My Amazon Store
junio 19, 2009My New Blog
mayo 29, 2009Human Rights Mobile Challenge
marzo 23, 2009
Our team have submitted a project, Peru: Truth and Reconciliation, for the the UC Berkeley Human Rights Center Mobile Challenge!
Netsquared Mashup Challenge
marzo 19, 2008
Our team have submitted a project, Agri Mashup: Data Utilization in Inclusive and Sustainable Agriculture at the Base of the Pyramid, for the Netsquared Mashup Challenge. We are working with two peruvian organizations.
Too, please vote for "Text a Farmer, Support a Farmer, Alert a Farmer with CellAlert.net" brought to you by www.FreeAlert.org and www.CellAlert.net.
Check out ours applications and if you think these projects has a huge potential for social change, please vote for it before Friday!
http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects
Too, please vote for "Text a Farmer, Support a Farmer, Alert a Farmer with CellAlert.net" brought to you by www.FreeAlert.org and www.CellAlert.net.
Check out ours applications and if you think these projects has a huge potential for social change, please vote for it before Friday!
http://www.netsquared.org/2008/conference/projects
Digital television and radio: Democratisation or greater concentration?
noviembre 02, 2007
Digitalisation of media is an approaching reality for Latin American countries. This technologic paradigm shift promises more democratic and diverse access to radio and TV frequencies. However, there is also a great risk of reproducing the same inequalities and power relations that exist in the “analogical” world and thus of media being in the hands of a few. This paper by Gustavo Gómez Germano illustrates the political and regulatory implications of an apparently technical and thus neutral phenomenon. It also suggests advocacy priorities to create a more informed and active civil society
Choosing and Using Free and Open Source Software: A primer for nonprofits
octubre 24, 2007
"Choosing and Using Free and Open Source Software: A Primer for Nonprofits" describes what open source software is and what impact this type of software may have on the nonprofit sector. Published by NOSI (Nonprofit Open Source Initiative).
WIPO Publishes a Guide on Managing IP for Museums
agosto 01, 2007
Museums, and the broader cultural heritage community, now have access to a new guide, commissioned by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), to help them use the intellectual property (IP) system to improve the management of their collections in the digital environment.
The “WIPO Guide on Managing Intellectual Property for Museums” by Ms. Rina Elster Pantalony - a Canadian expert on these issues - recognizes the important role that IP plays in providing access to collections, and in preserving and managing the valuable works they contain. Copyright and trademark law in particular are of growing importance to museums in fulfilling their mandates and meeting users’ needs. Effective management of IP rights will enable museums to harness the Internet as an educational and communications tool.
In the digital age, the cultural heritage community is increasingly faced with the responsibility of managing its own IP, as well as managing uses by third parties and users throughout the world, often on diminishing budgets. Effective use of the IP system allows museums to meet international standards of best practice, and can offer significant opportunities to leverage their goodwill, authenticity, uniqueness and scholarly expertise to generate a return on investment.
The first part of the Guide describes IP issues of relevance to museums such as rights in scholarly content, technologies developed in-house, and branding tools that provide recognition and awareness of the museum in a commercial context. It also sets out recommended best practices in managing IP to enable a museum to identify its IP, understand its rights in using its collections, and strengthen its ability to deal with critical IP issues as they arise. The second part of the Guide reviews existing business models that could provide museums with appropriate opportunities to create sustainable funding, and deliver on their stated objectives.
The WIPO Guide is now available on-line at: http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/museums_ip/ .
The “WIPO Guide on Managing Intellectual Property for Museums” by Ms. Rina Elster Pantalony - a Canadian expert on these issues - recognizes the important role that IP plays in providing access to collections, and in preserving and managing the valuable works they contain. Copyright and trademark law in particular are of growing importance to museums in fulfilling their mandates and meeting users’ needs. Effective management of IP rights will enable museums to harness the Internet as an educational and communications tool.
In the digital age, the cultural heritage community is increasingly faced with the responsibility of managing its own IP, as well as managing uses by third parties and users throughout the world, often on diminishing budgets. Effective use of the IP system allows museums to meet international standards of best practice, and can offer significant opportunities to leverage their goodwill, authenticity, uniqueness and scholarly expertise to generate a return on investment.
