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So, I've decided to try and make a return to the blogosphere after a few years on hiatus.

Head on over to http://lifeandfreedom.wordpress.com to check it out!

Besty :)

More important than ever
When the number of people living on less than US$1 a day still numbers above 1 billion in 2009, something needs to be done about it. When the number living on less than US$2 a day almost reaches half the world’s population, there is a hidden pandemic which needs to be addressed, urgently. It’s a matter of life or death for millions every year.

And the worst part about those figures is that the world has the technology, money and ability to address the problem. Yet we still lag behind what the world has promised, time and time again.

The Global Financial Crisis has affected the worlds poorest the most. By the end of 2009, the President of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, says that an additional 55 to 90 million people will be trapped in extreme poverty. He also warns that the number of chronically hungry will rise to over a 1 billion by the end of 2009. That’s 200 million more than just over a year ago. In a speech to global financial ministers, Zoellick warned that the world faces a ‘human catastrophe’ if the world fails to act – above all through raising development aid, as the world has promised time and time again.

The movement to end extreme poverty is more important than ever. If the global economic crisis goes unchecked, with developing countries ignored, the crisis will transform into a global human crisis.

The development of a social movement
But first, a little about the history of the current social movement to end poverty. In the lead up to 2000, a movement grew out of the UK calling for debt relief for what the World Bank calls the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), under the banner of Jubilee 2000. This campaign gathered the support of thousands, from the soccer mum to well-known celebrities. 2000 came and went, and while the campaign achieved some success, HIPC countries were still heavily indebted.

Also in 2000, the UN Millennium Summit, held in September, released the Millennium Declaration. This Declaration outlined where world leaders wanted the world to head, and what type of world they envisioned for the new millennium. The Declaration stated that “We will spare no effort to spare our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty, to which a billion of them are currently subjected.” Out of the Millennium Declaration came the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – 8 goals (broken down into 18 targets and 40 indicators) to be achieved by 2015 in ending extreme poverty and improving development around the world.

After the Millennium Summit and the introduction of the MDGs onto the world stage, civil society came together and launched what has become the largest social movement in history. In 2004, at the World Social Forum, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP – www.whiteband.org) was launched, bringing together civil society organisations from around the world.

2005 saw the launch of this social movement onto the global arena. Make Poverty History, a part of GCAP, launched in the UK, Australia, Canada, and many other countries around the world. The ONE Campaign launched in the US, and Live8 was staged in every G8 country, as well as in South Africa. The Live8Live List gained 38 million signatures from G8 countries, and the Live8 concerts gained unprecedented media coverage for the issue of extreme poverty. The MPH/Live8 Long Walk to Justice rally, held paralleling the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, had over 250,000 people participating calling for three main goals: More and Better Aid, Fair Trade and Debt Relief for the world’s poorest.

While the events around July, 2005, could be seen as the peak of the social movement, it was in practice only the launch of a far reaching social movement. After these events, GCAP has established over 100 national-level campaigns (such as MPH in Australia or the ONE Campaign in the US), and the UN Millennium Campaign engaged almost 2% (116 million) of the world’s population in 2008 alone through its annual Stand Up event in October every year.

And since 2000, this movement has achieved a lot. The number of the world’s poor has decreased, and in some regions rapidly decreased. Child mortality has rapidly decreased in almost every region, and countries like Uganda have been able to roll out universal primary-level education due to drastic debt-relief.

What has been achieved
The gains that have been made have only been possible because massive numbers of people have been involved globally in the movement calling for the end of extreme poverty. The UK, due to efforts of campaigners, has pledged to raise their development assistance to 0.7% of GNI by 2015. In Australia, Kevin Rudd has pledged to raise development assistance to 0.5% of GNI by 2015 (still short of the 0.7% target agreed by all OECD donor nations over a period of 40 years, most recently at the Monterrey Conference in 2002). Scandinavian countries, already giving over 1% of GNI in development assistance, recently tried to decrease ODA levels, yet campaigners in those countries, and public backlash in general, stopped these countries from decreasing ODA levels.

The MDGs provide the social movement a globally-agreed framework on development for the new millennium. When the Millennium Declaration was signed, it was agreed to by all 189 members of the UN, a world first in itself.

Due to efforts in 2005, the G8 nations pledged a further US$50 billion in development assistance. While many of the promises made at Gleneagles are yet to be achieved, groups like Oxfam in the UK and the ONE Campaign in the US provide ongoing accountability and continual pressure on G8 nations to follow through on the promises made at the G8.

The social movement in Australia
In Australia, Make Poverty History is made up of over 60 aid and development NGO’s, union groups, churches through Micah Challenge, and others campaigning for more and better aid, fair trade and debt relief. Each individual organisation focuses on different issues surrounding the universe of international development, but each of these organisations are committed to seeing the end of extreme poverty. Organisations such as World Vision, Oxfam Australia and the Oaktree Foundation have been heavily involved in the MPH campaign and the social movement more generally. And each organisation, generally, has focused its attention on various aspects of the MPH campaigns – Oxfam on fairer trade through the Make Trade Fair campaign, Oaktree on issues of aid through the Zeroseven Roadtrip, the MPH Concert and campaigning that will continue to occur this year.

