The African Copyright & Access to Knowledge (ACA2K) Project

The ACA2K network has just finalised its Methodology Guide, which is a roadmap for the project’s research and policy engagement between now and early 2010. You can view the guide by following the first of the three links listed below.

The African Copyright & Access to Knowledge (ACA2K) Project is probing the relationship in African countries between national copyright environments and access to hard-copy and digital learning materials. The project is probing this relationship within an access to knowledge (A2K) framework – a framework which regards the protection/promotion of user access as one of the central objectives of copyright law.

This project, supported by Canada’s IDRC and South Africa’s Shuttleworth Foundation, and managed by the Wits University LINK Centre in Johannesburg, began in October 2007 with legal researchers in five African countries (Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda) preparing initial “environmental scans” of the copyright contexts in their countries.

Based on this Guide, the ACA2K team will gather research evidence, and engage with policymakers, in an effort to ensure maximum use of copyright law flexibilities that have the potential to increase learning materials access in the study countries. Access to both digital and hard-copy resources will be probed.

The Guide outlines the two main ACA2K project components: 1) Research; 2) Dissemination & Policy Engagement.

In the Research Component (mid-2008 to mid-2009), there shall be:

• data collection in each of the eight study countries, based on two methodologies (a legislative/policy doctrinal review and qualitative impact assessment interviews);
• writing up of Country Reviews and Executive Policy Briefs for each of the eight study countries, based on a fusion of the doctrinal and interview data; and
• a Comparative Review report, drawing comparisons, contrasts and lessons from the findings across all of the study countries.
  

In the Dissemination & Policy Dialogue Component (mid-2009 to early 2010), there shall be:

• distribution of project findings and document outputs via the project website and national, regional and international fora; and
• National Policy Dialogue Seminars in each of the eight study countries, at which project findings and policy recommendations will be presented directly to relevant stakeholders.
  

AgLR 2008: Interview with Lisa Petrides (ISKME and OERCommons)

For the session on "Repositories with open educational resources for agriculture & rural development" (which has now started and is expected to conclude on Sunday 11th of May), we have taken an interview from Dr. Lisa Petrides (President, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education - ISKME) about the creation of the Open Educat. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 11, 2008
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ebooks and information 4 free

Eldis, a development portal, hosts this group which is intended to provide links to good places to go to access a number of resources on ebooks and online resources, such as Eldis itself. This space is partly to complement the work of Book Aid International’s physical book donation program, enabling BAI's partners and group members to share their k. . .

Added by  John Daly  May 11, 2008
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CALL FOR PAPERS: OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

The eLearning Papers looks for articles on Open Educational Resources (OER) and their use in education at all levels, taking into account the aspects of global development and Web 2.0. The deadline for article submission is 30 June 2008. With this issue, we want to support the establishment of a new kind of ecology of Technology Enhanced. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 9, 2008
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Educational Video Game: Darfur is Dying

In partnership with the Reebok Human Rights Foundation and the International Crisis Group mtvU launched the Darfur Digital Activist Contest, an unprecedented competition bringing together student technology and activism to help stop the genocide in Darfur. Darfur Dying is a narrative-based simulation where the user, from the perspective of a disp. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 9, 2008
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5th annual Games for Change Festival

This June, the only festival dedicated to the exciting new movement using Digital Games for Social Change will explore real-world impact, the latest games and funding strategies. Hosted in New York City by Parsons The New School for Design, the 5th annual Games for Change Festival will take place on June 2 - 4, 2008. Expert practitioners -- academ. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 9, 2008
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Rueters Article: Intel, Microsoft sell 150,000 laptops to Libya

Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:55am EDT: By Jim Finkle. BOSTON (Reuters) - Intel Corp (INTC.O: Quote, Profile, Research) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) are supplying Libya's government with 150,000 rugged laptop computers that cost $200 to build and are designed to meet the needs of children in developing countries. Intel spokes. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 5, 2008
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OLPC Simple Online upgrade: improve your OLPC laptop for free

The intro to the update is below...please follow link below to read the whole procedure. OLPC-update is designed to work with even the worst internet connections, and will do no harm if it is interrupted during download. If you don't like your new software update, you can revert to the older version by holding down the O key on the game pad (bet. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 5, 2008
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BBC News Article: Intel backs wireless Africa plan

BBC News: Wednesday, 31 October 2007, 12:06 GMT Africa needs to embrace wireless broadband as a potential solution to the digital divide, the chairman of Intel Craig Barrett has said. "It's cheaper, easier and more efficient to communicate wirelessly," he told the BBC News website. Less than 1% of Africans have access to broadband and on. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 5, 2008
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  PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF TELECOM PROJECT

The attached MS Word document is the abstract of manual on provision of project management on development of passive infrastructure of GSM/CDMA project. Basically it is a blue print for how to construct and set up a wireless cell network, including all stages of the project. The abstract begins as follows: India is a vibrant market from commun. . .

Added by  Cally Robyn Wolk  May 5, 2008
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Second call of conference 'INTERNET - EDUCATION – SCIENCE (October, 2008, Ukraine).

Second call of 6th Inter'l conference 'INTERNET - EDUCATION - SCIENCE'(7-11 October, 2008, Ukraine). The conference will be held activity in 18 sections: ). Program committee is include today professionals from 17 countries. Conference will add too : presentation of software and hardware, methods of eLearning; workshops/tutorials on the distance . . .

Added by  Andrey Borzykh  May 5, 2008
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