http://atanu.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11798 Sat, 01 Nov 2003 07:01:00 EST http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11798 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11773 I have been following the EFA movement closely for a long time and feeling that sucess of much of the development efforts lies in the success of these EFA activities - both nationally and internationally.
I am trying to collate all necessary information that would give you a snapshot how the lack of coordination and exchange of information and knowledge among EFA stakeholders are prohibiting successful EFA achievements.
I know how valuable your support be in this effort.
http://projects.takingitglobal.org/efa]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2003 09:01:00 EST http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11773 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11770 http://www.inasp.info/pubs/rd/index.html
]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2003 03:38:00 EST http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11770 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11615 Thu, 23 Oct 2003 05:08:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11615 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11347 Mon, 06 Oct 2003 10:29:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/11347 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10953 Read:The Statesman.
]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2003 01:26:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10953 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10882 * PRESS RELEASE - COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE - COMUNICADO DE PRENSA *
- English -
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cancun Forum on Communication Rights vs. 'Free Trade' meeting
Tuesday, September 9th, In the Ex Palenque, Cancun, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Cancun 08/09/2003 - This September at the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Cancun, the US Trade Representative has proposed to expand the WTO's power over media and culture. The US wants to submit Communications and Audiovisual Services, including film, radio, television, video, and music production, as well as media
distribution services such as satellite, cable and broadcast, to the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).
This would spell disaster for vibrant media systems worldwide: public funding for media, including mass, alternative, community, and citizens' media, could be attacked as "barriers to trade." Media ownership limits, as well as laws and initiatives that encourage diverse, locally-owned media, could be considered outright trade violations. Public funding for cultural and artistic
production could also come under attack.
On September 9th, representatives from the Movements assembled in Cancun will meet to denounce the idea of surrendering media and culture to the WTO or any other 'free trade' agreement, and to strategize on how to build the international movement for Communication Rights.

Background
In Cancun, trade ministers from 146 countries will continue
negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Critics argue that this agreement is used to override the democratic process, weaken national laws, and undermine public interest regulations around the world through trade mechanisms that favor the privatization of every sector of life and the sale of all public services - including education, health care, electricity and water,
just to name a few - to the world's largest, most powerful
transnational corporations.
Requests to include Communication and Audiovisual Services in GATS - film, radio, television, video, and music production, as well as media distribution services such as satellite, cable and broadcast - have been put forward before. To date, many countries have resisted these requests and fought for an (albeit limited) exemption from GATS known as the 'cultural exception.' So far, this stopgap has kept many media and cultural services out of the agreement. If Communications and Audiovisual Services do find their way into GATS this September, the repercussions will be severe.Certain measures taken by governments to defend or build media localism, diversity, and pluralism could be classified as 'barriers to trade;' other WTO member nations would be able to attack them
using the binding dispute mechanism of the WTO. Decisions on 'trade disputes' made by the WTO are enforced
by international law - member nations must comply with WTO rulings or face multi-million or -billion dollar punitive sanctions. A variety of measures crucial to delivering high quality public service broadcasting would be seen as clear violations of GATS rules, including limits on media ownership, specific restrictions on foreign media ownership, public service obligations, and rules regarding
cross ownership.
Even if a country exempts its broadcast regulations and programs that support media and culture from the current round of negotiations, the goal of GATS is "progressive liberalization." This means that there would be strong pressure to discard such exemptions in future, built-in negotiations. In addition, efforts to improve regulatory
structures would be impaired, since the legally binding trade obligations of GATS virtually "lock-in" the regulatory status quo.Any adjustments to regulatory structures that would change country commitments under GATS would require compensation to all trading partners. At a time of such dynamic change in the regulatory environment for media and broadcast, this would be a public policy disaster.For these reasons, concerned citizens in many nations (including the European Union) have so far successfully lobbied their governments to reject US proposals on Communications and Audiovisual Services, and
to block agreements that could impact their nations' media systems. People everywhere recognize that a free, diverse, local, and independent media system is a fundamental requirement for a functioning democracy, and that ensuring such a media system requires regulation in the public interest as well as support for public service, local, nonprofit and independent media.
Organizers:

AMARC - World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, CENCOS,
Centro de Medios Independientes Cancun, COMCOSUR, CRIS -
Communication Rights in the Information Society, Free Press, Global
Project, Las Agencias, OURMedia/NUESTR@Smedios

- End -

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

International:
Sasha Costanza-Chock: schock@asc.upenn.edu - (011) 52 998.890.4768

Mexico:
isaurapool@hotmail.com - 998.887.8167
]]> Wed, 10 Sep 2003 03:32:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10882 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10828 gathering at the "Forum on ICTs and Gender: Optimizing Opportunities" in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur end of August stressed the importance of ICT as a tool to promote women's empowerment, rights and dignity and full participation in the information society.
http://portal.unesco.org/ci/ev.php?URL_ID=12859URL_DO=DO_TOPICURL_SECTION=201
Source:UNESCO WebWorld Newsletter - 5 September 2003]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2003 10:28:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10828 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10291 Enabling people to explore their full potential is an agenda we must take up seriously, to make sure our efforts to reach 2015 goal become a thumping success. This goal of halving the poverty must be achieved by 2015 ? if we pride ourselves to be sensible, sensitive and creative beings."reaffirms Prof.Yunus in his Commonwealth Lecture,2003.]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2003 11:38:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10291 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10288 Sourceforge.
Education,ICT,Asia-Pacific:UNESCO Bangkok.
India:Development Gateway.
India,ICT Projects and Youth:Development Gateway.

