From Sysop@padis.gn.apc.org Wed Mar 9 00:19:08 1994 Date: Tue, 8 Mar 94 17:25:28 +0000 From: Sysop@padis.gn.apc.org Subject: CABECA project for Africa Message-Id: <21915f6f@f1.n751.z5.gnfido.fidonet.org> To: randy@psg.com Status: RO Hi, Attached please find text describing IDRC project which is being executed by PADIS on electronic communications in Africa. Kindly diseminate the info through Gopher server at PSG or other means. Thanks and best regards. Lishan +++ CABECA: Electronic Communication Network Initiative for Africa What is CABECA? Capacity Building for Electronic Communication in Africa (CABECA) is a project to promote computer networking throughout Africa, executed by the Pan African Development Information System (PADIS) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). While the rest of the world is travelling the global information superhighway of interconnected computer networks, which put a tremendous range of information facilities and services within reach of the general user, Africa stands the furthest removed of all the major regions of the world from the Information Age. At a time when the use of electronic communication to exchange information, transfer files and access databases is an everyday matter in many parts of the world, these techniques are still relatively unknown in Africa. Throughout the region, researchers, development professionals, business persons and others face severe difficulties in communicating among themselves and with their colleagues outside the region. Working in isolation, their work suffers from lack of information and duplication of efforts in a period of rapid socio-economic, technological and cultural change. CABECA arose to assist Africa in exploiting these tremendous advances in electronic communication as a resource for its economic and social development and as a tool to promote regional integration. Funded by a grant from the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC), CABECA builds on the experience gained over the last four years from a number of IDRC-funded electronic networking projects in Africa. A public corporation created by the Parliament of Canada to support research designed to adapt science and technology to the needs of developing countries, IDRC through its Information Systems and Sciences Division has taken the lead in financing African electronic networking initiatives with the aim of demonstrating that the technology for deploying electronic connections throughout Africa is readily available and could be implemented at relatively low cost, taking into account the economic, social and political difficulties the region faces. The CABECA project design takes into account the problems of the Africa region that have isolated it from the international networking phenomenon, including: ~ the world's lowest level of telecommunication development, resulting in a scarcity of lines even in urban areas ~ the world's lowest level of spending on informatics, making computers and computing skills still relatively rare in many parts of the region ~ high telecommunication costs, especially for international calls ~ tariff barriers to data communication ~ scarcity of Africa-based specialists to train others in this area. What are its objectives? CABECA's overall objective is to provide the necessary technical assistance to bring about sustainable computer-based networking in Africa, at an affordable cost, and accessible to a wide variety of users from both the private and public sectors, including business persons, researchers, planners, policy makers and development workers from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to international organizations. The project will assist the development of national nodes to serve national communication needs with transparent connections to other national nodes and international networks. To build African capacity for computer networking, it will train a corps of systems operators who can train others in their area and offer the necessary continuing support to fledging users to promote sustainability of national or local nodes. The project is committed to low-cost computer networking run by local operators and sustained by revenue from users. CABECA will promote the creation and strengthening of dial-up store and forward electronic communication systems providing inexpensive and easy access to local and international information services, including electronic mail, conference mail, file transfer and databases. It paves ways to full Internet connectivity. Users will be able to exchange electronic mail worldwide at a cost below that of any other means of rapid communication. They will also be able to participate in electronic conferences on subjects of interest and utilize electronic bulletin boards. As the number of users grows, efforts will be made to facilitate African connectivity to the full range of Internet information services. There are presently 31 such systems operating in 19 African countries. These range from national nodes in Ethiopia, Zambia and Zimbabwe with more than 150 regular users each and offering a wide range of services to small single-user systems operating sporadically. CABECA's goal is to strengthen the existing systems and initiate others in order to put computer networking on a firm footing by the end of three years. It works co-operatively with other networking projects in the region. What assistance can CABECA provide? CABECA will work to strengthen existing nodes, establish new ones and develop networking plans for organizations that want to link their users electronically both locally and internationally. It can provide the following assistance to projects, institutions, organizations and individuals in Africa interested in using electronic communication: Initial site visits to evaluate needs and facilities and design an electronic communication plan. In-country and on-site sensitization workshops to introduce management and other users to the concept and potential of electronic networking. In country and on-site skills training for systems operators. In country and on-site skills training for electronic networks users. Procurement and delivery of hardware and software for electronic networking. On-site installation and testing of hardware and software. Supply of software manuals and other documentation. Assistance in forming network users groups to promote electronic communication. On-going technical support for both systems operators and users, through follow-up visits, online and other assistance as necessary. While these services will be free of charge for institutions selected as national nodes, they are available to others on a fee-for-service basis. Networking information In order to improve information and documentation on networking in Africa, CABECA will establish and maintain electronic databases on telecommunication and networking infrastructure and publish guides to networks and telecommunication infrastructure in the region. The project will publish guidelines on low-cost networking. CABECA will also encourage the use of electronic communication for the transmission of requests for information from PADIS' databases and information systems. What is PADIS? CABECA is being implemented by PADIS, the Africa regional development information system created in January 1980 under the aegis of the UNECA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. PADIS' overall objective is the promotion of development information management throughout Africa. To this end it operates an African development information system made up of bibliographic, referral and statistical databases of African development information to which African governments, subregional and regional institutions contribute information and data. Users can request information at any time from this information system. While directed at planners, researchers, decision makers and development workers in Africa, PADIS' information services are open to the general public worldwide and can be accessed through the addresses listed below. PADIS also provides technical assistance in building capacities for collection, storage and utilization of development information; promotes the improvement of information infrastructure in Africa, the creation of databases in fields of importance to development in the region, and the utilization of common norms and standards of information handling in order to ensure compatibility and to facilitate information exchange. How to participate in the project Institutions or individuals wishing to participate in the CABECA project should contact the Pan African Development Information System at the address listed below. Inquiries are invited regarding contact points and persons in particular African Countries. CABECA will prepare customized plans on a fee for service basis for institutions and organizations which want to participate in low cost electronic networking in Africa. For individuals who wish to become points on existing nodes, fees will be set by national nodes or the national network users councils. Current Status of the Project Activities described above have begun in more than sixteen African countries since June 1993. The countries where the project activities have started are: eastern Africa:Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda south Africa: Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi,Namibia, Angola and Botswana central Africa: Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone west Africa: Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire CABECA plans to extend its activities in other countries within the next six months. Technical contact personnel: East Africa: Douglas Rigby (doug.rigby@elci.gn.apc.org (Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya) Lishan Adam (lishan@padis.gn.apc.org) (Ethiopia, Eritrea) Central Africa: Lishan Adam (lishan@padis.gn.apc.org) West Africa : Bob Barad (Bob@baobab.fidonet.org) Southern Africa: Mike Jensen (mike.jensen@wn.apc.org) International requests and other collaboration with the project should be addressed to PADIS project coordination center. Contact: Nancy Hafkin, OIC, PADIS (nhafkin@padis.gn.apc.org) For further information contact: Pan African Development Information System (PADIS) United Nations Economic Commission for Africa P.O.Box 3001 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or, P O Box 5834 New York, New York 10163-5834 USA e-mail: cabeca@padis.gn.apc.org Telephone: + 251 1 511167 fax: +251 1 514416, or +1(212)963-4957 telex: 21029 eca et .