Cultural and linguistic diversity

Accessibility for all, central to internet forum
Accessibility for all, central to internet forum 31 October 2006 FD for APCNews

Aside from ‘access to the internet’ – the single most important issue at this weeks first Internet Governance Forum – ‘accessibility’ follows suite in what is to be labelled “priority”. In fact, access to the internet deals with submarine fibre optic cables, gigantic satellite dishes and other infrastructure considerations. That has to come first. But when you break down the story of internet access to the personal level, what is needed, is a strong commitment towards gett...

Mobiles become handheld computers
Mobiles become handheld computers 14 September 2006 APC

The world of technology moves really fast and Highway Africa gives journalists a chance to catch up. The conference has been a great experience and an eye opener to ideas and experiences in the field of new media and ICTs.

Content generation is still a big challenge for African media
Content generation is still a big challenge for African media 12 September 2006 APC

Four APC-Africa-Women Network members are attending the Highway Africa 2006 conference in Grahamstown. The conference started yesterday, September 11 2006, with a diverse group of journalists from the continent. This morning, we have participated in the plenary sessions that were quite interesting. During the sessions on the state of media in Africa this morning, a speaker raised issues African...

Bitter-sweet: mixed feelings about working to Indian language solutions
Bitter-sweet: mixed feelings about working to Indian language solutions 01 September 2006 APCNews

Unlike its parent-organisation, the New Delhi-based Sarai.net is young, full of ideas and peppy. Not that the institution it grew out of is not full of ideas; but it has an old-world air about it, while Sarai fits in with the trendy, cyber-generation in an unusual way. APCNews met with Ravikant from Sarai.net to discuss localisation issues.

Can Open Access offer science where no one is left behind?
Can Open Access offer science where no one is left behind? 01 September 2006 APC

India is making noticeable progress in the field of ‘Open Access’, a growing global trend which could help it get out of the trap which blocks researchers from here reading what other Indians have published.Yet, a lot more still remains to be done, say experts working in the area. "Nearly a hundred journals have already taken the Open Access route," says Chennai (South India)-based ...

South Asia needs to talk across borders to solve language issue
South Asia needs to talk across borders to solve language issue 01 August 2006 FN for APCNews

An Indo-Pakistan encounter, in war or cricket, leaves behind tonnes of bitterness and rivalry. But, in information and communication technology, the main regret facing techies from both sides of the troubled South Asian sub-continent, is why they can’t work more effectively together, to tackle the common problems their people face.

Indigenous communities: Mapuche telecentres
Indigenous communities: Mapuche telecentres 11 July 2006 Patricia Peña

Many telecentres are located in Mapuche communities, particularly Pehuenches, and are administered by associations that group these indigenous peoples: Melipeuco, Lonquimay y Villarrica. Until recently, these communities were completely cut-off from ways to access and unable to use these technologies.

Software Piracy Crackdown or ICT Human Rights Violations?
Software Piracy Crackdown or ICT Human Rights Violations? 26 April 2006 APC

Where the Government in Pakistan, Intellectual Property Organization, Federal Investigation Authorities and the Business Software Alliance BSA are initiating a crackdown on Software Piracy in Pakistan, there is hardly any awareness of piracy and its implications within society apart from members of the IT Industry. It is crucial to the basic Human Rights of the citizens of Pakistan that they fi...

For South Asia, an intended FOSS bridge
For South Asia, an intended FOSS bridge 24 April 2006 APC

Here’s an early initiative to flow out of the APC South Asia Consultation: BytesForAll has just launched a new mailing list, specifically focused on Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS, or FOSS). Details of the group are below. We invite all interested to join.

You're right. Copyright is wrong.
You're right. Copyright is wrong. 21 April 2006 APC

It is assumed that everyone who buys a cheap illegally-copied ("pirated") copy of music or software CD would actually buy the costly ‘official’ version. Links have been made by piracy and terrorism, which are actually quite ludicrous. ‘Intellectual property’ is used as a term, instead of ‘creative expression’. When something is called property, we are steal...

« Go back