]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2003 10:36:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10288 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10284 More:Ananda Bazar Patrika,07/31/03.(Bengali).]]> Fri, 01 Aug 2003 02:18:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10284 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10270 Thu, 31 Jul 2003 06:54:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10270 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10231 BaobabConnections.Org then replicates that famous African Baobab through connceting young people of Europe and Africa through Internet.It is a database and a dialogue.It connects the expressions of youth.]]> Tue, 29 Jul 2003 04:14:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10231 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10210 Frequently Asked Questions About Conducting a National WSIS Consultation Process is the title of a guidebook developed by the The Association for Progressive Communication for national WSIS processes.This guide is its Version 1,June,2003 and the work is in progress.]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2003 06:15:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/10210 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9995 This article in Asia Times by Madanmohan Rao depicts current status of ICT developments in India.
Few other countries illustrate the vast potential and also the domestic challenges of unleashing and harnessing information and communication technology (ICT) as vividly as the billion-strong subcontinent of India. As a content-rich country with a free press climate, an affluent tech-savvy diaspora population spread across the world from Silicon Valley to Sydney to Singapore and London, and with a huge pool of cutting-edge infotech and design skills, India has a lot to offer to the domestic and global Internet market. But there is also the dark side to the proverbial coin: poor connectivity outside the major cities, low levels of B2B (business to business) activity online, and government policy footdragging in terms of creating a level playing field for infrastructure players.
Full:Asia Times,06/18/03.]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2003 07:03:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9995 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9981 Shivkumar to VKC project.]]> Tue, 15 Jul 2003 11:35:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9981 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9893 Maitreyi, Sonali,Amruta, Kartik, Ashwinikumar, Uday, Jaideep, Ashwin,Nandita and Venkat.I wish you shall be able to gather the support for the NYC.]]> Thu, 10 Jul 2003 04:35:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9893 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9876 Links:
ITU
Information Society: Voices from the South Posting on 07/08/03.]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2003 09:48:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9876 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9846 Work An Hour(WAH), Asha for Education's annual on-line event, brings people from around the world together to work towards educating India's underprivileged children by donating an hour's or more worth of their salary. This year, Asha has committed to raise $125,000 through WAH by September 5th,celebrated as Teacher's Day in India. The funds raised will go to fourworthy projects spread across India. Donations for WAH can be made by credit card or check any time through September 5th.The theme of the projects selected for WAH 2003 is children at risk (children in especially disadvantaged situations such as street children,
children of sex workers, children of convicts, etc.) and disabled children. They are from different regions of India and are all excellent projects.Let us hope WAH 2003 contributes to a better future for these children.Explore more at WAH2003 website or email to help educating India's children.
]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2003 11:56:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9846 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9837 WSIS Poster Contest 2003 for you.All you have to do is to draw a poster on a theme and send it along with the entry form to the UN Headquarters at New York.
Best wishes...
Links:
ITU Announcement [http://www.itu.int/wsis/promotional/poster/index.html]
Guidelines and Entry Form [http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/wsis/guidelines_entryform.asp]
Letter to Teachers [http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/wsis/coverletter_web.pdf]
UN Cyberschoolbus[http://cyberschoolbus.un.org]
WSIS Official Site [http://www.itu.int/wsis]]]> Sun, 06 Jul 2003 05:01:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9837 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9787 For full post at india-gii on 07/03/03.
Request for information on the availability of venture capital for intiating ICT projects for the young people in India.
]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2003 12:32:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9787 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9769 Posted at Information Society: Voices from the South Forum on 07/02/03.
I am delighted to announce that the WSIS India.Org, the website of the Indian National Youth Campaign for the World Summit on the Information Society(WSIS) is now accessible at: http://www.wsisindia.org.This is the part of the intiative of a group of young people advocated by Centre for Youth Development and Activities(CYDA),India and TakingITGlobal.Org,Canada undertaken as part of the National Level Youth Consultation Process by the WSIS Youth Caucus of the WSIS.
Read comments of Wainaina Mungai,'Gbenga Sesan, Glory Mushinge.


]]> Thu, 03 Jul 2003 03:39:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9769 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9738 Posted at india-gii on 07/02/03.
"Students in Finland are among the world's best in terms of reading literacy, while students in Japan, Hong Kong-China and Korea lead in mathematics and science, according to a newly published survey of 15-year-olds in 43 countries. By contrast, students in several Latin American countries lag seriously behind in all three areas, even after taking account of lower national income levels." Reports Literacy Skills for the World of Tomorrow brought out by the PISA,OECD and UNESCO.]]> Wed, 02 Jul 2003 06:14:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9738 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9735 Posted at india-gii on 07/02/03.
A team of four school students will represent India at the IOI (Interational Olympiad Informatics) 2003 scheduled to be held at the University of Wisconsin in the United States.The International Olympiad in Informatics is one of the six Science Olympiads held annually.
Source:The Hindu,07/01/03.
]]> Wed, 02 Jul 2003 05:32:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9735 28.6 77.228.677.2 http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9727 Kalyani.]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2003 09:38:00 EDT http://atanu.tigblog.org/post/9727 28.6 77.228.677.2