World Information Society Day 2009

May 17 is World Information Society Day. To understand its significance in history, it is important to journey back 144 years ago. That same day in 1865, the first International Telegraph Convention was signed and the International Telegraph Union (the second-oldest international organization in existence) was established. That same institution became the International Telecommunications Union in 1947 – the same year that the transistor was first demonstrated, with the solid-state computer soon to follow. Since 1969, May 17 has been celebrated as the World Telecommunication Day. Thirty-seven years later, following the World Summit on the Information Society, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which identifies 17 May as World Information Society Day. The day is intended to remind the world of the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society, which promised to build “a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society” based on fundamental human rights. According to the UN resolution, the Day will "help to raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide".

The Nigerian telecommunications industry – which started with the postal system – is now over 100 years old, but it was only in 1999 that the National Policy on Telecommunications was launched. A National Policy on Information Technology followed in 2001, along with the establishment of the National Information Technology Development Agency, under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. Fortunately, Nigeria’s participation in the World Summit on the Information Society process helped shed more light on the need for Nigeria to benefit from the undeniable convergence that has brought Information Technology, telecommunications and content together for good. At about the same period in Nigeria’s history, a telecommunication revolution was born – with the number of telephone lines growing from 450,000 in 2000 to over 14 million lines in 2005, and now 66.6 million, thanks to independent regulation through the Nigerian Communications Commission, private sector participation, broadened competition, and consumer spending. Many benefits have come to the Nigerian Information Society since then, including a rapid rise in the number of Internet users from 200,000 in 2000 to 10 million today! Many of these users are also contributing to the growth of local content on the World Wide Web, which was previously lacking in content from Nigeria. The private sector and civil society (including the media) also continue to add immense value, using varied models to work towards the task of bridging the digital divide.

Building a strong and vibrant information society that is accessible to all Nigerians is at the heart of W.TEC and PIN’s work. The Women’s Technology Empowerment Centre (W.TEC) is a Nigerian non-governmental organization helping to empower Nigerian girls and women socially and economically using ICTs. This is done through technology literacy training, technology-based projects, mentoring, work placement and research. Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) is a social enterprise that connects young people – especially those in underserved communities – with the opportunities that ICTs provide. We do this through our Ajegunle.org initiative, Information Society research, capacity building sessions for youth across Nigeria and the Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria, among others. PIN’s program graduates have gone on to demonstrate the impact of ICTs on their small-scale businesses and through inspiring career progress!

This year, W.TEC and PIN wish to commemorate the World Information Society Day by appreciating ongoing initiatives in various sectors and calling on all stakeholders (government, private sector, civil society, media, individuals, etc) to act faster on efforts that will improve Nigeria’s opportunity to maximise the benefits of the Information Society. Please join us to spread the message, “Nigeria’s Information Society is making progress but we call on stakeholders to act faster. Our ‘20:2020’ vision depends on our ICT prowess!” on May 17 by:
- Lending us your Twitter or Facebook status message;
- Changing your email signature to reflect this message;
- Sending this article to 5 friends;
- Discussing the impact of ICTs in your life with friends and family;
- Volunteering for a non-profit ICT initiative before the next WISD anniversary.

Ore (for W.TEC) & 'Gbenga Sesan (for PIN)

(© Maciej Dakowicz)

PulseWire has a great article on 10 Ways to Give to Women and Girls, which neatly highlights ways to support work towards women's issues.

The article starts off with an unsettling reality: that although investing in women has been widely acknowledged as an effective way to address many global problems, social initiatives that focus on women actually receive less than 7% of all philanthropic funding worldwide. It is particularly worse for start-up and grassroots organisations who work very closely with their local communities and who are not on the radar of many big funders.

Another sad reality (not really discussed here) is that many social initiatives struggle to implement a huge mission and are not adept or have the time and resources to publicise their work. So, they continue to work under challenging circumstances and continue to experience difficulties in raising the requisite funding.

