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GET's projectwork to date... Development of Information methodologies and systems for International WWF campaign workers (Jun 94 - Feb 95) Asialink - Support to emerging electronic networks in the Asia-Pacific region. Training for Human Rights activists in the use of secure human rights electronic networking (Jul 94) Support the participation of Central American technicians in the Internet Society’s Developing Countries Workshop (Jul 94) Cost recovery Mechanisms - Development of a range of cost-sharing mechanisms to address the inequity of cost of access to electronic mail and conferences, North-South (Jul 94) Introduction to Electronic Networking for Women in the Arab Region through provision of on-site communications and training facilities at the Fourth World Conference on Women, Regional meeting, Amman, Jordan (Oct 94 - Feb 95) Gender and Information Technology - Support a range of training activities, develop gender sensitive training materials, research actions and policy advocacy promoting the visibility and work of women using electronic networking technologies. (Dec 94) Feasibility study regards the development of regional hubbing networks in francophone Africa. (Jun 95) On-site training and workshops for women activists in 6 francophone African countries (Jan 97) Indolink - Support for the establishment of a communications network for journalists in Indonesia and East Timor (Jan 97) Women's Programme (Jan 98 - Jun 99) WomenConnect (Jan 98 - Jun 99) United Nations Publishing WomenAction (Aug 99 - Jun 01) APC Internet Rights (Jan 00 - May 00) Women's Programme Leasons Learned (Feb 00 - Jun 00) AWORC Project Coordination (Oct 00 - Jun 01) AWORC Women's Pacific Research (Oct 00 - Dec 00) European Civil Society Internet Rights Project (Sept 99- Mar 02) [back to the top] WWF Campaigns Support System Project Duration: June 94 - Feb 1995 Project Donors: World WildLife Fund For Nature, Switzerland Project Objectives and Activities: To provide WWF with communication and information dissemination systems which will enable them to more effectively carry out their work with national regional and international partners through: Establishment of an internal email and conferencing system for WWF use Establishment of public conferencing system for WWF partners for dissemination of materials for the public Provision of training in use and maintenance of systems Project Target Audience: WWF Communication, Information Dissemination and public campaign staff WWF partners (regional and international). [back to the top] Asialink 3 (extract from funding proposal): International Initiative to Support Networking Initiatives in Asia Pacific Region Project Duration: May 1994 - April 1995 Project Donors: Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD); Aga Khan Foundation Project Objectives and Activities Project Target Audience: NGOs, Women's groups and tribal and indigenous peoples On the basis of our evaluation of work done so far under the previous two Asialink phases (I and II), we propose to continue to contribute to existing and emerging initiatives in Asia - to create low-cost and sustainable infrastructure facilities which will be accessible to grass-root and community groups, including: facilitation of the transition of physical electronic links to Asian countries to information links between networks in developed countries and emerging networks in Asia Pacific provision of informal consultation to groups, networks and individuals from developed countries wishing to extend electronic networks in the Asia Pacific region continual testing and monitoring of technological options for low-cost, sustainable networking in the region The above activities will be crucial for countries like Bangladesh, Sri-Lanka and parts of Indonesia where email links have yet to become stable. Other countries like Bhutan, Nepal & Pakistan are yet to become part of the emerging NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) networks in the region. We propose to intensify our efforts, again jointly with Interdoc-AsPac, to identify groups interested in using such networks and to provide services described above. Specific Activities: We observed very little or no attention paid to provide opportunities to grassroot groups, specially those working on women and tribal issues, in their exploration to use new technology in their struggle for social justice. This is obvious from the fact that very few women or tribal groups are using email networks today. During this phase we wish to associate with other on-going & emerging initiatives focusing on providing opportunities to women's groups and tribal groups in South & South-East Asia to use electronic networks. We propose to undertake the following activities to allow increased access to women & tribal groups to electronic networking: Sponsoring special training program for these groups Providing subsidies (in terms of communication costs, modems etc.) for experimental links to local nodes Undertaking joint activities with other projects compiling resources available on electronic networks [back to the top Implementation of Cost Recovery/Sharing Programme for African, Asian and APC Gateway Partners (extract from funding proposal): Project Duration: July 1994 - May 1996 Project Donors: International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada Background: During the last 5 years, FIDO/Internet gateways have developed at various sites serving as main conduits for mail and information exchange between networking hosts in Africa, Asia and the rest of the world. The two main gateway sites which facilitate links predominantly between the Internet and fido hosts in Africa and Asia are at GreenNet Limited, London (GnFido) and at SangoNet, South Africa. The former services West/East/North Africa and South and South East Asia, the latter services Southern and East Africa. A 'dial-up' host is one which must use a normal telephone line as the 'carrier' for the local, regional and international exchange of electronic mail and information. The costs associated with such a method are high and mirror those of a normal voice phone call, often at rates of between USD 1.50 - 3.00 per minute. In the absence of official arrangements with international partner networks