What has been achieved so far in Australia
Through the efforts of all MPH member NGO’s and groups, Australia has seen it raise its ODA levels from 0.3% of GNI in 2005, to 0.5% by 2015. In real terms, that is an AU$4 billion increase. Along with more aid, that aid is being better focused with the AusAID program, the MDGs, its targets and indicators are becoming more integrated into the development of AusAID programs and, increasingly, the evaluation of AusAID projects are based upon MDG indicators. The media has increasingly become aware of issues of extreme poverty and the MDGs, and opinion pieces addressing the issue of poverty are being written by both civil society and MPs on a regular basis in the nation’s major media outlets.
Campaigns run by various organisations have seen meaningful results. In 2007, the Oaktree Foundation, in partnership with Reach, organised the Zeroseven Roadtrip as a follow-up to the MPH Concert of 2006. This roadtrip culminated with Kevin Rudd, then Opposition Leader, committing to raising ODA levels to 0.5% of GNI by 2015. This would not have been possible without the thousands of people and hundreds of businesses engaged by 700 Oaktree MPH Ambassadors, nor would have it been possible without over 50,000 people who participated in the Face Up To Poverty photo petition organised by World Vision, some of whom were featured on the MPH Opera House projection that gained international media coverage through CNN and BBC.

The MPH Concert of 2006 organised by Oaktree and presented by the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) along with many of the partner NGO’s in the MPH campaign, saw 14,000 young people at the concert itself, while 20 million worldwide saw the concert online or through Channel 10’s coverage of the event. The concert also generated widespread media coverage around Australia, with Bono, the Edge and Pearl Jam headlining the concert, along with a number of Australia artists performing. The concert was held parallel to the G20 Finance Ministers summit in Melbourne, and sent a massive message to the G20 finance ministers about the Australian public’s position on matters of extreme poverty.

What this all means
Both globally and at a national level, events from Live8 to the MPH Concert and Zeroseven within Australia aimed at generating and keeping momentum going, in an effort to put pressure on leaders to increase aid levels, and make a serious effort to end poverty. These events show our leaders that the public is serious about these issues, and wants to see change happen.

But, if these events are not followed through with meaningful action – members of the public writing to their MP’s or Senators, groups lobbying government, media attention and debate surrounding these issues, among other actions, then these events only go so far. Raising awareness in the public only goes so far – providing avenues of engagement, and meaningful actions that the public can take, provides the tipping point for political action to take place. Once politicians see that the public cares about an issue – whether that be through letters received from the public, or petitions signed – change starts to occur. And when it comes down to it, if votes are at stake, change will undoubtedly occur.

Why I’m involved in the campaign to end extreme poverty
I do not consider myself to be an expert on development - that is best left up to the local communities where developmental projects are being undertaken. However, I do believe that, living in one of the most privileged countries in the world, I have a responsibility to do what I can to end what I see as the greatest injustice of our generation.

And I in no means wish to diminish projects undertaken by aid and development organisations worldwide. Projects delivered by organisations like World Vision, Oxfam, Plan, and many others provide life-saving skills, medication, education and opportunities to millions around the world. The projects of the Oaktree Foundation have provided educational opportunities to thousands, and initiatives such as GOLD, supported and funded through the Schools4Schools program (www.schools4schools.org) or our current work in Timor-Leste in partnership with Plan Timor-Leste, are programs that I truly believe change people’s lives for the better. And indeed, organisations such as Oxfam and World Vision are world leaders and experts in areas of development and aid.

However, the mere fact that there are many hundreds of development organisations around the world does not excuse governments from promises that they have made, or from what I see as a moral obligation of governments around the world to address the issues surrounding extreme poverty. This is why movements like Make Poverty History are needed to keep governments to account on their promises, and make sure that they do indeed follow through.

A person’s age, the amount of money that they do or do not have, what degree they do or do not have, or their position in society has little bearing on the change that they can create. The movement to end extreme poverty has brought together the average person to the celebrity, and this is a powerful voice aimed at the leaders of our world today.

I’m involved with Oaktree, and more generally the movement to end poverty, because I believe that it is a matter a life and death for many of the world’s poor. Oaktree, for me personally, provides just one outlet to campaign for these issues, and focuses on issues that I believe are extremely important. The campaigning that Oaktree has undertaken in partnership with and the support of many other organisations, businesses and individuals around Australia has had a huge effect on the lives of many, and is desperately needed if a meaningful commitment to the MDGs and the 0.7% target is going to be reached in Australia.

Position of the movement in 2009
And this brings us back to the beginning. The movement to end extreme poverty, globally and at a national level, is more important than ever. The current global economic crisis has set achievement of the MDGs back. The World Bank’s governing body of 24 finance and economic ministers recently stated that “developing countries face especially serious consequences as the financial and economic crisis turns into a human and development calamity." They also stated that "Hard-earned progress towards the Millennium Development Goals is now in jeopardy."

It is the job of organisations like Oaktree, World Vision, Oxfam, and of civil society more broadly to make sure that the world’s developed nations indeed keep their promises on development aid and effectiveness, ODA levels, and a commitment to the MDGs. The MDGs may not be fully realised by 2015, but that does not mean that governments can relax their stance on the issue.

Mind-boggling numbers of people are living in abject poverty, suffering from chronic hunger, and dying because of access to extremely basic sanitation and hygiene needs. The global economic crisis threatens to turn into a crisis of “human calamity” if the economic crisis goes on unchecked, or if the needs of developing nations are ignored.

Behind every statistic is a story that has affected a child, a mother, a father, entire families, villages, nations and the world at large. The largest social movement in history, and the campaigns, projects, events and actions run by each organisation within the larger movement, must not wind down, but instead intensify pressure and campaigning, to ensure that the needs of the world’s poor are met.

