Title: The Evolving Landscape of Internet Control : A Summary of Our Recent Research and Recommendations
Authors: Hal Roberts, Ethan Zuckerman, Rob Faris, Jillian York, John Palfrey
Pages: 12 pp.
Source: Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University
Date (published): 18/08/2011
Date (accessed): 14/09/2011
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"Over the past two years, we have undertaken several studies at the Berkman Center designed to better understand the control of the Internet in less open societies. During the years we’ve been engaged in this research, we have seen many incidents that have highlighted the role of the Internet as a battleground for political control, including partial or total Internet shutdowns in China, Iran, Egypt, Libya, and Syria; many hundreds of documented DDoS, hacking, and other cyber attacks against political sites; continued growth in the number of countries that filter the Internet; and dozens of well documented cases of on- and offline persecution of online dissidents. The energy dedicated to these battles for control of the Internet on both the government and dissident sides indicated, if nothing else, that both sides think that the Internet is a critical space for political action. In this paper, we offer an overview of our research in the context of these changes in the methods used to control online speech, and some thoughts on the challenges to online speech in the immediate future."

Title: Orange, Google launch sms service in Africa
Source: IT News Affrica
Date (published): 28/07/2011
Date (accessed): 28/07/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Telecommunications provider Orange and global search giant, Google have signed a partnership that aims to facilitate access to Google’s services across Africa, by leveraging Orange’s networks.

This will enable Orange’s mobile customers to stay in touch with their Google services and Google users to extend their network by using SMS-based services.
The Orange and Google partnership will leverage Orange’s SMS platform to bring Google’s services to African customers.
...

Through the development of SMS-based services that operate on all mobile networks (including GSM), Orange and Google will extend the reach of a wide range of internet services that were previously limited to smartphone and broadband users (through 3G, CDMA or WiMax networks) to all Orange mobile customers.
The “Gmail SMS Chat” service, which will eventually be launched across Orange’s footprint in Africa and the Middle East is already available in Senegal, Uganda and Kenya. It will be launched in four additional countries – Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Conakry and Niger – in the coming months, and will be launched as a trial in Egypt (Mobinil). Orange and Google are now looking to extend this partnership to include other services."

Title: Open Access and Open knowledge production processes: Lessons from CODESRIA
Author: Francis B. Nyamnjoh
Pages: 6 pp.
ISSN: 2077-7205
e-ISSN: 2077-7213
Source: The African Journal of Information and Communication, Issue No 10 (2009/2010)
Publisher: Learning Information Networking and Knowledge (LINK) Centre, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand
Date (published): 25/02/2010
Date (accessed): 28/04/2010
Type of information: peer-reviewed article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
It is common in discussions of open access to limit the issue to publications and dissemination. This conflates accessibility with recognition and representation, and supposes that competing and conflicting knowledge systems and ideas would be equally available and affordable if room were created for multiple channels of accessibility. Such enthusiasm and euphoria, while understandable, do not adequately account for the prevalent power relations that structure knowledge production into interconnecting hierarchies at local and global levels.
CODESRIA has some lessons to draw on from its experience of the past 37 years – lessons about the need to privilege and prioritise recognition and representation of the perspectives, epistemologies, and contextual and methodological diversity that inform knowledge production globally and locally; and lessons about the need to widen our understanding and discussion of ‘open access’ to go beyond just enabling access to knowledge and research results through a multiplicity of dissemination possibilities. It is important to discuss opening access up to different races, places, spaces, cultures, classes, generations, disciplines and fields of study.
This review presents CODESRIA, and its ever-evolving publications and dissemination policy, as a possible model to inform and inspire institutions interested in a comprehensive idea of open access in an interconnected world of local and global hierarchies, where producing and consuming difference is part and parcel of everyday life.

Title: Reaction to the Gender Findings from Africa’s Access to Knowledge Research
Author: Kathleen Diga
Source: genderIT.org

Date (published): 22/02/2010
Date (accessed): 13/03/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
GenderIT.org writer and a Research Officer at Canada`s International Development Research Centre, Kathleen Diga tracks the journey of the African Copyright & Access to Knowledge (ACA2K)research network to better understand the nature of African national copyright environments and their impact on equal opportunities for all citizens to access information, particularly in the realm of education. The author argues that the ultimate development goal of copyright law is to afford equal access to educational learning materials regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability or age. The law must be flexible in order to recognize existing or potential discrimination against vulnerable groups. For example income constraints are likely to discriminate against women more than men in efforts to access educational materials. It is a follow up to a previous GenderIT.org article, University women struggle for knowledge access in Africa.[1]

ACA2K's development research in eight African countries: South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Uganda, Senegal and Morocco, reflects on empirical evidence in order to find ways to ensure improved and equal opportunities for all citizens to access information, particularly in the realm of education. The project team investigated whether copyright laws in the study countries are designed in a way that is likely to help or hinder access to materials, particularly for university use, and whether in practice such laws are being followed -- or can realistically be followed given the varying contexts African learners face.

Title: Women and Mobile: Is It Really a Global Opportunity?
Authors: Anne-Ryan Heatwole with Katrin Verclas
Source: MobileActive.org
Date (published): 08/03/2010
Date (accessed): 08/03/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Today is International Women's Day and as we do every year, we are looking at the complex and intriguing issue of women and mobile technology around the world. A new report, “Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity,” by the GSMA Development Fund, the Cherie Blair Foundation and Vital Wave Consulting, tackles the issue of the gender gap in mobile phone usage with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.

Title: The Impact of ICT Investments on Economic Development in Egypt
Authors: Sherif H. Kamel, Dina Rateb, Mohamed El-Tawil
Pages: 21 pp.
ISBN: 1681-4835
Source: EJISDC (2009) 36, 1, 1-21
Publisher: The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries (EJISDC)
Date published: 2009
Date accessed: 21/06/2009
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Since the mid 1980s, Egypt has realized significant growth in information and communication technology (ICT) usage across different sectors in the economy. However, in today’s global environment, the challenge no longer lies in accommodating the growth of the ICT sector that introduced changes that are arguably the most important since the industrial revolution. The essence is the diffusion of ICT across the society and ensuring that it furthers socioeconomic development. Managing this transformational process requires cooperation and partnerships between different stakeholders in the society to ensure steady and successful progress towards the goal of realizing a fully developed information society. Moreover, in order to generate economic development and growth, ICT need to be transformed into economic activities offering services, applications and content that create new markets, reduce costs and increase productivity. While ICT are generally adaptable; their effectiveness in addressing development issues still depends on their introduction, adoption, diffusion and adaptation within a healthy and encouraging regulatory environment. In that respect, the importance of ICT in socioeconomic development in Egypt was realized since 1999 leading to the allocation of ICT on the government agenda supported by the private sector and the civil society. This article addresses the recent efforts that were exerted in Egypt, as an emerging economy, in terms of building its ICT sector while analyzing the associated investments and their impact on economic development.