Dear friends,

Attahced please find the latest collection of snippets from the Internet.

Hope you find them useful.

Regards

Neil Butcher

YENZA! USING THE INTERNET FOR RESEARCH AND TEACHING IN THE HUMANITIES AND

SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Centre for Science Development of the HSRC, in partnership with Infolit,

a project of the Adamastor Trust, are pleased to announce the launch of

Yenza!, a web-based resource to promote the use of the Internet in the

humanities and social sciences in South Africa:

South Africa has the highest rate of Internet connectivity on the African

continent, with most tertiary institutions in South Africa enjoying full

Internet connectivity. There is, however, a considerable way to go before

the potential of the Internet as a tool for research and teaching is

fulfilled in South Africa. The Yenza! project seeks to contribute to the

understanding of the potential role of the Internet, and to provide a

dynamic resource which can make a practical contribution to the development

of Internet and information literacy skills.

The materials on the web site are freely available for either

self-instruction or for use as workshop modules, and are intended for use by

trainers, academics, and postgraduate students at South African universities

and technikons.

A key concern has been to develop content appropriate for the South African

context, drawing on local expertise and resources. Materials on the site

currently comprise a mixture of annotated links to resources in South Africa

and elsewhere, and materials developed specifically for Yenza! It is

envisaged that the proportion of South African content will increase as

local academics come forward with contributions.

The site is divided into four main sections:

* Learning to use the Internet

Using e-mail & e-mail discussion lists; searching for information;

evaluating information; teaching with the Internet; discipline-specific

links

* The Research Journey

Starting out; surveying the field; the research proposal; research

methodology; analysis and processing of data; research outputs

* Developing a Web Site

Site planning; hypertext markup language; site building

* Yenza! for Trainers

Suggestions for trainers on using Yenza! materials; general resources for

Internet trainers; compressed version of the entire Yenza! Web site.

The Centre for Science Development and Infolit welcome feedback on the

project, and invite contributions from South African academics towards the

ongoing development of the site.

Please contact Ann Tothill or Cathy-Mae Karelse with comments or for further

information:

Ann Tothill

Research Capacity Development Directorate

Centre for Science Development (HSRC)

e-mail: AATothill@silwane.hsrc.ac.za

tel.: +2712 302 2672; fax: +27012 302 2421

Cathy-Mae Karelse

INFOLIT - Adamastor Trust

e-mail: cmk@grove.uct.ac.za

tel.: +2721 686 5070; fax: +2721 689 7465

When Tools for Life is finalized in December 1998, health organizations will

be able to download the kit and modify it to meet their needs, reproduce it,

and distribute it to their community health workers

****************

MANENO MENGI ["lots of words" in Swahili] - Zanzibar and Tanzania - This new

organisation develops low-cost digital video for community development. It

currently works with an emerging organisation for coastal people in South

Tanzania; a community TV initiative in Zanzibar that promotes dialogue

between residents and authorities on the threatened stone town; and the

Tanzanian national land forum for promoting debate on land rights. Training

in participatory video is planned for early next year together with Zanzibar

NGO resource centre and Zanzibar International Film Festival. Contact:

Farida Nyamachumbe, Verena Knippel, Lars Johansson

maneno@africaonline.co.com

Community Media Programme [CMP] - Kenya - a programme of Econews, promotes

the development of community-based media in Kenya and East and Southern

African. Premise: media owned, controlled and produced by, for and about

communities can serve as vital fora for debate on development, governance

and human rights at local level as well as the preservation and promotion of

local culture(s) and indigenous knowledge. Such media provide critical

two-way conduits for the flow of information between the local, national and

international perspectives. Two activities include support to advocacy and

training activities of the Kenyan Community Media Network; and support for

an East African pilot project to establish three community radio stations in

Kenya, Tanzania; and Uganda. Contact Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki

wanyeki@iconnect.co.ke

TO CONTENTS|
******************

Ms Hentie Wilson, (Teaching Advisor and Instructional Designer)

Bureau for University Teaching,

University of South Africa,

TEL: +27-(0)12-429-6092 OR +27-(0)83-266-3312

FAX: 012-429-6092

As instructional designer I collaborate with teams to develop course

materials for specific target groups. During this process I am often

required to advise people on pertinent educational issues. My speciality is

active learning as well as various old and new technologies for learning. I

have a number of completed distance education study packages and I also

teach a face-to-face course at Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA).

My current research is geared towards active learning, video conferencing

techniques, Web courses and distance education textual principles. People

interested to work with me on these issues are welcome to contact me.

