[APCPress] Announcing the APC Annual Report

[Karen Higgs]

Please circulate. Apologies for cross-posting.
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APC's Latest Annual Report: Strategic use of ICTs by civil society and
engaging civil society in ICT policy


JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 6 2003 -- In the course of 2002 APC
focused its energies primarily in two areas - strategic use of
information and communication technologies (ICTs) by civil society and
engaging civil society in ICT policy processes.  The use of ICTs by
civil society has been central to APC since our founding and we have
been working on ICT policy issues since 2000 when APC members identified
ensuring internet rights for civil society as a priority.  But in 2002
we started to delve beneath the surface of the challenges our
communities confront and instead of responding to the symptoms, find
ways to help civil society anticipate and plan for the challenges in
their policy environment at home or in their use of ICTs in their
workplace.

Highlights covered in the 2002 APC annual report include: APC in the
run-up to the first-ever United Nations summit on the information
society (WSIS), the APC ICT policy monitors in Africa and Latin America
and the Caribbean, a new training course helped civil society
organisations understand how ICT policy decisions affect their work, the
Africa Hafkin Prize recognised people-centred ICT policy initiatives,
tools development included a free software content management system and
piloting in four continents of the Gender Evaluation Methodology for ICT
and internet initiatives (GEM).

And achievements from APC members on five continents such as: 
-	ALIN-EA, Kenya: Information for drought preparedness 
-	BlueLink, Bulgaria: Electronic networking begins in a war-torn
province as BlueLink builds bridges in Kosova/o
-	Fantsuam Foundation: Local health content in Nigeria blends tradition
and science
-	Tau, Argentina: Non-profits and solidarity groups under pressure in
Argentina's second city create an alternative information exchange 
-	Jinbonet, South Korea: Campaign against the revision of South Korean
copyright law 

Download the APC Annual Report 2002 from http://www.apc.org/books. The
report will be available shortly in Spanish.