MAKING THE INTERNET WORK FOR EDUCATION IN AFRICA - SPECIAL FEATURE News round-up & Snippets On the money Digital toolbox/In search of the business model Africa's digerati Useful websites and discussion lists Jobs, people, events...   Classified advertisements

ISSUE NO 75 JOBS, PEOPLE, EVENTS...

PEOPLE & JOBS

* Aida Opoku-Mensah has been appointed Senior Technology Officer for UNECA working on using ICTs for development in Africa. Her replacement at the Ford Foundation has not yet been appointed.

* It seems like not a day passes when we do not receive a 419 fraud e-letter promising untold riches to those foolish enough to respond. Nigeria’s Vice President Atiku Abubakar (on behalf of Olusegun Obasanjo) has indicated his government’s willingness to seek to eradicate it at a recent conference held in Abuja. We look forward to progress...

* The 2001 list of the 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology has just been published. Selected by the editors of blackmoney.com and souloftechnology.net, it includes two Africans of particular note: Noah Samora, CEO, WorldSpace Inc and Dr Philip Emeagwali of emeagwali.com .

* A 13-year-old Cape Town schoolboy has been made an "associate" of Internet giant Amazon.com following worldwide interest in his website. Edward Odendaal, a grade eight pupil at South Africa’s Diocesan College, is making thousands of US dollars by linking products on his Harry Potter site to Amazon.com. He has also started selling videos, DVDs and posters that he thinks other Potter fans might be interested in.

The soft-spoken computer whiz-kid earns commission on every item sold through his website and has expanded his operation to include a website for the popular TV sitcom "Friends"."I was one of the first boys in my class to take Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone out of the library. I enjoyed the book so much that I started a newsletter for my friends," the local media quoted him as saying."Eventually, I was recording about 700 hits every five days and that was when I was contacted by Amazon.com to become an associate," he explained.

* Ascential Software has appointed Dereck Daymond as its regional MD for Asia, Pacific, Japan, Africa and the Middle East.

EVENTS

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF MOZAMBIQUE’S INFORMATICS POLICY (MAPUTO, 3-5 OCTOBER 2001)

In December 2000 the Mozambique Government approved an Informatics Policy aimed at:

- Contributing to the fight against poverty;

- Expanding citizen¹s access to global knowledge resources;

- Raising the efficiency and effectiveness of state institutions;

- Improving governance and public administration;

- Transforming Mozambique into a producer and not simply a consumer of ICTs; and

- Linking the country into the Global Information Society.

Since early this year a process has been underway to transform the policy into a strategic implementation plan. The plan focuses on programs in:

- Education and human capacity;

- Health;

- Governance;

- Infrastructure and universal access;

but will be flexible enough to encourage initiatives that address local problems or add value to local initiatives in other areas.

Before it is finalized the Plan will be presented at an International Symposium which will bring together Mozambican and global ICT practitioners - from public and private sectors ­ for a first discussion on how to move the plan forward through innovative partnership arrangements.

The Symposium will be accompanied by an exhibition of ICT companies and Mozambican ICT projects.If you have an interest in participating in the Symposium and contributing to Mozambique¹s progress toward the information society please contact Dr Salomao Manhica, Executive Director, Informatics Policy Commission: cpinfo@infopol.gov.mz. Further information can be found at: http://www.infopol.gov.mz

AFRICAN GLOBAL ENTERPRISE BEYOND 2001 (22-25 OCTOBER 2001, ABUJA)

Tido Tech International, L.L.C. (TTi), in conjunction with the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, the US Department of Commerce - Minority Business Development, Georgia Institute of Technology - Atlanta Electronic Commerce Resource Center and the Organization for Business Enterprise, is hosting a conference on electronic business and commerce entitled: "Building an African Global Enterprise Beyond 2001", Building Virtual Bridges Across Global Economies, in October 22-25, 2001
(http://www.ttics.com/age2000.html) or
(http://www.ita.doc.gov/TICFrameset.html).

The conference will address issues surrounding the infusion of Electronic International Trade, Electronic Commerce Infrastructures, Security, Information Technology and Telecommunication into the machinery for economic growth and productivity within the African continent. The conference will address the Digital Opportunity as it affects the African continent and the need for a framework and guidelines that will enable and empower the constructive participation of African countries in the Global Enterprise. The conference will take place October 22-25, 2001 at the Abuja Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Nigeria

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