ure and Bob Geldof are rolling back the years by assembling a new generation of stars to remake Band Aid's Do They Know it's Christmas? for the victims of famine in Africa. "

NOKIA Face Of Africa 2005 Premier modelling competition in Africa has a new sponsor...

Monday, October 25, 2004

News: "In a new report on the effects of global warming on developing nations,Up In Smoke, a coalition of 18 aid and green groups, from Oxfam and Action Aid to Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, agreed that the warming climate could wipe out all the hard-won development gains of the past half century, and that poor countries would suffer worst of all. "

Friday, October 15, 2004

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Fine for Ugandan radio gay show: "A radio station in Uganda has been forced to pay a fine for hosting homosexuals in a live talk show.
The Ugandan Broadcasting Council fined Radio Simba over $1,000 and ordered it to make a public apology. "

Thursday, October 14, 2004

News item: "Longest ever surviving liver transplant - 25 years and three months " Ah. Maybe Preseident Abdullahi has a while to go before beating the record...

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Profile: Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed: "In the 1990s, he needed a liver transplant and is still not viewed as being in robust health. " The rumour is that he is the world's longest-surviving liver transplant patient...

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Karl Ammann; wildlife photographer, bushmeat activist: "The Bondo Mystery Apes"

Monday, October 11, 2004

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'New' giant ape found in DR Congo: "'This is a lawless area,' says Kenyan-based Swiss photographer Karl Ammann, who tipped Ms Williams off about the apes. "

Saturday, October 09, 2004

International Aid & Trade: "The second International Aid & Trade Africa Conference and Exhibition (IA&TA2004), builds on the success of the inaugural event last year and the established International Aid & Trade events held annually in New York and Geneva. It will again be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi, Kenya, this time over three days (instead of two), from 7-9 October 2004. The choice of Nairobi as the venue for this event is because it is recognised as the 'humanitarian aid hub' for Africa and the place where the United Nations is currently expanding its African headquarters."

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR): "UN/ISDR* is launching an international art contest ? aimed at both schools and communities ? for young people aged 16 and under in the lead up to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction to be held 18-22 January 2005 in Kobe, Hyogo (Japan). The best 12 pictures that illustrate what measures can be taken to reduce risk and vulnerability to disasters will be selected for publication in a UN/ISDR 2005 calendar that will be disseminated to over 5,000 participants of the World Conference and all around the world. In addition, the pictures will be framed and exhibited on-site at the World Conference."

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Monday, September 27, 2004

Nigeria Technology website wins award: "Technology Times, www.techtimesnews.net, a Nigerian website on information and communications technologies (ICTs) was today named First Prize winner in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) African Media Awards 2004."

WiFi in Africa: " In order to assess the opportunities for license-exempt transmission in Africa, we have surveyed every country on the continent regarding their regulation and use of the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Responses were received from 47 African countries, accounting for 95% of the continent's population."

Sunday, September 26, 2004

UK-London-Deputy Director, African Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP): "The AfriMAP Project is an initiative of the Open Society Institute (OSI), estab in 2004 to monitor the compliance of African states w/standards of good governance, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law undertaken by member states of the African Union."

Friday, September 24, 2004

Thuraya: "Thuraya's new value added service is the 'Prayer Time' information. The service, which is available through the Thuraya phone provides you with Islamic 'Prayer Timings' and the direction of the Kaaba using the GPS coordinates."

Conference: The Media and Political Change in the Arab World
: "Arab governments, well aware of this dual nature of transterritorial broadcasting for venting anger and thus preserving immobilisation, have shown unusual tolerance towards TV broadcasting that is bashing many of them with unprecedented vociferousness. It is, in fact, an involuntary tolerance built on stalemate - the result of both the ineffectiveness of these governments to curb this transterritorial broadcasting coupled with the desirability of making some show of gradual openness. More importantly, the continuous rifts that persist between Arab states leave satellite broadcasters with a great deal of stretch and manoeuvrability."

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Vacancy Announcement - UN Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: "Geographic Information Systems Officer, P-4 "

Vacancy Announcement Nairobi UNEP: "Head, Science & Technical Information Systems, P-5 "

Edit African Issues: "The ASA seeks creative proposals from individuals interested not only in
editing African Issues, but also in re-envisioning the focus, broadening
the scope, and re-imagining the layout (including on-line publication)of
this important biannual journal. Our aim is to assure that African
Issues remains responsive to and at the forefront of debate on the most
critical topics concerning the continent in the coming decade. "

Soul Beat Africa - Events Calendar - SANGONeT ICTs and Civil Society Conference (Mar 2-4 2005) - March 02, 2005: "
Event Details: This conference is organised by the Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT). The conference will focus specifically on Information Communication Technology challenges facing the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) sector, highlighting and promoting practical benefits, opportunities and lessons learned to date. It will provide an opportunity to both CSOs that are already ICT-enabled or still considering introducing ICT solutions to their work, to discuss critical issues of common concern and learn from one another's experiences."

Short stories about Nairobi wanted

Hot Sun Films is calling for 3,000-6,000 word stories set in the slums of modern-day Nairobi for their next film. The story must follow a specific plot as prescribed by Hot Sun Films. The story must incorporate human interest and drama, be original and real, raw and rough and have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Deadline: Sept 30 2004.
Please contact hotsunstory@yahoo.com for more information.
[Source: www.comminit.com]

Don't try calling 999 in Nairobi: "For some time now the police emergency lines 112 and 999 have not been operational. They went dead sometime last week for reasons that even the police cannot explain. At a time when insecurity is worrying many people, it will no doubt come as a surprise to many that in case of an emergency you cannot call 999 or 112. These are toll free numbers operated by Telkom and Safaricom respectively. "

Monday, September 20, 2004

Think Pictures :: 20 Random Images from Think Pictures A new small photo agency with Nairobi roots.

Friday, September 17, 2004

Information Technology and Indigenous People

Oil: Global Pacific & Partners: Scramble for Africa: Strategy Briefing: "the Annual Scramble for Africa Strategy Briefing "

oneworld.tv * OneWorld/Staying Alive World AIDS Day 2004 Competition: "A video and audio competition for those aged between 15 and 34. If you feel you have something to say about the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls using a microphone or a camera - this is the perfect opportunity to show your potential. "

ReliefWeb: Humanitarian VacanciesConsultant (Web usability assessment)

gpgNet: the global network on global public goods: "OPEN-ACCESS SCHOLARLY JOURNALS - The discussion forum on this issue will be open from 20 September through 4 October 2004. "

Wednesday, September 15, 2004

Networking Evening 1st October 2004 (Nairobi)
: "An event for people working in development and relief to share experiences and learning
Organised by members of Aid Workers Network in Kenya"

Monday, September 13, 2004

Program Assistant, Africa

Job vacancy: Food security and nutrition coordinator, Oxfam, Kenya: "Food Security and Nutrition Co-ordinator"

Friday, September 10, 2004

Job Vacancy UNON|The United Nations Office at Nairobi //: "Thank you for your interest in the United Nations System Workplace HIV/AIDS Coordinator (Consultant)position.
Below are links to the Terms of Reference for the position and the application form. You must complete a standard UN application form to apply for the post. If you have already completed the standard generic UN application form for any UN agency, this can be submitted instead of the one provided. Forms completed by hand rather being typed will also be accepted as scanned attachments. Completed application forms should be sent to the following email address: JPOCoordinator@unon.org . Only applications sent by email will be accepted."

Thursday, September 09, 2004

NewsIsFree: Top News Newsmaps from scraping pioneers newsisfree.

They say: "NewsKnowledge and The Hive Group have joined forces to bring you News
Maps, visual maps of the NewsIsFree headline database. News Maps allow
you to quickly scan dozens of news articles and instantly understand
what's being reported all over the world. Each square in the News Map is
an article. You can obtain additional detail on each article by moving
your mouse over it. You can read an article by clicking on it. "

Emergency Cash: "Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures, written by current and former UN peacekeeping mission employees Heidi Postlewait, Andrew Thomson and Kenneth Cain, will be developed and produced as a dramatic series by Miramax Television."

Review: Nokia 9300 Communicator (MobileBurn) Yes please...

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

allAfrica.com: Kenya: How I Escaped From Kuwait: "With most drivers earning a salary equivalent to about Sh19,000". The Kenyan hostages driving in Iraq earned $240 per month.

Monday, September 06, 2004

Global Knowledge Partnership: "The inaugural ?Yeomans Award for Local Content?, aims to encourage and bring to international recognition projects and experiences which demonstrate the transformative nature of local content, and the methodologies which are used to achieve this in different contexts. Local content is the expression of the locally owned and adapted knowledge of a community ? where the community is defined by its location, culture, language, or area of interest1. The award is given jointly by the Global Knowledge Partnership and the Open Knowledge Network, "

Item Details: "An Evaluation of Humanitarian Information Centers (HICs) including Case Studies of HICs for Iraq, Afghanistan, and Liberia"

Friday, September 03, 2004

Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia Agree Fibre Links over Power Lines | PwC TelcomDirectNews.com: "As part of a project to interconnect the national power grids of Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East Africa Community (EAC) have agreed to include the roll-out of fibre-optic cable in the specification of the project."

Thursday, September 02, 2004

A tribute to Tom Heaton: "Tom Heaton was cremated and his ashes scattered on his beloved Ngong hills on Saturday 7th August.
These pages contain some photos of the cremation and the celebration held at Tom's house in Nairobi.

And memories, reminiscences, thoughts and images of some of the people and animals whose lives he touched along the way.
Here's to you bloke."

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Biashara.biz Roasted clay

A Kenyan traditional dietary supplement. Buy online!

Friday, August 27, 2004

HAUSTORIUM, Parasitic Plants Newsletter

http://magazine.africa-investor.com/awards.php
"The Ai Investment Awards will honour the achievements of the private sector, governments and multilateral agencies working to improve Africa’s investment environment.

Short listed participants will benefit from invaluable corporate profiling potential amongst Africa’s prominent political and business leaders, excellent networking and communications opportunities and enhanced standing within the African business community.

Winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 19th November 2004 at the African Business Congress held in Dakar, Senegal."

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Submit Job Vacancies: "Based in Africa, you'll take overall responsibility for delivering a media project on HIV/AIDS in a given country ensuring that the project is on time and within budget. Working with a team of skilled Producers, you'll oversee the production of a wide variety of media outputs."

Job in Kenya: Regional Program Assistant Nairobi: "The International Rescue Committee seeks a Regional Program Assistant for its Horn and East Africa Regional Office program."

Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor, CARE, Kenya: "The Regional HIV/AIDS Advisor, based in Nairobi, Kenya, will assist the Country Offices (COs) and Regional Management Unit (RMU)in East and Central Africa to deepen the quality of HIV/AIDS programming. S/he will take the lead on developing strategic approaches to HIV/AIDS programming particularly as it relates to the Regional Strategy's focus on inequality and discrimination particularly related to issues of stigmatization and related challenges"

IndexKenya Project - The Kenya Indexing Project - IndexKenya.Org - An online database resource for Kenyan Newspapers: "Indexkenya.org is an online index of articles published in Nairobi newspapers. The focus of the articles indexed includes culture, law/governance, reproductive health, and other topics about which information is difficult to obtain.

The index will ultimately include details of articles published since 1980. The actual content of an article is not provided, rather online citations describing the articles. Hard copy of any article indexed can be ordered directly from the Kenya Indexing Project. This database will be updated on a regular basis. " 12501 indexed articles so far...

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Mobile with prayer alarm and Mecca indicator: "LG Electronics has introduced to the market the Qiblah phone (model:LG-F7100) which comes complete with embedded compass, direction indication and prayer time alarm (Azan feature), usable in 500 cities worldwide. LG Electronics has launched the Mecca indicator phone in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and other Middle East nations, as well as North African nations. LGE held a launching ceremony in Dubai, on July 20th. "

Monday, August 09, 2004

Sea-going hippos in Gabon

Surfing hippos in Gabon

PANOS/GKP Media awards: "Panos London and the Global Knowledge Partnership are happy to announce the theme for the 2004 'Reporting on the Information Society' awards: Transparency, good governance and democracy - does information technology increase accountability? Find out how you could win $1,000 for a piece of print, radio, TV or web journalism (deadline 15 October 2004)."

Thursday, August 05, 2004

Gender and Media Summit 12-15 September 2004 Johannesburg South Africa: "As part of the Gender and Media Summit in September the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) and Gender Links will be launching the first Southern Africa Gender and Media Awards.
The awards will acknowledge excellence in gender aware reporting since the Gender and Media Baseline Study (GMBS) in 2003. The GMBS was the most comprehensive study ever to be undertaken regionally and globally on how women and men feature in the news. It showed significant gender gaps in the representation of women in the media, as well as biases in the way women and men are portrayed. "

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

UNEP International Photographic Competition on the Environment 2004-2005: "The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the sponsorship of Canon Inc., is holding its fourth International Photographic Competition on the Environment under the title 'Focus on Your World'. "

Jambonet Tariffs The cost of a T-1 in Kenya is $8267 per month.

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

ayf-news : AYF-News> The AYF Youth Award: "The AYF Youth Award is a new annual educational scholarship award which will be awarded to an African Youth starting 2004/2005 academic year. This year?s award ceremony will take place in Accra on the 22nd October 2004. To win this award, a Youth Project writing Contest on ?ICT and Agriculture? is set in place to elicit and disseminate the views of African young people on the needs and benefits of ICT and Agriculture in Africa. "

Inteligence | Internet gateway thrown open as tribunal revokes monopoly: "The Commission had argued that it was following guidelines set by the parent ministry, which gave Telkom Kenya exclusivity in the market but Cockar ruled that CCK was under no obligation to follow policy guidelines that go against the law. " Is this the beginning of the end of the JamboNOT monopoly for Kenyan internet users?

Friday, July 23, 2004

Former U.N. Envoy Finds African Roots (washingtonpost.com) African-American DNA lineage test for $349...

Thursday, July 22, 2004

Welcome to the African Review of Books First time I had heard of this, thanks to Kwani?

Africa gets first online journalism course: "The Unites States International University in Nairobi, Kenya will be launching what is believed to be Africa's first online journalism course this September.

Led by tutor Kodi Barth, online journalism will be taught to students that have already studied basic journalism. The course will cover a range of skills, culminating in the production of an online magazine."

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Amazon.co.uk: Books: We Did Nothing: Why the Truth Doesn't Always Come Out When the UN Goes in This book deserves to be better known - a real look at the UN's peacekeeping at the sharp end.

Amazon.com: Books: A Certain Chemistry : A Novel Very funny. Good for the holidays.

More RSS gadgets PHP script to display RSS on site.

Thursday, July 08, 2004

Safaricom : The Better Option - GPRS in Kenya: "The introduction of GPRS here in Kenya makes us only the third country in Africa to unveil a technology that adds a whole new dimension to communication with the emphasis on high speed data." Safaricom used to scoff at allowing data on its network at all. Now they are ahead of Kencell (soon to be Celtel).

Job Posting - 4 Interns: "Femmes Africa Solidarit? (FAS), an NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland, has four positions of internship for any person, male or female, starting in August 2004. The candidate must be interested in actively participating in a gender biased conflict resolution and peace building in Africa."

Job Posting - International Partnership Development Coordinator, Africa: "You will be a key figure within our Africa and International Partnership Development teams. Your role will be to co-ordinate the transformation of our capacity in Africa to generate and manage resources from bi-lateral and multilateral agencies and foundations. You will also be expected to support broader efforts around how aid is spent in favour of poor people. This role will be guided by ActionAid?s ethical funding guidelines and policy positions on issues around the management and governance of overseas development assistance. "

Job Posting - Regional Programme Officer, Africa - GRAIN: "Monitor, analyse and write about different trends and initiatives in the field of agricultural research and how they affect small farmers in Africa"

UN vacancy - Project Manager Nairobi: "This project entitled ?Addressing land-based activities in the Western Indian Ocean? funded by GEF, GPA, Norway and the Governments of Eastern Africa, will primarily address major environmental problems of the Marine and Coastal environment of the Eastern African region."

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Africana.com: Gateway to the Black World: "A poor South African family is taking US entertainment giant Disney to court for unpaid royalties from the hit song 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', originally a Zulu tune composed by their late father, lawyers said on Friday. "

RSS Equalizer Is this just a script to put RSS on your site and it costs $97?? Yikes.

Friday, June 25, 2004

Scotsman.com News - Entertainment - Arts - Ethiopian street gangs tale wins top book prize: "TRUE-LIFE stories of Ethiopian street children living rough in the capital, Addis Ababa, helped a Scottish children?s author to a top literary prize. "

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

UNICEF - About UNICEF: Employment: "UNICEF, the world?s leading organization working for the rights of children, seeks a Communication Officer, L-4, based in its Nairobi, Kenya location to be responsible, under the general direction of the Representative, for the development, planning, implementation, management and monitoring of information and communication strategies to support the UNICEF Kenya Country Office programme."

OLF Press Release: "Regardless of OLF?s repeated statements making it clear that it does not have any military bases on Kenyan soil, since June 7, 2004, the Kenyan government has bowed to Ethiopian government and it?s military pressure to unconditionally join the Ethiopian military campaign against the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), the military wing of the OLF, targeting areas along either sides of the troubled common border."

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Approaching Deadline for Submission of Nominations for Memory of the World Register: UNESCO-CI (3.01b): "30 June 2004 is the last day for UNESCO to receive new proposals for inscription on the Memory of the World International Register a list of library and archives collections of world significance, which was established in 1992 to preserve and promote documentary heritage of universal value. "

Saturday, June 19, 2004

ReliefWeb: Humanitarian Vacancies: "The 'Expanding Access to Global Knowledge to Universities in Somalia' project is a part of the World Bank/UNDP LICUS (Low Income Countries Under Stress) initiative. The project proposes to provide improved connectivity and associated technical and pedagogical support to institutions in Northwest/Somaliland and Northeast/Puntland, based on a number of selection criteria. The provision and installation of VSATs will enable students and faculty, and other Somali professionals to have expanded easy access to global knowledge and learning opportunities.

The project manager/distance learning specialist will support selected universities in Somalia in gaining maximum benefit from use of the installed hardware and software. Under the supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative/Programme, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:"

Vacancy Announcement: "Senior Public Information Officer, UN OCHA New York"

UNV Online Volunteering: "OneWorld seeks a Volunteer to take over from the existing editor of the OneWorld Country Guide for Rwanda at http://www.oneworld.net/article/frontpag e/365/4890. This is a fascinating opportunity to contribute to one of the internet's best known sites covering human rights and sustainable development. "

Reuters Foundation: Journalism Training: "Calling all African Radio Journalists



Reuters Foundation will be running a one-week Radio Reporting course in Grahamstown, South Africa from 19-23 July 2004. The aim of the course is to teach the rudiments of reporting for radio. What a potential broadcast journalist should know about interviewing techniques, presentation styles and, crucially, equipment and tools of the trade.
If you are an African Radio journalist in need of training click here to find out how to apply. "

Reuters Foundation: Journalism Training: "Reuters Foundation is partnering with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to run a five-day HIV/AIDS Reporting Workshops in Addis Ababa. The main aim of the course is to give participants specialist expertise in all aspects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, strengthening their ability to report authoritatively on the subject for the benefit of their audiences and societies. The objectives will be achieved through a stimulating and varied mix of lectures by experts, classroom debates, news writing exercises and field trips."

Prix RFI - NetAfrique2004: "RFI organise pour la quatri?me ann?e cons?cutive le prix RFI-Net Afrique. Objectif : mettre en lumi?re et soutenir les acteurs du web qui oeuvrent au d?veloppement de l'Afrique dans les domaines suivants : social, culturel, sant?, ?ducation, ?conomie solidaire et innovation. Un concours organis? avec le Fonds international pour la promotion de la culture de l'Unesco."

Reuters Foundation: Journalism Training: "Reuters Foundation is partnering with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to run a five-day HIV/AIDS Reporting Workshops in Addis Ababa. The main aim of the course is to give participants specialist expertise in all aspects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, strengthening their ability to report authoritatively on the subject for the benefit of their audiences and societies. The objectives will be achieved through a stimulating and varied mix of lectures by experts, classroom debates, news writing exercises and field trips."

Friday, June 11, 2004

Nigerian Sneaker Net "To Ejimanya, broadband means lugging a big bundle of printed e-mails back with him to the university, which despite being one of the country's largest and most prestigious engineering schools has no reliable means of connecting to the Internet."

Thursday, June 03, 2004

Balancing Act News Update - African internet developments#internet#internet: "AFRICAN LAKES SELLS EGYPTIAN ISP MENANET BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL OWNER"

Open Research: "Are second-hand PCs worth it?
How much does it cost you to own and maintain refurbished computers in Africa, compared to the cost of owning and maintaining new PCs?
We have compiled 16 easy questions that aim to find out problems you may have had with your PCs, and to better understand the conditions in Africa that affect the life-span and maintenance of computers. "

Open Research: "Are second-hand PCs worth it?
How much does it cost you to own and maintain refurbished computers in Africa, compared to the cost of owning and maintaining new PCs?
We have compiled 16 easy questions that aim to find out problems you may have had with your PCs, and to better understand the conditions in Africa that affect the life-span and maintenance of computers. "

Fritz Institute: " A lack of reporters assigned to crisis beats, together with little or no funding available for field visits to crisis sites, means that humanitarian relief is low on the news agenda. Compounding the issue is a lack of media skills among relief charities, as the study finds that non-governmental organizations (NGO)s are vastly under-using technology and skills resources available to them."

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Nice work if you can get it...Job: Senior Seaweed Development Advisor

Monday, May 24, 2004

Monday, May 17, 2004

Expert assessments of e-business in Africa: "Report on survey of
expert assessments of e-business in SSA" by Chitu Okoli.

Africa Club: "London Business School Africa Day"

RIIA - Royal Institute of International Affairs - Conferences: "Africa's oil production is expected to double in the next seven years with the USA expected to import 25% of its oil from the oil rich Gulf of Guinea. Africa's oil sector is estimated to attract over $50 billion worth of investment by the end of this decade, the largest single source of investment in the history of the continent. "

SchoolNet Namibia - Games - Africa PuzzleHow good is your African geography? Nice flash game...

Paulus Gerdes The mathematics of basket-weave.

Soul Beat Africa - Events Calendar - Highway Africa Conference 2004 (Sep 16-18 2004) - September 16, 2004

Monday, May 10, 2004

RAP21 - Get the Basics for Journalism at NSJ Training Centre: "Journalists from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe may apply for a foundation course in journalism taking place from 26 July to 6 August in Botswana. The course, offered by the NSJ Training Centre, is designed prepare journalists to qualify for admission into one of the many course offered through the centre. Participants will be provided with the basic journalism skills including newsgathering, news writing, ethics, how to report critically and analytically, investigative reporting and interviewing skills. Other topics covered in the course: preparing and writing logical reports, media and society and basic issues in media economics."

Brenda Fassie profile

Friday, April 02, 2004

BBC - Jobs - News Sponsorship Scheme 2004 - about the scheme: "There are sponsorship places available for students starting a BJTC (Broadcasting Journalism Training Council) accredited post-graduate course in broadcast journalism. A place on the Scheme will mean a bursary (payment of your course fees and living expenses), up to five weeks' paid work experience, an induction and training event, career advice and a mentor from BBC News."

www.ajol.info: "This site provides tables of contents and and abstracts from over 180 African-published peer-reviewed journals, with links to the full text if available. All access is free."

Online Survey: "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Beatrice Imathiu, a Doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. I am conducting research into the Self-Concepts and Motivation of Kenya's Highly Skilled Professionals (HSP). It is in this regard I write inviting your participation.
Of interest to this study are those skilled professionals living and working in Kenya or her Diaspora. You have been specifically approached, because in my view (or that of a mutual acquaintance), your views would be informative to this area under study, being a highly skilled professional yourself. "

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Monday, March 29, 2004

Electronic Publishing and Dissemination: "CODESRIA Conference on electronic publishing and dissemination - 1 - 2 September 2004, Dakar, Senegal"

White slaves: "North African pirates abducted and enslaved more than 1 million Europeans between 1530 and 1780 in a series of raids which depopulated coastal towns from Sicily to Cornwall, according to new research. " (Guardian book review)

Friday, March 26, 2004

Liberalize Vsat.co.ke

POSITIONPukka post-colonial club seeks Chef!: "We are seeking to appoint a creative and dynamic Executive Chef with a three year experience as an Executive Chef in a well-known establishment (preferably a mid-size luxury hotel or restaurant) offering haute cuisine of recognised international standards, in Kenya and overseas."

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

VSO Canada: "Possible placement locations for 2004 include: South Africa, Indonesia, Ghana, Pakistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, The Gambia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh, Namibia and more.
NetCorps internships provide an opportunity for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) specialists to share their skills to build a fairer world.
If you are between the ages of 19-30, have post-secondary training and professional experience in ICT and are looking for an opportunity to gain experience and help disadvantaged people realize their potential, you may be a match for a NetCorps internship."

USATODAY.com - Dual sex lives harm blacks: "Dual sex lives harm blacks " - this is bound to be controversial, isn't it?

Monday, March 22, 2004

144 percent return in Ghana: "Africa in 2003 was home to the world's best performing stock market"

Job: International Director - Africa, ActionAid

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

RAP 21-Print Media Management course for southern Africa: "Southern African journalists in senior management positions may now apply for a fully funded training programme sponsored by the NSJ-Southern African Media Training Trust. The first part of the programme takes place from 7 to 18 June, at Rhodes University, South Africa. The second part of the course runs from 8 to 19 November. The course will cover: Introduction to Management theories and principles; Trends in business leadership; Strategic planning; Business marketing; Circulation management; Newspaper economics; SADC ownership patterns. Women are especially invited to apply. The course is fully funded including return flight, accommodation and a daily stipend for food for women applicants. Male applicants must cover half of their transportation costs, yet all other costs are covered. "

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Nice quote from Ethiopian government spokesman about a new massive resettlement program: "We know there will be problems and challenges and what we are trying to do is overcome them and ensure our people have enough to eat,'' Zemedkun said. "Criticism is not helpful for the government or the country.''

Monday, March 01, 2004

InterAction.org | Media: "Second Annual Photography Contest
This contest is designed to raise awareness about the benefits of assistance that works by bringing together powerful images in support of The Global Partnership for Effective Assistance campaign. The campaign aims to save lives and build self-sufficiency by increasing development and humanitarian assistance, improving aid effectiveness, and building international partnerships."

/UPDATE/ECONOMY-KENYA: Efforts to Improve Lukewarm Prospects of Coffee: "NAIROBI, Feb 25 (IPS) - Connoisseurs have long appreciated the merits of Kenyan coffee, typically described as having a fruity, acidic flavour. For many years, this renown helped make coffee one of the country's prime exports.

It was the top earner of foreign exchange for Kenya from 1963, when independence was gained from Britain, until 1988. According to the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK), the country produced 128,926 tonnes of coffee during the 1987/1988 season, which netted a profit of almost 74 million dollars.

That was then.

By last year, output has declined to about 55,000 tonnes - something attributed to rising production costs, mismanagement within co-operative ventures and poor policies on the part of government. "

Comment: You can buy vouchers for Nairobi's trendy and delicious Java House coffee online at GiftShopKenya.

Thursday, February 26, 2004

Reuters AlertNet - UK's Blair launches commission for Africa: "British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced on Thursday he was setting up an international commission to propose solutions to Africa's problems."

Monday, February 09, 2004

IRIN Web Special on Life in northern Uganda: "'They take an axe and split your head with it. They don't waste any bullets on you.'"