Over the past week, Sydney turned to a ghost-town. APEC rolled into town, along with 21 world leaders, including George W. Bush, and rolled out again as quickly as it came. 3 metre high security fences were erected around the city, 3500 police were deployed to the areas that the APEC summit was being held, and helicopters and fighter jets fly across the Sydney sky, albeit very low across the sky.
So all-in-all, the summit has been hailed as a success. At least, it was a safe success. No major incidents, and “only” 88 arrests, most during the protests that happened on the Saturday of the summit, and the overwhelming majority for minor offences, with some specifically created the APEC summit.
But even if you personally think that the security for the APEC summit was a little heavy-handed and over the top, there is another issue to address. What was actually talked about in the summit, and what was achieved?
Saying what was achieved is a hard task. If talking in a diplomatic sense, a hell of a lot. America and China were at the same table addressing Climate Change, attention turned to the Doha round of WTO negotiations, and a “Sydney declaration” was issued on Climate Change. But...
In the declaration that Australian PM John Howard released, we see the word “aspirational” more times than the average university academic would use the word in a lifetime of publications. Goals were set, yes, but they are “aspirational.” Targets were agreed upon, but are “aspirational” instead of binding. Essentially, the Sydney Declaration is a declaration stating that the 21 APEC nations will aspire to, sometime in the future, to set aspirational, non-binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among other things, with the penalty for non-compliance being... what?
I do not wish to dive into the deep and often unforgiving world of global warming politics. However, when 21 world leaders gather and can only agree on aspiration goals, aspirational targets, with no fixed numbers on these targets themselves, I believe it shows the attitude that John Howard, and many other world leaders, are taking towards important global issues.
John Howard hasn’t used the world aspirational just with the issue of climate change, either. He has referred to the Millennium Development Goals, themselves taking in environmental sustainability and responsibility, as aspirational goals as well. Under his logic, and so many other world leaders, he sees them as goals that, in an ideal world, would be great to aim for, but we don’t live in an ideal world, do we?
That logic doesn’t work. The MDG’s are 8 goals, with 18 targets, and 44 indicators as to the progress of those targets. They are measurable, and they are real. They are economically viable, so there’s no need to worry about hugely adverse effects on the economy, as John Howard, and others, so desperately tries to argue about setting binding targets in the case of climate change. They are just not aspirational.
Sure, we may argue over the wording of the Millennium Declaration, in which it states that the governments of the world will “spare no effort” in achieving the MDGs, but the fact is that the MDGs go beyond being “aspirational.” Idealistic? Maybe. Huge? Yes. Achievable? Very much so.
Today’s world leaders need to look beyond national borders in their thinking. They need to address the pressing issues of our time, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate change and unfair trade barriers. Going beyond vague declarations that amount to ink on a page, and a few good thoughts, but nothing binding, is desperately needed. As time goes by, it is the world’s poor that will be affected the worst, yet they have contributed the least to the problems that we see today. Climate change will affect the world’s poor the most, yet they contribute the least to its effects. Unfair trade barriers are imposed by developed western nations, leaving the world’s poor with poor access to the world’s markets and the advantages of globalisation. HIV/AIDS antiretroviral drugs are available in developed countries at any pharmacy, yet in developing nations, people die due to expensive drugs, or no access to life-saving drugs at all. Poverty kills millions, yet developing countries continually refuse to raise Official Development Assistance levels to just 0.7% of GNI.
The UN Millennium Summit in 2000, and again in the Monterrey Consensus in 2002, and yet again at the Millennium +5 Summit in 2005, world leaders showed that they can agree to enact change n the world, and move beyond the vagueness of many world summits and agreements. In 2005, civil society showed that the world does care about these issues, with a passion that goes deeper, at least in many people, than a passing fad, contrary to what many choose to believe.
Meaningful action seems to be hard to come by these days, but this something that is needed more than ever. The public want action, civil society continues to put pressure on governments to act, yet it seems that the political will is still not there. What will it take to get our leaders to act?

Just thought I'd post this as it looks promising, and it's on the Millennium Campaign's website.
(Source: http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=190470&ct=4305075)


Brown and Merkel Announce International Health Partnership

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel today announced an International Health Partnership designed to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Partnership will include major donor countries, including Britain and Germany, and key international agencies such as the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to accelerate MDGs 4, 5 and 6: reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

After their meeting in London, the two leaders released a joint statement in which they said: "We see this as a critical step in our call for an international mobilisation of effort to achieve the MDGs that will build year on year until 2015. Our efforts must bring together the private sector, NGOs, faith groups, international agencies and governments in a new partnership to reduce poverty, improve health and provide opportunities for the poor across the world."

The Partnership focuses on healthcare because "of the MDGs, those focusing on health are the least likely to be met." There is a lack of strong health systems with sufficient health workers, clinics and supply of medicines, but global health assistance is also too fragmented. The Partnership will focus on strengthening the global health infrastructure.

"We reaffirm our commitment made at the G8 and the EU to provide the financing needed to meet our health commitments through the established institutions and mechanisms. In this context, the replenishment of the Global Fund will be a key step. We will also explore innovative financing mechanisms to meet these commitments," they said.

Both Brown and Merkel are following through on their G8 promises of last June. In Heiligendamm, Germany, the leaders of the world's 8 richest countries promised more funds for healthcare and better coordination of health aid. Brown talked earlier about a "global alliance" in a speech at the UN Head Quarters last month and urged countries to renew their commitments to the MDGs.

The International Health Partnership will have its official launch on September 5.

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor
wanderer with shelter -
when you see him naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn...” (Isaiah 58:6-8)

Pointilism of Phil Hansen has many points indeed! One of them, surely dominant among the first impressions that locks our attention to his work, is his doubtlessly great artistic gift easily recognized at the early age of all true talents, born genius of artistic expression who always seems like playing with it, jiggling on the rope and exploring borders with their art, but what else that play may involve? From the comments of many reviewer of his art through video sharing and his website comment pages, we may see that it is refreshing, inspiring, amusing, reminding people to some favorite artist from the past, and it is also very much focused to the issues of the current political circumstances and social environment, as well as for the most personal matters of collaboration, like for instance the wheel into which the most striking moments of life of many people all over the world were recorded by artist’s hand, making his own rotating portrait.