PulseWire's suggestions for supporting women's work includes:

• Align your checkbook to your inner compass: Think about the problems that you are most passionate about and identify and support organisations that are doing work that speaks to your heart
• Get to the grassroots: Look for organisations that work closely with local communities, who are not necessarily the high-powered NGOs that companies are clamouring to fund, and explore how you can help their work
• Give directly: Bypass intermediary charities that allocate your donations to a number of projects. Instead get to know individuals or organisations on a personal level and identify what type of help you can offer, e.g. a women's shelter that needs old clothes and books.
• Aggregate your giving power: Form a 'giving circle' with some friends, colleagues or family members and pool your resources together
• Give multi-year: Make a pledge to donate a certain amount every year for the next 3 years. These types of long-term support are often more helpful that one-off donations.
• Be a bridge: If you can link other donors and volunteers to your favourite cause, then by all means DO IT!!!!!

Toni Kan on Bella Naija

The writer Toni Kan interviewed on Bella Naija.

What I Learnt this Weekend

Being Brazen has a column which she calls "10 Things I Learnt this Weekend." I certainly picked up on a few new things over the last 2 weekends.

Last weekend, a friend came up to me in church and told me how much she liked the fact that I wear my natural hair out - as opposed to tucked away in braids or extensions. I do wear braids from time to time, but this year had made a decision to stay away from them for the rest of the year, because of the weakening effect that they have on my hairline; not to mention that persistent itchiness I experience when I have extensions in.

This weekend I received some more compliments on my hair, so it made me realise that it's important to stay true to yourself - even when it feels like no else appreciates these things about you. If you get compliments that's icing on the cake, but at least you're not handing over your happiness and control over your choices to others.

In this post on Black Girl with Long Hair explores a young woman's challenges with staying natural. I think most women who wear their hair natural would relate.

Web 2.0 & Social Movements

If you're interested in how web 2.0 can foster social movements, visit WebCooperation: http://webcooperation.tumblr.com.

BlogHer Activist Winners

Congrats to Standtall who has been selected as one of 5 activist bloggers around the world to attend the BlogHer Conference in Chicago this July.

BlogHer is an online community of women bloggers from all over the world and this conference is their yearly meet-up. It promises to be a great event and has been SOLD OUT for months. Standtall won for her activism work through her blog The Activist.

Read more about the BlogHer scholarship for activists.

The Wire

It's been a while since I've written about The Wire, mainly because I've watched all the seasons now. And then, it moved from being an underground fav to a more mainstream level of popularity. So, it feels like everybody know knows about and loves The Wire.

There is an entire page of resources (articles, interviews, profiles, etc) about The Wire on the U.K Guardian website. It's a great catalogue for any fan of the show as well as newcomers.

It also includes a recent interview with actor Idris Elba, who has seen his star rise in the wake of the popularity brought him by the show. The latest is for the film Obsessed, which has been both a box office hit and critical disaster.

Transitioning to Natural Hair

A natural hair article on Bella Naija on transitioning from relaxed to natural hair: http://www.bellanaija.com/2009/05/05/go-natural-with-ease/.

What a Girl Wants & Hotel du Lac

I am so happy to have finished What a Girl Wants in a respectably short period of time. I was looking forward to enjoy the book as a fun bit of Christian chicklit. I found the lead character's attitude to foreigners slightly xenophobic (her constant derogatory remarks about Taiwan, which she had to visit on business). This was slightly off-putting, but acknowledging that a book's literary worth is usually not determined by how likable its characters are, I soldiered on.

So, what does a girl want? To do God's will in her life. The book ended with our heroine encircled in her hero's arms engaging in a passionate display of long held-back affection.

So, now I am on to Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner. I first read about Anita Brookner a couple of months ago and thought immediately that I'd like her books.

I picked Hotel du Lac, because quite frankly the storyline sounds riveting and it was not of intimidating size. So far so good. It's described on the back cover as a "Smashing love story". I am yet to get to this part of the book, but so far it's been a sharply observed character study, which I quite like.

Natural Hair Blogs

I've been discovering many great natural hair resources, which are sparking up my renewed love affair with my hair.

Black Girl with Long Hair is one. I was most excited to find this blog because she posts pictures of styled natural hair and profiles women who are doing interesting things with their hair.

Naturally Scandalous is another. She's locing her hair now, but the archives contain posts about her natural hair journey.