The first part of the Guide describes IP issues of relevance to museums such as rights in scholarly content, technologies developed in-house, and branding tools that provide recognition and awareness of the museum in a commercial context. It also sets out recommended best practices in managing IP to enable a museum to identify its IP, understand its rights in using its collections, and strengthen its ability to deal with critical IP issues as they arise. The second part of the Guide reviews existing business models that could provide museums with appropriate opportunities to create sustainable funding, and deliver on their stated objectives.
The WIPO Guide is now available on-line at: http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/museums_ip/ .
GLOBAL JAM ONLINE COMMUNTIES FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION
julio 12, 2007
The goal of this event is to collectively identify technology requirements for effective online communities to better support those working in social change and innovation. The intention is to share what we learn quickly and broadly.
Online communities are changing the work we do and how we do it. They are creating new avenues for learning and innovating. They drive new models of leadership.
Today's technologies while plentiful are not inventoried, and overall not adequate for the needs of the social sector. The goal of this JAM is to help the sector use online community tools more effectively and to help technologists to build more appropriate tools. Through this discussion we hope to create a shared vision of our collective future for online communities for social change and innovation.
Participants will include leaders of nonprofit, NGO, public sector and grantmaking organizations, researchers and academics, technologists, and consultants from around the world. All use or plan to use online communities for social innovation.
Online communities are changing the work we do and how we do it. They are creating new avenues for learning and innovating. They drive new models of leadership.
Today's technologies while plentiful are not inventoried, and overall not adequate for the needs of the social sector. The goal of this JAM is to help the sector use online community tools more effectively and to help technologists to build more appropriate tools. Through this discussion we hope to create a shared vision of our collective future for online communities for social change and innovation.
Participants will include leaders of nonprofit, NGO, public sector and grantmaking organizations, researchers and academics, technologists, and consultants from around the world. All use or plan to use online communities for social innovation.
Giving Knowledge for Free: The Emergence of Open Educational Resources
junio 17, 2007
Learning resources are often considered key intellectual property in a competitive higher education world. However, more and more institutions and individuals are sharing their digital learning resources over the Internet, openly and for free, as Open Educational Resources (OER). This study, building on previous OECD work on e-learning, asks why this is happening, who is involved and what the most important implications of this development are.
The report offers a comprehensive overview of the rapidly changing phenomenon of Open Educational Resources and the challenges it poses for higher education. It examines reasons for individuals and institutions to share resources for free, and looks at copyright issues, sustainability and business models as well as policy implications. It will be of particular interest to those involved in e-learning or strategic decision making within higher education, to researchers and to students of new technologies.
The report offers a comprehensive overview of the rapidly changing phenomenon of Open Educational Resources and the challenges it poses for higher education. It examines reasons for individuals and institutions to share resources for free, and looks at copyright issues, sustainability and business models as well as policy implications. It will be of particular interest to those involved in e-learning or strategic decision making within higher education, to researchers and to students of new technologies.
iSummit 2007 - Dubrovnik
junio 15, 2007
Once a year, about 300 people from over 50 countries come together to celebrate and strategise around a free Internet for all.
Leaders of the Creative Commons, free software, open education and access to knowledge communities talk about their vision for the future and discuss strategies for building a free global culture that is rich - both in terms of economic viability and geographic diversity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Una vez al año, casi 300 personas de más de 50 países se reúnen a celebrar y a armar estrategias acerca de una Internet libre para todos.
Líderes de los Creative Commons, del software libre, educación abierta y comunidades de acceso al conocimiento conversan respecto de su visión del futuro y discuten estrategias para constrir una cultura libre global que se enriquece en términos de viabilidad económica y diversidad geográfica.
Leaders of the Creative Commons, free software, open education and access to knowledge communities talk about their vision for the future and discuss strategies for building a free global culture that is rich - both in terms of economic viability and geographic diversity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Una vez al año, casi 300 personas de más de 50 países se reúnen a celebrar y a armar estrategias acerca de una Internet libre para todos.
Líderes de los Creative Commons, del software libre, educación abierta y comunidades de acceso al conocimiento conversan respecto de su visión del futuro y discuten estrategias para constrir una cultura libre global que se enriquece en términos de viabilidad económica y diversidad geográfica.
