DIGITAL AFRICA: AFRICA IS BORN IN ME

6/30/2005

Does Tony Blair Play for Manchester?

I asked a friend of mine in Tanzania to find out if Tony Blair, the chair of the Commission for Africa, is known in rural Tanzania. Does he play for Manchester? He was asked by a primary school student on the way to watch a local soccer game.

When he told one old man, "Tony Blair is the chair of the Commission for Africa." The old man wanted to know the name of the village he comes from. It did not occur to him that the man who heads the Commission for Africa is not an Africa. But a white male born in the UK!

Propa Propaganda

Benjamin Zephaniah has a book titled, Propa Propaganda. I guess what the UK government does with new films on the G8 summit website (UK) is propa propaganda about how "aid" has helped "poor" African countries.

We met two British experienced bloggers

I am working on a detailed post about some of the things we have been doing since we got in the UK. We met two experienced bloggers earlier today: Paul Mason from BBC Newsnight and Rafael Behr who blogs for the Obsever. Paul Mason already has a post about our meeting this morning. Colin from the BBC has just interviewed me for the program Go Digital about blogging and the new Panos blog. He will conduct another interview with all of us when we get back from Edinburgh.

6/29/2005

Does "saint" Bob Geldof respect African musicians?

Perhaps "saint" Bob wants to help "poor" Africans but not "wealthy" African musicians.

6/28/2005

Launching of Panos Africavox Blog

I arrived in the UK yesterday morning. We had a busy day with Sameer Padania from Panos. Tomorrow is a great day because Panos will launch its Africavox blog, which will have stories written by a team of African journalists visiting the UK as part of Panos G8 Media Fellowship Programme. I will post the blog link and other stuff tomorrow.
peace!

6/26/2005

I am on the way to the airport...

I am on the way to the airport. The next time you hear from me I will be in London, then in Edinburgh to blog this summit.

Debt Trap Still Haunts Tanzania

Despite the G8 ministerial decision to cancel debt owed by Tanzania and other 17 nations, debt trap still haunts...

HIV/AIDS: online helpline in Tanzania

The Tanzania Youth Alliance will soon introduce a new online helpline desk service for detailed information as one of its efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

6/25/2005

e-Africa Commission

e-Africa Commission, which was established in 2001, manages the development of the ICT sector on the African continent.

Bending the Arc to take place next month

Bending the Arc is an event organised by The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Secretariat on July 4th in London. The key aim of the event is to mobilise resources to obtain the Millennium Development Goals in Africa in partnership with the G8. Reports from the event will be presented to the African Union summit in Libya and to G8 Summit leaders in Scotland. Bending the Arc is co-sponsored by the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP), the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships(UNFIP) and the United Nations Information and CommunicationTechnologies Task Force. NEPAD is designed to empower Africans to address socio-economic challenges facing the African continent.

What Tony Blair and Willy Brandt have in common

It is not Go back 25 years ago, and then reflect. More...

Declaration for a free Internet

Global Voices Online tells us about recommendations released by Reporters Without Borders and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which governments and corporations should follow in order to ensure a free internet.

Debate: Can the G8 Fix Africa?

On Friday July 1st at 1900 GMT, 2100GMT, and 2200 GMT and again on Saturday July 2nd at 1100 GMT, BBC World Service Radio will broadcast a debate called, Can the G8 Fix Africa? Presenters will be Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem, Director of Justice Africa, Madam Rosemary Museminali, Rwandan ambassador, James Shikwati, Kenyan economist, and Lord David Triesman, Minister for Africa (to be confirmed).

The event and the recording will take place at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden by 7pm onWednesday, 29th June. The recording will start at 7.30pm and will be finished by 9.00.

6/24/2005

We will meet George Monbiot

While in the UK for the Panos G8 Media Fellowship Programme, we will be able to meet George Monbiot, a well known author, broadcaster, and a radical columnist for the Guardian Newspaper .

George Monbiot is the author of The Age of Consent: A Manifesto for a New World Order, Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain, Poisoned Arrows, and No Man’s Land (an investigative journey through Kenya and Tanzania). Monbiot, who has lived and worked in Indonesia, Brazil, and East Africa, is a visiting professor of planning at Oxford Brookes University. Visit his website for more information about him and read a collection of provocative essays and articles.

I am excited!

6/23/2005

Bloggers: participate in blog survey

Please, take part in a social survey of bloggers being conducted at the MIT media lab.

6/22/2005

Theta for WSIS in South Africa

SANGONeT will host a Thetha forum on 29 June 2005 for South African civil society organisations to reflect on the objectives of WSIS.

Tele-Health and African baskets online

I just came across this website and these amazing African baskets while visiting The Stockholm Challenge.

Who Rules the Internet?

Is the Internet ruled by netizens? Find out...

Translation of my G8 entries

Mshairi, a Kenyan blogger in the UK, has volunteered to translate my G8 Summit postings from my Kiswahili blog, Jikomboe, for her audience. Asante sana dada!

Completing the Revolution in Africa: Panos on Rural Telephony

In order for the revolution, which will no longer be televised, to be ditized in Africa and the desire to bridge the digital divide to be realised, policy-makers and other key decision makers need to pay serious attention to rural connectivity. Read the report on rural telephony by Panos London, Completing the Revolution: The Challenge of Rural Telephony in Africa. The report is based on case studies from Senegal, Zambia, Uganda, and Burkina Faso. There is also a media brief, which is designed to be a useful guide for journalists. You may also learn about Panos' activities around the World Summt on Information Society.

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