Announcement
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Topic:
Two examples of general announcements for Asia Source and Africa Source 2. See the Media Outreach Plan for more information on how to communicate information about the event.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Asia Source: Tech camp for the voluntary sector
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangalore, India. January 28th to February 4th 2005.
Asia Source hopes to bring together over 100 people from 20 countries
to increase the use and awareness of Free and Open Source Software
(FOSS) amongst the non-profit sector in South and South East Asia.
This week long event will bring together NGOs and NGO technology
support professionals working at the grassroots level across the
region to learn new skills, exchange tips, and share experiences.
Together with regionally and globally renowned experts and
specialists they will look at the use of technology and free and open
source software within the non-profit sector from both an access and
a content perspective. Offering participants the opportunity to
explore the practical technical side of FOSS whilst extending their
understanding of issues related to open source and intellectual
property rights.
Asia Source will be the first event of its kind in the region,
bringing together regional non-profit professionals with a rights
based focus, it will invite those from both the technical and content
end of the spectrum to focus on the practical elements of using such
tools within NGOs.
Participants with a range of expertise will be provided with a space
for intensive peer learning. They will be given the opportunity to
develop their understanding of available options, learn how to select
and apply alternative technologies, and be provided with the skills
and tools to utilise this within the context of their daily work.
They will also be encouraged to explore the challenges and the future
potential of FOSS adoption within the social context.
During this 'camp' style event, participants will take part in a
range of sessions. From planning and helping an NGO to migrate to
FOSS, to sharing tips and techniques on using tools for content
development, advocacy and campaigning. In parallel to this they will
look beneath user-level scenarios, and break-down tricky issues such
as techniques for localising software and forms of understanding the
real cost of technology use.
Four themes will flow throughout the event
o 'FLOSSophy' for NGOs
o Migration and Access
o Tools for content and communication
o Localisation
Asia Source will be held in a small artists community on the
outskirts of Bangalore. Its aim is to become a community building
event, with the potential to seed connections and future partnerships
across borders and between skillsets.
The event is co-organised by Mahiti.org (Bangalore) and the Tactical
Technology Collective (Amsterdam). The event is guided by an advisory
board of established non-profit and FOSS professionals from across
the South and South East Asian region. The organisers are also
collaborating with international NGO technology groups such as the
Association for Progressive Communications(APC) and Aspiration. This
event is sponsored by Hivos, the Open Society Institute, and the
International Open Source Network (IOSN).
Asia Source belongs to a larger family of Source Events that seek to
increase the viability of FOSS use by the non-profit sector. Other
source events have taken place in South East Europe, Southern Africa
and are planned in 2005 in Western Africa.
For more information and an application form please visit
http://archive.tacticaltech.org/node/143.
The deadline for applications is November 19th 2004. Participants will
be selected by the advisory group based on their interest and
experiences. There will be a small registration fee for the event.
A number of travel and registration fee scholarships are still
available and may be applied for on application.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa Source II -
Free and Open Source Software for Local Communities
Kalangala, Uganda - Jan 08-Jan 15, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note that the deadline for sending in applications has been
extended until October 24th, 2005.
We welcome applications from those working in Africa who are;
- campaigners, practitioners or project managers working within
non-profits and interested in technology
- system administrators within NGOs, or acting as technical support
to non-profits or community centres
- trainers and consultants to the non-profit sector, or working in
resource centres who are intersted in technology
What is Africa Source II?
Africa Source II will be an eight day hands-on workshop aimed at
building the technical skills of those working with and within NGOs
on the continent. It will take place in one of the most beautiful
parts of the Kalangala Island on Victoria Lake during the beginning
of January 2006.
Africa Source II will focus on how technology, in particular Free and
Open Source Software (FOSS) can be integrated into the project work
of NGO's. Over a hundred NGO Support Professionals and NGO Staff
working at the local level across the region are expected at this
meeting. Together with a handful of field leaders from Africa,
Europe, North America and Asia, they will explore how technology can
best serve the non-profit sector in Africa both in terms of access
and content. I
We are still accepting applications! The deadline for sending in
applications has been extended until October 24th, 2005.
Who will be there?
Participants with a range of experience will learn from one another
about how technology can help make their NGO's more efficient, build
capacity and facilitate their project work. They will be given an
opportunity to develop their understanding of FOSS, including
exploring the challenges and the future potential of FOSS adoption in
Africa. All participants will have a history of work with service and
advocacy NGOs, educational organisations, NGO resource centres,
community centres and health information organisations.
What will happen there?
There will be a range of sessions for participants to take part in,
they will include:
* How to help NGO's plan and implement FOSS applications in order to
increase their capacity
* How to use FOSS applications to handle information, publish content
using citizen's media tools and engage supporters
* How FOSS can increase accessibility through localisation,
translation into local language and dialects
During these sessions participants will get an opportunity to learn
from peers about how technology has impacted their work through case
studies and skill shares. The workshops will be lead by a range of
facilitators from the region with strong experience in deploying free
and open source solutions and of working in the non-profit sector, as
well as a number of experienced NGO practitioners. They will be
joined by a handful of international field leaders from specific
fields, such as community radio, alternative access solutions and the
use of mobile phones for NGO work.