Rising Voices Seeks Micro-grant Proposals for Blog Outreach
junio 06, 2007
Rising Voices, the outreach arm of Global Voices, is now accepting project proposals for the first round of microgrant funding of up to $5,000 for new media outreach projects. Ideal applicants will present innovative and detailed proposals to teach citizen media techniques to communities that are poorly positioned to discover and take advantage of tools like blogging, video-blogging, and podcasting on their own.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Voces Alzándose, la rama de promoción y alcance comunitario de Global Voices (Voces Globales), está ahora aceptando propuestas de proyectos para la primera ronda de microbecas de hasta $5000 (USD) para proyectos de promoción y alcance comunitario a través de los nuevos medios. Los solicitantes ideales presentarán propuestas detalladas e innovadoras para enseñar técnicas de medios de comunicación ciudadana a comunidades pobremente posicionadas para descubrir y aprovechar por sus propios medios herramientas como los blogs, video blogs y “podcasts” o archivos digitales de distribución automática.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Voces Alzándose, la rama de promoción y alcance comunitario de Global Voices (Voces Globales), está ahora aceptando propuestas de proyectos para la primera ronda de microbecas de hasta $5000 (USD) para proyectos de promoción y alcance comunitario a través de los nuevos medios. Los solicitantes ideales presentarán propuestas detalladas e innovadoras para enseñar técnicas de medios de comunicación ciudadana a comunidades pobremente posicionadas para descubrir y aprovechar por sus propios medios herramientas como los blogs, video blogs y “podcasts” o archivos digitales de distribución automática.
Global Information Society 2007
mayo 21, 2007
The Global Information Society Watch 2007 report - the first in a series of annual reports- looks at state of the field of information and communication technology (ICT) policy at local and global levels and particularly how policy impacts on the lives of people living in developing countries.
Studies of the ICT policy situation in twenty-two countries from four regions are featured: Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda); Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines); Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru); and Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania), with one report from a Western European country (Spain).
The report concludes that when it comes to ICTs for development, there are some conspicuous similarities between the countries. Excluding Spain, the other twenty-one countries each show obvious evidence of the “digital divide” which impacts on the majority of people negatively. According to Brazilian authors RITS, the absence of a people-orientated policy framework in Brazil runs the risk of condemning the vast majority of people to “eternal disconnection.” The report also includes provocative, analytical essays on five international institutions (including ICANN and the World Intellectual Property Organisation) questioning the extent to which they allow all stake-holders to participate in their processes. There is a special section on how to measure progress.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
El informe 2007 de GISW –primero de una serie de informes anuales- observa el estado de situación de las políticas de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) tanto en el ámbito local como mundial, y sobre todo analiza cómo impacta una política determinada en la vida de los/as habitantes del mundo en desarrollo.
Los informes sobre la situación de las políticas TIC que se presentan en el estudio incluyen 22 países de cuatro regiones: África (Egipto, Etiopía, Kenya, Nigeria, República Democrática de Congo, Sudáfrica y Uganda); América Latina (Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, México y Perú); Asia (Bangladesh, Filipinas, India y Pakistán); y Europa oriental (Bosnia y Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croacia y Rumania); además de un país de Europa occidental (España).
La conclusión del trabajo es que, cuando se trata de TIC para el desarrollo, existen notorias similitudes entre los países. Con excepción de España, los restantes 21 países muestran pruebas de una “brecha digital” que impacta negativamente en la mayoría de las personas. Según RITS, organización brasileña miembro de APC, la carencia de un marco político orientado hacia las personas hace que se corra el riesgo en Brasil de condenar a la amplia mayoría de la población a una “desconexión eterna”.
El informe incluye también informes provocativos y analíticos sobre cinco instituciones internacionales (entre ellos la Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones – UIT-, ICANN y la Organización Mundial sobre la Propiedad Intelectual –OMPI) en los que cuestiona hasta dónde permiten la participación de los sectores en sus procesos. Asimismo hay una sección especial sobre cómo medir los avances.
Studies of the ICT policy situation in twenty-two countries from four regions are featured: Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda); Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines); Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru); and Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania), with one report from a Western European country (Spain).
The report concludes that when it comes to ICTs for development, there are some conspicuous similarities between the countries. Excluding Spain, the other twenty-one countries each show obvious evidence of the “digital divide” which impacts on the majority of people negatively. According to Brazilian authors RITS, the absence of a people-orientated policy framework in Brazil runs the risk of condemning the vast majority of people to “eternal disconnection.” The report also includes provocative, analytical essays on five international institutions (including ICANN and the World Intellectual Property Organisation) questioning the extent to which they allow all stake-holders to participate in their processes. There is a special section on how to measure progress.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
El informe 2007 de GISW –primero de una serie de informes anuales- observa el estado de situación de las políticas de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) tanto en el ámbito local como mundial, y sobre todo analiza cómo impacta una política determinada en la vida de los/as habitantes del mundo en desarrollo.
