Saturday 25 April 2009
Presentation Abstracts and Speaker Biographies
Understanding the World – Mark Simpkins, Geekyoto Global Briefings
9:30-9:40
Mark Simpkins is the co-founder of geekyoto and the curator of its first conference about the world, change and technology, which was held in May 2008. With Ed Scotcher, he co-founded Africa Gathering – the first in the geekyoto global briefings series. His presentation is about geekyoto, which was born out of wanting to do something offline thatembraced the challenges facing everybody. Geekyoto is about sharing the talents of unique people, discussing amazing ideas and living in interesting times. Mark is an online artist and activist having been involved in work to engage the public ingovernment consultations, to develop ideas for government to actionand also to record what the public expect of their electedrepresentatives. He is a MySociety volunteer and works at the BBC.
Why We Need Africa Gathering – Tim Unwin, ICT4D Collective and UNESCO ICT4D Chair
9:40-9:50
Tim Unwin is Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UNESCO Chair in ICT4D and Professor of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. From 2001-2004 he led the UK Prime Minister’s Imfundo: Partnership for IT in Education initiative based within the Department for International Development, and from 2007-8 he was Director and then Senior Advisor to the World Economic Forum’s Partnerships for Education initiative with UNESCO. His research concentrates on information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D), focusing especially on its use for people with disabilities and for out of school youth. His latest collaborative book, entitled simply ICT4D, was published earlier this year.
Introduction to Africa Gathering: "A Hole in the Road": A Little Story About
How Different People Have Different Solutions to the Same Problem - Edward
Scotcher, Co-founder Africa Gathering
9:50-10:00
The two things that Ed likes the most are technology and Africa and he’shappiest when he’s working in the gap between the two. He's a strongproponent of education, development and change where it’s needed but notwhere it's not. By day, Ed is an IT consultant in London, working as an ITProject Manager for large media organisations like the BBC and Financial Times. Outside of work, he develops distance learning courses, writesarticles on ICT and Africa and works to promote and facilitate ICT4D events.Ed is aware that many of us have benefited from a free education and have
lots of experience working with technology and accept it as part of
out lives - but he's also aware that some people have great ideas and not
the experience or access to talent to realise them. There's no immediate
solution to this, but there are some things we can do, like get together and
share our experiences and, with open minds and a willingness to participate
take the chance to make things better.Ed runs a development consultancy, Moamba, that specialises in distancelearning, International Development IT consulting and advice,communication, media, facilitation and conferences - just like Africa
Gathering.
The $100 Laptop in Ethiopia – David Hollow, ICT4D Collective / Royal Holloway, University of London
10:00-10:20
David Hollow is based at Royal Holloway, University of London, and is a member of the ICT4D Collective and UNESCO Chair in ICT4D. He is in the final year of doctoral research concerning the effective monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment of ICT for education initiatives in Africa, focusing on issues of partnership, aspiration and pedagogy. He has widespread research experience in Africa and has worked most recently with government, private sector and civil society organisations in Malawi and Ethiopia.His presentation will explore questions of effective impact assessment through a practical case study regarding the use of the $100 laptop in Ethiopia. It draws on field research which was conducted in 2008 alongside the Ministry of Capacity Building’s deployment of 5000 laptops into five Ethiopian primary schools. Issues of teacher training, integration and aspiration are each considered, and feed back into broader themes regarding the effective implementation of ICT for education initiatives.
Staying Connected to Africa: An Ecosystem Approach – Nkeiru Joe, International Law Department, Virije Universiteit Brussel
10:30-10:50
Nkeiru Joe is a Pre-Doctoral Fellow in International Law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. As wellas research and reports on the relationship between regional organisations like the EU and International Law, and tutoring in the Law of International Organisations, she is working on a Doctoral (PhD) thesison the 'The International Law Freedom of Navigation within the ExclusiveEconomic Zone'. Nkeiru's special interests include the International Law ofthe Sea, Jurisprudence, Philosophy and the Law of International Organisations.She will examine how international law can impact upon ICT development in Africa by looking at the specific issue of submarine cables. She will ask whether it is possible to look at ICT development in Africa without International
Law? How viable is the ‘ring of fire’ – the submarine cable industry in the continent? Is this anopportunity to deconstruct the 'solutions temptation'?
Mobiles in Africa: How Technology is Driving Social and Economic Change – Ken Banks, Kiwanja.net / FrontlineSMS
11:30-11:50
Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net, devotes himself to the application of mobile technology for positive social and environmental change in the developing world, and has spent the last 15 years working on projects in Africa. Recently, his research resulted in the development of FrontlineSMS, a field communication system designed to empower grassroots non-profit organisations. Ken graduated from Sussex University with honours in Social Anthropology with Development Studies, and was awarded a Reuters Digital Vision Fellowship in 2006, and named a Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow in 2008. Ken's work has been supported by the MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Institute, and he is the current recipient of a grant from the Hewlett Foundation. His presentation will focus on the work of kiwanja.net and FrontlineSMS.
How We’re Creating Access to Basic Phone Services for More Than a Billion People Earning Less Than Two Dollars a Day – Nigel Waller, Movirtu.com
12:00-12:20
Nigel Waller is CEO and Founder of Movirtu, a for-profit social enterprise that provides innovative mobile technology and business models for mobile service providers servicing rural poor communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigel combines a keen interest and deep understanding of the telecom software space with more than 22 years’ experience, of which more than 15 have been in Africa. He is passionate about delivering the benefits of technological innovation to end-users and the social economic benefits this can bring about and has worked closely with over 50 mobile operators across Africa to implement network solutions including Vodacom, Orange, MTN, Zain / Celtel, Orascom, Wataniya, Millicom / Tigo, Econet, Safaricom, Cell-C, Warid and Atlantic / Hits. His presentation will show how Movirtu helps mobile operators realise shared access to basic mobile phone services for people earning less than $2 a day at a much lower cost than has been done before.
Conducting Mobile User Experience Research in Sub-Saharan Africa – Sian Townsend, Google
12:30-12:50
Sian Townsend is an international User Experience Researcher atGoogle. Her special research interests are Mobile Search, SMS, and Mobile for Emerging Users. Sian works with Engineers and Product Managers to help them understand in detail how people use Google products on different mobile devices around the world, what their user
needs are and how to create new or improved user experiences that are shaped around those human needs.Her presentation will give an overview of Google's latest activities in Africa. She will also talk about the field of User Experience Research: what it is, why it matters, and how it's helping Google shape their products around the needs of emerging users.She holds an MSc in Human-Computer Interaction with Ergonomics from UCL and a BSc in Politics from Bristol.
How Mobile Telephony is Being Used to Improve Veterinary Services in East Africa – Nick Short, Royal Veterinary College
14:00-14:20
Nick Short oversees e-learning development at the Royal Veterinary College in London. He has worked throughout Africa over the last 30 years wearing a number of different hats. As a vet, he has worked as a volunteer,government officer, consultant and with various NGOs. In 1987 he jointly created a new organisation, Vetaid, which supports animal health projects in Africa.In the Siminjaro district of Tanzania around Arusha, VetAid has trained a large number of Community Animal Health Workers or “barefoot vets”. A recent development within the project has been the adoption of mobile telephony as a way of linking the community workers with the central veterinary team. Nick’s presentation will go on to explain some of the new work that Vetaid is planning including the use of GPS mobiles for diseasesurveillance and the potential to broadcast extension material such as podcasts.
Village e-Science for Life: Participatory Design of ICT for Rural Agricultural Villages in Kenya – Niall Winters and Kevin Walker, London Knowledge Lab
14:30-14:50
Niall Winters is a RCUK Academic Fellow at the London Knowledge Lab,Institute of Education, University of London. His main researchinterests are the interdisciplinary design and development oftechnology enhanced learning environments and ICT for development.He collaborates with the Village e-Science for Life (VeSeL) project,
which enablesrural communities in sub-Saharan Africa to use advanced digital
technology to improve their agricultural practices and literacy levels.Kevin Walker is a Researcher at the London Knowledge Lab, working on the VeSeL project, and a PhD student at the Institute of Education. His research interests include museums, technology, science, art andphysical computing.Niall and Kevin's presentation will focus on VeSeL's research, in particular participatory design involving rural communities in Kenya, the University of Nairobi and UK researchers.
Building Peace in Eastern Congo: A Village of Hope – Alexander Petroff, Working Villages International
15:00-15:20
Alexander Petroff is the President of Working Villages International – an NGO which he founded in 2005. WVI is working to develop a major agricultural project in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ruzizi Valley, stressing self-sufficiency, sustainability and environmental responsibility. Instead of focusing on production for export to the global economy, Alexander has developed an economic model of village self-reliance for a post-petroleum future. He will present WVI’s comprehensive and concentrated approach to its Congo project and he will describe how this relates to the implementation, successful transfer and spread of new, culture-altering technologies. The presentation will conclude by highlighting three new exciting and innovative solar technologies that WVI will be implementing as part of its Congo project this coming June.
An Amazing Story that Shows How the Convening Power of the Internet Can Turn the Head of a Global Brand…and Get Them to Act – Simon Berry, ColaLife.org
15:30-15:50
Simon Berry launched the ColaLife campaign following a suggestion he made during a live webchat: What about Coca Cola using their distribution channels (which are amazing in developing countries) to distribute rehydration salts? Maybe by dedicating one compartment in every 10 crates as ‘the life saving’ compartment? The campaign is about leveraging the distribution muscle of a multi-national corporate institution to save children’s lives in developing countries. ColaLife is an independent and purely voluntary movement backed by thousands of supporters on its Facebook Group.Since floating the idea on his blog, Simon has managed to create a huge community around the campaign, through a Facebook group and appearances on Radio 4’s iPM programme. He is now in discussions with Coca-Cola and is looking to engage with an international NGO to move the project forward.
ICT4D and Grass Roots Approaches in Africa – Martin Konzett, ICT4D Austria
16:30-16:50
Martin Konzett is a software developer and the co-founder of ICT4D.at – an Austrian-based NGO which collaborates globally and acts locally. ICT4D.at develops projects for the developing world and encourages people to use mobile telephony as a key tool for spreading knowledge to improve lives. His presentation includes a seven-minute trailer of ICT4D.at’s “Hello Africa” documentary, recorded in Zanzibar last autumn, about the emerging use of mobile phones in Africa.He will also talk about the goals of ICT4D.at, its structure and its Africa-related projects. His goal is to inspire people to setup and/or support grass roots initiatives in Africa and inform how ICT4D.at can help with this.Martin solves problems that arise with software architecture and the software development process by practising Model Driven Architecture (MDA). Martin is committed to open standards and Open Source software and has extensive experience with enterprise applications usingJava EE and TYPO3.
How Downloading a Song Can Open the Future of a Continent – David Mason, IntraHealthOPEN
17:00-17:20
David Mason is the Open Source and Health Informatics Advisor at IntraHealth International – an NGO dedicated to providing health care workers around the globe with the training, support and infrastructure they need to solve their own communities' critical public health issues. He is the co-founder of IntraHealth's OPEN Initiative, which engages African technology, health leaders and students to develop and sustain health systems tailored to meet the most urgent health care needs. His presentation will focus on this project, which is run in partnership with Youssou N'Dour, to strengthen the ability of African health professionals to identify and implement appropriate technologies that support improved health outcomes and improve the global open source community’s ability to address public health issues. Further, IntraHealth OPEN will engage the tools and techniques for collaboration which grew up in the open source development world and apply them to the world community of health care workers.