Who is Phil Hansen? It is hard to explain and fathom, as in the wide field of the art anything and anyone can go as the art and artist today, but here we see a man with the vision that is grasping far and wide into the world of human explorations and see how is he becoming (from one episode of creation to the other) a “vision accomplished” hero: a man with the artist’s eye and hand ready to follow and deliver the rules of any newly created games, however bizarre or touching, hard or intelligent, hilarious or even silly they may appear. Someone commented how seeing him playing with the Rubik’s cube would be interesting to imagine. Surely, this artist is the one who knows how to turn visions from his rich imagination into artistic reality using system of creating and performing his creative games and filling into his own rules of each of them the tissue of the nature, thoughts, feelings, imagination, objects and technologies that are at hand or somewhere around the corner. Each game has its story, and the story is visually recorded, and shared accompanied with the music so good that it hardly can be neglected. This is also a tribute to all who are being happy to play this way and leave a record or a note to the global audience of inquiring minds so to speak.

One of the most important things for me was his ability for fruitful and totally unpretentious collaboration inside and outside the “institutional frames” of what are is and isn't and where its place can be, making the most out of what is given at present in this confusingly abundant world of all rules made to keep us inside strict borders. This artist is crossing these borders and going through the walls of convention (and institutional art) with an ease of a good ghost Casper or imagination of a child that is not making any notice of any borders, dissolving them all in his play except the frame of his own game, but also with mastery of the experienced wizard of pointillism, where we always stay amazed both by the process and artistic vision embodied in the final outcome.

Phil Hansen, we may say is born to be a great painter and he is that all over his body, spirit and mind and he dares to display it by painting with his arms and hands and elbows and feet and also demonstrating to us his thought process and shows us by recording steps of his work how we may feel friendly with our (mostly alienated, trivial, boring or scary) environment playing with the fragments of it, be that pinecones, sand, x-rays and machines that devour all artistic effort into the pieces of grinded trash or be that our own prejudices or images of famous celebrities and political figures and what impact they can have on our mind.

His artistic endeavor and message of his art may seem so touchingly caring, so universally deep and personally moving, but also, for some it can be unbelievably light and playful, spontaneous and easy, cool and seemingly superficial like the finest wrap of invisible irony, as you like it. So take it as you like, if you purchase his paintings you will surely contribute by that gesture to the humanitarian cause, if you observe that idea of being attributed to some cause having a big picture on your mind, you are facing the area of your own freedom and facing the fact how mind liberation is each moment of human life, or life of civilization triggered with the great works of art that are simply born around us.

Some ideas for the exploration of that kind could be: deserts and oceans, words and verses, streets and cities, human and animal’s eyes, and many more that come to mind thanks to this artist whose work we'd spontaneously like to follow sometimes like a child going after the circus leaving the town and sometimes like a serious art connoisseur who wonders about the future of the art and the role of the artist in the world today, putting everything under the magnifying glass.

In the end, without wishing to put his work into any categories and so much refreshed by the overwhelming experience of meeting his art recorded the way (I must compliment too) I wish to give to Phil Hansen, the artist of the boundless imagination, restless spirit, inspiring vision and hardworking limbs a truly big hand!

*
See his art at http://www.philinthecircle.com
More about his art at POTW article http://potw.news.yahoo.com/s/potw/23115/strokes-of-genius
Type Phil Hansen in Youtube.com to see his videos

So ... here we go again and yet ANOTHER attempt by Besty to have a regularly-updated blog. Although i know that this may fall apart in a couple of weeks, its good to think positively while it lasts!

So it's time to start my second semester of uni...

I'm already a week in, but hardly have any of my textbooks or readings ... thats the downer of not having a job after 6 months of almost full-time volunteering ... And I still can't find a job =[ ah well, i'll get there!

And I still don't know if I want to do sociology ... but don't have that much time to decide either. Got until the 3rd, so its okay.

Other than uni, everything is uber awesome! Okay, so maybe i'm not putting the most effort into how i express myself when i say 'uber,' but everything is great! Zeroseven is over, which has lifted a lot of stress off my shoulders, uni is starting again (only bad part about that is exams) and I have an awesome girlfriend who just makes life that much more greater!

So yes, you could say that I'm quite happy!

Except for the prices of textbooks... But that's another story.

Saw Knocked Up today with rusty. I have to say that yea its a funny movie, although, there was one scene that just ruined it for me! and the thought of having kids also went out the window, and I don't know when it's coming back :P But kids are still cute and awesome!! hehe

Then went to Hogs Breathe which was great! I really shouldn't have nacho's ... especially 2 days after having half a pizza, 3 mini magnums, sharing a 1.25L pepsi aanndd some krispy kreme donuts... but tat is definately another story! So a few hours with Rusty was awesome, then i had to catch the rail bus back home, because of trackwork ... damn CrapyRail...

Shall be back soon to postmore exciting (or not so exciting) adventures of Besty (and usually Rusty as well)

Love you babe!

Brenda Zulu
Freelance journalist


The issues of good governance cannot be discussed in isolation but together with other factors that help in the achievement of a society that promotes democratic principles.

The advent of the Information Society characterised by the prevalence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are impacting every facet of people’s daily lives. One clear upshot of this is that knowledge forms a critical component of production and development. The deployment of innovative mix of both old and new telecommunication regimes offer opportunities for appropriate strategies to accelerate Africa’s development.

Zambia’s report to the third meeting of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Committee on Development Information shows the country readiness for the Information Society.

E-governance is a tool for governments to use new technologies to provide people with more convenient access to government information and services, to improve quality of service and provide opportunities to participate in democratic institutions and processes of governing a nation. It also provides opportunities to move forward in the 21st century with high quality, cost effective government services delivery and the creation of better relationships between the people and government.

Zambia presently is in the process of formulating a national policy on ICT to foster and guide the use of ICTs for development in the country; however in the absence of ICT policy, ICTs are regulated by the Zambia’s Telecommunication Act of 1994.