Okay, so it's just 2 blogs for now. They are both keeping very busy.

9 Writers, 4 Cities: The Book Tour

There's so much happening in the Nigerian book space lately (Toni Kan book reading a few weeks ago, Sefi Atta book reading about a couple of months ago, the launch of a collection of poems by Abioye Taiwo two weeks ago) and I am excited this!!!!! This is despite struggling to finish the 'fairly slim' book I started a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, never mind my slowness; it should not be mistaken for disinterest.

From May to June, we have the pleasure of seeing nine writers on a book tour that will take them to 4 cities across Nigeria. 9 Writers, 4 Cities: The Book Tour is a series of book readings, book signings and discussions.

The participating writers are: Odia Ofeimun (poet and author of The Poet Lied), Toni Kan (author of Nights of a Creaking Bed), Lindsay Barrett (journalist, poet and author of several books, including Song for Mumu), Jumoke Verissimo (author of I am Memory), Tade Ipadeola (a lawyer and author of the poetry collection A Sign of Times), Joy Isi Bewaji (author of Eko Dialogue), Eghosa Imasuen (medical doctor and author of To Saint Patrick), A. Igoni Barrett (managing editor of Farafina magazine and author of From Caves of Rotten Teeth) and Bimbo Adelakun (journalist and author of Under the Brown Rusted Roofs).

The schedule is as follows:

2 May: Lagos, 2—7 pm, African Artists Foundation, No 54, Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi

6 June: Ibadan, 2—5 pm, Cambridge House, 20, Joop Berkhout Crescent, Onireke

17 May: Lagos, 2—7 pm, at The Palms Shopping Mall, Lekki

23 May: Benin, 2—5 pm, The Hexagon, 2A Golf Course Rd

6 June: Lagos, 2—5 pm, African Artists Foundation, No 54, Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi

Admission to all events is free. Signed copies of the participating writers’ books will be available for sale at all the venues on the day of each event.

The 6-week tour will be covered on the Farafina magazine blog while audio and video recordings of each reading will be placed on Switched On as podcasts. Dada Books, Daylight Media, The Palms, Planet One Television and August Media are also media partners on this project.

For further information, call 0706.114.1232, or email auggustmedia@gmail.com

Changes for the Hair

After so many months of hair fatigue, I finally feel invigorated and excited again about my hair. For so long I've kept it tucked away in braids, which I wear for most of the year. In the few 1 to 2 week breaks I take in between extensions, I'd wear my hair out in an afro puff and call it a day. And I was tired of the look. But, of course I would be. This is the same me, who had a new signature look every month when I was in university. What happened to that? I suppose life gets busy and I needed a no-fuss style.

One thing I've long wanted to do is to visit a hairdresser who REALLY knows how to care for and style natural hair. Usually when they say they do - especially here in Nigeria - it means they do braids, and usually painfully I might add, tugging at the hair and hissing in impatience as they work.

I can't take bad attitude especially when I'm a paying client. And I'm bored of braids, tired of the dependence on reluctant stylists and fearful of the ever-breaking hairline (one of the results of frequent braids). So, I've decided to take a break from braids for a while.

I visited a hairdresser who does natural hair the last time I was in London and she opened my mind to new styling options. Not one to subscribe to pressing the hair, I decided to give it a go. She blow-dried my hair straight and created ringlets with a curling iron. I didn't realise that natural hair could look so straight - uncannily like relaxed hair. The ringlets looked great, but didn't last too long as rain and humidity (when I returned home) got the better of it. When I eventually combed it out, the softness of the hair encouraged me to try pinning it up in different ways. Now, that has been staple for the last 2 weeks.

I don't think I will make a habit of subjecting my hair to so much heat, as that is also very wearing on the hair. I also have experienced one of the downsides: random hair that stay straight and do not revert back to their kinky state even after being washed (picture wearing an afro with a few straggly hairs hanging limply). However, the best thing to come out of this hair experiment is that I feel inspired again and I enjoy thinking of different ways to style it.

Constancy is comforting and easy, but as with many situations in life, it can get unexciting and uninspiring. Changing things up is definitely good the mind, soul and hair as I'm re-discovering.

