Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and communities

Our projects and initiatives on ICTs

Digital Stories and Web 2.0 to promote the rights of people living with HIV

Our project is to create an online observatory on the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS in Congo. We train e communication officers of AIDS organizations in digital storytelling, podcasting and the creation of blogs to document the stigma and discrimination of people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in Congo and to use it as a tool for advocacy and education for the promotion and defense of the rights of people infected with HIV. Each communication officer describes how the AIDS pandemic is currently affecting the local community where he or she lives and what is the daily life of people living with HIV/AIDS. Blog posts about discrimination and stigmatization of PLWHA are available online at http://aidsrightscongo.org

Developing leadership of young women and their capacity to exploit ICTs for development
 
Young women have their needs, their priorities and vision of development. We work with young women leaders in non profit organizations, grassroots on issues of leadership, women's rights, health rights and organize training on the strategic use of ICTs, including Web 2.0 tools to advance the women's rights and social change every year. From 2004 to 2008, with support from the Global Fund for Women, young women leaders were able to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Using ICTs to end violence against women and girls

The potential of ICTs to support the fight against violence against women should be exploited whenever possible. Since 2006, AZUR Development is working with the media, including journalists on radio programs in which women and men reflected on the violence, lawyers and professionals explain what the victims of violence can do and how we can fight against domestic violence, sexual violence and others. Through a workshop on violence against women ICTs with groups of women and women journalists in Brazzaville, the interactive radio programs with DVS + promoted exchanges, testimonies and questions sent by  SMS from their mobile phones by listeners of the radio programmes, mostly women. AZUR Development intends to help reduce violence against women, which remains a problem in Congolese society. We also published analytical articles on domestic and sexual violence (sexual violence against girls in the Congo).

Building the capacity of civil society organizations and media professionals to use ICTs for social justice

To meet the growing demand from civil society organizations and media professionals working in various sectors of development, health, human rights, among others; AZUR Development hold continuous training on the strategic use of the internet: the advanced e-mail, creating lists, creating blogs, tools like flickr.com, Web 2.0, facilitating online discussions , e-newsletters, among others. We have benefited support from various organizations such as One World Africa and Rising Voices.

Providing public access to ICTs
 
Training in basic ICTs skills and courses on agriculture are hold in télécentres managed by AZUR in Brazzaville and Nkayi to young unemployed graduates, workers, members of agricultural cooperatives, among others. These telecentre are equipped with few computers without internet access, libraries and documentation in digital form. Training is provided by volunteers of AZUR Development. These telecentres also offer various services: trainings, typing, printing, CD burning, scanning, among others.

AZUR’s executive director writes in a book on telecentres and Congolese women empowerment
 
The empowerment of women also means women's access to information and communication technologies. This is what Sylvie Niombo, Executive Director of AZUR Development focused in his article on the contribution of telecentres in the empowerment of women in a book entitled Communication for Development in Congo, by Alain Kiyindou published by EME, Collection Echanges in Brussels. More information on this book in French

Supporting telecentres networking in Congo and the DRC

Community telecentres are the points where the public communities have access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). Thus, their role in community development and empowerment of women, youth and the entire community is evident. Since 2006, based on a survey conducted in Congo with telecentres, AZUR Development was one of the initiators of the community telecentres network in Congo. Telecentres working in rural and urban areas are facing a lot of challenges: lack of electricity, internet connection, lack of skills for managers and volunteers, high cost of computer equipment and maintenance cost, among others.

Training workshops in Congo and the DRC, online discussions and a website are maintained as part of that support. Training workshops are supported by telecentre.org since 2007. For more information on activities, go to http://www.azurdev.org/en/telecentrescongo.htm
 
For information about the community télécentres network of  Congo, please visit: www.telecentrescongo.org

Research and advocacy on ICT policy

AZUR Development in 2008 participated in the drafting of the  GISWATCH report(Global Information Society Watch) on the inequality of access to the Internet and the Information Society, coordinated by the Association for Progressive Communications, a network of civil society organizations whose AZUR Development is a member. This report is an annual publication that highlights the importance of access to the infrastructure of information  and communication technologies(ICTs).

The report for the Congo is available in English at this URL: http://www.giswatch.org/gisw2008/country/Congo.html
 
Following its participation in the CICEWA project workshop in September 2008, AZUR Development conducted a study in 2009 on the reform of telecommunications policies in the Congo with the support of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Kenyan Action Network for ICT-Kenya ICT Action Network (or Kictanet). The project seeks to identify the political obstacles to extending affordable access to ICT infrastructure in Africa and to advocate for their removal in order to create a sound platform for sub-regional connectivity in East, West and Central Africa that will provide a platform for the effective use of ICTs in development processes

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