The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is a global network of civil society organisations whose mission is to empower and support organisations, social movements and individuals in and through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Stakeholder consultation on public participation in internet governance
Meetings related to the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), on the one hand, and Internet Governance Forum consultations on the other, take place in Geneva in the second half of May. On May 23, APC in partnership with the Council of Europe and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe will hold a multi-stakeholder consultation: “Towards a code of good practice building on the principles of WSIS and the Aarhus Convention”.
Copyright and education in Africa: Launch of the ACA2K network
As the global community marked World Intellectual Property Day 2008, last 26th of April, an eight-country African research network was launched with a mandate to investigate the relationship between copyright and education in African countries.
APC enters into a partnership with privacy specialists
APC urges International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to limit use of toxic chemicals in electronics production
APC is supporting environmentalists’ calls to the South African National Committee of the IEC to vote against Clause 7 of IEC Standard 62368.
Clause 7 requires that large amounts of fire retardant chemicals be used in electronics production, despite the lack of reliable fire data showing a need for such chemicals. If passed, this clause will make it even more difficult and dangerous to recycle electronic waste, or e-waste, and may pose serious health risks to consumers.
GenARDIS grants for rural women in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific
From now until June 2008, four organisations – including APC – are inviting applications for the third round of the GenARDIS small grants programme. A total of fifteen grants of 7 000 Euros will be given out to successful projects.
APC elected to the board of a leading development partnership
The Association for Progressive Communications has been elected to the Global Knowledge Partnership’s executive committee on April 9 2008. In what has been the election with the highest turnout in GKP history, the APC network, along with four other groups, has been elected to join the committee for a duration of two years.
Battlefield internet: Belarusian civil society active despite censorship
Zelyonaya Set’s headquarters are no different from any other non governmental organisation (NGO) office in Central and Eastern Europe. Still, something is a little different here, where an online network for environmental groups is being set-up for Belarus.
Mobile phones and poverty reduction: Can this shortcut work in Latin America?
Mobile phones can be the way into the information society for lower income people and less developed regions. Some structural factors help: mobile phones do not require either electricity or special training and the costs of connectivity are much lower than those of landline telephones.