The Zambia Telecommunication Company Limited (ZAMTEL), which administers Public Service Telecommunication Network (PSTN) in Zambia, was established in 1994 through an Act of parliament. This followed a separation of the postal and telecommunications services under the postal and telecommunications Corporation.

The Country has three cellular service providers. Zamtel providers a analogue telephone system based on the Advanced Mobile Phones Services (AMPS) technology with an installed subscriber base of 10,000 but currently the entire exchange network is undergoing digitalisation in preparation for the introduction of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) while TELECEL and CELTEL provide a GSM system with a combined subscriber base of about 139,092.

In 1994, Zambia became the first country in Sub Sahara Africa (Outside South Africa) to have full Internet access. The first ISP, the University of Zambia owns ZAMNET. The Communications Authority has since licensed five others. These are Coppernet, Microlink, UUNET, Zamtel and Celtel. The number of combined subscriber base is currently 11647 and is expected to increase tremendously in the next two years.

Following the return to multiparty politics in 1991, the Government embarked on various policy reforms and initiatives, all aimed at harnessing the full potential of the ICT revolution. Among these has been the liberalisation and deregulation of the telecommunication sector, the liberalisation of the airwaves and formation of the Communication Authority, which regulates the telecommunication sector.

The government has instituted a National Technical Committee comprising experts from government and the private sector. The committee commenced its work in November ’02 under the following terms:

* To provide guidelines and supervise the preparation of an ICT policy framework, policy itself, and strategies.
* To give input to the pilot project, initiate and undertake ongoing evaluation.
* To work out programmes to facilitate the creation of a digital society through ICT infrastructure, education and training, and human resources development as primary focus in ICT policy development; and
* To organise a national forum for the discussion and validation of the draft policy document.

The vision of government is to make ICT the engine for economic growth and social economic development in Zambia. It has been recognised that the association between telecommunications and the wholesale changes brought about in the global social-economic system as a result of the information society has rendered credence of the following:

* Economic growth is directly linked to levels of telecommunications and digital infrastructure,
* The intangibility of the information resource levels the playing field for corporation, governments and communities around the world
* A “new economy” has emerged that in fundamental ways supplants what went on before; in this economy, information means money
* Information flows have “opened” otherwise closed or insular countries and that this opening has further prospects of democracy in these politics; and
* Developing countries must get on the information highway or they soon will fall by the wayside of the digital divide.

Information and governance
The issues of good governance cannot be discussed in isolation but together with other factors that help in the achievement of a society that promotes democratic principles. One such element is the provision of timely, relevant and reliable statistics that enhance informed and accurate decision making, at Government, community and private sector levels. Policy reforms aimed at democratisation must use population statistics that ensure equal representation in our national political system. Policy reforms on economic liberalisation must include the use of statistics on vulnerable groups such as women, children, the disabled and the elderly etc., who must be cushioned from the adverse effects of economic reforms.

One area that directly illustrates the link between statistics and good governance is that of the Populations Census and how it relates to issues of the electoral system. Firstly, any electoral victory for any political party depends on the numbers and also the population distribution. The census is one of the few statistical systems that provide data at sub-district level and therefore has spatial implications for governance.

On the other hand, the electoral system also depends on the demarcations for governments of constituency and wards levels, as the case is Zambia. One of the challenges in Zambia has been the harmonisation of statistical data for the decision making process that is guided by existing statistical frame for data collection and the electoral demarcations of constituencies and wards. Politicians at both ward and constituency levels need statistical indicators that support them in advocacy activities and in resource mobilisation.

The current production of statistical data and indicators at both constituency and ward levels has provided a tool for politicians and civil society to advocate for a system of resources allocations that takes into account statistical representations. For example, the Zambian situation has seen increased demand from politicians and civil society for statistical information that is representative of local communities and the population Census is probably the only reliable system that is able to provide data to lower level. This has exerted great pressure on the ability of the national statistical system to provide at that lower level.


The development of ICT in Zambia has created great challenges on how statistical information is collected, processed and disseminated. Apart from the increased use of Local Area Networks in statistical operations, there is currently great need to expand such networks to enable remote regional data from various sources.

The approval of decentralisation policy by cabinet in 2003 has brought challenges for regional statistical offices to provide statistical data for local area planning in line with the Transitional National Development Plans. In Zambia, the Central Statistical Office (CSO), is in the process of developing a Wider Area Network that enables remote regional statistical office access data and other national development initiatives.

In 2002 the CSO engaged services of consultants to help develop a 5-year strategic plan to improve the operations of the office. This strategic Plan was designed for the Zambia National Statistical System focusing on the central statistical office to halt the decline in provision of official statistical system and service capable of meeting the information needs for poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP), the TNDP, and other national development initiatives.

Government has approved the establishment of National Remote sensing centre to coordinate in the application of GIS/remote sensing in Zambia. Remote sensing technologies are some of the tools that have been used in Zambia for sometime now. The Zambia Association for Geographical Information Systems (ZAGIS) has been spearheading activities in this area.

Development and dissemination of geo-information is important for any country’s economic development and growth. This is because well-developed geo-information infrastructure helps in high-level decision-making. It is a process that should be supported by National governments as well as and global bodies.

In Zambia we have a forum of core network stakeholders in the development of national standard for digital topographic databases as part of the national spatial database infrastructure development. This is the Environmental Information Network and Monitoring System forum that is composed of Zambia survey Department, Forestry Department, Zambia Wildlife Authority, Mine safety Department, soil survey unit (Ministry of Agriculture and cooperatives), Ministry of local government and housing, Lusaka city council and central statistical office. This forum is very strategic in the development and dissemination of geo-information. With long-term financial support from governments and cooperating partners the forum can transform the current under developed geo-information scenario in Zambia to an advanced and well-managed geo-information powerhouse in the region.