and software program for billing arrangements and cost sharing mechanisms for information exchange, the small hosts find themselves in a position where they must pay for the entirety of the phone call cost to transfer mail. This means in effect that they are paying to send and to receive any information which moves across such lines. Objectives: To research and implement a programme of sustainable cost recovery mechanisms for the operation of links between African and Asian small hosts and international APC/Internet gateways. To educate the international internet community with respect of the unequal distribution of costs in 'North-South' communications. Specific Activities: development of billing system to support cross-subsidy mechanisms - research into establishment of feasible alternative communication carriers development of email to web query tools - development of harmonized email to fax server addressing systems Project Target Audience: International community of users of email and conferencing systems who are communicating with colleague and partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe. [back to the top Introduction to Electronic Networking for Women in the Arab Region Project Duration: October 94-February 95 Project Donors: International Development Research Centre (IDRC); Web Networks Project Objectives and Activities Background: The Arab regional Meeting for the Fourth World Conference on Women: peace for the Advancement of Arab Women, will take place in Amman, Jordan, 6-10 November 1994. The Amman NGO forum will be held prior to the intergovernmental meeting, 3-5 November 1994. The Arab Regional preparatory conferences will be a valuable opportunity for women of the Arab region to meet and exchange ideas, experience, interests, on which recommendations to Arab Governments will be made. These meetings provide the focus for the project, Objectives: The project intends to focus equally on both intergovernmental and NGO events and participants, with the following aims: to provide outreach and support in the use of computer based electronic information exchange with a view to initiating discussion and interest in the possibilities introduced by computer communications systems to expand awareness of electronic networking technology in the context of existing modes of regional information dissemination, communication and networking focus on improving existing regional communications and networking modes with practical demonstrations and explanations improve regional information flow and inter-organisational cooperation and coordination encourage real initiatives, debate and access to electronic networking beyond the regional and international conferences Specific Activities: flyers and informational leaflets in English and Arabic, about electronic networking in both a global and regional context discussions about the information and communication needs of conference and NGO forum participants workshops and trainings providing an introduction to the concepts and uses of electronic networking for communication and information exchange demonstrations of information exchange mechanisms such as use of electronic conferences and electronic mail on both regional and global scales, and information regarding hardware/software resources and their configuration distribution of existing key information resources, such as official and NGO documents, on diskette in re-usable formats and the dissemination of information through APC electronic conferences provision of ongoing information and updates from Jordan to a wide spectrum of organisations around the world. Enable access to existing electronic networks of women-oriented organisations around the world for conference participants through use of electronic conferences demonstrate cost and efficiency benefits of the use of computer based communications. Project Target Audience: women and women's organisations who participate in the intergovernmental and NGO Forums, specifically, those who will act as animators and mobilisers of other women's networking initiatives. [back to the top Gender and Information technology (extract from funding proposal): Project Duration: June 1994 - November 1998 Project Donors: International Development Research Centre (Canada) Background: The general objective of the programme is to create an environment in which women and men can strive in full and equitable partnerships, for the empowerment of women, increased visibility of women and recognition of women's unique talents and skills in the area of information and technology. Through the implementation of a broad and diverse range of activities incorporating gender-sensitive technical training, outreach and information sharing, policy strategising and planning, research and evaluation, the programme seeks to pro actively support the advancement of more women from entry-level to technical management and policy decision making in the field of computer communications. The programme, through it's primary focus on facilitating and supporting women from developing countries, aims to stimulate the exchange of experience between women and men south-south and south-north thereby highlighting the perspective of women and the impact of information and technology on their lives, on their societies, in developing countries. Specific Objectives and Target Audience: Provide training in technical operation and information-management and delivery for women technicians to allow them to demonstrate, through action, women led technical on-site operations at the UNWCW regional meetings and Conference. Through such training, increase the skill level of women technicians to allow them greater opportunities as system operators of national networking hosts in developing countries. Increase the awareness of northern based technicians as to the unique infrastructural, societal, economic and political problems women technicians from the South experience in the routine operation of their hosts. Conversely, learn from the positive experiences of women technicians (for example, the majority women led technical team at Nicarao, an computer communications network in Nicaragua, and attempt to identify the reasons contributing towards their gains in this field. Learn from the positive (and negative) experiences of women working with