The camp will focus on learning by doing, rather than by listening.
We aim for a "workshop vibe" as opposed to a "conference vibe";
participants will be hosted at an Island location, with shared
housing. The agenda of the event is very hands-on and intensive, with
an emphasis on active participation over passive learning. Like other
source events, Africa Source II will be intentionally designed to
foster community building, this creates an atmosphere conducive to
learning, but more importantly is essential if longer term
relationships are to be built.
Building on the previous Africa Source event (Namibia, March 2004),
which brought together African FOSS developers working in the social
sector, Africa Source II will in contrast work at a different level,
concentrating on bringing together those working with NGOs and
technology at the practitioner and intermediary level. Participants
should have experience working with computers and the internet and a
project or initiative planned in the future incorporating technology
for the non-profit sector. They do not, however, have to be technical
experts.
Besides new ideas, skills and contacts that participants will gain,
they will also leave the workshop equipped with an event specific
version of NGO-in-a-box, a toolkit of FOSS and materials specific to
the NGO sector.
Who is organising Africa Source II?
The Association for Progressive Communication APC (regional network),
Fantsuam Foundation (Nigeria), Schoolnet Africa (regional network),
Translate.org.za, WOUGNET (Uganda), Creative Commons South Africa,
Aspiration (US) and The Tactical Technology Collective (the
Netherlands) will collaborate to organise the content of the workshop
and to build strong relationships between the participants. The
project partners are committed to examining the challenges of
implementing FOSS in the African context, stretching its potential to
fit the needs on the ground, and building local capacities to realise
this. Our local partners and hosts are the East African Center for
Open Source (EACOSS), Linux Solutions and WOUGNET.
Previous source events have taken place in Croatia - September 2003,
Namibia - March 2004, India - February 2005, and Tajikistan October
2005. In 2006 an event will be held in the Middle East.
How can I apply?
For more information please visit http://archive.tacticaltech.org/node/277
Applications will be invited between September and November 2005.
This is a competitive process and participants will be selected by
the Advisory Group based on their potential to use the skills they
gain, their interests and the experiences they can bring to the
event. There will be a small registration fee for the event. A
limited number of travel and registration fee scholarships are
available and may be applied for on application. If you would like to
receive an application form or have any questions please write to
[contact]
Asia Source: Tech camp for the voluntary sector
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangalore, India. January 28th to February 4th 2005.
Asia Source hopes to bring together over 100 people from 20 countries
to increase the use and awareness of Free and Open Source Software
(FOSS) amongst the non-profit sector in South and South East Asia.
This week long event will bring together NGOs and NGO technology
support professionals working at the grassroots level across the
region to learn new skills, exchange tips, and share experiences.
Together with regionally and globally renowned experts and
specialists they will look at the use of technology and free and open
source software within the non-profit sector from both an access and
a content perspective. Offering participants the opportunity to
explore the practical technical side of FOSS whilst extending their
understanding of issues related to open source and intellectual
property rights.
Asia Source will be the first event of its kind in the region,
bringing together regional non-profit professionals with a rights
based focus, it will invite those from both the technical and content
end of the spectrum to focus on the practical elements of using such
tools within NGOs.
Participants with a range of expertise will be provided with a space
for intensive peer learning. They will be given the opportunity to
develop their understanding of available options, learn how to select
and apply alternative technologies, and be provided with the skills
and tools to utilise this within the context of their daily work.
They will also be encouraged to explore the challenges and the future
potential of FOSS adoption within the social context.
During this 'camp' style event, participants will take part in a
range of sessions. From planning and helping an NGO to migrate to
FOSS, to sharing tips and techniques on using tools for content
development, advocacy and campaigning. In parallel to this they will
look beneath user-level scenarios, and break-down tricky issues such
as techniques for localising software and forms of understanding the
real cost of technology use.
Four themes will flow throughout the event
o 'FLOSSophy' for NGOs
o Migration and Access
o Tools for content and communication
o Localisation
Asia Source will be held in a small artists community on the
outskirts of Bangalore. Its aim is to become a community building
event, with the potential to seed connections and future partnerships
across borders and between skillsets.
The event is co-organised by Mahiti.org (Bangalore) and the Tactical
Technology Collective (Amsterdam). The event is guided by an advisory
board of established non-profit and FOSS professionals from across
the South and South East Asian region. The organisers are also
collaborating with international NGO technology groups such as the
Association for Progressive Communications(APC) and Aspiration. This
event is sponsored by Hivos, the Open Society Institute, and the
International Open Source Network (IOSN).
Asia Source belongs to a larger family of Source Events that seek to
increase the viability of FOSS use by the non-profit sector. Other
source events have taken place in South East Europe, Southern Africa
and are planned in 2005 in Western Africa.