The survey department is currently compiling the digital topographic database at scale 1:50 000 and 1:100 000 with the ambition of covering the whole country. About 150 map sheets were compiled with the financial and consultancy support from the Environmental Support Programme (ESP) of the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources and Swede Survey Department’s daily core activities. This brings the total number to 220 sheets out of 826 sheets of 26% of the whole country coverage.

With 26% of the work done, capacity has been built in Zambia Survey Department, which now only requires to be fully improved, by way of financial support from government and other cooperating partners, to the level where it could speed up the process of developing spatial database for contribution towards the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. This is an opportunity that needs to be exploited if an efficient NSDI is to become a reality in Zambia.

Zambia is among the first countries in Southern and Central Africa to host a continuous GPS tracking station connecting to the IGS International points. This station is in Lusaka. However, there are plans to establish two more stations at Ndola and Mongu when equipment and other auxiliary resources permit. The Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources has been implementing the ESP. One of the components has been developing information systems focusing on addressing, deforestation, poor water and sanitation, land degradation (desertification), industrial air pollution (mainly from mining activities), and wildlife depletion.

The Zambia Meteorological department is currently executing a project called RANET. RANET is an acronym for Radio and Internet. It involves the use of a small digital radio (world space receiver) operating on “L” band and capable of accessing the Internet signal to receive data and information in rural settlements, and transmitting the same messages in local languages to improve infrastructure of delivering weather and climate data and information, as well as other developmental information to rural communities.

Media and ICTs in Zambia
The Internet is accessible from Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA) resource centre, British Council Library and cyber cafés. Most of the media institutions have Internet facilities which journalists do not even have access to. Internet facilities are only accessible to editors and IT people who have to update the website.

Many media institutions do not even have digital cameras, televisions, telephones lines and Internet access. Many urban journalists however have their own mobile telephones.

Government Media is not an exception. The situation is even worse in rural areas where journalists have to depend on the telefax to send a story where applicable or read on the phone line as applies to the situation. The infrastructure in the rural areas is not developed, thus making it difficult for the media to operate effectively.

Civil society and ICTs
Most NGOs, just like media organisations, have limited access to ICTs. The concept has been welcomed but the implementation is still remaining. Civil society, however, has even introduced IT sections in their organisations.

Gender issues regarding ICTs
The use of ICT enables more information to be found, retrieved and disseminated faster than ever before. Yet women often find themselves at a disadvantage. Whether through ‘technophobe’, a perception that computers and other technology are for men only, or through finance, women are often unable to take advantage of the ICT revolution. This includes women communicators, information officers, community liaison officers and women journalists.

Furthermore, women are still outnumbered by men in the majority of the media houses in Africa, with the result that they feel less confident and less influential than their male colleagues. There is need for women to develop new skills and knowledge about the use of ICTs and to apply these to the task of reporting more effectively about development of ICTs in Africa. ICT research and publishing skills need to supported and expanded in order to promote access to dissemination of information. In Zambia there is also need for women to explore ways in which they can have access to ICTs.

Conclusion
There are drawbacks in how governments have paid lip service to the development of technology. While many of them created regulatory bodies, put in place legislation and requested technical assistance towards the development of ICTs, these steps remain but a charade. In most cases, the setting up of regulatory bodies is simply done to fulfil donor conditions. No follow up is made to ensure the harmonisation of these new entities with already existing structure. Despite the high demand for Internet services, African governments seem keen on clinging to monopolies As a result cost remains prohibitive for the majority of the rural populations. Why is that in Europe and America where the per capita income average is at least 20 times higher than the African average, Internet services are more affordable than they are in Africa? African governments need to facilitate the acquisition of information and technology among their people, and in doing so, empower them to participate in the process. Without assessed information and communication needs for African populations, Africa’s dream to participate in the global information economy could remain elusive. This underlines the importance of collaboration and the sharing of best practices at national, regional and international levels.

The first step in empowering people in Africa in the age of new communication technologies is helping people achieve more technology literacy, so that they can use technology to help themselves. This can definitely be done because Africa’s best resources are the people.

LUSAKA, 19 July 2007 (IRIN) - Civil society fears that the imminent introduction of legislation aimed at regulating non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will severely compromise their work and independence, and could even result in their operations being closed down.

The NGOs bill, introduced this week in parliament by justice minister George Kunda, calls for "the registration and co-ordination of NGOs - [and] to regulate the work, and the area of work of NGOs operating in Zambia".

If the bill becomes law it would empower the interior minister to form a 10-member board, comprised of government members and two representatives from civil society, which would "receive, discuss and approve the code of conduct [of NGOs], and ... provide policy guidelines to NGOs for harmonising their activities to the national development plan of Zambia".

''We believe that this is a very sad moment in the life of Zambia's civil society.
The bill is dictatorial and seeks to constrain and limit the space for civil society''
Civil society leaders and human rights activists told IRIN the new law was a ploy by government to silence their critics and erode the role of civil society.

"We believe that this is a very sad moment in the life of Zambia's civil society. The bill is dictatorial and seeks to constrain and limit the space for civil society in the country," said Lee Habasonda, executive director of the Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes [SACCORD], a human rights and good governance watchdog.

"This sends very wrong signals and threatens the existence of NGOs, in that if the board is to be directly under the Minister of Home Affairs, then it means this same board will be de-registering, at will, any NGO whose style the government does not like."

NGOs are registered by the Registrar of Societies, a quasi-government organisation, but after registration the government has little power to restrain NGOs from voicing political dissent, and any attempt to de-register an NGO usually involves long court battles. In the proposed bill, NGOs will be obliged to register annually.

Court battles

SACCORD was de-registered by the government last year, only to have its NGO status reinstated by the court. It is once more embroiled in a legal battle after the government deregistered it again this year, but this time the court has allowed it to retain its NGO status until the outcome of the legal action.