"We are looking for partners (both individuals and institutions) to

participate in the development of this Information Systems Methodology that

can be used to develop Information resources for development purposes. This

project is being undertaken at City University's Department of Information

Science (London) by the Internet Studies Research Group (ISRG) where it will

be co-ordinated from.

The project also involves a doctoral thesis that I am undertaking about the

Internet in Africa. My project involves the development of a model that can

be used in developing Information resources for development purposes – with

particular reference to Southern African countries. My focus is in the

analysis stage in the life-cycle of systems development - identifying user

needs. The model is just a small segment in an overall Information Systems

Methodology to be used in the design, production and implementation of

Information applications to be used in developing settings with particular

reference to Internet and multimedia technologies. What is interesting about

this project is that it is multidisciplinary as it will involve findings and

professionals from disciplines such as sociology, anthropology,political

science,economics, geography, history, enthnography, sociology, development

studies, information science, humann computer interaction (HCI), computer

science and psychology. Such an approach we hope will result in the

development of effective information systems that can result in social and

economic developments in Southern African communities for example. My other

interests include developing Multimedia courseware and Internet based

information resources and research on the use of new Information

technologies for learning and teaching purposes. I am also interested in the

use of computer coneferencing and groupware systems in learning and training

environments."

You can also check my personal web site which has brief details about the

We will be setting up a project web site with the details of the project and

a discussion forum for the participants in the project etc. "

--------

BM Chivhanga
The Internet Research Studies Group
City University
Department of Information Science
School of Informatics
Northampton Square
London EC1V OHB
Telephone: 44 (0) 0171 477 8000 Ext. 3906
Fax: 44 (0) 0171 477 8584
Email: bmmc@soi.city.ac.uk
Alternate: bmmc@dircon.co.uk

MPCC '98

The 1998 MULTI-PURPOSE COMMUNITY RESOURCE AND INFORMATION CENTRE CONFERENCE

November 25 - 26, 1998 Alex San Multi Purpose Community Centre, Gauteng

Conference Secretariat:

ATTENTION: All community centres, telecentres, schools, religious

institutions, churches, libraries, national and provincial government

departments, parastatals, private sector companies, donors, training and

info providers

INTRODUCTION

It is expected that 400+ delegates representing over 200 community centres,

national and provincial government departments, parastatals, private sector

companies, donors, training and information providers will attend this

all-important conference on Multi Purpose Community Resource and Information

Centres to strengthen the role that MPCC's can play in the Reconstruction

and Development of South Africa.

The conference resolutions from these community practitioners will provide

valuable input into relevant upcoming local/international conferences on

community development and to various government departments for their policy

and project planning.

BACKGROUND

South Africa is a land of contrasts. With the legacy of Apartheid, certain

areas are well developed with an infrastructure that compares with first

world standards, while in others, people live in the utmost poverty without

basic services being rendered.

Information and development services are crucial for the improvement of life

for the majority of people in South Africa. Recent studies by the World Bank

and others have highlighted that the most effective way to alleviate poverty

is through effective acquisition and dissemination of knowledge. Access to

information through new information and communication technologies, and the

capacity to use it effectively, is imperative to progress and prosperity for

all in South Africa.

Many government departments have identified special community facilities or

centres as main instruments in their development strategies, e.g.

Telecentres, Housing Support Centres, Education Resource Centres, Community

Safety Centres, Local Business Centres, etc. However, these infrastructural

developments often fulfill individual departmental mandates only, leading to

fragmentation and costly duplication of initiatives and buildings even

though the end-users are basically the same.

With the current economic uncertainty, there is now even a greater need for

resource, information, educational and entrepreneurial centres to support a

range of community development projects throughout disadvantaged areas in

South Africa.

With the challenges of massive waste due to duplication and an

ever-diminishing resource base, the development of Multi-Purpose Community

Information Centres (MPCC) utilising effective new information and

communication technologies, could be the successful cornerstone of Africa's

renewal into the 21st century.

This network and partnership of community centres throughout the country can

be a crucial resource in tackling the countries greatest problems, such as

AIDS, job creation, education and the fight against crime.

A MULTI-PURPOSE COMMUNITY CENTRE

There must be local structures and facilities for development programmes,

such as the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), to be truly

people-driven and in support of empowerment and democratisation.

A Multi-Purpose Community Information Centre is a place where

community-defined needs are linked to development resources. An MPCC enables

communities to manage their own development, by providing access to

appropriate facilities, resources, training and services.

The aim is to create a place and mechanism to support community development,

whether it be a building or a cluster of buildings within walking distance

of each other. The Centre should always be accessible by public transport.

