Information and communication technologies (ICTs) and communities

Report analysis of content on ICTs in print media in Congo

We would like to hold public discussions, debate and events on the role of information and communication technologies for development (ICTs). In this framework, we are in the final stages of our analysis of content on ICTs in print media in Congo. We are actually interviewing media leaders and professionals on the issue.

 The analysis includes a private news paper with the largest audience; La Semaine Africaine and a state newspaper La Nouvelle République for the period of January to September 2007. The first draft of the report will be reviewed by an expert from the University actually working on the media and ICTs. We plan to hold a meeting with the media and policy makers in Brazzaville to present and discuss about the findings of the analysis. This report will be a basis for advocacy and also for future actions with the media.

Web 2.0 to as a tool of advocacy for marginalized people

Ange Dimitri Niossobantou, Webmaster and Focal Point in France presented during the Web2forDev of AZUR Development to defend the causes of marginalized people in Africa. Listen to this interview at http://www.wendze.com/actualite.php

Mobile phones for development

We will provide grassroots in Nkayi mobiles phones and training to enhance their commercial activities on a competition basis in Nkayi. In 2006, AZUR Development provided mobile phones to economically disadvantaged young women in Pointe-noire as part of the initiative Freemobile4women; a pioneering project for women involvement in the use of ICTs for their empowerment. To support it please write to info@azurdev.org

Global Forum on Youth and ICTs for development

AZUR Development attended this forum co-hosted by the Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) from 24 – 26 September 2007 on the theme Youth and ICT as agents of change.

Thanks to a scholarship from the Francophonie and the partnership with ICVolunteers, our colleague Marc Foukou has presented on the use of ICTs for development and volunteerism.

Training in Web 2.0 tools for AIDS organizations from Togo, DRC and Congo

AZUR Developpement, held a recent training in “Web 2.0″ technologies with members of le Réseau Sida Afrique from Togo, DR Congo, and Republic of Congo. Participants learned how to moderate on line discussions using Dgroups, talk for free on Skype and Yahoo Messenger, upload photos to Flickr, and start their own free blogs on Blogger.com. The workshop was held in Brazzaville as part of the Harambee funded project aimed at increasing collaboration and knowledge sharing between the 215 network members.

Upcoming event: national workshop on leadership, communication and advocacy.
AZUR Développement is organizing by end of the year a training workshop for young women leaders and journalists on leader leadership, communication and advocacy in Pointe-Noire, Congo. The training will include sessions on women’s rights and also the use of Web 2.0 tools. We will send more details once we have finalized the agenda. We will also introduce resource mobilization tips in the sessions

Upcoming event: Workshop on communication, advocacy and resources mobilization for grassroots and organizations

We are ready for the workshop on communication, advocacy and resources mobilization for 20 grassroots and organizations in Nkayi, in majority rural women’s organizations. The workshop is planned for December 2007.

Needs assessment on the use of ICTs for advocacy

AZUR Développement in partnership with One World Africa has completed a needs assessment on capacity building in the use of ICTs for advocacy for grassroots in Nkayi, in Republic of Congo. This needs assessment has informed both partners on a set of activities for 20 grassroots, in majority women’s groups in Nkayi and its surrounding villages. AZUR Développement is actually implementing in this area 2007 the activities below:

A training workshop on communication, advocacy and resource mobilization for 20 grassroots leaders.  Prevention against HIV/AIDS for 200 members of grassroots, including use of ICTs tools.  Production of local content at the radio for and by communities and set up of 10 listeners clubs. Learning sessions on agriculture, management and savings for 200 members of grassroots by using ICTs tools. Training of trainers for 20 grassroots leaders on ICTs skills (applied to their needs e.g use of software for stock management, accounts, etc).
Set up of an information/communication system between grassroots by the use of mobile phones, digital cameras and services of a telecentre in Nkayi.

Gender and ICT policy workshop

The workshop was hold on 16 May as planned. It was a success and also a learning experience has women came out with a plan to increase their involvement in ICT policy and ICTs in general. The main barriers identified were lack of understanding of ICTs use for development and lack of ICTs skills.  Some articles about this workshop in French. Why Congolese women should be interested in ICT policy?

Community telecentres create a network

A network of community telecentres has just been created in Congo Brazzaville. It gathers 10 community telecentres around Brazzaville and there are plans to expand the group to include telecentres throughout the country.
The idea for the network came about after a survey of telecentres conducted in April 2006 by the NGO AZUR Développement. The network currently has 10 telecentre members. The main office is in Brazzaville. It is expected that more telecentres will join the network in the coming months.
The network’s objectives are:

• to facilitate and encourage the installation of community telecentres in rural and urban areas;
• to increase accessibility, in particular of marginalized people, women children, and people with disabilities and illiterates, to ICTs ;
• to formalize the collaboration and increase information and experience exchange among telecentres, and
• to build the capacity of telecentre members.

More information on telecentres in Congo at http://www.azurdev.org/en/telecentrescongo.htm

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