"They [government] have been failing to put an end to our activism or existence, because there was no legal basis for de-registering us for holding dissenting views [from the government]," Habasonda said.

"This bill reduces the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of association; it reduces the efficacy of NGOs, because if they can't effectively criticise the state, then it means democracy is losing ground and dictatorship is now creeping in."

This is the first attempt by the Zambian government to regulate civil society since the onset of multiparty democracy 16 years ago, when Kenneth Kaunda, president since Zambia's independence from Britain in 1964, was unseated in 1991 by former trade unionist Frederick Chiluba.

Zambian civil society has been a strong force for change: it was pivotal in forcing Kaunda to abandon one-party rule and adopt multiparty democracy; helped block Chiluba's bid for a third term of office in 2001; and, during the tenure of current president Levy Mwanawasa, has maintained pressure for the adoption of a new constitution.

Emily Sikazwe, director of the Non-Governmental Organisation Coordinating Committee [NGOCC], an umbrella body for civic organisations involved in gender issues, said the proposed legislation would negatively affect the rights of women and children.

''The immediate impact is that the women's movement, and NGOs who have championed the cause of women and children - where the government has not been faring well - will certainly be de-registered''
"The immediate impact is that the women's movement, and NGOs who have championed the cause of women and children - where the government has not been faring well - will certainly be de-registered," Sikazwe told IRIN.

"We know for a fact who they are targeting with this new legislation, but we reject it with the contempt it deserves. Democracy has come to stay in Zambia, and we won't allow anyone to sit on critical issues that are important to the country."

Matyola Malawo, executive secretary of the Zambia Council for Social Development, a coalition of NGOs working for upliftment, said the bill was not good for the country because "it doesn't seek to harmonise the contributions of NGOs to national development."

He added that "NGOs were not consulted in its formation and, when we tried to access it, we were all told that parliament would decide on behalf of the people. If this law goes through, there will be a lot of mismanagement of public funds, because no one will speak for fear of being de-registered."

Chief government spokesperson and information minister Mike Mulongoti said the bill was designed to make civil society more responsible and accountable in their conduct. "We have democracy to safeguard. We must all stand on one platform - NGOs should not just be asking government to be transparent or accountable to the people, they should also do the same.

"This is why we have decided, as government, to introduce this new law: it's necessary to have a legal framework to regulate their conduct, because some of them seem to have been set up specifically to oppose the government in everything," he commented.

"They [NGOs] want to have a free-for-all atmosphere, when they themselves want government to be accountable. We must stand on the same platform: they should also be held accountable for their conduct and expenditure. After all, even the money they use to fund their activities is taxpayers' money elsewhere, just like we use Zambian taxpayers' money."

Zambian NGOs are not funded by the government but source their funding from mainly Western donors.

By Brenda Nglazi Zulu

20 July 2007

Many initiatives have been undertaken, mostly by civil society organisations, towards the bridging of the digital divide between the north and the south. The pressing concerns have been on the ability of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to improve the standards of living of the poor in societies.

If harnessed and directed properly, ICTs have the potential to improve aspects of our social, economic and cultural life. Appropriate technology for Zambia is not just a desire but also a real need. Among Zambia’s greatest challenge today are poverty and HIV/AIDS. In addition to this challenge we are faced with a language challenge which hampers communication. Given that 73 languages are spoken in Zambia, could the country not develop a technology that contributes towards narrowing the linguistic gap? These challenges can be seen as opportunities to make a difference, rather than liabilities to marginalise Zambia.

All stakeholders have a leading role to play in the Information society, especially through partnerships. The conference observed that the government had a leading role in developing and implementing comprehensive, forward looking and sustainable national e-strategies.

The commitment of civil society was important in creating an equitable civil society and in implementing ICT related initiatives for development.

ICTs can thus serve as an engine for development in the New Millennium and help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The conference was a unique opportunity for all key players to develop a shared vision of solutions and tools to bridge the digital divide and create a global society.

Government also took this unique opportunity to launch the first draft national ICT policy.

There are draw backs in how governments in Africa have paid lip service to the development of technology. Although many of these governments have created regulatory bodies, put in place legislation and requested for technical assistance towards the development of information and communication technology, all these steps remain but a charade.

More often than not, the setting up of regulatory bodies is simply done to fulfill donor conditions. There is no follow up afterwards to ensure the harmonisation of these new entities with already exiting structures.

Despite the high demand for Internet services, the Zambian government seems keen on clinging onto monopolies as opposed to inviting more internet service providers. As a result cost remains prohibitive for the majority of the rural populations.

There is an urgent need to depoliticise issues that affect national development. The provision of information in Zambia needs to be facilitated by the acquisition of information and technology tools for the people, and in so doing empower them to fully participate in the global information technology process. The onus here really lies with the government in their structuring of a policy that is all inclusive and will take into consideration submissions from all stakeholders. There is also need for publicity of the draft ICT policy on government’s part to ensure participation from all.

Drawing from past experiences, important submissions from civil society and other stakeholders will not be taken into full consideration by the government. And when there are no contributions, the government will ask why, it is this kind of trend that brings out the apathy in people especially when something looks like it is only for the benefit of a few in the upper circles of society. Government needs to understand that when it involves the masses on larger a scale and appreciate their contributions, the people will be interested and involved and thus policies made will be a true reflection of the peoples needs towards improving their living standards.

The first step in empowering people in the age of new communication technologies is to help them achieve more technological literacy, so that they can use technology to help themselves and to help them make meaningful contributions on ICT issues that affect their livlihoods. The best resource in the world is the human resource, if we keep this in mind then we are heading for progress.

Is it really possible to take the Australian political system seriously anymore?