Juergen Eichholz, AfriGadget
17:30-17:50
Juergen Eichholz is a water & sanitation specialist who grew up in Japan,Germany and Kenya. He's been an active blogger since 2005, works as an IT & ecosan consultant and has a special interest in ecological matters.Being an avid follower of the Cradle2Cradle approach, he strongly believes that sustainable sanitation as a business is possible in Africa.His presentation will focus on AfriGadget– a website dedicated toshowcasing African ingenuity. A team ofbloggers and readers contribute to the site with their pictures,videos and stories from around the continent.The stories of innovation are inspiring and are atestament to Africans using creativity to overcome
life’s challenges.The ultimate goal of AfriGadget is to supportinventors and entrepreneurs in the informaleconomy by telling another story from Africa
and showing what is already possible. AfriGadget was named among the50 Best Websites in 2008 by TIME magazine.
Parallel sessions
Writing Effective Distance Learning Courses – David Thomas
14:00-14:50
David Thomas set up his training business in 2005 to provide media training to charities, and distance learning courses to broadcasters in the developing world, mostly on behalf of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and the Thomson Foundation. He has more than 25 years’ experience in broadcasting and training, and for eight years was head of the BBC World Service department supplying radio and online teaching for England language learners around the world.This session looks at the experience of providing distance learning to broadcast trainees in Africa over the last four years.Distance learning offers a number of advantages, including flexibility, and the ability for trainees to exchange ideas with fellow broadcasters in other countries, but there are also disadvantages. David will provoke discussion on issues such as erratic internet connections, pressure on trainees’ time, and varying standards of written English. For the trainer there are also dilemmas such as charging for courses, and whether to offer accreditation.
Running an E-commerce Business – Ida Horner, Ethnic Supplies
15:00-15:50
Ida Horner is the founder and owner of Ethnic Supplies and has an inspiring story of her journey from birth in Uganda and living through Idi Amin’s civil war to being offered a scholarship to a tourism college in Salzburg, Austria and eventually coming to the UK.Ida left a successful career as a social housing manager for a London authority to set up Ethnic Supplies having witnessed appalling poverty in South West Uganda. Ethnic Supplies enables East African women involved in textile and handicraft production access a much wider market with their wares.Her presentation will run through her journey from being a civil servant to an entrepreneur. She will describe practical ways of accessing support and overcoming the challenges involved in creating and running an e-commerce business.
Project Kingston Africa – Professor Catherine McDermott and Dr Chris Hutchison, Kingston University
16:30-17:20
Project Kingston Africa is a new initiative established by Kingston University.It aims to create opportunities for interaction between Britain and Africa, and support the knowledge exchange between Africa, Kingston University and the wider community. On 11 June Project Kingston Africa will hold a Networking Event to launch new initiatives and welcome African visitors, including James Muriaki, a curator specialising in photography from Kenya (as part of the Project’s new Visiting International Curator programme), and a team from a South African project called Wola Nani, which supports HIV communities in Cape Town. The Project, co-run by Professor Catherine McDermott, is actively seeking partners, collaborators and new projects.McDermott is the Director of Kingston University’sPostgraduate Design Studies and the Director of MA Curating Contemporary Design, run in partnership with the Design Museum. The Project’s digital media work is led by Chris Hutchison, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Computing, Information Systems and Mathematics, Kingston University.
Panel Discussion
18:00-19:00
Erik Hersman is the co-founder of Ushahidi (which means "testimony" in Swahili), a web application created to map the reported incidents of violence happening during the post-election crisis in Kenya. Currently, he is working with a team of mostly-African programmers to continue development of this new free and open source platform that makes it easier to crowdsource crisis information and visualize data. Though in alpha, it is already being used globally, in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and by Al Jazeera in Gaza.Raised in Sudan and Kenya, Erik brings unique energy and insight to the world of technology and innovation – bridging the gap between Africa and the West. An avid blogger Erik writes two different technology blogs including: AfriGadget and WhiteAfrican. One dedicated to low-tech African ingenuity, and the other to high-tech mobile and web changes happening throughout the continent.