low-cost, dos-based technologies and thereby, increase the awareness of documentation and information delivery specialists in the North as to the unique situation(s) facing southern based information management specialists. Equip women with the necessary skills, experience and insight to take more active and fuller participation in technical decision making, design and implementation of technical development plans in their respective places of work in this sector. Contribute to the development of gender and culturally sensitive technical and policy training materials and courses, with a particular focus on southern voices. Establish the framework for the emergence of regional women's communication policy networks in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Develop and disseminate a core body of research materials in the area of gender and information technology. [back to the top] An independent information network for Indonesia Project Duration: Dec 1996- Nov 1997 Project Donors: Open Society Institute (OSI); Foundation Het Parool; European Human Rights Foundation; Diakonisches Werk Project Objectives: To set up a secure and sustainable electronic network which will facilitate the free flow of independent information between journalists and NGOs in Indonesia. Help strengthen links between journalists and NGOs via technology, thereby enabling the exchange of skills, data and dialogue between them. Offer an alternative means of independent news gathering and information about internal Indonesian affairs, which would otherwise be blocked from publication or dissemination, for use within country and internationally. Specific Objectives and Activities: Provide communications equipment in the form of computers, modems, software, fax machines, mobile phones, telephone lines and the first year's annual online communication and telephone charges. Support the costs of bringing a system operator/trainer to the UK for a period of intensive training. Enable Asia Link coordinator to visit Indonesia to set-up and install equipment and provide technical support and additional troubleshooting or training/workshops for users/trainers. Set up at least five 'read only' Internet conferences to enable Indonesian NGOs to deposit information for public access. Provide ongoing long distance support for Indonesia Link users via email and conferences, and facilitate continuing links between NGOs in the region Project Target Audience: Indonesia, with particular benefits for at least 21 NGOs/publications based throughout the Indonesian archipelago, in Sumatra, North Sulawesi and Java. [back to the top] Women Action 2000: A Beijing +5 (plus five) NGO Global Communications Network for Women Project Duration: August 99 - June 2001 Project Donors: Womenwatch (UNIFEM); Shaler Adams Foundation; Swiss Development Agency; APC Africa Women; Asia Pacific Women's Electronic Network (AWORC); European WomenAction; Hivos; World Association for Christian Communications; Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA); United Nations Division for the Advancement of Women; La Francophonie; BUZA Project Objectives and Activities: In March 1999, at the first Preparatory Committee Meeting for Beijing Plus Five Review of the Fourth World Conference on Women, in New York, three NGO working groups were formed to discuss: the Beijing Plus Five overall framework; NGO access and participation problems; NGO alternative or shadow reports on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action. Concurrently, women's media networks, both global and regional, met as a Global communications Forum with many NGOs, and discussed ways in which women could remain in touch once they returned home to their regions and countries, and be able to participate fully in the review process. Out of this Forum came the initial plans for this WomenAction 2000 Network. Key Objectives: To establish a global network of regional and sub-regional focal points who will act as animators for the Beijing+5 Review Process. To broaden women's participation in the Beijing+5 Review Process through online and offline information and experience sharing and facilitated discussion of the key issues by means of global and regional web-sites, global and regional online discussion lists, and activities to bridge participation with offline media (radio and press). To conduct a comprehensive monitor and review of Section J: Women and Media, in the Beijing Platform for Action. Main Activities: WomenAction was 'convened' in September 1999, during the Seoul Workshop - known as 'Global Went'. A series of activities were planned and a strategy devised to respond to the needs expressed above. The activities culminated in the UNGASS session in New York, June 2000. The major activities undertaken were: Global Training workshop Sep 1999; European training workshop June 1999; Latin American regional training workshop Jan 2000; Women and Media Online consultation Dec 1999; Alternative Assessment on Section J (Women and Media). Onsite Activities at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) March 2000: Internet Café and training space; WomenAction UNGASS Global Newspaper; FLAMME African UNGASS Newspaper; FIRE Digital Radio initiative; Les Penelopes Web Casting; Information Dissemination team; Onsite Activities at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session; June 2000 (UNGASS); The Models Of Best Practices Booklet; Alternative Assessment on Section J (Women and Media) Project Target Audience: Women's NGOs in all world regions, those connected to ICTs and those unconnected through partnerships with other media); UN and governmental bodies looking for more involvement of women NGOs in the Beijing+5 Review Process; Women who already use or aim to use information and communications technologies in their work; Women who are trained to be regional information and WWW facilitators. [back to the top] Lessons Learned: Building Strong Internet-based Women's Networks (Note: This was a proposal of the Association for Progressive Communincations Women's Networking Support Programme. Some of the activities were implemented by GET.) Project Duration: Feb 2000 - September 2002 Project Donors: International Development Research Centre (IDRC), United Nations International Fund For Women (UNIFEM), United Nations