In an election year, I guess people are expecting various promises and pledges from both the Government and the main Opposition party. And many people would also now be expecting these promises and pledges to be broken once th election is over. But looking at recent events in Australia, I have to say I'm rapidly loosing faith in our political system, especially our two-party system. The Haneef alleged terrorism case, the resurgence of the Tampa incident in 2001, plus seemingly endless election stunts, tat seem to forget that the Australian population just may have a mind and just may be able to think for themselves.

Organisations like GetUp are trying to bring back grassroots democracy, and that is great, and thy are doing an awesome job at it. Now we just need a political system that is actually there to do what its meant to do - to represent the people that elected them.

It's time that our politicians got real and actually did something, other than arguing and stalling and making election promises that they don't intend on following through.

Being away for a week with the most inspirational people that someone can ever meet changes your life. It changes your life in the most positive way, and it is an experience I would not exchange for anything.

From July 1-7, the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY ZEROSEVEN Roadtrip occurred in Australia. From Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and teams in Sydney and Perth, 500 Youth Ambassadors campaigned on behalf of MPH, all converging in Sydny for a finale concert and something that has never been done before - the projection of video and photos onto the Sydney Opera House, showing Australia and the world that our generation does care about ending extreme poverty.

So, why ZEROSEVEN? Throughout the trip, we campaigned for one thing: a commitment to 0.7% of GNI to go towards foreign aid (Official Development Assistance)by 2015. We campaigned for our nation's leaders, both Government and the Opposition alike, to commit to this target. We also ran a campaign called Face Up To Poverty, asking Australians to Face up and show the government that they support the 0.7% target for foreign aid.

And what happened? None of us doubt that we made history, but it is only the start of the journey. We held 5 concerts, plus a celebration concert in Sydney. We mobilised over 6,000 young people through these concerts. We had more than 35,000 people Face Up To Poverty throughout the week. We even saw the PM, John Howard, Face Up To Poverty. And on the 6th July, we witnessed a commitment by Kevin Rudd, Federal Leader of the Australian Labor Party, to 0.5% of GNI to Foreign Aid by 2015, if the ALP win the next election. Yes, this isn't he target of 0.5%, but it is a start. It is recognition that our campaigning efforts, and that the Australia public, give the government, of whatever colour, the permission to spend our money on foreign aid.

As for myself, I was part of the NSW team, campaigning around Sydney for the entire week. The week for me can be summed up with sleep deprivation and emotional ups and downs, but I wouldn't give it up for anything.

I personally spent about 4 months helping plan the NSW leg of the Roadtrip, and it was a great experience to see this planning eventuate into tangible action and campaigning. Although i must admit that when the first day of the Roadtrip swung around, I approached it with nervous feelings, not knowing whether the whole week would work or not.

And the first day didn't come with much luck. All 100 Ambassadors, along with crew, were told to expect rejection along the way, and the first day was just that. We were campaigning in the Eastwood area of Sydney, in John Howard's electorate, and it was the hardest day of campaigning. But it did prepare us all for disappointments along the week.

The rest of the week can only be described as awesome. On the second day we campaigned in the city, which included a flash mob of sorts where 100 people dressed as pirates chanting and generally campaigning in Martin Place.

Third day, we went to Bankstown, and this was an awesome day of campaigning in an area that had not been targeted by MPH in the past. All in all, a great day, including a very cheap BBQ for the public, and live jazz music!

Fourth day, we did another day of campaigning in the city, this time focusing on Face Up. Throughout the whole week, there was a Face Up wall outside Customs House, near Circular Quay, where the public could see 10,000 faces from the Face Up campaign. We had teams of ambassadors at this wall at many times throughout the week, and crried out Face Up mainly in the city.

On the fifth day, we headed out to Bondi Beach to do a "people sign" spelling out make poverty history on the beach. While this was smaller than we would have liked it to be, it was a great time, and we did involve a lot of passers-by in the photo. The Daily Telegraph and channel 9 was also at the beach, so we gained some media exposure through the event.

Sixth day, we saw the 'finale' at the opera house, and the MPH Projection onto the side of the opera house, follwoed by a wrap up and chill out/party atmosphere for tall 500 ambassadors plus crew and national team.

Seventh day, we went to the National MDG Summit, which was interesting to hear the various political parties opinions regarding the 0.7% of GNI goal. After this, we went off to Live Earth,as zeroseven campaigners had got cheaper tickets, and that wrapped up the week!

Yes, that was a very short wrap up, but all i can say is that the week was damn amazing. The projection onto the Opera House gave us a sense of completion, as well as a sense that we did achieve something out of the Roadtrip.

Emotionally, it was a week that went from up to down in about as much time as it takes to read this line. Many nights the crew didn't get to sleep till 2am, and got up early every day for the next days activities. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, but we dealt with the issues as they came up, but all in all, a great week!

FRor more info on what ZEROSEVEN was, go to www.zeroseven.org

It's only the start of the journey!

Hey hey guys!

If any of you reside or are in Australia between now and July, PPLLEEAASSEE go to this website and participate!

www.optus.com.au/faceup

Face Up To Poverty was launched on June 5th, and is part of the ZEROSEVEN Roadtrip and is an ongoing campaign within Australia.

Please participate in this "face" petition, and help create change within Australia!

More Info:
www.zeroseven.org
www.makepovertyhistory.com.au
www.optus.com.au/faceup

Not because i'm biased or anything, but ...

Just been told of a great site for all those in Australia (and anyone else that wants to help!) to search the net AND fight agains poverty at the same time.

It's called Ripple, and the basis of the site is that, if you search with ripple (its Google powered), an advertiser gets to show an add, and will pay ripple an amount of money, which it will then forward on to one of four organisations. Have a look at the site for more details, www.ripple.org, but i think its a great idea!




Will get back to regular updates soon!