For more information and an application form please visit
http://archive.tacticaltech.org/node/143.
The deadline for applications is November 19th 2004. Participants will
be selected by the advisory group based on their interest and
experiences. There will be a small registration fee for the event.
A number of travel and registration fee scholarships are still
available and may be applied for on application.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa Source II -
Free and Open Source Software for Local Communities
Kalangala, Uganda - Jan 08-Jan 15, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note that the deadline for sending in applications has been
extended until October 24th, 2005.
We welcome applications from those working in Africa who are;
- campaigners, practitioners or project managers working within
non-profits and interested in technology
- system administrators within NGOs, or acting as technical support
to non-profits or community centres
- trainers and consultants to the non-profit sector, or working in
resource centres who are intersted in technology
What is Africa Source II?
Africa Source II will be an eight day hands-on workshop aimed at
building the technical skills of those working with and within NGOs
on the continent. It will take place in one of the most beautiful
parts of the Kalangala Island on Victoria Lake during the beginning
of January 2006.
Africa Source II will focus on how technology, in particular Free and
Open Source Software (FOSS) can be integrated into the project work
of NGO's. Over a hundred NGO Support Professionals and NGO Staff
working at the local level across the region are expected at this
meeting. Together with a handful of field leaders from Africa,
Europe, North America and Asia, they will explore how technology can
best serve the non-profit sector in Africa both in terms of access
and content. I
We are still accepting applications! The deadline for sending in
applications has been extended until October 24th, 2005.
Who will be there?
Participants with a range of experience will learn from one another
about how technology can help make their NGO's more efficient, build
capacity and facilitate their project work. They will be given an
opportunity to develop their understanding of FOSS, including
exploring the challenges and the future potential of FOSS adoption in
Africa. All participants will have a history of work with service and
advocacy NGOs, educational organisations, NGO resource centres,
community centres and health information organisations.
What will happen there?
There will be a range of sessions for participants to take part in,
they will include:
* How to help NGO's plan and implement FOSS applications in order to
increase their capacity
* How to use FOSS applications to handle information, publish content
using citizen's media tools and engage supporters
* How FOSS can increase accessibility through localisation,
translation into local language and dialects
During these sessions participants will get an opportunity to learn
from peers about how technology has impacted their work through case
studies and skill shares. The workshops will be lead by a range of
facilitators from the region with strong experience in deploying free
and open source solutions and of working in the non-profit sector, as
well as a number of experienced NGO practitioners. They will be
joined by a handful of international field leaders from specific
fields, such as community radio, alternative access solutions and the
use of mobile phones for NGO work.
The camp will focus on learning by doing, rather than by listening.
We aim for a "workshop vibe" as opposed to a "conference vibe";
participants will be hosted at an Island location, with shared
housing. The agenda of the event is very hands-on and intensive, with
an emphasis on active participation over passive learning. Like other
source events, Africa Source II will be intentionally designed to
foster community building, this creates an atmosphere conducive to
learning, but more importantly is essential if longer term
relationships are to be built.
Building on the previous Africa Source event (Namibia, March 2004),
which brought together African FOSS developers working in the social
sector, Africa Source II will in contrast work at a different level,
concentrating on bringing together those working with NGOs and
technology at the practitioner and intermediary level. Participants
should have experience working with computers and the internet and a
project or initiative planned in the future incorporating technology
for the non-profit sector. They do not, however, have to be technical
experts.
Besides new ideas, skills and contacts that participants will gain,
they will also leave the workshop equipped with an event specific
version of NGO-in-a-box, a toolkit of FOSS and materials specific to
the NGO sector.
Who is organising Africa Source II?
The Association for Progressive Communication APC (regional network),
Fantsuam Foundation (Nigeria), Schoolnet Africa (regional network),
Translate.org.za, WOUGNET (Uganda), Creative Commons South Africa,
Aspiration (US) and The Tactical Technology Collective (the
Netherlands) will collaborate to organise the content of the workshop
and to build strong relationships between the participants. The
project partners are committed to examining the challenges of
implementing FOSS in the African context, stretching its potential to
fit the needs on the ground, and building local capacities to realise
this. Our local partners and hosts are the East African Center for
Open Source (EACOSS), Linux Solutions and WOUGNET.
Previous source events have taken place in Croatia - September 2003,
Namibia - March 2004, India - February 2005, and Tajikistan October
2005. In 2006 an event will be held in the Middle East.
How can I apply?
For more information please visit http://archive.tacticaltech.org/node/277
Applications will be invited between September and November 2005.
This is a competitive process and participants will be selected by
the Advisory Group based on their potential to use the skills they
gain, their interests and the experiences they can bring to the
event. There will be a small registration fee for the event. A
limited number of travel and registration fee scholarships are
available and may be applied for on application. If you would like to
receive an application form or have any questions please write to
[contact]