Theatre @ Terra: 'Gbanja Roulette'

Every Sunday in May, Theatre@Terra will present Gbanja Roulette, a stage play.

Where: TerraKulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island
Time: 3PM, 6PM

In June and July, as Wole Soyinka turns 75, T@T will present '75 years of genius'- sketches and plays from the nobel laureate.

You can visit the Facebook group for theatre photos.

Call for Applications: IDRC and APHRC: 2009 African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship

FYI:

The African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) are pleased to announce the second call of the ADDRF awards. The fellowship program awards dissertation fellowships to African doctoral students enrolled in sub-Saharan Africa universities who are conducting health-systems or sexuality related research.

Deadline for applications: April 30, 2009

The 2009 ADDRF seeks to facilitate more rigorous engagement of doctoral students in research, strengthen their research skills, and provide the fellows an opportunity for timely completion of their doctoral training.

The ADDRF will award about 15 fellowships in 2009. These fellowships will be awarded to doctoral students who are within two years of completing their thesis at an African university. Dissertation topics showing great promise of making significant contributions to efforts to strengthen health systems (governance, equity, health or population related issues) in the region will be given priority.

Eligibility:

Applicants must:

* Be citizens or permanent residents of a sub-Saharan African country,
* Be undertaking doctoral training at a recognized African university,
* Have completed all pre-dissertation requirements,
* Provide a detailed time-frame for completing their dissertation which should be endorsed by the head of department and the chair of the dissertation committee,
* Have a research topic that has been approved by their doctoral dissertation committee, as well as the official body overseeing ethical review of the research protocol, and
* Be able to complete their dissertation within 24 months of the start of the fellowship.

Read more about the fellowship.

The DigiActive Guide to Twitter for Activists

At last, something that will hopefully make sense of Twitter to non-users - particularly how the tool can be used by activists. Check out this resource developed by DigiActive.

Faith Evans Sings to Patti Labelle

Patti Labelle is one of my favourite singers - ever. I was indifferent to Faith Evans until I heard her sing this song, You Are My Friend, in a tribute to Patti Labelle on BET's Walk of Fame in 2001. I was literally in tears at how good she was. Patti Labelle was also rolling about in her seat (I remember that this was one of the two performances that she seemed to get excited over). This takes me back.

Word to the Wise

Read this in March's issue of Marie Claire:

It's amazing how much easier it is to pursue your dream when you remove certain obstacles - like common sense.

(Michele Shapiro, Fact-checker turned race-car driver)

Jada Pinkett Smith

A friend yesterday told me that I am very "pro women". LOL!! That is very true. Jada Pinkett Smith is one of my favourite actresses and she strikes me as someone who is also passionate about women living empowered and rich lives. It has been enlightening seeing her growth as an actress over the years since I first saw her in Menace II Society.

In this interview on NPR, Jada talks about her acting and music career, her work writing and producing for TV, clothing line and the school she recently set-up with her husband, Will Smith.

Doctor's Diaries - Cheryl Dorsey

From the Echoing Green blog, I was led to this programme on the PBS website. Doctors' Diaries has followed seven Harvard Medical School students over the last 21 years (This is in the same tradition as the Seven Up series, which followed a set of children from the age of 7 years and re-visited them every 7 years after that.)

I have only watched one of the videos: the one following Cheryl Dorsey from her time as a fresh-faced med student. Cheryl Dorsey is now president of Echoing Green, which funds start-up social innovations. In fact, she was an Echoing Green fellow in 1992 for her idea, the Family Van, which was a community-based mobile health unit that provided basic health care and outreach services to at-risk residents of inner-city Boston neighborhoods.

It is fascinating for me to see her path veer from an initial plan to specialise in pediatrics to her current position managing one of the biggest social entrepreneurship funding organisations, because I am very interested in learning how people got to do what they are doing now - especially if their current position is polar opposite from their starting point.

Toni Kan - Book Presentation

Toni Kan and Cassava Republic request the pleasure of your company at the public presentation of his two critically acclaimed books:

Nights of the Creaking Bed and Songs of Absence and Despair

When: April 18th 2009
Time: 2PM prompt
Where: Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos