From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Fri Oct 2 03:58:40 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id DAA12887; Fri, 2 Oct 1998 03:56:35 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id DAA12877 for ; Fri, 2 Oct 1998 03:56:21 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-136.super.net.pk [203.130.5.71]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id IAA24985 for ; Fri, 2 Oct 1998 08:53:48 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810020353.IAA24985@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 08:58:28 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: UPDATE: On-line Telecom for Rural Development Pre-conference Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 10:42:47 -0400 From: Don Richardson Subject: On-line Telecom for Rural Development Pre-conference To: DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development" **Conference News Flash** October 1, 1998 Item 1) http://clients.tdg.ca/snowden/conference/forum.cfm The Online Pre-conference for the "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development" Conference starts today and continues to October 21, 1998. Visit the website (http://clients.tdg.ca/snowden/conference/forum.cfm) and contribute your ideas, experiences and lessons learned. Watch this website over the coming days for participant input from around the world and updates of papers and documents. There are three conference forums: 1) Lessons Learned from the Past 2) Current Rural Development Activity 3) Future Activities Item 2) You can also join our "face-to-face" conference at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario Canada on October 26 & 27, 1998 - see http://www.snowden.org/conference/index.cfm for more details! Item 3) The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has joined our list of sponsors, contributing to enable a number of participants from its Multi-purpose Community Telecentres (MCT) initiatives in developing countries to attend the face-to-face conference in Guelph. Learn more about the ITU's "Rural Development and Universal Access" initiatives at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D-UniversalAccess/ Item 4) The International Development Research Centre's (IDRC) "Acacia Initiative" is not only helping fund the conference - Acacia participants will be attending the conference to share their experiences with communities and the information society in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. Learn more about the Acacia Initiative at: http://www.idrc.ca/acacia/ and explore its extensive resources on ICTs in community development. Item 5) Library networks, agricultural marketing, small business enhancement, social service support - all part of a unique Canadian initiative in Lanark County, Ontario: "Grow Lanark" Janet Findlay from Grow Lanark will be attending the conference to talk about the importance of community partnerships and community outreach in a telecommunications initiative focused on long-term economic and community growth and development. See http://www.thelcn.on.ca/lcn.htm for more details about this fascinating project! From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 3 19:28:00 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA09062; Sat, 3 Oct 1998 19:25:52 GMT Received: from garlic.negia.net (IDENT:root@garlic.negia.net [206.61.0.14]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA09058 for ; Sat, 3 Oct 1998 19:25:49 GMT Received: from idn.org (p138.negia.net [207.43.201.148]) by garlic.negia.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id OAA13550; Sat, 3 Oct 1998 14:02:37 -0400 Message-ID: <361677D4.E7AA3FD8@idn.org> Date: Sat, 03 Oct 1998 15:15:32 -0400 From: "Christopher L. Byrne" Organization: International Development Network X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; U) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: news@idn.org Subject: IDN Applauds the Use Of Lotus Notes Technology As World Bank Unveils Dramatically Overhauled Web Site Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 3, 1998 DIRECT INQUIRIES TO: Christopher Byrne, + 1 706 208 8863 info@idn.org IDN Applauds the Use of Lotus Notes Technology as the World Bank Unveils Dramatically Overhauled Web Site Athens, Georgia, USA, October 3, 1998 (IDN) -- The World Bank Group has unveiled its newly re-engineered web site located at the web address of http://www.worldbank.org/. The site has been redesigned to provide a much more intuitive user-interface and navigation tools are presented in an easy to follow fashion. "I am truly impressed by the redesign of this site", says Christopher Byrne, Director of the International Development Network. "It sets a standard that all development web sites, including ours, should look to emulate. Of course if we had the budget of the World Bank, that might be an easier task." An initial review of the site shows the use of both conventional HTML and Lotus Notes/Domino technologies. "There is no better tool than Lotus Notes for medium to large organizations involved in international development. The efficiency and security of Notes can improve internal communications and workflow, and tremendously reduce the recurring communication and mailing costs associated with overseas operations", says Byrne. "Over the next 4-6 months we will be looking to move our web site to a Notes-based environment." There are a number of Development organizations that use Lotus Notes technologies including the Canadian International Development Agency, the International Committee of the Red Cross, World Vision, and others. "Lotus Notes provides the necessary tools to manage your documents and workflow and to present information through Intranets, Extranets and on the Internet", adds Byrne. The IDN offers Lotus Notes Application Development and Deployment Services, Web Site Design and Hosting, and provides a Development News and Information Service at http://www.idn.org/. The IDN is a non-profit corporation located in the state of georgia, USA. For more information on the International Development Network, please contact Christopher Byrne at + 1 706 208 8863 or by e-mail at info@idn.org. The web site for the IDN is http://www.idn.org/ END Lotus Notes and Domino are registered trademarks of the Lotus Development Corporation. From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 4 06:53:47 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id GAA26896; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 06:52:47 GMT Received: from teckla.apnic.net (teckla.apnic.net [202.12.28.129]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id GAA26889 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 06:52:44 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by teckla.apnic.net (8.9.0/8.9.0) with ESMTP id PAA17273 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:49:51 +0900 (JST) Received: from ngorc (khi-line-048.super.net.pk [203.130.5.187]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id LAA29433 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 11:51:14 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810040651.LAA29433@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 11:55:08 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: (Fwd) Small Farmer Group Associations - email conference Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1998 14:54:04 -0400 From: Don Richardson Subject: Small Farmer Group Associations - email conference To: DEVMEDIA@LISTSERV.UOGUELPH.CA 1998 E-mail Conference on "Small Farmer Group Associations: Bringing the Poor Together" http://www.fao.org/sd Dear Colleague, The Rural Institutions and Participation Service (SDAR) of FAO is pleased to invite you to participate in an E-mail conference to be run in September-October 1998 on the above topic, seeking to bring together experiences with Small Farmer Group Associations (SFGAs), and in particular addressing the problem of ensuring sustainability. The conference will take the form of a moderated discussion through a list-server set up on the FAO main computer. It is expected to be active for at least a month from mid-September. A discussion paper will be distributed via E-mail to all participants just before the start of the conference, and this will provide an initial basis for discussion. It is planned that a synthesis report-cum-proceedings of the conference will be prepared on the basis of the interventions and the discussion paper. At the same time, it is hoped that the discussions will yield sufficient material to provide the basis for a manual or set of field guidelines for promoting SFGAs in a manner that will facilitate their becoming self-sustaining. The conference is open to all those interested, the only requirement being that participants have access to E-mail on a regular basis. Those interested will be registered as participants, and access to the discussion will be limited to those registered. All interventions will go via the Moderator, who will prepare each intervention in a suitable format, attach an identifying header, and disseminate it promptly to all participants. All communications will be by E-mail and will be in English. Should you wish to join us in this exercise, which we hope will prove intellectually stimulating while providing concrete outputs, please send an E-mail message requesting that you be included as a participant to The same address can be used if you have any queries regarding the conference, and we will try to provide answers. There is no financial or other obligation implicit in participation. Thank you Thorgeir LAWRENCE SFGA Conference Moderator On behalf of John G. Rouse, Rural Institutions and Participation Service From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 4 10:40:07 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id KAA11041; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:40:02 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id KAA11033 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:39:55 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-102.super.net.pk [203.130.5.241]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id PAA03647 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:35:03 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810041035.PAA03647@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:39:36 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable Subject: Development of the Internet for Asian Law (DIAL) Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable [from E-CARM-NEWS of Sep 30] ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Development of the Internet for Asian Law (DIAL) This is a prototype. Comments are welcome. By using it, you agree to the Disclaimer of liability. DIAL Index Find links to legislative resources on the Internet from many countries=E1 DIAL Search Search the full text of selected legislative resources from many countries DIALogue An email facility for DIALogue Panelists and Authorised Users [Restricted Access] =E1 A Description of Project DIAL Project DIAL (Development of the Internet for Asian Law) is a feasibility study of the potential use of the Internet to assist those involved in the development of legislation in the developing member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank. Other lawyers in DMCs may also benefit from the project, but are not its primary focus. The project implements three methods of assistance: (a) the DIAL Index of legislative and other resources on the world-wide-web; (b) the DIAL Search facility, a means of seaching selected legislative resources located in different countries across the world-wide-web; and (c) the DIALogue e-mail facility for obtaining guidance from Panelists and other Authorised Users. It must be stressed that this is only a prototype, and does not involve any commitment by the Bank to any choice of provider or type of facility for the future development of Project DIAL. The DIAL Index aims to provide effective access through the Internet's world-wide-web to those legislative resources already on the web, so as to provide ready access to comparative legal materials from other countries. It will be based principally around a subject index of matters which are of particular interest to those drafting legislation in DMCs ('Privatisation', 'Environment' etc), but will also have indexes which classify materials by the country they concern, by international organisations etc. Each index entry will be a 'link' taking the user directly to the resource located elsewhere on the internet. For each type of subject matter the DIAL Index will include the following types of links: (i) Direct links to specific statutes (etc) on remote site; (ii) Links to subject indexes to statutes (etc) on remote site; (iii) Embedded searches over every word on remote legislation sites that have their own search engines; (iv) Embedded searches over general (ie non-law) indexes; and (v) Embedded searches over every word on remote legislation sites which do not have their own search engines but have been indexed by the project's 'web spider' (ie are searchable using the 'DIAL Search' facility). http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/dial/ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 4 10:46:07 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id KAA11110; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:41:42 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id KAA11099 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:41:32 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-102.super.net.pk [203.130.5.241]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id PAA02045 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:38:28 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810041038.PAA02045@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:39:38 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: WDR 1998/99: Knowledge for Development Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [The World Development Report 1998/99 is going to be launched on October 4 at 1900 GMT (1500 US EST). Check http://www.worldbank.org/wdr/ for the summary of the report.] --------------------------------- World Development Report 1998/99: Knowledge for Development --------------------------------- This year's World Development Report, the twenty-first in this annual series, examines the role of knowledge in advancing economic and social well being. Because knowledge matters, understanding how people and societies acquire and use knowledge-and why they sometimes fail to do so-is essential to improving people's lives, especially the lives of the poorest among us. The Report suggests three lessons that are particularly important to the welfare of the billions of people living in developing countries. First, developing countries must institute policies that will enable them to narrow the knowledge gaps that separate poor countries from rich countries. Second, developing country governments, multilateral institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector must work together to strengthen the institutions needed to address information problems. Finally, no matter how effective these endeavors are, problems with knowledge will persist. But by recognizing that knowledge is at the core of all our development efforts, unexpected solutions to seemingly intractable problems will be discovered. (c) Copyright 1998 The World Bank [http://www.worldbank.org] From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 4 11:01:15 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id KAA10968; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:38:02 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id KAA10952 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 10:37:46 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-102.super.net.pk [203.130.5.241]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id PAA03411 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:35:02 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810041035.PAA03411@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 15:39:36 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [News: Pakistan] PTCL to set up Paknet for Internet users Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT October 4, 1998 The News International Pakistan PTCL to set up Paknet for Internet users By our correspondent KARACHI: The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has prepared plans to set up an independent subsidiary company "Paknet Ltd" to provide information technology and internet services. A PTCL spokesman said on Saturday that this will ensure a better deal to the customers at most competitive rates and there should be no increase in rates without improving quality. He said that in order to promote the private sector, the PTCL had planned its Internet services infrastructure in such a manner that half of the market share may be taken by private sector. To ensure that there was no cross subsidy the PTCL had decided to have an independent subsidiary providing the service in competition with other Internet service providers, he added. According to the spokesman, the main information technology infrastructure like submarine cables, satellite system and fibre optic cables will remain with the company. To expand Internet and information technology services the private sector companies and internet service providers will work in more effective manner by hiring high-speed digital connectivity from PTCL. Similarly, the new subsidiary will also hire such connectivity from PTCL at similar rates. The proposed privatisation of the PTCL shall not be influenced in any way and all the subsidiaries will be a part and parcel of the PTCL, the spokesman said. The company is in final stage of awarding contract for expanding its Internet services by 100,000 new connections and expects to complete the expansion before the end of the current financial year, he added. The News International Pakistan http://www.jang-group.com/thenews/oct98-daily/04-10-98/national/nation al.html From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 4 17:00:28 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id QAA22507; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 16:59:48 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id QAA22489 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 16:59:26 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-015.super.net.pk [203.130.5.154]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id VAA08421 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 21:56:41 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810041656.VAA08421@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 22:01:23 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: ICE-98 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------------------------------------------------------------ CALL FOR PARTICIPATION ------------------------------------------------------------ FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION AND COMPUTATION ECONOMIES ICE-98 ------ http://www.cs.columbia.edu/ICE-98 (FOR REGISTRATION) http://www.ibm.com/iac/events-ice98-conference.html October 25-28, 1998 The Mill House Hotel Charleston, SC, USA Sponsor: IBM (Institute for Advanced Commerce, IAC) Co-sponsors: ACM ------------------------------------------------------------ MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL CHAIR PROF. YECHIAM YEMINI ------------------------------------------------------------ The economy of the 21-st century is widely expected to depend substantially on an increasing range of information products and services. The economics of physical goods will need to be substantially extended to incorporate these information goods. There is a substantial long term need to develop fundamental technology infrastructures to support this information economy, and to understand the fundamental laws governing this economy. Already at present, the lack of effective market infrastructures, pricing and payment mechanisms presents difficult bottlenecks and challenges in the evolution of global network information products and services. These have attracted a rapidly growing community of information system builders and economists. The goal of this first ICE conference is to establish a lead forum for this community to share research knowledge. ------------------------------------------------------------ CONFERENCE THEME ------------------------------------------------------------ Today's Internetworked world enables electronic, commercial interactions between tens of thousands of organizations and tens of millions of individuals. This creates a vast, dynamic and heterogeneous market economy of information and computation services and resources. The scale and dynamics of this system fundamentally changes the way engineers, economists, corporations and governments think about the structure of computing systems and the economy itself. In the same way that the network is the computer, it is increasingly the case that the economy is the network. The First International Conference of Information Systems and Economies will bring together researchers and scientists to form a community to discuss and share leading research on: * information and computation economies * networking and economics * economic models for managing networked computing systems There has been a recent explosive growth in research projects and papers in these areas, and this conference will bring together the leading researchers from these fields for the first time. The conference will also serve as the starting point for creating an electronic community and web linking the various researchers and projects from academia, industry and government. ------------------------------------------------------------ CONFERENCE COMMITTEES ------------------------------------------------------------ General Chair Yechiam Yemini: DCC Lab, Columbia University http://www.cs.columbia.edu/dcc/ (yemini@cs.columbia.edu) ------------------------------------------------ Program Chairs Don Ferguson: IBM Research (dff@us.ibm.com) Jeff MacKie-Mason: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Department of Economics (jmm@umich.edu) ------------------------------------------------ Steering Committee Alfred Aho (Lucent and Columbia University) Stu Feldman (IBM Research) Donald Ferguson (IBM Research) Bernardo Huberman (Xerox Parc) Marvin Sirbu (Carnegie Mellon University) Hal Varian (University of California, Berkeley) Yechiam Yemini (Columbia University) ------------------------------------------------ Panel Chairs Christos Nikolaou: ICS-FORTH, Greece (nikolau@ics.forth.gr) Jakka Sairamesh: IBM Research (jramesh@watson.ibm.com) ------------------------------------------------ Program Committee Nabil Adams (Rutgers) Al Aho (Columbia, Lucent) Jack Breese (Microsoft) Scott Clearwater (USA) Nicholas Economides (Stern, NYU) Stuart Feldman (IBM) Donald Ferguson (IBM) Jeff Heal (Columbia) Bernardo Huberman (Xerox) Toru Ishida (Kyoto University) Sverker Janson (SICS, Sweden) Zvi Kedem (NYU) Frank Kelly (Cambridge, UK) Jeff Kephart (IBM) Arvind Krishna (IBM) Shay Kutten (Technion, Israel) Michael Lesk (Bellcore) Lorne Mason (INRS, Canada) Jeff MacKie-Mason (Umich) Christos Nikolaou (ICS, Greece) Jakka Sairamesh (IBM) Scott Shenker (Xerox) Marvin Sirbu (CMU) Dale Stahl (UT Austin) Sebastian Steinmetz (France) Hal Varian (Berkeley) Mike Wellman (Umich) Steve White (IBM) Andrew Whinston (UT Austin) Yechiam Yemini (Columbia) Gilad Zlotkin (Classdata) ------------------------------------------------ Organizing Chairs Jakka Sairamesh: IBM Research (jramesh@watson.ibm.com) Apostolos Dailianas: Columbia University (apostolo@cs.columbia.edu) Danillo Florissi: Columbia University (df@cs.columbia.edu) ------------------------------------------------ Finance Chair Susan Tritto: Columbia University (tritto@cs.columbia.edu) ------------------------------------------------ For more information on the conference, please contact the program chairs or the organizing chairs. ------------------------------------------------------------ ADVANCE PROGRAM ------------------------------------------------------------ Monday Session 1: Artificial Agent Economies - Vulkan, N., and N. Jennings Efficient Mechanisms for the Supply of Services in Multi-Agent Environments - Preist, C., and M. van Tol Adaptive Agents in a Persistent Shout Double Auction - Mullen, T., and J. Breese Experiments in Designing Computational Economies for Mobile Users - Sairamesh, J. and J. Kephart Price Dynamics of Vertically Differentiated Information Markets - Tesauro, G., and J. Kephart Foresight-based pricing algorithms in an economy of software agents - Lukose, R., and B. Huberman Surfing as a Real Option Session 2: Network Pricing - Schnizlein, J. How Can Routers Help Internet Economics? - Ogino, N. Connection Establishment Protocol Based on Mutual Selection by Users and Network Providers - Stahl, D., A. Whinston, and K. Zhang A Simulation Study of Competitive Internet Pricing: AOL Flat Rates versus GSW Usage Prices - Courcoubetis, C., V. A. Siris, and G. D. Stamoulis Network control and usage-based charging: Is charging for volume adequate? Tuesday Session 1: Quality of Service Provision - Katchabaw, M., H. Lutfiyya, and M. Bauer Driving Resource Management With Application-Level Quality of Service Specifications - Lalis, S., C. Nikolaou, D. Papadakis, and M. Marazakis Market-driven Service Allocation in a QoS-capable Environment - Reininger, D., D. Raychaudhuri and M. Ott Market Based Bandwidth Allocation Policies for QoS Control in Boradband Networks - Park, K., M. Sitharam, and S. Chen Quality of Service Provision in Noncooperative Networks: Heterogenous Preferences, Multi-Dimensional QoS Vectors, and Burstiness - Fishburn, P., and A. Odlyzko Dynamic Behavior of Differential Pricing and Quality of Service Options for the Internet Session 2: Market-based System Control - Amir, Yair, Baruch Awerbuch, R. Sean Borgstrom A Cost-Benefit Framework for Online Management of a Metacomputing System - Regev, O. and N. Nisan The POPCORN Market - an Online Market for Computational Resources - Karaul, M., Y. Korilis, and A. Orda A Market-Based Architecture for Management of Geographically Dispersed, Replicated Web Servers - Anastasiadi, A., and S. Kapidakis, A Computational Economy for Dynamic Load Balancing and Data Replication - Yemini, Y., A. Dailianas, D. Florissi, and G. Huberman MarketNet: Market-Based Protection of Information Systems Wednesday - Panel on Information Economies - Invited Sessions 12.30 P.M. (End of Conference) From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 4 17:00:28 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id QAA22503; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 16:59:46 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id QAA22488 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 16:59:20 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-015.super.net.pk [203.130.5.154]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id VAA08841 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 21:56:45 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810041656.VAA08841@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 22:01:23 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: TECHNOLOGICAL SPACES Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- CALL FOR PAPERS THE 11TH BIENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE SOCIETY FOR PHILOSOPHY AND TECHNOLOGY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SOCIETY FOR PHILOSOPHY AND GEOGRAPHY 14-17 JULY 1999 SILICON VALLEY/SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, USA CONFERENCE THEME: TECHNOLOGICAL SPACES PAPERS INVITED ON CONFERENCE THEME AND ON OTHER TOPICS CONCERNING PHILOSOPHY AND TECHNOLOGY TWO-PAGE (MAX.) ABSTRACTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY 15 OCT 1998 NOTIFICATION OF ABSTRACT ACCEPTANCE BY 15 DEC 1998 **If you cannot meet the October 15 deadline for abstracts contact Deborah Johnson (address below) to arrange for a late submission.** SEND ABSTRACTS TO: Deborah G. Johnson, School of Public Policy, Ivan Allen College Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0345 Or by e-mail: johnsd@rpi.edu Check the SPT website (www.spt.org) for conference updates. As an international centre of high technology research, development and manufacturing, Silicon Valley is an ideal location for SPT/99. The conference theme, *Technological Spaces,* is meant to encourage both traditional and innovative investigations of the intersection of technology and space or place, variously conceived including: high-tech regions (like Silicon Valley); the world wide web as social/cyber space; scientific laboratories as technological workplaces; agricultural technics; identity (gender, culture, etc.) and situated technologies; spatial metaphors in computing, etc. In keeping with the conference theme, SPT/99 is being co-sponsored by the Society for Philosophy and Geography. Special outreach is also being made to other science and technology studies organizations as well as potential colleagues in the Pacific Rim. The city of San Jose, California's oldest and now third largest city (after Los Angeles and San Diego) is the physical and civic centre of Silicon Valley. San Jose's newly-renovated and rapidly-developing city centre has many cultural and recreational locations, numerous restaurants, cafes, clubs and bars, The Museum of Technology and Innovation, the headquarters of some major high-tech companies, and San Jose State University all within walking distance. The cities of San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, the Pacific coast, Monterey Bay, wineries and dozens of high-tech firms are within an hour's drive. San Jose State University, founded in 1857, is the oldest institution of public higher education in California, and will be the primary conference site. FEEL FREE TO REDISTRIBUTE AND REPOST THIS MESSAGE ON OTHER LISTS. From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 4 17:01:35 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id RAA22585; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 17:01:34 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id QAA22496 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 16:59:38 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-015.super.net.pk [203.130.5.154]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id VAA08776 for ; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 21:57:01 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810041657.VAA08776@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1998 22:01:23 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: (Fwd) EXPLORING CYBER SOCIETY (CONFERENCE) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- ***CALL FOR PAPERS*** *EXPLORING CYBER SOCIETY* Social, Political, Economic and Cultural Issues An International Conference at the School of Social, Political and Economic Sciences, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, UK. 5th-7th July 1999 What is Cyber Society? What are its social, political, economic and cultural dimensions? What are its theoretical and policy implications for the 21st century? New Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) now touch on almost every aspect of our lives. No serious discussions of society, politics, economics or culture can be complete without their consideration. This interdisciplinary conference will assemble theorists and practitioners from the social sciences, the humanities and the arts, to explore the emergence of Cyber Society. Both the rhetoric and reality of Cyber Society will be addressed at a regional, national and international level. The conference will provide a forum for the critical evaluation of the impact of ICTs on individuals, communities, the state, economy, and culture. *CONFIRMED KEYNOTE SPEAKERS*: Professor James Der Derian, Centre for European Studies, Harvard University, USA. Professor William Dutton, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California, USA. Professor Ian Miles, Centre for Research on Innovation and Competition, and PREST, University of Manchester, UK. Professor Kevin Robins, Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, University of Newcastle, UK Professor Frank Webster, University of Birmingham (From January 1999), UK. *FOUR CONFERENCE THEMES*: *Cyber Society* - Cyber communities; Cyberspace and everyday life; Cyberfeminism; The virtual class; Cyber ethnicities and identities; The cyber classroom; Cyber medicine; Research methods . *Cyber Politics & Policy* - Information age government and public administration; Power and control; Geopolitics; Net politics and activism; Censorship, Privacy; Regulation and surveillance; Access; Interactivity; Democracy; Cyberwarfare; Cybercrime. *Cyber Economics* - Cyber markets, industries and corporations; Internet and Intranet economics; Electronic commerce; Information services; R&D; Cyber employment; Globalization of information and networks; Intellectual property rights. *Cyber Culture* - Theory; Posthumanism; Cloning; Cinema; Intelligent TV and video; Post-photography; Digital architecture; Cybernetic art; Literature; Performance; Cultures of the Internet. *CALL FOR PAPERS* Papers related to the above themes are welcome. Abstracts (150 - 300 words) should be sent to the conference secretary (see over) stating the theme under which the paper should be considered. Deadlines for papers: 31.1.99 - Submission of abstracts 31.3.99 - Notification of acceptance 31.5.99 - Submission of full papers All papers will be published in conference proceedings. A selection of papers will be published in edited volumes. Professor Manuel Castells, University of California, Berkeley, (Author of the three volume 'The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture') has agreed to contribute a commentary to one of these conference volumes. *PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME* The programme and timetable for the call for papers and conference bookings are subject to change and will be updated as details are finalised. Form mid September the latest information will be available at our web site: http://www.unn.ac.uk/corporate/cybersociety Monday 5th July 1999 Registration 11.30am - welcome, plenary session, lunch. Afternoon - parallel paper sessions, plenary session. Evening - dinner. Tuesday 6th July 1999 Morning - plenary session, parallel paper sessions, lunch. Afternoon - plenary session, parallel paper sessions. Evening - conference dinner. Wednesday 7th July 1999 Morning - plenary sessions, parallel paper session, closing comments, lunch. *BOOKING FORM* (Please print off and complete) Name:............................................................ Institution/Affiliation:....................................... Address:.............................................................. .................................................................... .................................................................... ............................................................... Postcode:..................................................... Tel No. (including STD code).................................. Fax No. (including STD code)................................. Email ............................................................. FEE (Please tick as appropriate) Including accommodation stlg285 Without accommodation stlg255 stlg20 Reduction for booking by 1.3.99 stlg20 Reduction for paper presenters Accommodation consists of bed and breakfast in the Claude Gibb Halls of Residence at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. For those wishing to arrange their own accommodation a list of hotels can be obtained from the conference secretary or our web site.The Conference fee includes all meals and timetabled refreshments. Please state any special requirements (diet, disability etc.):............................................................... .................................................................... I enclose a cheque (payable to the University of Northumbria) for the sum of stlg................................ Travel details, maps of the city of Newcastle and the campus of the University of Northumbria, and an acknowledgement of payment slip will be sent to delegates on receipt of this booking form and payment of the appropriate fee. Closing date for booking: 31st May 1999. COMPLETED BOOKING FORMS, PAPER SUBMISSIONS, AND GENERAL ENQUIRES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: Lorna Kennedy, Conference Secretary, School of Social, Political and Economic Sciences, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, Room 143, Northumberland Building, Newcastle Upon Tyne. NE1 8ST. Tel: +44 (0)191 227 4937. Fax: +44 (0)191 227 4515 Email: lorna.kennedy@unn.ac.uk. Further details will be available from mid-September at the Cyber Society web site: http://www.unn.ac.uk/corporate/cybersociety From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 5 02:23:45 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id CAA01568; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:22:21 GMT Received: from garlic.negia.net (IDENT:root@garlic.negia.net [206.61.0.14]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id CAA01564 for ; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 02:22:16 GMT Received: from idn.org (p153.negia.net [207.43.201.163]) by garlic.negia.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id VAA22023; Sun, 4 Oct 1998 21:01:47 -0400 Message-ID: <36182BB6.1C66FA0@idn.org> Date: Sun, 04 Oct 1998 22:15:18 -0400 From: "Christopher L. Byrne" Organization: International Development Network X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; U) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: info@idn.org Subject: WHO and World Bank Hold Talks About Private Sector Partnerships Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit This past week, both the WHO and the World Bank held discussions regarding Private Sector Partnerships. The following two stories are posted to the "Development Front" Section of International Development Network Web Site (http://www.idn.org/)focus on this topic: Informal WHO/Private Sector Talks Held World Bank Explains Business Partners For Development (BPD) Initiative ________________________________________________________________________ Here is what else is new at the IDN this week: TOOLS YOU CAN USE This week's tool is a link to the web site for the USAID Technical Consulting Services (TCS) Resume Database. The Technical Consulting Services (TCS) Resume Database was created to contain the resumes of consultants who are interested in providing services to USAID. _______________________________________________________________________ QUICK LINK OF THE WEEK This week's IDN Quick Link is to the web site for this week's UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education Cyber Conference, where live video feeds of the actual conference proceedings are available. _______________________________________________________________________ NEW LINKS We have added a links category for Information Technology and Communications. In addition, the following new links have been added: agribiz.net - agribiz.net is an Internet consulting firm for the world's agricultural industry. The Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association - Institute of Caribbean Water Professionals. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) - Contributing through Research to Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security in Developing Countries. DevMedia - Media for Development & Democracy - Web database of organizations and initiatives related to communication for development and democracy, including community & alternative media groups and grassroots organizations using radio, video, Internet, telecommunications, etc. to promote development and democracy. Don Snowden Program for Development Communication - The purpose of the Program is to promote, through training, research, and advisory activities, communication for community development in developing regions of Canada and in developing countries around the world. Help Age International - a global network of not-for-profit organisations working with and for disadvantaged older people to improve the quality of their lives. The Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN)-  is a network of networks whose purpose is to build and strengthen water resources partnerships in the Americas. (English/Spanish) ITU Development Bureau - Universal Access - An important resource for information relating to Universal and Community Access to Telecommunications, especially with respect to Telecentres. Lux-Development - is the development co-operation agent for almost all the bilateral projects financed by the government of Luxembourg, and for Luxembourg's emergency relief work. Nimtech - Business opportunities in developing countries. Scientists for Health And Research for Development - SHARED - Free access to information about ongoing research and development projects in the field of Tropical Health. Information includes people, institutes and projects. TeleCommons Development Group - The Telecommons Development Group (TDG) is an international Internet and telecommunications consulting firm specializing in results-oriented telecommunication solutions for rural areas, agriculture, health, education and community development. _______________________________________________________________________ CONFERENCES Find out more about the upcoming conference "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development: Exploring What Works and Why" and participate in the online pre-conference activities at the web site for the Don Snowden Program for Development Communication. _______________________________________________________________________ THE DEVELOPMENT FRONT The following stories were provided to sponsoring members of the IDN in the daily electronic newsletter "The Development Front": John Westley, Economist with the United States Agency for International Development Appointed Vice President of IFAD Ted Turner's UN Foundation Gives UNFPA $4.3 Million to Advance Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health, Fund Youth Forum Canada to Help South Africa Implement Charter of Rights IFAD Invests US$12.46 Million to Finance the Smallholder Flood Plains Development Programme in the Republic of Malawi African Development Fund Board Approves US$ 36 Million Loan for the National Livestock Development Project in Ethiopia Arab Ministerial Conference on Population & Development Urges Further Implementation of ICPD Programme of Action South Pacific Forum Hosts Workshop on Customs Improvements IFC Drops Malaysia from Investable Index World Bank Denies Reports of Suspension of Lending Program To Malaysia IFC Finances Modernization of Argentine Producer Export Processing Zones Growing Steadily, Providing a Major Source of Job Creation Forty Years of International Co-operation in the Field of Nuclear Energy New Ambassadors at the OECD 115 Government Ministers Expected Monday at World Conference on Higher Education La Nina is Upon Us, Hurricane Georges Could Be Linked to Weather Phenomenon IMF Approves Three-Year Extended Fund Facility for Bulgaria Return to Growth Urgent for the Poor, World Bank Warns Report Card Rates Humanitarian Records of Major Parties in Australia ADB Vice-President Inaugurates Uzbekistan Resident Mission ADB Provides Microfinance Services for the Poor in Bangladesh Canada to Assist Caribbean Victims of Hurricane Georges UN Expert Meeting on Water Resources  Held in Beirut UNIDO Director-General to Visit Russia UNIDO Director-General Arrives in Abidjan CIDA Issues Revised Policy on Annual Fee and Salary Increases Under Multi-Year Services Contracts and Contribution Agreements Britain Doubles its Commitment to Brazil ICAO Assembly Elects New Council Cleaner Production Experts to Meet in Korea Postsecondary Education in Maldives Gets $6.3 Million Boost PRC Receives $102 Million for Fuzhou Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Project Karen Refugees Receive Assistance in Thailand Conference on Crisis And Contagion in Emerging Financial Markets to Be Held at IDB October 7 $31.6 Million For Microenterprise in Peru Approved $76.13 Million For Electricity Sector in Nicaragua Approved IDB Changes Lending Rates on Loans IMF to Incorporate the Euro into the SDR Basket After the Launch of EMU Exhibition Celebrating 20 Years of South-South Cooperation Opens Today Cease-Fire in Sudan Must Be Extended, Says UNICEF UNICEF Issues Call for Debt Relief Bertini Concerned about Renewed Fighting in Southern Sudan Age No Barrier to Development - Study on Lives of Older People in Developing World Receives Funding The "Bio-technology Revolution" - New Opportunities and Risks for the Poor and the Environment DAC Peer Review of the European Community Summary and Conclusions Published Changing Labour Markets and Gender Equality: the Role of Policy Pacific States Outline Post Lome Positions CARE Increases Support to Haiti after Hurricane Georges $19.4 Million Provided to Support Basic Education in Haiti Urgent needs in North Korea but MSF forced to pull out Finnish Songwriter Mikko Kuustonen to be Named UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador UNFPA Announces Winners of 1998 International Poster Contest World Vision Aids Dominicans Affected by Hurricane Georges World Vision Assists Thousands Affected by Hurricane Georges Clare Short Announces £67 Million for Education in Uganda Clare Short Pledges Further £30 Million for Debt Relief in Africa Diane Marleau Announces CIDA's Contribution to a Centre to Make Education More Accessible to Five Developing Countries Latin America: Population Projections 1970-2050 WHO Regional Committee Meeting on Health Issues in East Mediterranean Region to be Held in Beirut 3-6 October 1998 Ex-Im Bank Expands Support For U.S. Exports to Five West African Countries IMF's Interim Committee Selects Italy's Ciampi as New Chairman Diplomatic Conference Adopts the Authentic Chinese Text of The Convention on International Civil Aviation OPIC's Muñoz Calls for Greater U.S. Private Sector Participation in Stabilizing the Global Economy OPIC Announces New Insurance Product That Will Insure Bonds Used to Finance Long-term Projects in Emerging Markets Inter-American Water Day to Be Observed October 3, 1998 Korean President Welcomes UNEP Cleaner Production Programme World Environment Day to Be Held in Japan in 1999 The Europe and Central Asia Region in Perspective ASEM-EU Trust Fund Reaches $16 Million in Commitments World Food Programme Distributes Emergency Food Supplies to Thousands of Rwandans Returning Home International Year of Older Persons Launched, Active Ageing Policies are Key, says WHO's Dr Brundtland Experts Decide Content of First Ever, 1999 "Southern Hemisphere" Influenza Vaccine WHO Critical of French Decision to Suspend Hepatitis B Immunization Without Scientific Justification _______________________________________________________________________ The IDN plans to continue our growth and to expand the depth and breadth of our information services. If you have not yet thought about a membership/sponsorship in the IDN, we encourage you to consider becoming a sponsor/member of the fastest growing, most comprehensive and current International Development Web Site on the Internet! Information is available at http://www.idn.org/membership/ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 5 19:51:53 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA26403; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 19:50:48 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA26352 for ; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 19:48:59 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-004.super.net.pk [203.130.5.143]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA32375 for ; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:46:24 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810051946.AAA32375@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:51:03 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: (Fwd) Pointer to FAQ: International E-mail accessibility (1998 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1998 13:27:58 +0100 From: Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond Subject: Pointer to FAQ: International E-mail accessibility To: DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU Version date: 1998/10/01 The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document "mail/country-codes" has been recently distributed around Usenet and is available in the Usenet newsgroup news.answers (and other newsgroups such as comp.mail.misc, comp.mail.uucp, news.newusers.questions, alt.internet.services, alt.internet.access.wanted, alt.answers and comp.answers). The document can also be downloaded in a number of different ways. Via the Web: http://www.ee.ic.ac.uk/misc/country-codes.html (text mode) http://www.ee.ic.ac.uk/misc/bymap/world.html (Worldwide maps) The whole collection of documents (monthly releases since 1992 !) is available on: gopher://gopher.nsrc.org:70/1m/oclbfaq/oclb Of particular interest are the pages on Internetology, with a snapshot of world connectivy maps every 6 months since 1993, on: http://www.ee.ic.ac.uk/misc/bymap/ntlgy/ Here is a short extract of the latest version of the document: --- snip --- snip --- snip --- Archive-name: mail/country-codes Last-modified: 1998/10/01 Based on International Standard ISO 3166 Codes Compiled by Olivier M.J. Crepin-Leblond E-mail: Release: 98.10.01 Release Notes: a. Added "C" flag - Courtesy Top Level Domains: AC - Ascension Island AF - Afghanistan (Islamic Republic) BT - Bhutan CC - Cocos (Keeling) Islands CG - Congo CX - Christmas Island FK - Falkland Islands (Malvinas) GS - South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands KN - St. Kitts, Nevis, Angilla LY - Libya MS - Montserrat NF - Norfolk Island NU - Niue SH - St. Helena ST - St. Tome and Principe TJ - Tadjikistan TP - East Timor b. Re-written some of the introductory text c. Liberia (LR) from UUCP (*) to Full Internet (FI) d. Kiribati (KI) with Full Internet (FI) This document answers the question: "Has country X got E-mail or Internet access ?". The following table is a guide of country codes, showing the countries which have access to Internet or general E-mail services. The country codes have been derived from the International Organization for Standardization standard ISO 3166. A country code is taken as a top level domain once it is registered at the InterNIC, rs.internic.net so *not* all country codes listed are top level domains. At the bottom of the table, there is also a section of general top level domains, based on the information available at rs.internic.net. [...] IX. Archiving At each release, this document is archived in a number of archive sites around the world. Amongst them: ftp://rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/mail/ #ftp://ftp.uu.net:/usenet/news.answers/mail/ ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk:/usenet/news.answers/news.newusers.questions/ (#) those may not be accessible via Bear access or direct PC access in some cases. The up-to-date, pre-release document is also available using a simple mail-server robot: Send E-mail to: with a subject: archive-server-request and the command: get mail/country-codes in the body of your message. The document is also distributed automatically once a month on a mailing list. To subscribe to that mailing list, send a message to: country-codes-request@nsrc.org with the command in the body of the message: subscribe The whole collection of documents (monthly releases since 1992 !) is available on: gopher://gopher.nsrc.org:70/1m/oclbfaq/oclb X. World-Wide-Web (WWW) documents A sister document is available on the World Wide Web. It is based on this FAQ, and has links to further information for each domain: http://www.ee.ic.ac.uk/misc/country-codes.html A set of clickable international colour-coded maps is available at: http://www.ee.ic.ac.uk/misc/bymap/world.html The pages are kindly hosted by Imperial College in London as a service to the Internet community. Web references for Top-Level information servers for a particular country should be sent to . Thanks to all who have helped ! XI. Internetology The Internet has exploded in size in the last few years. The present document has been edited monthly since 1993, and some Web pages have been put together to reflect on the continuing spread of Internet/E-mail in the world since that time. This section is called "Internetology". It provides a graphical history of the spread of the Net in developing countries, by taking snapshots of Internet connectivity every six months since November 1993. All of the maps tie-up with the information that is included with the FAQ on International E-mail accessibility. The reference for the Internetology pages is: http://www.ee.ic.ac.uk/misc/bymap/ntlgy/ -- Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond, Ph.D. |--> Global Information Highway Limited Phone: +44 (0)956 84 1113 | http://www.gih.com/ | E-mail: Fax : +44 (0)171 937 7666 | Mobile Emporium: http://www.gih.com/mobile/ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 5 19:53:25 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA26467; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 19:53:25 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA26386 for ; Mon, 5 Oct 1998 19:50:28 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-004.super.net.pk [203.130.5.143]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA00006 for ; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:46:41 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810051946.AAA00006@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:51:03 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable Subject: (Fwd) CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION: A GLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETY Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- 10th MacBride Round Table Amman, Jordan; 24-26 November 1998 Call for Papers (for 26 November) and Participation CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION: A GLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETY The Tenth MacBride Roundtable on Communication will hold its annual meeting in Amman, Jordan from November 24th to 26th, 1998, in conjunction with the Jordanian Institute of Diplomacy and Jemstone, a network of journalists. We are inviting papers for pre sentation on the final day, November 26th. The theme of this Round Table is "Culture and Communication: A Global Information Society," and the emphasis of the Round Table portion of the program will be on building global governance structures for media a nd communication that includes civil society. Potential conference sessions may involve the exploration of international institutions, laws and ethics and their interface with communication. This marks the 10th year of the MacBride Round Table. The Round Table is an international communication rights advocate with an agenda to accommodate scholars, activists, journalists and other communication experts devoted to the monitoring of world commu nication, legal ramifications, and information imbalances; and then disseminating its findings to community groups, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and the news media. The MacBride Round Table was created in 1989 to stimulate discussion of is sues embodied in the 1980 UNESCO MacBride Report. This report was critical of imbalances in world information flows. Nine Round Tables have been held to date: Harare (1989), Prague (1990), Istanbul (1991), Sao Paulo (1992), Dublin (1993), Honolulu (1994) , Tunis (1995) Seoul (1996), and Boulder (1997). For the upcoming Round Table we are calling for papers that offer insight into the dynamics of world communication. Of particular interest at this meting will be the discussion of the institutions, laws and ethics and interfaces with communication. Rela ted to this would be the role that civil society might play in governance structures for media and communication globally. Past Round Tables have focused on information flow and equity, the new communication technologies, the information super highway, t he role of women, indigenous people and other marginalized groups in society, and grassroots communication activities. The Round Table is also a sponsor for the World Congress on Media and Communication, currently in its planning stages. The Amman Round Table will run alongside the Jordanian Institute of Diplomacy and Jemstone meeting. VENUE: Amra Forum Hotel (tentative), Amman, Jordan ABSTRACTS BY: Monday, October 5th; ACCEPTANCE NOTICES: by October 10th For MORE INFORMATION on the MacBride Round Table and the Conference, see: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~rvincent/macbride.htm or contact: Dr. Richard C. Vincent: rvincent@hawaii.edu Past President/Vice Chair, MacBride Round Table 2560 Campus Road, Room 336, Department of Communication University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI 96822 USA telephone: +1 808.956.3352; fax +1 808.956.5589 or +1 808.956.5591 or Se=E1n O Siochr=FA: sean@nexus.ie Secretary General, MacBride Round Table 14 Eaton Brae, Shankill Co. Dublin, IRELAND Tel: +353 1 282 1003 or 473 9599; fax +353 1 272 0034 or 4730597 1997-98 MacBride Round Table Steering Committee: President/Chairperson: Mustapha Masmoudi (Tunisia) Past President/Vice Chairperson: Kyung-Ja Lee (Korea) Past President/Vice Chairperson: Richard C. Vincent (USA) Secretary General and Treasurer: Se=E1n O Siochr=FA (Ireland) Members: Andrew Calabrese (USA); Alternate: Hemant Shah (USA) Kaarle Nordenstreng (Finland); Alternate: Zala Volcic (Slovenia) HRH Princess Wijdan Ali (Jordan); Alternate: Marlene Francia (Philippines) Sakae Ishikawa (Japan); Alternate: Pradip Thomas (UK) Alain Ambrosi (Canada); Alternate: Wolfgang Kleinwaechter (Germany) Auditing Committee: Hans Klein, Marc Raboy, and Stanford Mukasa From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Tue Oct 6 17:25:44 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id RAA24781; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 17:22:55 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id RAA24769 for ; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 17:22:28 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-028.super.net.pk [203.130.5.167]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id WAA16754 for ; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 22:19:25 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810061719.WAA16754@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 22:24:06 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Web crusade for global aid: Peoplink pursues Net profits for the Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [Peoplink's website: http://www.peoplink.org/] Web crusade for global aid: Peoplink pursues Net profits for the poor By Barton Crockett (MSN BC) Sept. 29 - Daniel Salcedo has circled the world twice in the past year (despite three recent days stranded in Haiti by hurricane Georges). Next week, he's off to Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, all to test a question that cuts to the essence of the globe-spanning potential of the Internet: Can a Web site assist the world's poor, by helping them to sell products to the developed world? INTERNET PUNDITS like to speak of the Web breaking down barriers to global trade and creating "friction-less commerce," presumably by catering to a global audience and eliminating the middleman. Peoplink, a non-profit group under Salcedo's direction, is taking that concept to its logical conclusion - helping poor artisans in countries such as Haiti, Bangladesh, Panama and the Philippines use the Web to sell their hand-made tapestries, purses and other works directly to consumers in developed nations. "We are pushing the envelope, and seeing how far we can push technology with people who are normally left out of the information revolution," the 49-year-old says. It's a daunting task, but one for which Salcedo is seemingly well-trained. Born in Colombia, and raised from age 11 in the U.S., he started programming as a teenager, and received a Ph.D. in computer systems at age 22. After traveling the world as a computer consultant, Salcedo moved to Honduras in 1979 and with his wife started a more charitable endeavor - Pueblo to People, which helped artisans in Central America sell their handmade crafts and works in the U.S. By the time Salcedo left in 1989, Pueblo to People was the top direct-mail catalog seller among so-called fair trade organizations, which aim to help the world's poor. Salcedo later spent three years running a Peace Corp. unit in the Dominican Republic, and working for a charitable group dedicated to promoting technology for humanitarian purposes. Salcedo started Peoplink with the thought that the World Wide Web could be a powerful redistributor of global wealth. With a staff of six, $500,000 in grants from groups including the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the MacArthur Foundation, he's putting that notion to the test, traveling the world and training local fair trading organizations how to market on the Internet. AMAZED ARTISANS He gives out video cameras, and shows sometimes amazed artisans and traders how to load digital images of works into computers and onto Web sites. Peoplink operates a Web site with a catalog of roughly 200 featured items - most of which the organization orders in bulk and ships directly to U.S. buyers - and provides technical assistance to local groups by e-mail, and through in-person training. Peoplink also help local groups build their own Web sites, and posts extensive background on countries and artisans, so that consumers can make a more educated purchase than is possible at a typical crafts fair or import store. "We didn't know that I could take a digital image of some crafts, and post it to the Internet," says 31-year-old Boniswa Raziya, marketing information coordinator with Just Exchange, a fair trading group in South Africa. Boniswa Raziya But after receiving two weeks of training in Peoplink's Kensington, Md., office, Raziya says she's eager to start selling online. "I think it's going to be great, because for us, for the developing countries, it's so difficult to sell our products abroad. It's going to be a big improvement, now that we're connected to Peoplink and Peoplink is training us." Results so far are modest. Salcedo figures that on a good day Peoplink sells $500 of products, splitting profits with local groups. Often, a day's sales total only $50. Salcedo says he's given photo digitizing equipment to about 20 groups, in countries including Uganda, Bangladesh and Haiti. But only about a dozen groups are actually using the equipment. A tropical chicken mola that can be purchased online at the Peoplink electronic catalog Nonetheless, Salcedo insists some of the groups, including a women's cooperative in Panama, are catching on quickly, posting attractive images of popular items. Important promotional deals are about to kick in with the Web sites of Oxfam America, a charitable organization based in Boston, and the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife festival. And Salcedo has big expectations for a plan to use Peoplink's Web site to market handcrafts to museum stores and other retailers. GLOBAL TEST Cross-border trade on the Internet so far is relatively small, projected to total only 15 percent of the expected $75 billion of Web revenues in 1998, according to researcher Activmedia. Salcedo and Peoplink will provide an important test of how much further cross-border e-commerce can go. "Is this a market that can generate significant enough revenues to make a major difference in the lives of these people?" asks Carols Braga, head of the World Bank program that backed Peoplink. "It's a question we're only beginning to dispatch, and for which we don't yet have an answer." source: http://www.msnbc.com/news/200723.asp From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Wed Oct 7 03:29:02 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id CAA06003; Wed, 7 Oct 1998 02:23:27 GMT Received: from fh102.infi.net (fh102.infi.net [208.131.160.101]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id CAA05996 for ; Wed, 7 Oct 1998 02:23:18 GMT Received: from akron.infi.net (pm2-88.akr.infi.net [207.0.173.88]) by fh102.infi.net (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id WAA00338; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 22:22:42 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <361AD18B.FB996DDA@akron.infi.net> Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 22:27:23 -0400 From: Bob Pyke Jr X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.05 [en] (Win95; U) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Danny CC: Dan Samels , Devel -L , "john.eichenlaub@iname.com" , South Asia List Subject: [Fwd: ADMINISTRIVIA> New home for the Singapore WWW Virtual Library ?] Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------86AE7838E23B45060EA274B1" Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------86AE7838E23B45060EA274B1 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit One of those Fyi things.
Bob --------------86AE7838E23B45060EA274B1 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: Received: from postbox.anu.edu.au (postbox.anu.edu.au [150.203.224.16]) by fh102.infi.net (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id CAA27362 for ; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 02:36:20 -0400 (EDT) Received: from localhost by postbox.anu.edu.au with SMTP (1.37.109.16/16.2) id AA280575718; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 16:35:18 +1000 Received: by postbox.anu.edu.au (bulk_mailer v1.5); Tue, 6 Oct 1998 16:27:24 +1000 Received: by postbox.anu.edu.au (1.37.109.16/16.2) id AA276795241; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 16:27:21 +1000 Received: from coombs.anu.edu.au by postbox.anu.edu.au with SMTP (1.37.109.16/16.2) id AA276745237; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 16:27:17 +1000 Received: from port7.anu.edu.au by coombs.anu.edu.au (1.38.193.4) id AA29414; Tue, 6 Oct 1998 16:23:35 +1000 X-Sender: tmc407@coombs.anu.edu.au Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 16:29:50 +1000 To: asia-www-monitor@postbox.anu.edu.au From: "T.Matthew Ciolek" Subject: ADMINISTRIVIA> New home for the Singapore WWW Virtual Library ? Cc: Sender: owner-asia-www-monitor@coombs.anu.edu.au Dear Asian Studies Colleague, Mr Hanno Lecher of the University of Heidelberg, Germany has recently indicated to me that he will no longer be able to maintain Singapore WWW Virtual Library http://www.univie.ac.at/Sinologie/sg-wwwvl.htm as he wants to put all the energy in running his other project, namely the China WWW Virtual Library http://sun.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/igcs/ I am looking, therefore, for a volunteer Virtual Librarian to take over the existing Singapore WWW VL collection of pages and manage it on his/her site. The international aspect of the Asian Studies WWW VL suggests that, ideally, such a site should be located outside Australia or North America. However, careful consideration will be given to first class candidates from *all* parts of the world. Would you know of anyone among your colleagues or associates who would be both capable of the task and interested in a volunteer work within the framework of the Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library project? More information about the Asian Studies WWW VL project can be found at http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVLAsian/VLAbout.html while some basic rules of the Virtual Librarianship are listed in http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVLAsian/VLRules.html Please, do let me know if you have any concrete suggestions. - with many thanks and best regards - T.Matthew Ciolek Editor-in-chief Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library Dr T. Matthew CIOLEK tmciolek@coombs.anu.edu.au Head, Internet Publications Bureau, RSPAS, The Australian National University, Canberra ph +61 (02) 6249 0110 fax: +61 (02) 6257 1893 http://www.ciolek.com/PEOPLE/ciolek-tm.html -==================================================- -- Asian Studies WWW Virtual Library invites additional editors http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVLAsian/VLEditors.html -- to unsubscribe from the list send e-mail to: majordomo@coombs.anu.edu.au message: unsubscribe Asia-WWW-Monitor --------------86AE7838E23B45060EA274B1-- From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Wed Oct 7 04:33:18 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id EAA09412; Wed, 7 Oct 1998 04:32:56 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id EAA09400 for ; Wed, 7 Oct 1998 04:32:46 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-114.super.net.pk [203.130.5.114]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id JAA23832 for ; Wed, 7 Oct 1998 09:30:14 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810070430.JAA23832@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 09:34:48 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Over 300 Million Internet Users in Year 2000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [press release] September 28, 1998 Over 300 Million Internet Users in Year 2000 Buffalo Grove, IL - According to the Internet Industry Almanac there will be over 327 million Internet users by year-end 2000--up from 100 million Internet users at year-end 1997. The U.S. is projected to have over 130 million Internet users or 40% of the total in year 2000. The top 15 countries shown in the following table account for nearly 82% of the worldwide Internet users in year 2000. These numbers include business, educational and home Internet users. -- table -- Top 15 Countries in Internet Usage in Year 2000 Rank Country Internet Users in Millions 1 U.S. 132.3 2 Germany 22.9 3 Japan 21.9 4 United Kingdom 17.0 5 France 12.6 6 Canada 11.6 7 Italy 10.6 8 Australia 8.0 9 Netherlands 5.4 10 Brazil 5.2 11 Russia 5.0 12 Spain 4.4 13 China 3.8 14 Sweden 3.7 15 South Korea 3.2 ------- Top 15 Countries 267.5 Europe 102 ------- Worldwide 327 ------- -- end table -- At year-end 1997 there were 11 countries with over one million Internet users, which will grow to 38 countries in year 2000. In 1997 there were also 11 countries where over 10% of the population were Internet users. By year 2000 there will be 25 countries where over 10% of the population will be Internet users. The Internet Industry Almanac projects that there will be 579 million computers in use worldwide at year-end 2000. The U.S. will grow to over 164 million computers in use at that time or 28% of the world's total computers. The Internet Industry Almanac is a new reference book that is loaded with statistics, rankings, technology trends, forecasts and projections about the Internet industry. The IIA contains salary and employment information, Internet history, directories of companies, people, publications, conferences, Internet technology and much more. The Internet Industry Almanac, $50/$60 (softcover/hardcover), is now available from Computer Industry Almanac Inc., PO Box 4987, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089, 800/377-6810, 702/749-5053, Fax 847/279-0328, info@c-i-a.com or in bookstores such as Computer Literacy, Borders, Amazon.com, Stacey's and Barnes & Noble. Computer Industry Almanac Inc. e-mail: info@c-i-a.com URL: http://www.c-i-a.com/199809iu.htm From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Thu Oct 8 06:45:38 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id GAA04856; Thu, 8 Oct 1998 06:23:42 GMT Received: from teckla.apnic.net (teckla.apnic.net [202.12.28.129]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id GAA04846 for ; Thu, 8 Oct 1998 06:23:36 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by teckla.apnic.net (8.9.0/8.9.0) with ESMTP id OAA19724 for ; Thu, 8 Oct 1998 14:56:38 +0900 (JST) Received: from ngorc (khi-line-061.super.net.pk [203.130.5.200]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id KAA15869 for ; Thu, 8 Oct 1998 10:54:17 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810080554.KAA15869@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@APNIC.NET Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 10:58:56 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable Subject: UPDATE: Telecom for Rural Development Newsflash - Oct.7/98 Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 15:22:53 -0400 From: Don Richardson Subject: Telecom for Rural Development Newsflash - Oct.7/98 To: AFRIK-IT@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE **Conference News Flash** October 7, 1998 "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development" Conference at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario Canada: Oct 26 & 27, 1998. **Conference News Flash** October 7, 1998 http://www.snowden.org Item 1) On-line pre-conference http://www.snowden.org/conference/forumintro1.cfm The Online Pre-conference for the "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development" Conference is underway with participants from Timbucktu Mali to Toowoomba Australia. Other participants are coming in from Rockand Maine USA, Zanzibar, Cornell University USA, Saskatchewan Canada, Germany, the UK, Sioux Lookout Canada, Nepal, Ireland, Oxford County Canada, Finland, Malaysia, the Highlands of Scotland, Israel, Queensland Australia, and of course Guelph Canada. Good discussion threads include: sustainability of telecom for rural development and rural telecentre activities/results, participation in content development, video in development, local ownership & management, and non-technical training issues. Visit the website at http://www.snowden.org/conference/forumintro1.cfm to participate and add your ideas, experiences and lessons-learned. Keep watching the site for updates of papers and documents. Item 2) Capacity building for telecom for rural development - First Nations communities Brian Beaton, of K-Net Services Northern Chiefs Council Sioux Lookout http://www.knet.on.ca, and Lawrence Martin and Garnet Angeconeb of the Wawatay Native Communications Society http://www.wawatay.on.ca will be speaking at the Oct 26/27 conference about local capacity building for telecom for rural development in small, remote First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. According to Brian, "There is no quick and easy path to follow when the size of the community is small (anywhere from 100 people to 1000), accessible only by plane, and local resources (financial and human) are limited and already strained. Linking employment opportunities (actual jobs and wages) to the training is proving to be the most "successful" method of supporting this development." Item 3) Agricultural training, small group learning and digital audio on the Internet Hugh Maynard, Executive Director of the Quebec Farmers' Association (http://infosys.agrenv.mcgill.ca/~qfa/assoc/), has been involved in "communications at-a-distance" activities in Canada for two decades, including the production of agri-educational television programs and websites. He is currently directing a pilot project supported by the Canadian Farm Management Business Council for the delivery of audio training materials in digital format via the Internet in combination with small group learning activities in rural communities. Learn more about this innovative project at the face-to-face conference on Oct. 26/27. Item 4) Telecentres bringing phones to rural areas in Haiti Joseph Georges of the TeleCommons Development Group http://www.telecommons.com will be speaking at the Oct. 26/27 conference on the future of rural telecommunications in Haiti. Joseph is involved extensively with rural radio in Haiti and is also working on a project to help improve community involvement in rural telecentres that are spreading across Haiti via the efforts of Teleco Haiti and SR Telecom (http://www.srtelecom.com). We will also learn more about the importance of access to rural telecommunication systems during natural disasters such as the recent "Hurricane George" that has caused so much devastation in Haiti. Item 5) Blending ICTs with traditional practice in Nigeria Tunde Adegbola of TIWA Systems, Nigeria will be speaking at the Oct. 26/27 conference on "Infocommunes: Blending Modern Information and Communications Technologies with Traditional Practice." According to Tunde, if deliberate steps are not taken, present trends in the applications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) may inadvertently *widen* the gap between rich and poor countries... Very creative approaches such as =AB infocommunes =BB can help to overcome some of the impediments caused by the weak infrastructural base of ICTs in the developing world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunication for Rural Development Conference" The two-day face-to-face conference on October 26 & 27, 1998 will take place on the beautiful campus of the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Guelph is a short 45 minute drive from Toronto with easy access to and from Toronto International Airport (Pearson Airport). The conference focuses on telecommunications for participatory rural development. It looks at how lessons-learned in Canada might be applied by people in other countries, and how lessons learned in other countries might be applied in Canada. There is still time to register for the conference! You may call (519) 824 4120 ext. 2353 to register by phone, or you can print, complete and fax your registration(s) from our website at http://www.snowden.org/conference/registerpaid.html The conference fee is $349 +GST for Canadian residents and $300 US for non-Canadians. This conference is sponsored by: Don Snowden Program for Development Communication, Foundation for International Training, Bell Canada, SR Telecom, International Telecommunication Union, International Development Research Centre, Industry Canada, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, University of Guelph, and the TeleCommons Development Group. Don Richardson Director Don Snowden Program for Development Communication University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1 Tel: 519-824-4120 x 3811 Fax: 519-836-9941 Email: drichard@uoguelph.ca Web: http://www.snowden.org From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 10 07:38:41 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id HAA26973; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 07:36:27 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id HAA26962 for ; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 07:36:03 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-060.super.net.pk [203.130.5.199]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id MAA29796; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 12:33:19 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810100733.MAA29796@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1998 12:38:05 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [Fwd: [PACNET] Call for papers - PACIFIC TELEHEALTH CONFERENCE, CC: Bob Pyke Jr Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT The following message was "rejected" by the majordomo as it could not handle the lengthy header filed [error message: "Header field too long (>1024)"]. It has been re-formated so that it fits in the margins properly. Irfan Khan ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1998 01:19:27 -0400 From: Bob Pyke Jr To: Ahmad Risk CC: Andy Spooner , Barbara Bates Greenwalt , Barbara Blanton , Brian Short , Danny , Devel -L , Eberhardt , Eric Hanson , Himms-L , Info-L , ITNA , Joan Dzenowagis , Joan-Enric Torra , Julie McAfooes , Karen Olness , "Linda Q. Thede" , "Marlene Maheu," , MEDNETS Medical Telecommunications Networks , Nancy Belle , Nancy Sharp , Nursing Informatics , South Asia List , Spanish Informatics List , Susan , Suzanne Franka , "T.Matthew Ciolek" , Telehealth-l , Vicky Subject: [Fwd: [PACNET] Call for papers - PACIFIC TELEHEALTH CONFERENCE, 30Nov-3 Dec 98] One of those Fyi things, sorry for any cross postings. Bob Pyke Jr Elise Benyon wrote: << Dear Colleague, We are delighted to announce the regional call for papers for the SPC PACNET and PBMA WPHNet Pacific Telehealth Conference. The Conference will be held from 30 November to 3 December in the Secretariat of the Pacific Community located in Noumea, New Caledonia, and will feature several tracks dedicated to Pacific Island-based telehealth activities and to the development of human resources in these areas. The organisational committee is accepting selected contributions (20-25) on the following themes : - Telehealth activities in the Pacific (including telemedicine) - Information and communication technology in the development of Pacific health networks - Distance education and Pacific health networks. Contributions must be in the format of abstracts of up to 600 words and sent by email or fax to Dr Tom Kiedrzynski or Dr Yvan Souares (whose contacts are indicated below). The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 1 November. Notification of selected contributions will be given by 15 November. Authors of the selected abstracts will be required to bring a copy of the full paper at the time of the conference. Networks of regional health professionals that address health issues and allow for distance education are growing rapidly throughout the Pacific, and we encourage you to participate in this exciting conference. Please also kindly forward, post and/or distribute copies of this announcement to your colleagues. Further information is included in the attached file. If you have any questions, please contact Tom Kiedrzynski or Yvan Souares by email (TomK@spc.org.nc and YvanS@spc.org.nc respectively) or by fax (687. 26 38 18). Yours truly, Dr Yvan Souares PHS&CDC Section PPHSN Focal Point ================================================== PACNET / WPHNet Pacific Telehealth Conference Noumea, New Caledonia 30 November-3 December INFORMATION TO AUTHORS Goals * To improve communication and networking between the health-related professionals working in those countries and territories members of the Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network (PPHSN), as well as with other health-related professionals allied to the PPHSN (i.e. in regional and international organisations, training and research institutions, aid donors). * To widen the range of relevant resources available for health development through the PPHSN, in the Pacific Islands, to improve their accessibility for Pacific Islands-based health-related professionals and partners, and to promote appropriate human resource development to take advantage of these resources. * To promote and develop accessibility and use of information and communication technology (ICT) for the purpose of improving health services management and delivery in the PPHSN country and territory members, especially in the fields of: => outbreaks prevention and control => Public health surveillance and disease control => distance clinical, epidemiology and public health consultation => distance education * To facilitate discussions among PACNET and WPHNet members (users, moderators and sponsors) to identify the methods and steps to be taken for the collaborating networks to be able to deliver improved services in the above-mentioned specific fields. Strategy : networking of networks. Both PACNET and the Western Pacific HealthNet (WPHNet) serve Pacific Islands countries and territories (PICTs) members of the PPHSN. Both started operating in April 1997. Both are based on ICT advances, i.e. E-mail and Internet services, for which accessibility is rapidly improving in the Pacific Islands. Both are aiming at the ultimate goal of sustainable development for Pacific Islands health services. Both consider telecommunication and distance education as top priorities and key strategies in that process. Both PACNET and WPHNet have gone through fairly similar stages of development : encountering the same encouraging rapid growth and improvement in membership and efficiency, and also currently facing similar bottlenecks in reaching out to more specific users and potential partners. Affordability of the technology-especially to health-related professionals, lack of appropriate training, and respective limited advocacy means, are common hindrances to their efficiency and to the expansion of their networking capabilities. A well-thought and greater integration of PACNET and WPHNet membership within the framework of the PPHSN, and a complementary planning and management of their respective resources, operations, and services, should strengthen both networks and can only increase users' benefit. The development of the Pacific Health Dialog as a medium for telehealth, training and information exchange may well assist in this endeavor. Format of the Meeting The meeting will combine three modes of interactions for participants, resource persons and observers. Formal presentations followed by question-answer sessions The papers will elaborate on Pacific Islands-based activities and projects in relation to three main themes: * Telehealth activities in the Pacific (including telemedicine) * Information and communication technology in the development of Pacific health networks * Distance education and Pacific health networks A series of 20-25 selected papers will be presented to the audience. Each presentation will last 10-15 minutes, followed by a question-answer session. Video projection from a laptop and slides projection will be available. For any special requirements, please contact the PHS&CDC Section for further information. Panel discussions Four practical issues related to the themes presented in the papers will be addressed: * Establishing medical associations, public health networks and the role of information and communication technology; * Distance education, academic and continuing: how to deliver a curriculum? * Integrating methods and resources for distance health consultation: development of a joint PACNET/WPHNet web site * Outbreak identification and response: how to establish a Pacific-based network of reference laboratories? Hands-on workshops Two hands-on workshops will be organised: * How to access and use available distance clinical and public health consultation services * How to access and request for literature searches and document delivery Expected outputs -> Cross-fertilisation, improved practical skills in the use of ICT, and development of networking links among the meeting participants, leading to increased telehealth activities in the Pacific -> Publication of a special issue of Pacific Health Dialog on 'Telehealth in the Pacific' in both English and French languages (based on the compilation of submitted papers and proceedings of the various sessions) -> Establishment of regional working groups (out of PACNET/WPHNet users) in charge of completing and/or overseeing the implementation of the plans of operations outlined or designed during the panel discussions, to address the practical issues discussed -> Taking advantage of the conference, attending members of the PPHSN Coordinating Body will also meet in parallel, for their 4th annual meeting. Organisational steps would be planned in order to take the outcome of the conference in consideration, within the PPHSN structure. The expected output of this PPHSN Coordinating Body meeting will be a series of recommendations to be circulated independently to PICTs members and PPHSN associate members (regional and international organisations, training and research institutions, medical associations, aid donors) for their comments and suggestions. END ------------------------------------------------------------- SPC Community Health Programme Focal Point, PPHSNetwork Coordinating Body ph : (687) 26.20.00 fax : (687) 26.38.18 www : http://www.spc.org.nc/ http://www.spc.org.nc/surveillance2.htm Contact persons : Dr. Yvan SouarFs (yvans@spc.org.nc) Dr. Tom Kiedrzynski (tomk@spc.org.nc) Mrs. Elise Benyon (eliseb@spc.org.nc) Mina Vilayleck (minav@spc.org.nc) ------------------------------------------------------------- >> From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 10 15:44:38 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id PAA10577; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 15:43:41 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id PAA10570 for ; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 15:43:33 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-069.super.net.pk [203.130.5.208]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id UAA06780 for ; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 20:40:55 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810101540.UAA06780@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1998 20:45:20 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Internet comes to Sri Lanka, but few can afford it Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Internet comes to Sri Lanka, but few can afford it COLOMBO (October 7, 1998 12:26 p.m. EDT) - Thanks to financial constraints and a low degree of computer literacy, only one in about 750 Sri Lankans trawls the Internet, an expert said on Wednesday. "At the present growth rate it may take at least another 10 to 20 years for the general public to identify it as a powerful communication medium," Central Bank systems engineer Chanuka Wattegama told a two-day conference on information technology. The Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission puts the number of the country's Internet users at about 25,000, but Internet and e-mail accounts numbered only 12,109 by June this year, he said. Across the globe, by comparison, there are almost 97 million users of the World Wide Web, U.S. market researcher International Data Corp estimates. It sees this figure climbing to 320 million by 2002. Wattegama said a recent survey of 3,351 people, some 80 percent of them students aged between 12 and 20, showed only 4.89 percent of the respondents had a clear idea what the Internet is. "According to the survey results, the low usage is principally due to financial reasons and low computer literacy leveles and not because of any hostile feelings about Internet," Wattegama said. The survey showed 73.5 percent of the respondents considered the Internet important as a communication medium and 48 percent said it should be given prominence in the school curriculum. Sri Lanka has a population of just over 18 million. Copyright 1998 Reuters News Service Copyright 1998 Nando.net [http://www.nandotimes.com] *"dead link"* http://www.techserver.com/newsroom/ntn/info/ 100798/info6_15330_noframes.html *"dead link"* From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 10 15:44:37 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id PAA10581; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 15:43:44 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id PAA10569 for ; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 15:43:33 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-069.super.net.pk [203.130.5.208]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id UAA06081 for ; Sat, 10 Oct 1998 20:41:01 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810101541.UAA06081@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1998 20:45:19 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: (Fwd) [GKD]: ANNOUNCE: NepalNet launch Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1998 10:01:20 +0530 From: Anju Shrestha To: gkd@tristram.edc.org Subject: [GKD]: ANNOUNCE: NepalNet launch Dear Colleagues: I'm writing you to announce the recent launch of NepalNet, the Nepal sustainable development Internet networking program in Nepal. Funded by Canada's International Development Research Centre's Pan Asia Networking Project, it is coordinated by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal. NepalNet is a Website that provides access to information on and about Nepal, in addition to serving as an electronic space where Nepalis and friends of Nepal can come together and voice their opinions on various topics. NepalNet houses the autonomous Web sites of each of its 31 Nepali network members. In addition, NepalNet provides an extensive archive of on-line information about Nepal under the following key development sectors: - Agriculture - Ecology & Biodiversity - Education - Economics and Employment - Forestry - Sociology & Demography - Policy & Law - Technology & Infrastructure - Water, Earth, & Atmosphere NepalNet at supports a number of easily accessible services including: - E-mail discussion groups - Web based bulletin board service - a Daily News Advisory This site is designed to provide information resources to researchers, development practitioners, government organizations and others interested in issues on Nepal and development. We invite you and your colleagues to visit this site and offer any feedback or suggestions you feel may enhance the web site. We especially encourage you to share this information with your own partner institutions and networks. We look forward to your visits to the NepalNet Web Site and hearing from you. -- Anju Shrestha Information Analyst cum Writer International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development GPO Box 3226 Kathmandu, Nepal e-mail: anju@icimod.org.np web site: www.panasia.org.sg/nepalnet From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 11 13:48:05 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id NAA16790; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 13:43:24 GMT Received: from sun2.mcmail.com (ns0.cwcom.net [195.44.0.12]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id NAA16775 for ; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 13:43:14 GMT Received: from default (asn16-161.mcmail.com [195.44.16.161]) by sun2.mcmail.com (9.9.9/8.8.8) with SMTP id OAA04122 for ; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 14:42:15 +0100 (BST) Message-ID: <362097AE.58F3@mcmail.com> Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 14:34:06 +0300 From: Shiv Satchit Reply-To: sshiv@mcmail.com X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01C-IDv3b (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Subject: Re: Advice on Connectivity Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear Friends, Could somebody from this list help us: [1] How could we inexpensively (shoe-string budget) set up Internet or/and email service in villages in India and Africa where there is, first, an absence of connectivity for the Internet and secondly, where it is available, but unaffordable. [2] Could we use radio frequencies? [3] How much would it cost? [4] What software and hardware are involved? [5] What level of programming or communication knowledge or expertise is required? [6] If you cannot help how about referring us to some experts? We are planning to set up internet cybercafe's for the promotion of social development and any advice or assistance would be very welcomed. Regards Shiv Satchit From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 11 13:51:10 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id NAA17033; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 13:51:09 GMT Received: from garlic.negia.net (IDENT:root@garlic.negia.net [206.61.0.14]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id NAA17027 for ; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 13:51:06 GMT Received: from idn.org (p91.negia.net [207.43.201.101]) by garlic.negia.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id IAA18966; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 08:27:25 -0400 Message-ID: <3620B679.1B0809BA@idn.org> Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 09:45:29 -0400 From: "Christopher L. Byrne" Organization: International Development Network X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; U) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: "AFRIK-IT@LISTSERV.HEA.IE" , "s-asia-it@postoffice.apnic.net" CC: sshiv@mcmail.com Subject: [Fwd: Advice] Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------BF9C7A3CAB3168B5393E99DD" Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------BF9C7A3CAB3168B5393E99DD Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This message is forwarded for your expertise. Please reply to Shiv Satchit at sshiv@mcmail.com. Cheers! Christopher --------------BF9C7A3CAB3168B5393E99DD Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: sshiv@mcmail.com Received: from sun2.mcmail.com (ns0.cwcom.net [195.44.0.12]) by mail.9netave.com (8.8.7/8.8.8) with ESMTP id JAA23238 for ; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 09:40:58 -0400 (EDT) Received: from default (asn16-161.mcmail.com [195.44.16.161]) by sun2.mcmail.com (9.9.9/8.8.8) with SMTP id OAA01819 for ; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 14:36:46 +0100 (BST) Message-ID: <36209662.7D83@mcmail.com> Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 14:28:34 +0300 From: Shiv Satchit Reply-To: sshiv@mcmail.com X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01C-IDv3b (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: info@IDN.ORG Subject: Re: Advice Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear Friends, Could somebody from this list help us: [1] How could we inexpensively (shoe-string budget) set up Internet or/and email service in villages in India and Africa where there is, first, an absence of connectivity for the Internet and secondly, where it is available, but unaffordable. [2] Could we use radio frequencies? [3] How much would it cost? [4] What software and hardware are involved? [5] What level of programming or communication knowledge or expertise is required? [6] If you cannot help how about referring us to some experts? We are planning to set up internet cybercafe's for the promotion of social development and any advice or assistance would be very welcomed. Regards Shiv Satchit --------------BF9C7A3CAB3168B5393E99DD-- From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 11 16:43:13 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id QAA21006; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 16:42:53 GMT Received: from helix.bestnet.org (bee.bestnet.org [205.189.60.7]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with SMTP id QAA21002 for ; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 16:42:49 GMT Received: from lizard by helix.bestnet.org (IBM OS/2 SENDMAIL VERSION 2.01/1.0) id MAA382.92; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 12:38:18 -0400 Message-Id: <3.0.1.16.19981011123224.41bffa2c@networx.on.ca> X-Sender: jwalker@networx.on.ca X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.1 (16) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 12:32:24 To: Shiv Satchit From: Shiv Satchit (by way of John Walker ) Subject: Re: Advice on Connectivity Cc: nettrain@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu, gkd@tristram.edc.org, s-asia-it@apnic.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk I am going to redirect this message to two other lists where you might get a more definitive answer. If you can help please reply directly to: Shiv Satchit Thanks, John Walker ----------------------------------------------- Dear Friends, Could somebody from this list help us: [1] How could we inexpensively (shoe-string budget) set up Internet or/and email service in villages in India and Africa where there is, first, an absence of connectivity for the Internet and secondly, where it is available, but unaffordable. [2] Could we use radio frequencies? [3] How much would it cost? [4] What software and hardware are involved? [5] What level of programming or communication knowledge or expertise is required? [6] If you cannot help how about referring us to some experts? We are planning to set up internet cybercafe's for the promotion of social development and any advice or assistance would be very welcomed. Regards Shiv Satchit ------------------------------------------------------- On-line Learning Series of Courses http://www.networx.on.ca/~jwalker/course.htm Member: Association for International Business _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ John S. Walker _/ _/ Publisher, CSS Internet News (tm) _/ _/ (Internet Training and Research) _/ _/ PO Box 57247, Jackson Stn., _/ _/ Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8P 4X1 _/ _/ Email jwalker@hwcn.org _/ _/ http://www.networx.on.ca/~jwalker _/ _/ _/ _/ "To Teach is to touch a life forever" _/ _/ On the Web one touch can reach so far! _/ _/ _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 12 01:46:53 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id AAA27853; Mon, 12 Oct 1998 00:29:32 GMT Received: from garlic.negia.net (IDENT:root@garlic.negia.net [206.61.0.14]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id AAA27849 for ; Mon, 12 Oct 1998 00:29:27 GMT Received: from idn.org (p54.negia.net [207.43.201.64]) by garlic.negia.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id SAA22509; Sun, 11 Oct 1998 18:48:59 -0400 Message-ID: <36214838.5ACE0D15@idn.org> Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 20:07:20 -0400 From: "Christopher L. Byrne" Organization: International Development Network X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; U) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: info@idn.org Subject: Profile of New USAID South Africa Mission Director Posted to International Development Network (IDN) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The subject profile has been posted to the "Development Front" section of the October 12, 1998 Update of the International Development Network Web Site at http://www.idn.org/ . In addition, we include a link to USAID/Nepal in the new links section, which is not even included at the official USAID web Site. We have added a navigation menu to the left side of our home page to help you access specific items on the page faster. Also this week, we provide our first NGO Profile (see below). Here is what else is new at the IDN this week: Membership Directory The directory has been updated to include our newest network member, Barbara Britton. The IDN warmly welcomes Barbara and thanks her for helping support the IDN. _____________________________________________________________________ NGO/Project Profile Last week, the director of the IDN attended a roundtable discussion sponsored by the Carter Center and the Asia Society entitled "What's Asia Got To Do With US? U.S. - South Asia NGO Dialogues on Shared Social Challenges". For its first NGO Profile, the IDN is pleased to profile the Lifesaving & Lifegiving Society (LALS) - Nepal, who took part in the discussion held at the Carter Center in Atlanta. LALS is a NGO in NEPAL with the mission to assist injecting drug users (IDUs) in the reduction of drug related harm through HIV/AIDS Education and the provision of harm reduction materials in the Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts. _____________________________________________________________________ Quick Link of the Week Annual Meeting of CIDA and the Voluntary Sector CIDA will be having its annual meeting with the Canadian Voluntary Sector from November 3-4, 1998. As this week's Quick Link, You can have direct access to the meeting announcement, the draft agenda, and the list of invited organizations. _____________________________________________________________________ Tools You Can Use This week's tool is a link to the on-line version of the The World Bank Annual Report 1998.  _____________________________________________________________________ New Publications Regional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia The Asian Development Bank is pleased to announce the release of its new publication, "Regional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia." Additional Information is available on the IDN Site. _____________________________________________________________________ Conference Information First International Conference on Journalist Who Write About Childrens and Womens Issues Additional Information is available on our "Conferences, Meetings and Symposia" page. _____________________________________________________________________ New Links (Now located on the right side of the IDN Home Page) The Asia Society - is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering an understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific The Association of Caribbean States - aims to promote the implementation of policies and programmes designed to harness, utilize and develop the collective capabilities of the Caribbean region to achieve sustained cultural, economic, social, scientific and technological advancement. (English/Spanish/French) Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) - an inter-governmental regional disaster management organisation established in 1991 by an Agreement of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) - established to assist Caribbean exporters and manufacturers increase their exports. The Center for Micro-Finance Nepal - works to enhance awareness among donors, government and MF practitioners on critical issues that face the micro-finance sector in Nepal and globally, and on emerging thinking on MF best practices. Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) - an organisation of free independent sovereign states which have agreed to co-operate in developing their natural and human resources for the good of all their people'. The Club of Rome - founded in 1968 in Rome, is a group of scientists, economics, businessmen, international high civil servants, Heads of State and former Heads of State from the five continents, who are convinced that the future of humankind is not determined once and for all and that each human being can contribute to the improvement of our societies. The Economics Institute - provide high quality preparatory training for international scholars who intend to seek graduate study in economics and business at U.S. universities. Eastern Mediterranean Region Office of the WHO Florida Center for Environmental Studies - acts as a facilitator and co-ordinator of research and training related to the environment and as a locus for environmental information. Its mandate encompasses global tropical and sub-tropical environments especially the issues and problems of water dominated ecosystems. Global Environmental Sanitation Initiative (GESI) - is a new global activity led by an international steering committee and carried on under the umbrella of the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) - an international development agency and British registered charity which works with rural communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its aim is to enable poor people in the South to develop and use skills and technologies which give them more control over their lives and which contribute to the sustainable development of their communities. IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre - Resource centre on community water supply and environmental sanitation in the developing world. Islamic Centre for Development of Trade - a subsidiary organ of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) created to promote trade between member countries as well as trade with the rest of the world. Latin American Demographic Centre (CELADE) - provides technical assistance, training and information on population to the countries of the region, carries out applied research in related subjects and works on the development of related computer systems and programmes. (English/Spanish) NepalNet - Electronic Networking Project for Sustainable Mountain Development, Nepal. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) - consolidates co-operation among Member States in the economic, social, cultural, scientific and other vital fields of activities, and to carry out consultations among Member States in international organizations. Sarvodaya - NGO in Sri-Lanka that provides sustainable development with a holistic, viable alternative. Small Islands Developing States Network (SIDSnet) - Building Global Communities On Island Issues. USAID Nepal Mission   - Official web-site of the USAID Mission in Nepal. USAID Philippines Mission - Official web-site of the USAID Mission in the Philippines. USAID South Africa Mission - Official web-site of the USAID Mission in South Africa. USAID West Bank & Gaza Mission - Official web-site of the USAID Mission in the West Bank & Gaza. Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council - provides a regular way for water and sanitation sector professionals to exchange views and experiences through working groups, networks and task forces on various topics. WHO/Europe - web-site for the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization. _____________________________________________________________________ The Development Front The following stories have already been provided to members of the IDN in a daily newsletter and are now available on the IDN Web Site: Profile of New Mission Director for USAID/South Africa UNFPA and Islamic Conference Sign Agreement on Reproductive Health, Family Life Education, Censuses HIV Epidemic Posing Increasing Threat To World's Children Fundamental Reforms Needed to Set the Stage for Poverty Reduction in India Initiative to Facilitate Private Sector Involvement in Infrastructure in Developing Countries World Bank Calls for a Narrowing of the "Knowledge Gap" Between Rich and Poor Hillary Clinton Visits EDC Project in Haiti Calls for Reform at Opening of UNESCO's World Conference on Higher Education South Pacific Forum Provides Short Term Advisory Service to Naury and Palau Asian Recovery Depends on Strong Financial Institutions IFC Completes US$60 Million Financing Package for Argentine Bank Bolivia to Receive US$760 Million in Debt Relief Communiqué of the Interim Committee of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund Experts From 65 Countries Discuss Privacy, Confidentiality And Security in Cyberspace at Infoethics '98 OAS Head to Visit Bahamas Venezuelan Envoy Heads OAS Permanent Council Crime a Threat to Democracy, Peru's Justice Minister Tells OAS Uruguayan Foreign Minister Wants More Active Latin American And Caribbean Participation in United Nations Head of Human Rights Body Wants Stronger Human Rights in The Americas OAS and IDB Sign Cooperation Agreement OAS And Member Countries Pledges More Help For Caribbean Countries Battered by Hurricane Georges "Telefood 98" to Be Marked by the Global Broadcast of a Concert from Dakar, Senegal OPIC Loan Supports Botswana's Growing Ecotourism Sector, Helping Country to Diversify Economy Britain's CDC Joins Guinness and Castel to Invest in Mozambican Brewery ICAO Resolutions to Increase Safety and Efficiency of International Air Transport and the Effectiveness of the Organization EBRD and Pol'nobanka Assist the Slovak Agribusiness Sector EBRD Loan to Krakow Puts Fast Tram on Track Kvaerner and EBRD Join Forces in Romanian Privatisation IDB Approves $1.5 Million for Inter-American Health Policy Network IDB, Haiti Sign $97 Million for Programs in Health, Education, And Water Supply Committee on Hemispheric Financial Issues Concludes Meeting At IDB on Strengthening Hemispheric Financial Systems UNCTAD Commission Sets Ambitious Work Agenda Ahead Of Future Trade Negotiations Five Women to Be Honoured by United Nations Development Programme for Their Work Against Poverty World Bank Group President, James D. Wolfensohn, Argues the Financial Turmoil Cannot be Solved by Stabilization Measures Alone Communiqué of the World Bank Development Committee Save the Children Comes to the Aid of Flood-stricken Schoolchildren and Orphans in China New ADRA Regional Office to Open in Asia Christian Aid Pledges Emergency Aid for Kosovo Christian Aid Pledges Assistance to Hurricane-hit Dominican Republic WHO Regional Committee Calls for Prevention & Control of Cardiovascular Diseases & AIDS in East Mediterranean   Population and Housing in Precarious Settlements Subject of Seminar at ECLAC Child-Friendly Movement Launched in Philippines Regulations for Employment in Montserrat CARICOM Youth Parliament Starts on Thursday Caribbean/Cuba Trade Symposium for Guyana in November Caribbean Region Gives Priority to Drug Demand Reduction CARICOM Ready to Aid Hurricane Ravaged Member States Aid Workers in Kosovo Warn of Winter Catastrophe Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank) Allocates USD $250 Million to Support Import of Raw Materials Safe Sex Campaign in Moscow Governments, Society Must Act Promptly on Ageing, Says UNFPA Official as Technical Meeting Begins >From El Niño-Related Disaster Mitigation to Forest Conservation in China, The World Bank Says It is Working to Safeguard the Environment Aid Worker Decries Unfolding Crisis in Kosovo First Woman Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Appointed Commonwealth Ministers to Meet with Nigerian Foreign Minister for Talks on Ending Military Rule PRC to Receive Technical Assistance to Promote Clean Technology Brazil Remains Critical to Avoid Hemisphere Financial Meltdown Commonwealth  Development Corporation Invests in China Britain to Help China after the Floods South Pacific Forum Project to Combat Cross Border Crimes South Pacific Forum Secretary General Outlines Forum Views Global Coalition for Africa Holds a Meeting on on Anti-corruption Efforts MIF Approves $2 Million For Health System Modernization in Peru IDB And Geoenergia De Guanacaste Close Miravalles Iii Financing For Geothermal Plant in Costa Rica IFC to Support Privatization of Czech Bank Human Rights, Burden of Mental Disorders Are Themes for Mental Health Day UNESCO and Club of Rome Sign Co-operation Agreement Students' Vision of Higher Education at UNESCO Conference >From Traditional to Virtual Universities, a Debate on the Impact of New Technologies on Higher Education Importance of Academic Mobility and Need to Stem Brain Drain Stressed at UNESCO Conference Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance to Visit Viet Nam Committee on Rights of Child Discusses Cooperation With Other Bodies Forcing Children into Armed Forces 'A War Crime' Canadian Aid For Hurricane Victims Encourages Exhausted Relief Workers Tourism Puts Jobs in the Countryside;. WTTC Calls for Action from Agriculture Ministers. Global Efforts to Protect Ozone Layer Get Major Boost as Donors Commit Funds to Close Russia's CFC Factories European Car Agreement Illustrates Importance of Cooperation with Industry in Global Warming Efforts CIDA and Aquasphere Technologies Inc. to Revitalize Agriculture in Egypt by Harvesting and Recycling Aquatic Weeds Canada to Support Democratic Process in Nigeria South Pacific Forum Organizes Food Processing Workshop ILO Report on Sex Sector Receives Prestigious Publishing Prize at Frankfurt Book Fair Kosovo: Thousands Hide in Forests, Medical Personnel Targeted and Supplies Burned UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education Drew 4,200 Participants by Today's Close World Conference on Higher Education Adopts Far-reaching Recommendations for Reform Higher Education Experts Debate Academic Freedom and Autonomy at UNESCO Conference Donors Should Negotiate Debt Relief to Release Funds for Social Services, Meeting on Ageing Recommends Expert Warns Developing Countries on Costs of Western-style Social Security Systems, as Technical Meeting Enters Final Day The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank Agree to Support Brazil Committee on Rights of Child Concludes Nineteenth Session Renewed Commitment Required to Achieve Polio Eradication, WHO Says Multinational Operation Launched to Eliminate Europe's Remaining Poliovirus Reservoir Trócaire Seeks Government Funds to Rebuild Shattered Bangladesh _____________________________________________________________________ The IDN plans to continue our growth and offerings. If you have not yet thought about a membership/sponsorship in the IDN, we encourage you to consider becoming a sponsor/member of the fastest growing, most comprehensive and current International Development Web Site on the Internet! Information is available at http://www.idn.org/membership/ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Tue Oct 13 05:14:56 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id FAA11170; Tue, 13 Oct 1998 05:13:55 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id FAA11159 for ; Tue, 13 Oct 1998 05:13:36 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-086.super.net.pk [203.130.5.225]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id KAA21157 for ; Tue, 13 Oct 1998 10:11:03 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810130511.KAA21157@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 10:13:30 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: (Fwd) Re: [Fwd: Advice] Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [the following appeared on the afrik-it in response to a posting that appeared on both afrik-it and s-asia-it. irfan] ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 17:48:38 +0200 From: Dr Eberhard W Lisse Subject: Re: [Fwd: Advice] To: AFRIK-IT@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE Chris, In message <3620B679.1B0809BA@idn.org>, "Christopher L. Byrne" writes: > This message is forwarded for your expertise. Please reply to Shiv > Satchit at sshiv@mcmail.com. Have you been paying attention? :-)-O > [1] How could we inexpensively (shoe-string budget) set up Internet > or/and email service in villages in India and Africa where there is, > first, an absence of connectivity for the Internet and secondly, where > it is available, but unaffordable. You can't. Internet? Requires permanent connections, eg leased lines, locally to the nearest Points of Presence, from there to the backbone and internationally via satellite/fibre optic cable. email? Can be done, has been done, provided you have more or less reliable dialup service to a national node. Needs to be on the backbone as above or be fed by some NGO from overseas. Buit the more customers you have the more likely is the chance you can afford the international link. Why on earth do you think villages need this? > [2] Could we use radio frequencies? Depends on whether your PTT allows this, hardware needs to be imported with all the problems that involves. > [3] How much would it cost? No idea. > [4] What software and hardware are involved? 486/586 and linux. > [5] What level of programming or communication knowledge or > expertise is required? Very little. Computer literacy, really. Buy a RedHat CD-ROM or a clone thereof and all the info you need is there. > [6] If you cannot help how about referring us to some experts? ??? > We are planning to set up internet cybercafe's for the promotion of > social development This is a contradiction in terms. > and any advice or assistance would be very welcomed. greetings, el -- Dr. Eberhard W. Lisse\ / Swakopmund State Hospital * | Resident Medical Officer Private Bag 5004 \ / +264 81 1246733 (c) 64 461005(h) 461004(f) Swakopmund, Namibia ;____/ Domain Coordinator for NA-DOM (el108) From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Tue Oct 13 11:47:04 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id LAA25053; Tue, 13 Oct 1998 11:40:56 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id LAA25040 for ; Tue, 13 Oct 1998 11:40:44 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-123.super.net.pk [203.130.5.123]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id QAA24693 for ; Tue, 13 Oct 1998 16:37:54 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810131137.QAA24693@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 16:42:37 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: (Fwd) Re: [GKD]: Request for Info: Advice on Connectivity Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [This was posted on the GKD in response to Shiv Satchit's "Advice on Connectivity". Irfan] ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 14:37:20 -0400 From: Sam Lanfranco To: gkd@tristram.edc.org Subject: Re: [GKD]: Request for Info: Advice on Connectivity Requests on Indian village connectivity should always start by looking at who is doing what already in that direction. For this request I would advise looking at india-link, supported by various groups in India and the APC non-profit ICT organizations (greenet, peacenet, icg.net, web.net, alternex, ecuanex, etc.) scattered around the world. Sam Lanfranco Bellanet From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Wed Oct 14 06:16:45 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id GAA18278; Wed, 14 Oct 1998 06:08:39 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id GAA18267 for ; Wed, 14 Oct 1998 06:08:31 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-061.super.net.pk [203.130.5.200]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id LAA11592 for ; Wed, 14 Oct 1998 11:05:57 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810140605.LAA11592@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 11:10:41 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Hacker enters PTCL's internet system Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT 11 October 1998 Hacker enters PTCL's internet system By Our Reporter LAHORE, Oct 10: A hacker entered the Pakistan Telecom internet system and remained there for quite some time a few days ago. The hacker, Shahid, reportedly is an employee of the Brain internet service providers. He was also a user of the Paknet. The hacker could not damage any file. He came out of his restricted shell and then tried to enter the super login which had pass words of all the internet users. The hacker when ultimately caught, denied doing it by himself. Instead, he said he had given his code number to his friends who might have done it. However, he wrote a letter to PTCL authorities apologizing for the act. The Brain network and the Paknet Lahore authorities were not available for comments. The divisional engineer, when contacted, denied any such incident occurred. Reportedly, the Brain internet service also was hacked. Their server had to be closed down for a day. Whether any damage was done or not could not be known. An employee, who requested not to be named, said that the Brain network remained closed because of hacking problems. However, he said that the system had to survive hundreds of attacks daily. Sometimes the hackers are successful. "But this happens everywhere and with every system" he said. (c) The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 1998 http://www.dawn.com/daily/19981011/nat15.htm From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Thu Oct 15 15:37:53 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id PAA01294; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 15:34:16 GMT Received: from media.georgetown.edu (media.georgetown.edu [141.161.155.191]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id PAA01277 for ; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 15:34:09 GMT Received: from gusun.georgetown.edu (ppp-24-73.tidalwave.net [208.220.24.73]) by media.georgetown.edu (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id LAA24469; Thu, 15 Oct 1998 11:11:43 -0400 Message-ID: <362613BC.43DDBD1D@gusun.georgetown.edu> Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1998 11:24:46 -0400 From: Martin Sieg Organization: CCT, Keybridge.Net X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.06 [en] (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: DEVEL-L Subject: Financial Crises Eye Opening Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This article, http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/en/1998/10/02halimi.html , addresses how the networked nature of the economy is partly the cause of the recent and current calamities? The author advocates national currency and economic controls to protect countries from being too easily affected by outside changes (small change in one part of the net means a big change elsewhere) but is he forgetting that countries that isolate themselves too much also have many problems? How do we balance the openness needed to bring money, expertise and technology into developing countries with the need for some control over the effects of that importation and the ease of removing it suddenly, preferencing profit over economic integrity and human life? Martin Sieg MA student CCT Program Georgetown University From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 19 03:38:39 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id DAA05029; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 03:36:36 GMT Received: from garlic.negia.net (IDENT:root@garlic.negia.net [206.61.0.14]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id DAA05022 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 03:36:29 GMT Received: from idn.org (p159.negia.net [207.43.201.169]) by garlic.negia.net (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id UAA23683; Sun, 18 Oct 1998 20:50:49 -0400 Message-ID: <362A9FAC.9A45E353@idn.org> Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 22:10:52 -0400 From: "Christopher L. Byrne" Organization: International Development Network X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; U) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: info@idn.org Subject: This Week at the International Development Network (October 18, 1998) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Apologies for any cross-posting. The IDN has added a new category for organizational sponsorship/ membership and information is available at http://www.idn.org/membership/index.html Please note that news and information for "The Development Front" is now (effective this week) only available via our e-mail newsletter to sponsoring members of the IDN. This newsletter also includes contract/grant award information, employment/consultancy announcements, contact information and more. Here is what else is new this week at the International Development Network (http://www.idn.org/): _____________________________________________________________________ Quick Link of the Week OECD DAC Development Co-operation Review of Germany This week's Quick Link is a direct link to the OECD DAC Development Co-operation Review of Germany. _____________________________________________________________________ Tools You Can Use This week's tool is a link to the OECD Development Assistance Committee Untied Aid Projects Database of Business Opportunities. _____________________________________________________________________ New Publications Information is available on "DAC Creditor Review System Special Report: Aid Activities in Africa 1997-1998" _____________________________________________________________________ Conference Information 1999 Microcredit Summit Meeting of Councils Second Annual Conference on Vaccine Research: Basic Science-Product Development-Clinical & Field Studies _____________________________________________________________________ Training Opportunities Offerings of the Centre for Health Planning and Management, Keele University, UK have been added. _____________________________________________________________________ New Links (Now located on the right side of the IDN Home Page) Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) - assists and encourages Australia's agricultural scientists to use their skills for the benefit of developing countries, and at the same time work to resolve Australia's own agricultural problems. ENDA Third World - environmental development action in the third world (based in Senegal) HungerWeb - The aim of this site is to help prevent and eradicate hunger by facilitating the free exchange of ideas and information regarding the causes of, and solutions to, hunger. The Institute for Food and Development Policy (Food First) - is a member-supported, nonprofit 'peoples' think tank and education-for-action center. Our work highlights root causes and value-based solutions to hunger and poverty around the world, with a commitment to establishing food as a fundamental human right. International Youth Foundation (IYF) - an independent, international, nongovernmental organization dedicated to the positive development of children and youth, ages 5 to 20, worldwide. The Manoff Group - a consulting company that for over 25 years has specialized in behavior oriented planning and communications for health, nutrition, family planning and environmental programs. Mercy International-USA - a non-profit relief and development organization dedicated to alleviating human suffering and building self-reliance by improving health and promoting economic and educational growth around the world. Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries - (TCDC) is the execution and management of developmental activities and projects by institutions of developing countries in which they share one another's experience and technical capacities and utilize, whenever necessary, advice and financial support from external sources including organizations of the United Nations development system. UK Foundation for the South Pacific - aims to promote self-reliance and sustainable development amongst poor and disadvantaged communities. UNDP - Trinidad & Tobago - Resident UNDP Office for T&T. United States-Asia Environmental Partnership - established in 1992 to assist in addressing environmental degradation and sustainable development environmental experience, technology, and services. Waste Policy Institute -  promotes the development of socially and technically superior responses to environmental challenges. WIDTECH - provides technical assistance and training services complementary to those being provided by USAID's Office of Women in Development (G/WID). World Hunger Education Service - mission is to undertake programs which inform the community of people interested in issues of hunger and poverty, the public, and policymakers, about the causes, extent, and efforts to end hunger and poverty in the United States and the world. Worldwatch Institute Online - a nonprofit public policy research organization dedicated to informing policymakers and the public about emerging global problems and trends and the complex links between the world economy and its environmental support systems. Women, Law & Development International - promotes women's full and equal participation in nations around the world by advancing universal respect for human rights, expanding rights education and legal literacy among women, and challenging discriminatory socio-economic barriers. _____________________________________________________________________ The Development Front The following stories were included in "The Development Front", a daily e-mail news letter sent to sponsoring members of the IDN. These stories include project links, contact information and more. Please note that these stories will no longer be made available on the IDN Web Site and will only be available in the newsletter. You can find out more on how ti become a member of the IDN and receive a subscription to this publication at http://www.idn.org/membership/index.html : Employment/Consultancies U.S. Senate Approves $10,000,000 for FY 99 USAID Personal Services Contracts in the Areas of Child Survival, AIDS, and Other Activities USAID Awards US$97 Million Cooperative Agreement to Strengthen Reproductive Health Training Systems USAID Awards US$60 Million Cooperative Agreement to Increase Use of Appropriate Maternal and Neonatal Health and Nutrition Practices and Services New USAID Environmental Advisor for Southern Africa International Development Cooperation Between Major Players to be Promoted at Tokyo Conference Trinidad & Tobago Information Technology Sector Is on the Runway TIDCO Keeps up the Pace of Trade Preparation Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Selects Santiago A. Canton As Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Joint Press Statement of the Thirtieth ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting Tenth Meeting of The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on The Harare Declaration (CMAG) Joint Statement on Nigeria Tenth Meeting of The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on The Harare Declaration (CMAG) Concluding Statement Investment Information Service Now Features Industry Sector-based News Service From NewsReal Caribbean Ministers Propose New Projects to Promote Regional Development Waste Management in Barbados Receives $13 Million Boost Survey on Water Resources in Western Asia Shows Scarcity Throughout Region Land Registration Project in Armenia Receives US$8 Million Philippine Go-it Convention Tackles Y2K Problem P45.6 Billion Worth of Projects Approved for Philippines Ottawa Conference on Electronic Commerce Concludes $997,000 Provided for Capital Markets Modernization in Nicaragua St. Lucian Delegation Returns from World Bank Meeting Programme for Training in International Civil Service Children's Movement for Peace Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize "Energy: Driving Force for Economic Recovery and Development" - Third Meeting of APEC Energy Ministers APEC Launches New Look Website Ahead of Leaders' Kuala Lumpur Meeting Burma: Towards Transition? Special Education for Disabled Children in Viet Nam Additional Australian Assistance for China Flood Victims Petroleum Seminar Held in Fiji Expansion of Argentine Natural Gas Pipeline Company Receives $375 Million in Support Towards a New Paradigm For Development: Strategies, Policies and Processes Bulgaria Accepts Article VIII Obligations Latvia to Become WTO Member Kyrgyz Republic to Become WTO Member Forestry Operation Is First in Pacific to Receive Environmental Accolade Farmers' Co-ops Receive Funding to Revive Sugar Industry Agriculture Sector in Uruguay to Receive $32.4 Million in Project Funding Grant for Regional Road Study in People's Republic of China Pope John Paul II Receives Medal for His Efforts to Fight Hunger and Malnutrition Call Issued for Implementation of "Bill of Rights" for Women Working in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry $1 Million Approved For Project Preparation to Assist Low-income Communities in Eastern Guatemala $4 Million to be Provided for South American Environmental Fund to Promote Biodiversity Panama Tourism to Get $2.5 Million Boost Call Issued for Urgent Action to Relieve the Impact of Asia's Financial Crisis on the Poorest Rehabilitation Efforts Promise a Sustainable Increase in Food Security in North Korea Vegetable Oil Development Project Launched In Uganda Meeting to Be Held to Assess the Status of Multilateral Investment Negotiations OPIC President George Muñoz to Visit Korea Jose Antonio Abreu of Venezuela Named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador UNESCO Executive Board's 155th Session Opens Monday Malawi Promotes Family Planning Social Protection Project in Argentina Receives Funding Social Action Fund for Malawi To Be Started Eight Hundred Million Threatened by Food Insecurity Loan Signed For Kiev District Heating Improvement Project WFP Applauds Award of Nobel Economics Prize to Amartya Sen Food Convoy to Malanje Moves Safely Food Crises on The Rise Reported Parkinson's Disease - a Unique Survey Launched Regional Meeting in Harare For The Africa 2000 Initiative on Water Supply and Sanitation Former Ambassador to Sri Lanka Named South Asia Program Director at American Think Tank $1.8 Million in Humanitarian Aid to be Provided to Russia and Ukraine Financing for Smaller Businesses in Central America Receives Assistance Special Events to Mark the International Day for Eradication of Poverty Rapid Population Growth Is Still a Problem; Population Decline Is a Potential Problem--Noted Demographer Tells Why We Should Care About Both EIB Finances Small and Medium-scale Ventures in Hungary A Worldwide Recession Is Not Inevitable Says UN Official UNESCO Exhibition Celebrates the Legacy of Al Andalus Human Rights Committee to Hold Sixty-fourth Session at Geneva from 19 October to 6 November UNICEF Congratulates 1998 Nobel Peace Prize Winners Environmental Work Program Totaling $445.3 Million Approved Agreement Signed to Cooperate Worldwide on Tourism and the Environment Travel & Tourism: A Key Industry for the Development of Africa Deputy Chairman and CEO, Singapore Airlines, Calls on Governments and the Private Sector to Implement Travel & Tourism Strategic Action Agenda _____________________________________________________________________ The IDN plans to continue our growth and offerings. If you have not yet thought about a membership/sponsorship in the IDN, we encourage you to consider becoming a sponsor/member of the fastest growing, most comprehensive and current International Development Web Site on the Internet! Information is available at http://www.idn.org/membership/ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 19 19:04:44 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA02967; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:04:05 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA02956 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:03:53 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-096.super.net.pk [203.130.5.235]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA28815 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:01:10 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810191901.AAA28815@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:05:35 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Panos (4): Knowledge And Development - A View From Eastern Afric Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Knowledge And Development - A View From Eastern Africa by Melakou Tegegn, Director, Panos Eastern Africa The survival of humans has been based entirely on knowledge systems. Pastoralists are struggling to retain their knowledge system which is under siege from a tide of modernisation that dismisses their system as backward or primitive. ADDIS ABABA (PANOS) -Human survival has been based entirely on knowledge systems and, while most have changed beyond recognition or perished altogether, some remain and continue to thrive. Pastoralism is one of these, a way of life based on its own indigenous knowledge-system which is highly successful in the practices of preserving the environment, in livestock production, in animal health and in the art of predicting and handling natural disasters. Many advocates of modernisation do not consider these to be knowledge-systems - instead, they are described as "backward" or "primitive," as falling outside the prism of a certain production and social system. And when pastoralists accept the offer to be 'civilised', neither governments nor business communities in the South have been able to harness modernisation for their benefit. So, neither are pastoralists allowed to live as they wish, nor do those who want them to change come up with a meaningful alternative. The World Bank talks about the "knowledge gap" between the North and South and considers it to be a serious handicap in the process of development. It is right, but it is only part of the knowledge story. For not only are there knowledge gaps, but there exist different knowledge-systems. Knowledge-systems other than the dominant discourse need to be recognised not just as knowledge-systems per se, but as things that could be pivotal to the preservation of the environment and ensuring means of existence for the great many people who live on the edges of a rapidly modernising world. A similar and linked concentration of ownership is occurring in the telecommunications sector. The proposed alliance between two of the biggest telecoms companies in the world - British Telecom and AT&T - is just the largest symptom of the growth of these huge companies. Nor is this trend isolated from the media. MCI, which has been taken over by WorldCom, had a significant share in Rupert Murdoch's News International for example. The advertising industry globally is going through a similar process of concentration and restructuring. We appear to be moving towards a situation where a huge proportion of the information and communications industry - media (broadcast and print), film, telecommunications and advertising - is owned by a handful of global conglomerates. The power of such conglomerates is obvious, but their cultural influence is less clear cut. Many argue that they are responsible for a global dumbing down, a "McDonaldisation" of programming with Kenyan and Indonesian audiences being served by the same media diet of Jurassic Park, Oprah Winfrey and the Clinton sex fiasco. Others believe that the professional standards and dynamic competition introduced by the likes of STAR TV in Asia have reinvigorated staid national media. And such concentration may not matter - it may be balanced by the limited, but nevertheless very real increase in people to people communication facilitated by new information technologies. However, if knowledge is central to development, if it is accepted that that knowledge needs to go beyond the province of the governments and experts, then it matters who controls the information that people receive. In development terms it matters if, for example, a formula milk company can so dominate the information media as to boost its product at the expense of infant health. It matters in democratic terms, if people have no access to information that is not politically biased, or if all information is dominated by the interests of one commercial or political grouping. And it matters in policy terms, for if publics cannot react to and feed in their own views into policy debates, bad policy is likely to result. It matters if those who identify the key problems facing society and the solutions to those problems are part of a narrow band of political and economic interests and knowledge brokers. The World Development Report stresses the importance of regulation, but hardly refers to the role of the regulation of the information industries themselves, especially in relation to media. In an age of media globalisation, increasing digitisation of media and increased commercial competition, regulatory agencies face huge challenges, but the importance of guaranteeing a minimum level of news and "hard" information is growing. Good quality public debate within society requires a minimum level of access to information and viewpoints on the issues facing society. Diversity and pluralism of media within society is essential not only to healthy societies but also, ultimately, to healthy economies. http://www.oneworld.org./panos From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 19 19:04:46 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA02971; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:04:06 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA02954 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:03:51 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-096.super.net.pk [203.130.5.235]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA31755 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:01:08 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810191901.AAA31755@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:05:35 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Panos (3): What's new about knowledge? - A View From Southern Af Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT What's new about knowledge? - A View From Southern Africa By Aida Opoku-Mensah, Director, Panos Southern Africa African countries have invested very little in their information infrastructures, and in some cases have failed to create an enabling environment for the private sector. LUSAKA (PANOS) What's new with knowledge? After all, it has always been central to the development of all societies, including Africa's. What's new is the fact that information today can be moved around very quickly. And this has presented all societies with challenges and opportunities. People's access to information and the level and quality of infrastructure available to them will define - to an extent - how well societies use and adapt the increased knowledge and information. The success of Southern African countries in strengthening their national information infrastructures will be critical in determining how well people exploit knowledge. New communications technologies hold the promise of helping to increase agricultural production, deliver better health and education services, and provide more effective and participatory governance. That's all well and good. But just how is Africa going to get there? Money is scarce for economies crippled by external debt and desperately trying to cut back social sector spending. Infrastructure equipment is scarce and, when available, expensive. Sometimes it is plain inappropriate. On top of all this is the lackadaisical attitude of the region's political actors, most of whom do not yet have in place any of the policies or strategies needed to tackle the many communication challenges. With the exception perhaps of South Africa, countries have invested very little in their information infrastructures, and in some cases have even failed to create an enabling environment for the private sector. Instead, it has been typically left to international organisations and local NGOs to initiate early efforts. These include connecting Africa to the Internet with financial assistance from external donors. Many countries are also hampered by the lack of transparency and accountability in their modernisation drive. The importance of telecommunications is nothing new to the World Bank either. It has been involved in the sector for many years, although loans made in the telecommunications sector only amount to 2-4 percent of all Bank lending in Africa. All this is not to say nothing noteworthy has happened. The process of modernising basic telecommunications systems has begun and there remains plenty of room for adopting innovative technologies to suit the region's needs. Rural "telecentres" - kiosks that offer everything from computers to telephones and email services - in South Africa and Uganda are examples of innovative projects. South African minister for posts and telecommunications Jay Naidoo recently remarked that, "African leadership must confront a major indictment against us. Two years from the next millennium there are 700 million people on the continent and only 12 million have access to a telephone, five million in South Africa alone. "A key policy requirement is the achievement of a national communications infrastructure, essential for social and economic activity. This is important in a world where reliable and speedy communication is vital to the success of rapidly globalising trade, industry and services." INFORMATION AND POWER CONCENTRATION OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS OWNERSHIP In an information economy, information and knowledge gain value. The ownership of the means of information brings with it political and economic power. New information and communication technologies have generally decentralised the capacity to communicate. Globalisation is facilitating a counter trend - a growing concentration in the ownership of the media and communications industries. In broadcasting, film and the press, "international conglomerates are emerging with the purpose of controlling not only the transmission system (manufacturing, network, cable, satellite etc.) but also the programmes they convey", according to UNESCO's 1997 World Communications Report. An increasing spate of mergers and acquisitions over recent years has seen the emergence of a handful of "world companies" who now dominate global media markets. Time Warner Inc., News International, Sony, Finivest and Bertelsman each have annual sales well in excess of $10 billion, an increasing percentage of which is generated outside the US. http://www.oneworld.org./panos From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 19 19:07:01 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA03062; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:07:00 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA02959 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:03:57 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-096.super.net.pk [203.130.5.235]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA31792 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:01:13 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810191901.AAA31792@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:05:36 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Panos (5): Knowledge Is A Double Edged Sword - A View From South Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Knowledge Is A Double Edged Sword - A View From South Asia By Kunda Dixit, Director, Panos South Asia Every day in countless homes across the developing world, knowledge makes the difference between life and death KATHMANDU (PANOS) - The scriptures were right: "Knowledge is a sword, and wisdom is a shield." Perhaps nowhere is the raw power of knowledge as relevant today as it is for the two-thirds of the world's people who live in the countries of the South. A Nepali child in a remote hamlet in the Himalayas is dehydrated by diarrhoea, but his young mother is brought up to believe that under no circumstances should water be given to her child. Information countering this belief is contained in posters at rural health centres, and is broadcast over Radio Nepal every day, but the knowledge has not reached her. In a country where 80 percent of all children who die are killed by water-borne diseases, this knowledge gap means the death of thousands of children every month. In all of South Asia, five million children die every year before their fifth birthday from diarrhoeal dehydration, simple infections and measles. Most of these deaths can easily be prevented if knowledge about prevention is more readily available. The challenge is to get the information to where it is needed as cheaply as possible. Only when information helps people communicate, participate and allows them and their rulers to make informed choices does that information become knowledge. As new technologies make it possible to move more information faster than ever before, we are dazzled by the millions of gigabytes that move across the world in nanoseconds. We are infatuated by bandwidth, by digital television and gadgets and gizmos. Yet we hardly question the quality of the information: what is it that we are communicating? Is it relevant? Will it make the world a better place? And does all this information add up to knowledge? South Asia, home to a fifth of the world's population, is today within the footprint of at least 50 broadcast satellites. In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh alone there are more than 70 million households with television sets, adding up to a total viewership of 300 million. By 2007, there will be 550 million television viewers in these countries. Half of them will be hooked up to cable - able to watch the 350 channels that will be available by then. Advances in information technology are supposed to shrink distances, but they don't necessarily bring people together. Better communications through satellite may give people a wider array of programming to choose from, but it does not guarantee greater tolerance to diversity. In the short term, better communications appear to highlight differences between peoples. In India and Pakistan, people tune in to each other's television, but what Indians watch on Pakistani TV and what Pakistanis watch on Indian TV today has deepened hatreds, making it more difficult to spread the word about peace in a newly nuclear region. When these prejudices about the "other" have been nurtured from childhood through textbooks that portray the neighbouring country as the enemy, one has to ask whether governments take the holy saying about knowledge being a sword a little too literally. Satellite television in its own way has diluted the impact of strident domestic broadcast media, not for any altruistic reasons, but because it has audiences (or markets) on both sides of the border. But even here, the enormous potential for irresponsible satellite broadcasts to spread volatile knowledge has already been seen in the speed with which communal riots spread across India and Pakistan - and beyond, to Europe - after the 1992 destruction of a mosque by Hindu zealots in the Indian town of Ayodhya was broadcast in near-real time via satellite. Knowledge may be a sword, but it is double-edged. The delivery mechanisms for knowledge are today in the hands of fewer and fewer people. Globally, media ownership reflects the supranational ownership patterns of other worldwide businesses. More and more of the message propagates a global consumer monoculture that generates waste, perpetuates economic disparities and is environmentally disastrous. It also leaves more and more poor people out of the knowledge loop. They have lost the knowledge they had, and what has replaced it is neither relevant nor useful. In a lot of ways, it is just like the loss of genetic diversity. High-yield hybrid seeds have replaced a rich variety of local cereals across the world, improving harvests but also making the crops more susceptible to disease and dependent on costly inputs of agrochemicals. Globalisation of media subliminally spreads information that eats into traditional knowledge bases and indigenous processes that are best equipped to deal with local conditions. New information technologies offer a chance for South Asia to leapfrog technology, level the playing field and democratise information so to usher in an era where better communications will spread useful knowledge. But going by past examples, the chances of this happening appear slim: the poor will be the last to use the technologies, or benefit from them. History teaches that technology by itself is never the answer. The corporate values that drive the Information Age are the very values that drove the Industrial Age. Things will be no different with the Internet or satellite television: it all depends on who gets to use these these technologies and who gets to control them. http://www.oneworld.org./panos From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 19 19:08:08 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA03092; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:08:08 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA02952 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:03:49 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-096.super.net.pk [203.130.5.235]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA31720 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:00:56 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810191900.AAA31720@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:05:35 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable Subject: Panos (2): A Babel of Banks? A View From Europe Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: Quoted-printable A Babel of Banks? A View From Europe Nigel Cross, Director, Panos London Then there is the problem of authority. Are we to assume because something is labelled 'knowledge' and appears on a blue-chip website, that it is the unvarnished truth, an absolute given? LONDON (PANOS) Encyclopaedia salesmen used to make a living selling enormously expensive multi-volume encyclopaedias which would tell you everything you needed to know about everything. Then came the equally expensive but smaller CD ROM. Now there is the Internet. And suddenly knowledge seems increasingly accessible - at least for those who are already connected. According to the World Bank, in its latest report, Knowledge for Development, after several millennia of human intellectual endeavour, we have come of age. The Bank has started to call itself the "knowledge bank" as if it were the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Yellow Pages rolled into one. A kind of modern version of that optimistic Victorian institution, The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. It is the proud possessor of 'an unparalleled reservoir of knowledge... accumulated over the past 50 years in more than 100 countries'. And the good news is that, thanks to the Internet, it can finally share this reservoir with the rest of us. But what does this actually mean for resolving age old inequalities, for alleviating poverty, for bringing us closer to the promised land of renewable energy, full employment and rising living standards? And are we any the wiser? The Bank argues that knowledge is capital which can be invested in development through new information and communication technologies (ICTs) - most obviously the Internet and also new digital networks and mobile and satellite telephony. It recognises there are tremendous challenges for poor countries and that for poor and marginalised communities the information gap could turn into an information chasm. But the opportunities for knowledge capital to make spectacular development profits are greater than ever before. And the Bank will manage this knowledge on our behalf and ensure it results in widespread benefits and the establishment of a new golden knowledge standard. For example the Bank has set up 'knowledge infrastructure' networks which contain best practice case studies, lessons learned and analysis. Want to know how to design a state of the art revolving credit scheme for women-headed households in Djibouti? Click here. No more frustrating telephone calls or faxes to the little NGO you think ran a similar project in Tunisia. It is all at your fingertips in seconds. While there are real gains to be made in this brave new world of knowledge management, and there is a genuine desire to make knowledge work on behalf of the poorest, there are also real conundrums. To start with the World Bank and other knowledge brokers imply that there is a knowledge standard. Like the encyclopaedists of old, a fact is a fact, best practice is best practice - not just a point on the way to better understanding. There is a danger that with the ICTs comes a new hierarchy of knowledge. If you are on, or in, one of the World Bank's knowledge networks you exist - indeed there is proof of your existence. But of course a huge amount of knowledge won't be there, particularly the knowledge that is outside the technocratic and scientific community - indigenous knowledge, local language knowledge, private knowledge, not to mention knowledge which is too valuable or sensitive for the possessor to share. And there is a failure to distinguish between the information on the data base and the intellectual effort that is needed to turn it into knowledge. The knowledge networks are managed by individuals who have to take the vast amount of information they promote largely on trust. These network 'anchors' are not alchemists; they cannot so easily turn raw information into golden knowledge and they cannot evaluate the information on behalf of those whose lives the knowledge is designed to benefit. Of course the beauty of such networks is that they are very public and can be very interactive, enabling those with the resources to endorse or challenge or supplement existing information. But just as it is difficult for the Polish or Malian filmmaker to win international distribution let alone a Hollywood Oscar, so it is difficult for the uninvited to contribute to the mainstream websites, and of course impossible for the unconnected - and from the development perspective it is often this unconnected knowledge that is the most valuable and productive. Then there is the problem of authority. Are we to assume because something is labelled 'knowledge' and appears on a blue-chip website, that it is the unvarnished truth, an absolute given? Take the controversial issue of genetically modified crops. The commercial developers of GMCs have their own sophisticated public relations system which produces apparently objective facts mixed with humanitarian rhetoric. They are challenged by environmental and campaigning groups who also claim to employ an objective standard of knowledge. Research scientists add their own tested but incomplete evidence, with the result that we, the public, are thoroughly confused. We are unlikely to gain much further enlightenment by consulting a World Bank knowledge network. Our best bet for making sense of all this competing information is to subject it to intense and sustained public debate. Only if the competing positions and the often contradictory evidence are publicly debated in print and on TV and radio and in social and political gatherings, will we be able to arrive at some kind of consensus about what to do with these different sets of knowledge, and endorse an agenda for action. What we need in the new 'knowledge society' is diversity; a multitude of knowledge brokers, a Babel of banks. Where ICTs can make a real difference is in providing access to these different and competitive data banks (which is all the so-called 'knowledge banks' can claim to be), which in turn enables all of us, through the media and civil society fora, to engage in well-informed, constructive and democratic debate. ACCESS TO INFORMATION Access to information is being transformed globally. Three main factors are at work. Inexpensive, highly efficient new information technologies; the steadily increasing pressures for democratisation and pluralism that have followed the end of the Cold War; and the liberalisation and deregulation that is transforming the media and communications industries worldwide. THE MEDIA The media constitute the most pervasive knowledge network in existence for most people in most countries. The broadcast media in particular act as the primary source of information for the vast majority of people in the vast majority of countries on issues that affect them but which are determined outside their immediate community. The role of the media matters, socially, politically and economically. Public debate cannot happen without them. The World Development Report barely mentions their role. Fifteen years ago, much of humanity had one main source of information outside their immediate communities - their governments. The means were stolid, formulaic broadcast and print media which had been established with the express purpose of telling people what they should know and think. Two things have happened in that time. First a combination of internal pressure from their citizens and external pressure - often in the form of conditions set by donors - have led governments to relax censorship and freedom of speech laws. Second, this pressure for political liberalisation has been combined with economic liberalisation and deregulation of national media industries. The result has been a blossoming of dynamic, generally populist and highly commercial newspapers, television and radio media in most developing countries. Meanwhile the state broadcasters have lost their raison d'=EAtre. No longer the monopoly suppliers of information, their government paymasters have noted their plunging audience figures and have steadily tightened the purse-strings. The result is that they are struggling to find a new role, while attempting to compete with their brash new competitors on terms for which they find themselves hopelessly ill equipped or experienced. In this more complex, dynamic environment, what information can people access to improve their lives? At their best, news and media organisations have managed to attract large audiences with compelling, popular and informative programming. In Kampala, Uganda, the FM station Capital Radio attracts some of its highest audiences for its Capital Doctor programme, which provides advice and information on issues of sex, HIV/AIDS and other health issues. In South Africa, a form of "edutainment" - Soul City, set in a South African township - has become one of the most popular soap operas in the country, yet has succeeded in educating people about diarrhoeal diseases, HIV/AIDS and other issues. Deregulation has also spurred the growth of community broadcasting. South Africa now has more than 80 community radio stations broadcasting in 15 languages. Community stations have made serious inroads into the broadcast markets, threatening some of the well established public broadcasting stations. However, in some countries, state-controlled news has been replaced by no news, or news that is sensational, inaccurate or irrelevant to the daily lives of much of its audience, or news that is derived entirely from international sources. Often operating in anarchic regulatory environments, commercial stations have little obligation to provide anything other than entertainment. Poor media reporting undermines most other forms of social and political discourse; high quality media reporting can play a major role in promoting and stimulating constructive public debate. Well-informed, investigative reporting can provide a key element of public accountability, both for national governments, for international institutions, and for NGOs and other civil society organisations. Perhaps most importantly, the media can be a highly effective way of feeding the voices and concerns of the marginalised into mainstream political and public debate. If knowledge networking is not to be confined to an elite group of political decisionmakers, the enhancement of the status, quality and accuracy of a popular media is critical. When Knowledge Is Not Enough - Lessons From The AIDS Pandemic We have the knowledge, we have the technology The HIV/AIDS pandemic provides a classic example of a devastating development problem that should be containable through knowledge and information. Thanks to research carried out in the North, we have known for well over a decade that the HIV virus causes AIDS and that the main way that it is spread is through sexual intercourse. We have a cheap and, thanks to social marketing and other programmes, increasingly accessible technology - the condom - which can prevent the transmission of HIV. Huge efforts have been made to communicate this information to people at risk. These efforts have been very successful - for many years, surveys have found in nearly all countries at greatest risk of AIDS that well over 90% of people know what causes AIDS and know that they can protect themselves by using a condom. Despite this knowledge, the pandemic has continued to escalate: Millions of people who have known that they are at risk of infection, who have known how to protect themselves, who have had access to the means to protect themselves, have not done so. Knowledge is not enough. The virus continues to spread because people, for a variety of complex reasons, can't or don't take action to protect themselves. Women whose husbands are unfaithful sometimes prefer the risk of HIV infection to the certainty of being beaten if they insist on using a condom. Sex workers are often too poor to insist their clients use condoms. Unemployed men have no choice but to migrate away from their families in search of work and place themselves at risk. Health services are often so under-resourced that they cannot cure the sexually transmitted diseases that vastly increase the risk of contracting HIV. Changing sexual behaviour involves not just knowing and communicating what is good for people. It involves changing social attitudes and it involves tackling root causes of poverty. This requires, among other things, debate and argument within societies and between societies. There are no simple ways to achieve such changes, but knowledge alone is not enough. A vaccine for who? A cheap, effective vaccine against AIDS would represent an ideal technical solution to the pandemic. There is no cure, and treatments that can extend life are both too expensive and too complex to administer to be affordable for poor people in poor countries. A vaccine which could be administered once for lifelong protection could reverse a still escalating epidemic. When testing for a promising experimental vaccine against AIDS was planned in Uganda in 1996, street demonstrations broke out, fanned by a suspicious and hostile media convinced that their countrymen were being used as guinea pigs. The anger was understandable: there had been little public consultation over the trials; the vaccine was designed for use against a strain of HIV not common in Uganda; and the organisers of the vaccine trials could give no guarantees that, if the trials were successful, the vaccine would be made widely available in Uganda. Following the protests, UNAIDS and other organisers of the trials organised a public meeting bringing together more than 200 people - representatives of the medical and religious communities, legal experts, counsellors, NGOs, policy makers and the media. The high ethical standards being used by the trial organisers, the strong involvement of the Ugandan government and other Ugandan institutions, combined with a commitment to establish a national review committee to oversee all future medical research in the country helped to allay public fears. The introduction of knowledge into a society cannot occur in a vacuum. Public debate not only makes its introduction more credible and legitimate, it leads to better policy as well. NEW COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES New communications technologies are revolutionising access to information - but the revolution is likely to reach everyone but the poor The cost of communicating is falling. Mobile and satellite telephony are bringing telecommunications within reach not just of the urban businessman but also the rural farmer. High capacity optic fibres are bringing the cost of today's international call down to that of yesterday's local call. The Internet is enabling access to an infinite information resource from every country on the planet. Electronic mail is making efficient communications between and within developing countries not only more affordable, but in some instances a viable option for the first time. The Internet is doubling in size each year; mobile telephony is growing almost as fast (by an average of 78% per annum globally). The World Development Report rightly highlights many of the benefits of these technologies. Developing countries have the opportunity to exploit these technologies to gain access to world markets and maximise their competitive advantages. Rural communities can exploit them to create employment and market their produce more effectively. Research and education can be greatly enhanced. Health systems can become more effective and reach more people. Governments can become more efficient and more accountable. However, the spread of these technologies represents other equally important changes. The spread of information technologies represents a huge growth in people-to-people communication, in effect a decentralisation of communication away from government and towards individuals. Old vertical patterns of information, symbolised by the old state monopoly broadcasting systems, are giving way to more dynamic, less predictable and much less controllable horizontal systems of communication. Political systems can no longer control the information their citizens receive, nor monitor or constrain how they communicate with each other. The capacity not just for North-South communication but for South-South communication is being transformed as people in different developing regions forge new relationships and alliances. In short, those with access to these technologies are becoming more powerful and those who lack access are likely to become increasingly marginalised - politically and economically. The 1997 WTO agreement on liberalisation of telecommunications has meant that profit, competition and efficiency are the driving forces behind the growth of telecommunications in place of government monopoly and - too often - inefficiency. Liberalisation will mean rapid upgrading of modern telecommunications for those who can afford it. The profit motive is likely to provide access to telecommunications to a very large number of people. For rural farmers and merchants, migrant workers and many other traditionally "marginalised" groups, it can be worth paying, in their terms, substantial sums to be able to communicate - if the alternative of travelling is more expensive and the information is sufficiently valuable. Publicly accessible "telecentres" established in South African townships have been booming, and those with the hungriest appetites for new technologies have been the young. Access to telecommunications will grow in the near future very rapidly, and probably far more rapidly than it would have done had it remained under monopoly control. Nevertheless, while the benefits of these new knowledge networks will reach many - and not just the rich - they are unlikely to reach the poor and could further skew power structures against them. Take the Iridium system of 66 satellites which promises to deliver state of the art telecommunications from any one point on the planet to any other - a potentially ideal technology for many developing countries. When Panos interviewed people in the poverty stricken and flooded province of Bihar in India, most were enthusiastic about the potential of such a system and about the fact that Iridium had set up a fund to provide cheap calls to some regions. But others were deeply worried. "We are fighting against the rich landlords who have grabbed thousands of acres of land, as well as against the criminal gangs which have mushroomed in this locality. This facility, if it becomes available, will only help the rich and the criminals." So says Deepak Bharti of Lok Shakti Sangathan, the "People's Power Organisation". "They are the users of cellular phones today, and will use satellite phones tomorrow. We will not. It is they who will be able to afford them and not us. And they will be used against us, to undermine us. What guarantee is there that the notorious Karia and Pappu criminal groups will not be having access to them? None whatsoever," he warns. Improved and cheaper telecommunications could generate rural employment, could greatly enhance the integration of the rural with the national economy, improve living standards, ameliorate feelings of isolation, and potentially stem the steady migration of people from the countryside to the cities. It could also increase the gap between the poorest and the rest of society. Like anything else, these technologies in themselves are neither beneficent nor malevolent. Deploying them in ways that benefit the poor requires imaginative local policymaking which reflects the priorities of all sectors of society. That requires informed, constructive public debate. http://www.oneworld.org./panos From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 19 19:17:35 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA03335; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:17:28 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA03327 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:16:57 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-096.super.net.pk [203.130.5.235]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA31775 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:00:50 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810191900.AAA31775@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:05:34 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Panos Press Release: WB Report is a 'MISSED OPPORTUNITY' Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT 5 October 1998 PRESS RELEASE NEW WORLD BANK DEVELOPMENT REPORT IS A 'MISSED OPPORTUNITY' SAYS LEADING INFORMATION NGO The Panos Institute, a London-based international development charity, today criticised the World Bank's 1998 World Development Report (WDR) for not addressing key areas on the whole issue of 'knowledge for development' - the theme and title of this year's WDR. The report looks at the risks and opportunities the global information revolution is bringing to developing countries, and concludes that 'access to financial, technical and medical knowledge is crucial to improving the health and living standards of the poor.' But in a discussion paper written in response to the WDR, James Deane of Panos says "If this report presents the World Bank's view of the role of knowledge in development, then it is too limited. Knowledge cannot be seen as just another economic commodity." "While the existence of information, communications and knowledge gaps is a critical problem," Mr Deane continues, "just as important is the capacity of people to adapt, assess, interpret, challenge and use the knowledge available to them. The WDR rarely deals with these issues." "The challenge is not only to find ways of applying knowledge in developing countries, but to help create the conditions where publics can be genuinely informed and involved in the decisions that affect them. " The WDR highlights many of the factors that are necessary for this to happen, such as increasing academic and research expertise in developing countries, and the development of their wider education systems. However, there are other factors that are barely discussed, including an active role for civil society and the capacity for people, and especially the poor, to have their voices - their knowledge - heard. Mr Deane concluded, "Knowledge cannot be introduced in a vacuum. Public debate, particularly through the media, not only makes the introduction of knowledge more credible and legitimate, it leads to better policy as well." -ends- Notes to editors For further information, or for a copy of the Panos' discussion paper (by email or post) please contact Mark Covey, Media & Information Officer, Panos Institute Tel +44 (0)171 278 1111, Tel +44 (0)181 960 1282 (home) Fax +44 (0)171 278 0345 or email James Deane, Director of the Communications for Social Change Programme is available for interviews through the Panos press office. Nigel Cross, Panos' Executive Director, is also available for interviews. World Bank press enquiries should contact Keiko Itoh (UK Office) 0171 930 8511 http://www.oneworld.org./panos From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Mon Oct 19 19:18:49 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA03372; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:18:49 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA03337 for ; Mon, 19 Oct 1998 19:17:31 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-096.super.net.pk [203.130.5.235]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id AAA31545 for ; Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:01:03 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810191901.AAA31545@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 00:05:35 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Panos (1): Information, Knowledge and Development Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Debate and Development A series of Panos perspective papers Information, Knowledge and Development October 1998 The World Bank's 1998 World Development Report focuses on "Knowledge for Development". The Bank has published this report in part to stimulate a wider debate on the role of knowledge in development. This paper is published in response to the World Development Report and as a contribution to that debate. Embargo: October 4 1998, 1900 hours GMT This is one in a new series of papers summarising current Panos perspectives on various aspects of the role of information and communications in development. While they are open for revision and responses are welcome, they reflect the Panos mission statement summarised here - "The Panos Institute specialises in generating and providing information for development and in stimulating public debate on environmental and social development issues. Our central belief is that diversity or 'pluralism' in civil society underpins sustainable, people-centred development. Access to - and freedom of - information leads to informed and vigorous debate and allows people to play a constructive and often challenging role in public decisionmaking. Panos works with the media, non-government and governmental agencies to facilitate both North-South and South-South dialogue. Our aim is to stimulate debate by providing carefully researched, accessible, balanced information on neglected or poorly understood topics in the fields of environment, reproductive health and population, HIV/AIDS, poverty, gender, human rights and communications. Panos is funded by grants from governments, multilateral organisations and private foundations. Panos remains editorially independent of its funding sources." SUMMARY The World Development Report 1998 examines the role of knowledge in advancing economic and social well-being. It recognises that there are many different sorts of knowledge but focuses on just two types - technical knowledge (for example about farming, health or accounting) and knowledge about attributes (the quality of a product, the credibility of a borrower, or the diligence of a worker). It argues that resolving the knowledge gaps and information problems surrounding these issues that exist in developing countries is critical to future progress. The theme of the 1998 World Development Report (WDR) is timely but its limited focus represents a missed opportunity. While the existence of information, communications and knowledge gaps is critical, just as important is the capacity of people to adapt, assess, evaluate, interpret, challenge and use the knowledge available to them. These issues are rarely dealt with in the report. "Knowledge is like light" are the opening words of the report. It can be - but it can also be misinterpreted, manipulated, distorted or controlled. It is nearly always incomplete. The WDR, in contrast, focuses on knowledge as a commodity - but even technical knowledge can be highly political. The information content of knowledge cannot be separated from questions of who produces and controls it? Who decides which knowledge is right or wrong, useful or not? Who has the will and the capacity to act on it? Knowledge is only as useful as its recipients' ability to use it - and this is shaped by many economic, political, cultural and other factors which the WDR tends to ignore. Knowledge is not the same as information, it is the sense that people make of information. Knowledge is infused with the insights, expertise and capacities of those who have it. People need to be able to make their own sense of information - to interpret it, to evaluate it, to reach their own understanding of it - whether the objective is to decide how to vote, to decide whether to wear a condom during sex, or to determine what price to charge for their produce at market. In interpreting the application of knowledge as a largely definable, linear process, the WDR fails to address the importance of subjecting solutions to public and policy debate. In particular, it ignores the role of the most pervasive knowledge network currently available to most people in developing and industrialised countries alike - the media. The World Bank has outlined its role in development as a kind of honest knowledge broker, taking knowledge from one place, delivering it to where it is needed. However, the World Bank's vast reservoir of knowledge generally represents its own understanding of issues. No matter how expert, valid and well researched, this understanding is not and cannot be objectively 'correct'. It reflects a set of values and experiences which may or may not reflect the values and experiences of its partners and those it is trying to assist. However important the role of knowledge broker, the challenge is not only to find ways of applying knowledge in developing countries, but to help create the conditions where publics can be genuinely informed and involved in the decisions that affect them. The WDR highlights many of the factors that are necessary for this to happen, such as increasing developing countries academic and research expertise, and the development of their wider education systems. However, there are other critical factors that are barely discussed, including the diversity and energy of civil society and the capacity for people, and especially the poor, to have their voices - their knowledge - heard. This paper examines some of these other factors that help define the extent to which societies can create and employ knowledge. It highlights two sets of issues in particular: the access, or lack of it, that citizens have to information - through technology, from the media, from their governments and communities, and from themselves; and the capacities of people and societies to create their own analysis and responses to the information they do have access to. THE ROLE OF KNOWLEDGE Meaning is not something that is delivered to people, it is made by them The international business community has pioneered much of the thinking around the role of knowledge systems. Knowledge, argue the business gurus, is not the same as information. "True knowledge is more than information," according to the authors of Understanding Organisations as Learning Systems. "It includes the meaning or interpretation of the information, and a lot of intangibles such as the tacit knowledge of experienced people that is not well articulated but often determines collective organisational competence." Large companies have ploughed huge sums into the development of sophisticated knowledge management systems. Why? Because they have understood that the essential strength of their companies is distributed throughout their companies and lies in the perceptions, ideas, insights and experiences of their employees. "The question becomes, how do we capture and make the best use of the knowledge that is in people's heads? That's what creates competitive advantage," says Professor Dirk Mahling at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Information Science and Telecommunications. So it is with society. In increasingly pluralist societies, the strength of society is dependent on a minimum level of information being available to citizens and a minimum capacity of those citizens to make sense of the information they receive and to use it. The economic role of information cannot be entirely divorced from the political role of information - democracies and free markets require a certain minimum level of access to information if they are to be stable, sustainable and successful. Knowledge is the sense that people make of information. Knowledge in society is not objective or static, but is ever-changing and infused with the values and realities faced by those who have it. In the context of economics and society, knowledge - even the kind of technical knowledge focused on by the World Development Report - very rarely has the precision of, say, a scientist's understanding of how penicillin kills bacteria. Meaning is not something that is delivered to people, it is made by them. For the business community, "Knowledge networking redistributes authority from the people whose power is vested in their title or position to the people who can contribute useful information". It is insufficient in increasingly pluralistic societies for knowledge-related decisions to remain the preserve of a small band of elite knowledge workers. If knowledge is to be effectively employed to help people, it needs to be interpreted and evaluated by those it is designed to help. That requires people to have access to information on the issues that affect their lives, and the capacity to make their own contributions to policy making processes. Patterns of access to information have changed in the last decade with dramatic improvements in some areas and new information gaps opening up in others. The 1998 World Development Report highlights many ways in which information is transmitted and made available within countries, between countries and to broader publics. Nevertheless it does not deal with the rapidly changing nature of the information environments in which governments, institutions and ordinary people make their economic, social and political decisions, particularly as new information gaps threaten to further marginalise the poor. Nor does it fully recognise the political nature of knowledge. Understanding the context in which knowledge moves - factors of control, selection, purpose, power, and capacity - is essential for understanding how societies can become better able to learn, generate and act on knowledge. For societies the world over, making sense of information depends on their ability to debate and discuss it. Good policy making depends not simply on the delivery of pre-packaged knowledge, but on the capacity of societies and publics to debate the information and choices that they face. http://www.oneworld.org./panos From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Wed Oct 21 17:06:31 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id RAA17900; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:04:17 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id RAA17861 for ; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:04:05 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-114.super.net.pk [203.130.5.114]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id WAA26866 for ; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 22:01:21 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810211701.WAA26866@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 22:01:03 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [WDR] Re: Knowledge Is A Double Edged Sword - A View From Sout Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [from devel-l] ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 10:12:26 -0400 From: Sam Lanfranco To: DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU Organization: Bellanet Subject: Re: Knowledge Is A Double Edged Sword - A View From South Asia Kunda Dixit's PANOS article titled "Knowledge is a Double Edged Sword" is particularly disturbing for what it doesn't say. First of all, the quote from the scriptures - as included in the article - goes on to say "..and wisdom is a shield.". What is disturbing is: and what about wisdom? Kunda starts with the circumstances of a dehydrated Nepali child in a remote hamlet and parents who believes that water should not be administered under any conditions, and then moves on to the increased globalization and concentration of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) to observe: "But going by past examples, ...the poor will be the last to use the technologies, or benefit from them." One purpose of wisdom is to learn from the past, not to repeat it. As ICTs create an electronic venue which supports collaborative work across time and space the challenge is: Are we wise enough to use it to good ends and resist its bad tendencies? The practice of withholding fluids is usually based on the fact that diarrhea stops when fluids are withheld - but of course the child frequently dies. The challenge here is one of appropriate knowledge. Using ICT to good ends here does not involve trying to place a radio, TV or computer in the remote Nepalese hamlet, whether in a home or a community telecentre. It starts by asking two questions. First, what is the best learning process here, whereby this parent can learn about diarrhea, dehydration, and appropriate local oral rehydration therapy (ORT)? Second, what information and knowledge delivery process will best serve this learning need? One of the problems in the example of the remote Nepalese hamlet is that those delivering services are not asking the right question. They tend to have things backward. They focus on delivery centered models of 'teaching' and not learner centered models of delivery. There is a wealth of information on ORT techniques - appropriate to local resources - and a wealth of information on how to convey the idea that more fluids, not less, are the appropriate response to diarrhea. In most cases the 'instructional material' is a single page with a few lines of instructions on one side, and a simple graphic on the other side. Some graphics show ORT as stepping stones across a stream, from diarrhea to health. Others show ORT as waystations up a mountain. The same sheet can be used to train the trainer, train the worker, or teach the family. In some cases the learner is a community worker, in some a parent, and in others an older sibling. A single file, or floppy disk, can contain numerous examples of how to format the text and graphic. This can be in multiple languages and as web pages can be - at a minimum - Hindi script for Nepal's many cultural groups. The challenge to those with resources, i.e., the development and human service agencies, is how to collaborate in the production, distribution and use of these materials. Collaboration here involves not re-inventing the wheel. Text or a graphic can be used, edited, or a source of inspiration for new materials. The ICT pipe may stop in Kathmandu, in a highway village, or a hill station. At some point there is a transition from digital objects to printed page, or directly to the mind of an outreach worker. Wisdom comes into play at three levels here. The first is to be smart enough to realize that while ICT has a role to play, it does not require access and connectivity to the home, or even the village. It means asking "what role can it plan in a learn centered anti-dehydration strategy as part of some larger plan around health, development, empowerment, and the like. The second level is to realise that one should work from within a learner centred strategy that starts from where the learner is - in that remote hamlet - and works outward to appropriate resources. The third level is to realise that most wisdom has to do with how people work with people. It is more than just the technical mastery of this or that tool or knowledge. Intervene with one parent and you save one child. Educate a village and you empower a community. Intervene using isolated service delivery workers and you relie on the wisdom and skills of that worker. Make your workers part of a collaborative network and you relie on the collected wisdom of the group. At some level, that collaboration makes most sense using this electronic venue. It make sense to use it for just-in-time learning, based on immediate needs, and just-lurking learning based on the ease of access. In the end only part of the success, or failure, of pressing ICT into the service of sustainable development will depend on the 'star-wars' fights over control and ownership of the ICT infrastructure. A large part of success, or failure, will depend on how we mobilize to use this electronic venue, as a collaborative workspace and social process arena. Standing back and complaining about ICT, or taking a pass on ICT, at both levels, is not a wise option. Sam Lanfranco Bellanet & Distributed Knowledge From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Wed Oct 21 17:06:31 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id RAA17864; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:04:07 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id RAA17856 for ; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:03:49 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-114.super.net.pk [203.130.5.114]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id WAA26801 for ; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 22:01:09 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810211701.WAA26801@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 22:01:02 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [WDR] Re: Panos (1): Information, Knowledge and Development Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [from ict-4-led] ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 16:48:54 -0400 From: John Daly Subject: Re: Panos (1): Information, Knowledge and Development (fwd) To: ict-4-led@ccen.uccb.ns.ca The Panos Institute papers are indeed interesting. More interesting is the World Development Report itself which is available in its entirety on the web: http://www.worldbank.org/wdr/ I find the Panos commentary somewhat negative. It seems to deal more with the gaps in the WDR and less with its major accomplishments. First, it marks a major departure for the World Bank, focusing on knowledge rather than financial flows in development. Second it uses the tools of econometrics to provide quantitative evidence for the importance of knowledge. It also deals with technological knowledge in an effective way, drawing upon some of the strengths of the Bank's staff. I do not take the lack of a Bank statement about some branch or application of knowledge in this report to be an indication that the Bank staff is not aware of the existence of the branch or the importance of the application. Some gaps are clearly due to the difficulty of developing text that would be sufficiently authoritative to be published in the WDR. Other gaps probably result from the Bank also fearing to tread where "Angels fear to tread". Best is to read the report and judge for yourselves. -- ------------------------------------ John A. Daly Consultant Science, Technology and Development 14205 Bauer Dr. Rockville, MD 20853 dalyj@erols.com (301) 460-6364 ------------------------------------ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Wed Oct 21 17:06:44 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id RAA17976; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:06:42 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id RAA17941 for ; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 17:06:19 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-114.super.net.pk [203.130.5.114]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id WAA26875 for ; Wed, 21 Oct 1998 22:01:19 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810211701.WAA26875@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 22:01:02 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: World Bank, and Panos Report Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Hello S-Asia-ITers, The World Bank's World Development Report (1998), and the response from Panos that appeared on this list has generated some discussion -- not on s-asia-it, but on other lists! Anyway, I will be forwarding and cross-posting such e-mails. Maybe, we should also start a discussion.... Irfan Khan From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Fri Oct 23 10:43:16 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id KAA26764; Fri, 23 Oct 1998 10:41:08 GMT Received: from curlew.cs.man.ac.uk (curlew.cs.man.ac.uk [130.88.13.7]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id KAA26758 for ; Fri, 23 Oct 1998 10:41:02 GMT Received: from fs1.ec.man.ac.uk ([130.88.27.100]) by curlew.cs.man.ac.uk with esmtp (Exim 1.92 #2) for s-asia-it@postoffice.apnic.net id 0zWed8-0003oo-00; Fri, 23 Oct 1998 11:39:38 +0100 Received: from UK-AC-MAN-EC-FS1/SpoolDir by fs1.ec.man.ac.uk (Mercury 1.44); 23 Oct 98 11:39:37 BST Received: from SpoolDir by UK-AC-MAN-EC-FS1 (Mercury 1.43); 23 Oct 98 11:39:36 BST From: "Dr Richard Heeks" Organization: ESS To: s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Date: Fri, 23 Oct 1998 11:39:27 BST Subject: Seminar on 'IT, Government and Development' in London Message-ID: <309B679E8@fs1.ec.man.ac.uk> Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk For those in/around the UK at the end of November: You are invited to attend the forthcoming British Computer Society seminar on 'IT, Government and Development', to be held at the London School of Economics on Thursday Nov. 26th. Speakers will address: -- IT, Government and Reform -- IT, Communities and Local Government -- IT Failure in Government The seminar is free and open to all. Further details can be obtained by emailing me (richard.heeks@man.ac.uk) or from the seminar Web site: http://www.man.ac.uk/idpm/itgovsem.htm Richard Heeks --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr Richard Heeks Lecturer, Information Systems & Development Institute for Development Policy & Management University of Manchester Precinct Centre Manchester M13 9GH U.K. Phone: +44-161-275-2870 Fax: +44-161-273-8829 Email: Richard.Heeks@man.ac.uk IDPM Web: http://www.man.ac.uk/idpm --------------------------------------------------------------------- From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 24 03:30:39 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id DAA16022; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:30:22 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id DAA16014 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:30:08 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-063.super.net.pk [203.130.5.202]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id IAA29542 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:27:28 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810240327.IAA29542@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:31:51 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [Uimonen] SURVEY ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNET Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [The following is an edited version of a news item that appeared in the ISOC Forum (Vol. 4, No. 9; and Vol. 4, No. 10).] * SURVEY ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNET As part of her doctoral research on the global expansion of the Internet, ISOC member Paula Uimonen is conducting a survey focusing on the experiences and perspectives of individuals who are professionally active in the development of the Internet in developing countries. The research is carried out through the Department of Social Anthropology at Stockholm University and is based on fieldwork in Geneva, Southeast Asia and cyberspace. As part of her data-gathering process, Uimonen is asking ISOC members worldwide to contribute to the survey, which seeks to capture the experiences of Internet pioneers and how they view the development of the Internet. The questionnaire can be found at http://www.i-connect.ch/uimonen/pusurvey.htm. More information about the survey can be obtained by contacting Paula Uimonen at uimonen@I-connect.ch. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ISOC Forum is published monthly for the benefit of our members. Journalists and other qualifying individuals may request a subscription by sending e-mail to listserv@listserv.isoc.org with SUB ISOC-FORUM YOUR NAME in the body of the message. Consider this YOUR forum. Contribute news, information, queries, and other information via e-mail to editor@isoc.org. Please use ISOC FORUM as the subject line. Membership in the Internet Society is open to individuals and organizations worldwide. For information about joining the Internet Society, contact membership@isoc.org (individual membership), org-membership@isoc.org (organizational membership), URL: http://www.isoc.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 24 03:30:39 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id DAA16018; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:30:10 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id DAA16013 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:30:02 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-063.super.net.pk [203.130.5.202]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id IAA29467 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:27:26 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810240327.IAA29467@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:31:51 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [Uimonen] Internet and the South: Developing Transnational Netwo Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [This is further to the ISOC Forum's news item on Uimonen's research. It has been taken from http://www.i-connect.ch/uimonen/pusurvey.htm] Internet and the South: Developing Transnational Networks Paula Uimonen Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University Summary This project addresses some of the social and cultural factors influencing the development of the Internet in developing countries. The research focuses on the people who promote and influence the introduction and usage of the Internet in different organisational environments. These cyberpioneers play an instrumental role in the development of the Internet, forming the social core of the transnational social networks, netscapes, of Internet users and developers. The research will elucidate what the Internet represents to these people and how their activities and perceptions influence the expansion of the Internet in different organisational environments. Respondents will be selected from public and private sector organizations, NGOs and voluntary organizations as well as academic environments. In order to capture the transnational character of Internet expansion, multi-site fieldwork will be carried out in three different locations. The research sites have been chosen according to a center/periphery model with regard to Internet penetration as well as role in the modern world order. The center is here represented by Geneva, where a number of key international organizations are located. Some of these determine the wider regulatory framework influencing the expansion of the Internet world-wide, while others provide institutional frameworks for development projects focusing on introducing and/or expanding the Internet into developing countries. The discourse and activities of the center will be compared to those in the semi-periphery and periphery, here represented by Malaysia and Laos respectively. The process of Internet expansion in these countries will be assessed with regard to the particularities of their socio-cultural, political and economic environments. Traditional ethnographic fieldwork methods of participant observation will be combined with more quantitative data gathering methods. The possibilities of using the Internet for the research will also be fully explored. Fieldwork in Geneva was initiated during the autumn of 1997, followed by fieldwork in Malaysia and Laos during the autumn of 1998. http://www.i-connect.ch/uimonen/pusurvey.htm From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 24 03:30:39 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id DAA15981; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:29:55 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id DAA15976 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:29:45 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-063.super.net.pk [203.130.5.202]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id IAA29229 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:27:01 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810240327.IAA29229@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:31:50 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: (Fwd) [GKD]: World Bank Development Forum Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT ------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 16:10:45 -0400 From: "Global Knowledge Dev. Moderator" Subject: [GKD]: World Bank Development Forum To: gkd@tristram.edc.org GKD members may recall Kerry McNamara's recent message regarding the launching of the World Bank Development Forum -- which was inspired in part by the vibrant and informative GKD discussion. The Forum will be running short-term dialogues on a wide range of issues, many of which relate to the concerns of GKD members, i.e., the impact of ICT on development. Some of those discussions have begun, and members may wish to visit the Forum Web site to get more information. The topics currently being examined are: * Ending Violence Against Women * Rural Communications in Africa * Facilitating Foreign Direct Investment * Corporate Governance: Issues in Developing Countries * Distance Education and Challenged Communities The Moderators From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 24 03:47:27 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id DAA16329; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:47:24 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id DAA16321 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 03:47:02 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-063.super.net.pk [203.130.5.202]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id IAA29095 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:28:44 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810240328.IAA29095@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 08:31:52 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [Uimonen] Internet as a Tool for Social Development Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [The complete text can be found at http://www.i-connect.ch/uimonen/publications.htm along with Uimonen's other publications.] Internet as a Tool for Social Development by Paula Uimonen Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), Geneva Paper presented at the annual conference of the Internet Society, INET 97, Kuala Lumpur, 24-27 June 1997 Abstract This paper explores the potential role of the Internet in promoting sustainable and equitable development in Third World countries. Possibilities of using the Internet in a way that will benefit society at large and vulnerable groups in particular are analyzed within the wider framework of actual needs and existing facilities of these communities. Among the issues the paper touches upon are the extent to which the Internet is being used and can be adapted to improve education, health and political processes. The paper assesses the process of social change these initiatives represent and discusses aspects to be considered, including the issue of modern versus traditional communicative practices and the role of language. The author argues that the Internet can only become a tool for social development if it is applied in such a way that the complex challenges of improving the lives of the least privileged and most needy millions around the world are addressed. Social development is here seen as progress made in the improvement of the standard of living and general well-being of all members of any given society. Accordingly, if the Internet is to be socially beneficial it needs to be turned to the tasks of poverty alleviation, improved access to health care and education, a more sustainable use of and equitable distribution of resources, and strengthened participation in decision making processes. Thus the success of the Internet should less be measured in terms of sheer numbers of connected individuals, and more so in terms of accessibility and contribution to social progress. By outlining some of the issues to be considered, and analyzing these in a wider global and social context, the author hopes to contribute to dialogue among all involved parties - ranging from Internet users and service providers to decision makers in both public and private sectors - on the issue of social responsibility in the development, application and usage of the Internet in the Third World. From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sat Oct 24 19:28:37 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id TAA08863; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 19:27:22 GMT Received: from jubilee.ns.sympatico.ca (jubilee.ns.sympatico.ca [142.177.1.6]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id TAA08859 for ; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 19:27:18 GMT Received: from LOCALNAME ([142.177.93.89]) by jubilee.ns.sympatico.ca (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 release (PO203-101c) ID# 607-45892U60000L60000S0) with SMTP id AAA23513; Sat, 24 Oct 1998 16:27:24 -0300 From: kerryo@ns.sympatico.ca (Kerry Miller) Organization: hundred flowers publications To: devel-l@american.edu, s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 16:28:16 -0400 Subject: Re: Knoweledge and Development X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v3.01b) Message-ID: <19981024192723.AAA23513@LOCALNAME> Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Gee, do you suppose the way to not forget and to reduce uncertainty is to tell stories, with real people handing them down from generation to generation? ================ { Date sent: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 09:52:47 -0400 { From: { Subject: Lost and NOT Found! { { The Cost of Lost Knowledge { { From Stonehenge to moon walks, great deeds become great mysteries. Can we { preserve today's knowledge for tomorrow's ventures? { { By Geof Petch { { Once upon time we put a man on the moon. It was July, 1969. Just eight { years earlier, JFK had pointed to the outfield like Babe Ruth, and the { U.S. summoned all of its intellectual and industrial muscle to knock one { out of the park. And what a home run it was. More than 400,000 of the { country's best and brightest-engineers, scientists, technicians, and { managers-united in the largest scientific and industrial achievement in { the history of mankind, invested their lives and $150 billion to turn the { dream into reality. { { Then, three-and-a-half years after Neil Armstrong first kicked up moon { dust, two other astronauts parked their lunar rover in a { four-billion-year-old lava-flooded valley southeast of the Sea of { Serenity, climbed into the Apollo 17 lunar module, secured the air latch, { and blasted back to earth. Back to the laboratories, the factories and the { new opportunities launched as a result of the investment in putting man on { the moon. { { Today, 26 years later, that investment in space is lost in space. The { terrestrial side benefits remain, but today we can no longer put a man on { the moon. { { { We forgot how. { The documents endure, but they are as devoid of meaning and human context { today as the rocks of Stonehenge. Useless. A few miles from Mission { Control in Houston stands a warehouse the size of a stadium, where shelves { climb 30 feet off the floor under the cool blue flicker of exposed { fluorescents. There, like the crated relics consigned to history in the { last scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the documents of the Apollo mission { wait for eternity. Reduced to microfiche, millions of pages of plans, { specifications, reports, notes, correspondence, and test results-boxed and { shelved according to no plan whatsoever and with no automated system for { retrieval-collect dust. { { Thought to be missing from this vast storehouse is a critical set of { plans. It seems that 25 years ago, on a day thought unremarkable at the { time, someone threw away a set of blueprints for the Saturn booster, the { only rocket with enough thrust to send a manned lunar payload on its way. { Apollo missions completed, the job was thought done and project directors { were moving offices. Attention turned to designing a bigger rocket to put { man on Mars. The Mars mission was never funded, however, and that bigger { rocket was never designed. { { In all the time since, no other set of Saturn blueprints has ever been { found. { { The original Apollo workforce is long since retired or scattered to the { winds. The crews and mission directors no longer solve day-to-day { operational problems. What they learned-the 78 percent or so of enterprise { knowledge that employees carry in their heads-is lost forever. Even if we { could launch the Saturn again, we wouldn't remember how to fly it. This, { too, is buried in the documents left behind in storage. The documents { endure, but they are as devoid of meaning and human context today as the { rocks of Stonehenge. Useless. { { { Reconstructing context { Into this world of forgotten knowledge strides Dr. Richard Ballard. Like { Indiana Jones, Ballard is a unique kind of archeologist. He probes the { labyrinths of organizations as complex as NASA and the Department of { Defense looking for the lost, buried information essential to the future { and useless if left to history. { { Nine years ago, Ballard's Knowledge Research Group, located in Huntington { Beach, Calif., excavated the Apollo program's documentary remains to { uncover critical knowledge gaps that would have to be replaced if a manned { Mars mission was ever to be attempted. { { "Companies want to retain raw data, but raw data isn't the most important { thing to retain. Not forgetting what the data means to a process or a { function is what's important," Ballard said. "We need to learn how to use { technology to mine not data, but the rational structure that pulls the { data together." { { A physicist by training and computer scientist by vocation, Ballard has { been working on the problems of information structure and efficiencies for { knowledge storage since 1984. His theoretical framework separates problem { solving, with its dependence on data, from problem management, with its { much greater emphasis on the rational component. { { "Managerial problems are mostly about the how and why of things, and { rarely about information per se," he explained. "They are about having the { knowledge to reduce the options for action before taking action. Simply { put, knowledge is anything that reduces uncertainty." { From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Sun Oct 25 06:21:58 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id GAA23026; Sun, 25 Oct 1998 06:21:15 GMT Received: from isp.super.net.pk (isp.super.net.pk [203.130.2.4]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id GAA23009 for ; Sun, 25 Oct 1998 06:20:41 GMT Received: from ngorc (khi-line-112.super.net.pk [203.130.5.251]) by isp.super.net.pk (8.9.1/8.9.0) with SMTP id LAA13807 for ; Sun, 25 Oct 1998 11:17:55 +0500 (GMT+0500) Message-Id: <199810250617.LAA13807@isp.super.net.pk> From: "Irfan Khan" To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 11:22:51 +0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: [ISOC Forum] OTI SPECIAL ISSUE ON EMERGING NATIONS Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT [from ISOC Forum (Vol. 4, No. 10)] *OTI SPECIAL ISSUE ON EMERGING NATIONS Don't miss OnTheInternet magazine's third annual issue on the Internet in Emerging Nations. The November/December issue of the Internet Society's award-winning international publication, features hard-hitting articles on the state of the Internet in developing nations as well as thought- provoking commentary on the impact of the Internet in those regions of the world. Find out how electronic communications and a new training program are solving food and farming problems in Africa while preparing women for leadership roles. Read about the changing role of government in developing India's Internet. Learn what needs to be done to make the Web truly worldwide. Subscriptions to OnTheInternet are available as part of certain membership categories. Select articles are available online at the ISOC Web site (http://www.isoc.org). For information, send e-mail to editor@isoc.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ISOC Forum is published monthly for the benefit of our members. Journalists and other qualifying individuals may request a subscription by sending e-mail to listserv@listserv.isoc.org with SUB ISOC-FORUM YOUR NAME in the body of the message. Consider this YOUR forum. Contribute news, information, queries, and other information via e-mail to editor@isoc.org. Please use ISOC FORUM as the subject line. Membership in the Internet Society is open to individuals and organizations worldwide. For information about joining the Internet Society, contact membership@isoc.org (individual membership), org-membership@isoc.org (organizational membership), URL: http://www.isoc.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From owner-s-asia-it@ns.apnic.net Fri Oct 30 04:13:29 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id EAA27550; Fri, 30 Oct 1998 04:11:33 GMT Received: from jubilee.ns.sympatico.ca (jubilee.ns.sympatico.ca [142.177.1.6]) by ns.apnic.net (8.9.1a/8.9.1) with ESMTP id EAA27546 for ; Fri, 30 Oct 1998 04:11:30 GMT Received: from LOCALNAME ([142.177.93.20]) by jubilee.ns.sympatico.ca (Post.Office MTA v3.1.2 release (PO203-101c) ID# 607-45892U60000L60000S0) with SMTP id AAG29200 for ; Fri, 30 Oct 1998 00:11:34 -0400 From: kerryo@ns.sympatico.ca (Kerry Miller) Organization: hundred flowers publications To: s-asia-it@apnic.net Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 01:12:31 -0400 Subject: The Architecture of Knowledge X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v3.01b) Message-ID: <19981030041119.AAG29200@LOCALNAME> Sender: owner-s-asia-it@apnic.net Precedence: bulk http://portico.bl.uk/index.html The British Library and the British Council have reluctantly cancelled The Architecture of Knowledge colloquium, planned to be held in London 29-30 October 1998 The purpose of the colloquium had been to explore the innovative partnerships which will be required to build the knowledge society. The programme featured a truly exceptional group of influential speakers from around the globe. However, although there was support from the library and information community, the poor economic outlook meant that the colloquium did not attracted an appropriate number and range of delegates from the corporate sector nor from Asia, where the experience of rapid information society development would have made a critical contribution to the colloquium debate. The British Council and the British Library are committed to excellence. The colloquium has been cancelled because we do not wish to proceed without the range of senior delegates required to generate leading-edge and truly influential debate. Cancellation has not been an easy decision, but we are convinced that it is the right one. Registered delegates will, of course, receive a full refund. ==========