In 2005, the APC Betinho Prize will be offered in recognition of community initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean that use the internet and other networks to access markets, skills and opportunities to derive real economic benefits.

We are looking for ICT initiatives that:

• make a positive economic contribution to the community

• are driven and developed in Latin America and the Caribbean

• can demonstrate a sustainable use of technology

Stanford professor of law Lawrence Lessig visits Brazil, and comes back with this fascinating story explaining how the ideals and inspiration of Free Software is giving rise to Free Culture. Lessig describes what risks and threats come along with the new strategies to spread regulation in the digital world, in a long but fascinating write-up.

"A project offering business skills to impoverished Kenyan youths has been recognised with a prestigious award. Computer and software skills play a key part of the training," says the BBC in this report on the APC Hafkin Prize winner just announced on May 26.

APC is seeking an information and content facilitator to manage APC’s Latin American and Caribbean policy website and newsletter. The successful candidate will be based in the region and work with APC members and other groups and experts on ICT policy issues. Deadline for applications: May 31 2005.

“Journalists in the six countries surveyed for this report are lucky to enjoy conditions of media freedom in greater or lesser degrees. But what this study shows is little sign of media deepening its democratic role by becoming a vital link in the processes of public policy with regard to the African Information Society,” says Guy Berger in his preface to a new research report just published. The report evaluates the nature of ICT policy coverage in policy-influential media in Kenya, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Senegal.

Olinca Marino from LaNeta, APC member in Mexico, has been following the WSIS process since its beginning. In this report she comments on the united front shown by Latin American governments at PrepCom 2 but notes that the front begins to fall apart significantly in two areas that civil society activists care passionately about – free software and community radio.

The African Regional Conference, preparatory to the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), was held in Accra, Republic of Ghana, from February 2 to 4, 2005. Participating in the Conference were representatives of African governments, delegates from many other countries and international organisations, and people representing African private sector and civil society, including members of the APC team.

The Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT), APC member in South Africa, will host its first annual "ICTs for Civil Society" conference and exhibition from 1-3 March 2005 in Fourways, Johannesburg. Given the ever-increasing interest in and importance of ICT issues to the civil society organisations (CSOs) sector, the SANGONeT conference will focus specifically on the ICT challenges facing the CSOs sector, highlighting and promoting practical benefits, opportunities and lessons learned to date.