Development Fund (UNDP), South East Asian Gender Evaluation Programme (SEAGEP), MamaCash Project Objectives and Activities: Since 1994, APC's global WNSP has coordinated research and "on-the-ground" activities that have highlighted the need for strengthening consideration of gender concerns in the planning and implementation of ICT initiatives. IDRC's early and substantial support of GreenNet Educational Trust's "Gender and Information Technology Project" not only provided the resources needed to establish a basis for APC's Women's Networking Support Programme, but created a means to attract support for the national and regional women's networking projects that emerged from WNSP initiatives. To contribute to the development and strengthening of practical, relevant and sustainable women's networking initiatives at the global, regional and national level. Through this project, the WNSP intends to: investigate, analyse and document the successes and challenges of women's networking initiatives at the national, regional and global levels, in order to develop tools and methodologies for spreading successful women's networking strategies develop a planning process and resource kit to help others plan and develop women's networking strategies that fit the local context ensure that knowledge, lessons learned and best practices on building, facilitating, and supporting women's electronic networking are shared from and to all regions develop a gender audit methodology that can be used both by ICT project planners as well as women's organisations planning ICT initiatives to plan for the longer-term sustainability of WNSP activities, globally, regionally and nationally. [back to the top] European Civil Society Internet Rights Project (Note: The GreenNet Educational Trust tendered for this project from the Association for Progressive Communications in the interests of furthering it's goals and objectives.) Project Duration: Sep 1999 - Mar 2002 Project Donors: Open Society Institute via Association for Progressive Communications Project Objectives and Activities: The Internet is now taken for granted as an essential ingredient for participation in politics, business and education, for socialising and for everyday information exchange. At the same time, the rapid spread of this medium is driving the creation of policies and laws around copyright, freedom of speech and content control, access rights and measures to preserve individual online safety. All over the world, governments have been quick to formulate new laws and rules, that have often resulted in either total collapse of Internet service, or regulations and libel laws with detrimental effects on civil dialogue. For example, governments in North America and Europe have been suddenly faced with the necessity to develop new means for preventing criminals, hate propagandists and other perpetrators of Internet abuse and illegal activity; while governments in traditionally repressive countries are unsettled by the new communications opportunities and social debates that the Internet offers their citizens. These threats are all the more intense for the multitudes of NGOs and progressive ISPs that use the Internet to work for economic, social and human development. NGOs have taken advantage of the Internet for its international communication potential and have become increasingly proficient at using it for internal communication, collaboration with strategic allies, networking, advocacy and mobilisation of public opinion on key issues. But, due to their growing reliance on the Internet, NGOs have also become all the more vulnerable to debilitating attacks by their adversaries, official or otherwise. ISPs that assist NGOs in their online work are also constantly defending their systems against politically motivated "denial of service" attacks, where opponents resort to breaking into systems, mass mail-bombings and other tactics to obstruct civil dialogue and action. Specific Objectives and Activities: Through the Civil Society Internet Rights Project, the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), has developed a 3-year strategy to promote and defend civil society access and use of the Internet for critical information exchange. Our primary goal is to provide the resources and tools necessary to defend and expand the space and opportunities for social campaigning work on the Internet against the threats to it that are emerging. This involves developing information resources, tools and strategies to defend threatened material and to ensure a favourable legal situation for free expression on issues of public interest. To achieve this goal, APC's strategy has identified 4 inter-related areas of work in Europe: Internet Rights Policy Working Group: Network of communications organisations working together to develop a strategy to raise public awareness at both European and national levels for the legal protection and encouragement of the use of the Internet for social campaigning purposes. Civil Society Internet Rights Toolkit: Support materials and awareness-raising programme to prepare NGOs to safely and strategically use the Internet for social campaigning. Rapid Response Security Systems: Secure European communications platform for civil society, including technical security audits of European networks and a Europe-wide rapid response strategy for threats to user campaigns. European ICT Policy Monitoring System: WWW-based knowledge base of up-to-date, national and Europe-wide ICT policy, legal documents and access data, relevant to civil society, that documents and disseminates emerging threats and opportunities for Internet rights. Also, a related rapid response e-mail news service to alert civil society to important policy developments. Project Target Audience: Communications organisations in Europe active in Internet rights issues NGOs and activists who use Internet for social campaigning; APC members and partners, organisations that want to use the Internet for sensitive communications; APC's member and partner networks, online campaigners, progressive ISP operators, in Europe; NGOs in communications field, human rights workers, politicians, ICT policy makers, Internet users, Internet Service Providers (ISPs). [back to the top]

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