The Communication Initiative - Vacancies - Regional Humanitarian Coordinator - HECA (Kenya) - Oxfam

The Communication Initiative - Fellowships2004 - Foster Davis Fellowships for African Journalists: "The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is seeking five fellows for the 2004 Foster Davis Fellowships for African Journalists who are accomplished journalists positioned for expanded leadership roles. They do not need to be full-time trainers. They do need to have a passion to teach fellow journalists. This means they need already to have acquired some repute as newsroom coaches and mentors. This is important. Unless the applicant has already demonstrated that passion, their application/nomination would be discouraged. "

Thursday, February 05, 2004

Ananova - Rageh Omaar quits the BBC GBP 1m book deal with Penguin...

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Connectivity Africa Website :: Connectity in Africa : Funding for ICT innovation in Africa: "Connectivity Africa partners with civil society institutions, governments, educational institutions and the private sector. Concept notes may be sent by email to connectivityafrica(a)idrc.ca. Specific criteria for each programme area include..."

MSF: Position, Editor, International Office: "The purpose of this position is to develop and produce key international publications and occasional articles/opinion pieces for the M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF) international movement, through the MSF international office. The Editor is primarily responsible for the organization's annual Activity Report, which presents key humanitarian issues facing MSF and provides information on activities in all countries where MSF operates. "

Tuesday, February 03, 2004

Commonwealth Press Union - Commonwealth Awards:
Theme: 'Youth' - -
1st Prize - £2000 sterling with cash prizes for regional winners
The Commonwealth Press Union and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association are now inviting entries for the 2004 Commonwealth Photographic Awards.

RAP 21-Job Opportunity: Communications Officer for Women's Development Network in Kenya: "Job Opportunity: Communications Officer for Women's Development Network in Kenya

The African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET), a regional women's network based in Nairobi, Kenya is seeking to employ a Communications Officer for a two-year full time contract. The position requires a variety of tasks from writing to fundraising, project coordination and directly assisting the executive director. "

Tanzania Internet eXchange -- TIX Internet peering in Tanzania. Hooray!

Monday, February 02, 2004

Stanford/Reuters Foundation Digital Vision Program: Meet the Fellows (2003) Includes Segeni from Kenya's very own mamamikes.com which includes a "buy-a-goat for the people back home" service.

Digital Vision Program: Apply to be a Fellow: "The Program awards up to twelve fellowships per year to exceptional technology professionals from around the world. Successful candidates have innovative ideas and are passionate about implementing a project to empower people in the developing world. "

African Union job: Head of Communication and Information Unit
More African Union job vacancies...

Friday, January 30, 2004

SOMALIA: 4.5 formula for Somalia: "According to this formula, Somalia's four major clans will each select 60 MPs, and an alliance of small clans will select 35. The task of dividing the seats along subclan lines is left to each group. 'This could be a very long process, since each subclan wants to get what it considers to be its fair share of the seats,' one Somali delegate, who requested anonymity, warned. "

Monday, January 26, 2004

Sp@m ShEn@nig@nS!!: That Gibberish in Your In-Box May Be Good News Apparently those snippets of spam poetry are called "word salad". Thanks, Ian.

AFROMET - The Association for the Return of The Maqdala Ethiopian Treasures: "Six magnificently illustrated ecclesiastical manuscripts [looted] from Maqdala are currently part of the Queen of England's personal collection in the Royal Library in Windsor Castle."

Saturday, January 24, 2004

From the "Somali Investment Letter" 5721 Kenyans win US visa DV lottery. Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana win more!

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

Monday, January 05, 2004

Dehai Eritrea OnLine: "Hardman Signs MOU to Explore Offshore Eritrea [oil]"

Thursday, January 01, 2004

Incubator Initiative -Brief: "With support from the Government of Japan, infoDev has launched a new flagship initiative - the Incubator Initiative aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and private sector development in developing countries. This initiative is dedicated, over an initial three-year period, to establish a knowledge exchange and cooperation network among incubators and to facilitate the emergence and growth of innovative and ICT-enabled small enterprises in developing countries. " RFP out now...