Los informes sobre la situación de las políticas TIC que se presentan en el estudio incluyen 22 países de cuatro regiones: África (Egipto, Etiopía, Kenya, Nigeria, República Democrática de Congo, Sudáfrica y Uganda); América Latina (Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, México y Perú); Asia (Bangladesh, Filipinas, India y Pakistán); y Europa oriental (Bosnia y Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croacia y Rumania); además de un país de Europa occidental (España).
La conclusión del trabajo es que, cuando se trata de TIC para el desarrollo, existen notorias similitudes entre los países. Con excepción de España, los restantes 21 países muestran pruebas de una “brecha digital” que impacta negativamente en la mayoría de las personas. Según RITS, organización brasileña miembro de APC, la carencia de un marco político orientado hacia las personas hace que se corra el riesgo en Brasil de condenar a la amplia mayoría de la población a una “desconexión eterna”.
El informe incluye también informes provocativos y analíticos sobre cinco instituciones internacionales (entre ellos la Unión Internacional de Telecomunicaciones – UIT-, ICANN y la Organización Mundial sobre la Propiedad Intelectual –OMPI) en los que cuestiona hasta dónde permiten la participación de los sectores en sus procesos. Asimismo hay una sección especial sobre cómo medir los avances.
Copy/South Dossier
mayo 03, 2007
We are told that we live in the ‘digital revolution’ era and that we can communicate across the globe as we never could before. In fact, restrictive copyright laws still act as a serious barrier to sharing and learning from each other. This is particularly true in countries of the South where three quarters of the population live.
To read more, get a copy of the 208-page Copy/South Dossier produced in May 2006 by the Copy South Research Group after more than 18 months of research. Available at no charge, this unique dossier contains more than 50 articles examining many dimensions of the issue across the global South, such as access, culture, economics, libraries, education, software, the Internet, the public domain, and resistance. It is available at no charge.
To read more, get a copy of the 208-page Copy/South Dossier produced in May 2006 by the Copy South Research Group after more than 18 months of research. Available at no charge, this unique dossier contains more than 50 articles examining many dimensions of the issue across the global South, such as access, culture, economics, libraries, education, software, the Internet, the public domain, and resistance. It is available at no charge.
Mobile Opportunities: Poverty and Telephony Access in Latin America and the Caribbean
mayo 03, 2007
As part of the research project "Mobile Opportunities: Poverty and Telephony Access in Latin America and the Caribbean", DIRSI presents its background papers.
Our background research has identified the importance of mobile access to the poor, its process of growth as well as a series of regulatory and market barriers for increased mobile telephony access and use by the poor. Yet empirical studies of the social and economic implications of mobile use in the region based on demand analysis are rare.
The main goal of this research project is to understand the strategies employed by the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean to access and use mobile telephony services, and identify the major market and regulatory barriers to increased penetration and usage as well as business opportunities for the "bottom of the pyramid" users. We also seek to understand how mobile telephony access contributes to social and economic development- what we call mobile opportunities. A set of recommendations for policymakers and key stakeholders to help remove major access barriers, including identification of best-practice solutions to delivering mobile services to the "bottom of the pyramid" users, is a key project deliverable.
Our background research has identified the importance of mobile access to the poor, its process of growth as well as a series of regulatory and market barriers for increased mobile telephony access and use by the poor. Yet empirical studies of the social and economic implications of mobile use in the region based on demand analysis are rare.
The main goal of this research project is to understand the strategies employed by the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean to access and use mobile telephony services, and identify the major market and regulatory barriers to increased penetration and usage as well as business opportunities for the "bottom of the pyramid" users. We also seek to understand how mobile telephony access contributes to social and economic development- what we call mobile opportunities. A set of recommendations for policymakers and key stakeholders to help remove major access barriers, including identification of best-practice solutions to delivering mobile services to the "bottom of the pyramid" users, is a key project deliverable.
1@+tú=1€
abril 09, 2007
El proyecto 1@+tú=1€ consiste en una iniciativa del Principado de Asturias que, a través de la Fundación CTIC, pretende apoyar la ejecución de una serie de Proyectos de Cooperación al Desarrollo de la Sociedad de la Información (CDSI) de ámbito internacional. Queremos acercar la Sociedad de la Información a grupos que no tienen un fácil acceso a la misma, como medio para difundir la cultura y el conocimiento a todos los ciudadanos del mundo.