The MPCC should respond to community defined needs, and as different

communities can have very different needs, there is not one standard blue

print for all. They should be appropriate for their area, managed by the

community but operated on basic business principles for their longer term

sustainability.

The National Information Technology Forum, funded by the International

Development Resource Centre, has produced a report on MPCCs in South Africa.

This conference comes out of this research, and aims to support the wide

range of development projects in this area. This conference is also

supported by the Universal Service Agency.

AIMS and OBJECTIVES OF MPCC '98

To bring together relevant representatives from community centres, private

sector and government in order to:

1/ Review projects and initiatives related to MPCC's;

2/ Provide a networking platform for MPCC's to share their ideas, contacts

and programmes for sustainability;

3/ Promote linkages between communities, government, private sector, NGOs

and donor organisations;

4/ Establish a way forward that continues and accelerates this process.

In addition, consideration should be given as to whether a structure

representing community centres should be established in order that community

centres speak with a strong unified voice in the reconstruction and

development of the country.

DETAILS OF MPCC '98

VENUE: Alexsan Multi-Purpose Community Information Centre, Alexandra,

Gauteng

DATES: Wednesday, November 25 to Thursday, November 26, 1998

EARLY REGISTRATION: R100 per person - includes opening and closing lunches,

teas/coffee, all conference materials. Limited subsidies for community

centres available upon request.

DRAFT AGENDA:

Wednesday, November 25 - DAY 1

9:00 - 11:00 Registration

12:00 Opening Lunch

Welcome and Introductions

Opening Address: Keynote Speaker

12:45 Review of MPCC related projects and initiatives via the National MPCC

survey sponsored by the IDRC and the NITF.

SESSION 1: Information and Service Providers Presentations Presentations

highlighting the necessity for MPCC's and establishing a framework for

MPCC/government partnerships. Speakers would include organisations such as:

GCIS - Government Communication and Information System, The Universal

Service Agency, Department of Education, Department of Welfare/Health, The

Post Office, The Independent Electoral Commission Discussion/Questions and

answers

SESSION 2: Community Centre/Telecentre Presentations: Presentations

highlighting MPCC's and their sustainability programmes, needs, etc

These would be actual community centre practitioners from various provinces.

Discussion/Questions and answers

3:00 TEA

3:30 Group sessions: Topics: Funding, training, networking, needs,

priorities

Thursday, November 26 - DAY 2

8:30 Provincial meetings

10:30 TEA

11:00 The way forward - tasks and duties for the interim MPCC committee.

1:30 Farewell Lunch

"info-stalls" will be available whereby various departments/parastatals,

private sector organisations and information providers can provide

information to the many community centres that will be in attendance.

Sponsorship costs for an info-stall are very reasonable. Contact the

Conference Secretariat for more information.

The Alex San Multi-Purpose Community Centre will be providing the venue,

catering and logistics for the conference and the IDRC will be contributing

a significant amount towards some of the conference delegates travel and

accomodation with all proceeds from the conference to go towards assisting

the MPCC Interim Steering Committee.

To gurantee your place at the conference, please fax or email (do not post)

the following registration form below and fax a copy of the bank deposit

slip by Friday, November 20, 1998 to:

MPCC '98 Conference Secretariat

Fax: (011) 488-5907

Email: mpcc98@hotmail.com

Bank details:

Standard Bank - Parktown Branch No: 00-03-55-44

Account Name: MPCC 98

Account Number: 401-938-980

Early registration fee before November 20: R100

Late registration fee (after Nov 20 - payable at conference): R135

Conference fees cover both opening and closing lunches, coffee/tea and all

conference materials. Delegates are kindly requested to bring a one page

sheet with details of their organisation, its activities, contact person(s),

telephone, fax, email and postal details and any other relevant information.

This sheet will be photocopied and given to each delegate attending.

REGISTRATION FORM - MPCC '98 (One per person and please write legibly)

Name:
____________________________________________________________________________

Organisation:
________________________________________________________________________

Telephone: ( )_____________________________

Fax: ( )______________________________

Email:______________________________________________________________________

Postal:_____________________________________________________________________

Special Dietary Requirements:
________________________________________________________

Transport required to Alex San Kopane? Please indicate:

Air: Flight no and time of arrival:
______________________________________________________

Bus: Time of arrival:
____________________________________________________________________

Train: Time of arrival:
__________________________________________________________________

Do you want us to send you information on accommodation?
__________________________

***********************************************************

Telematics for African Development Consortium
P.O. Box 31822
Braamfontein
2017
Johannesburg
South Africa
Tel: +27 +11 403-2813
Fax: +27 +11 403-2814
neilshel@icon.co.za
www.saide.org.za