Lwati June 2008, Number 48

* LWATI *

The monthly e-newsletter of the Southern African NGO Network (SANGONeT)

June 2008, Number 48

http://www.sangonet.org.za

"Lwati" is an isiSwati word meaning knowledge.

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<> EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENTS
<> CIVIL SOCIETY INFORMATION
<> ICT SERVICES
<> VACANCY
<> NETWORKING AND OUTREACH
<> CONTACT DETAILS

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<> EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COMMENTS

Welcome to the 48th edition of SANGONeT´s monthly e-newsletter!

The past month has been one of the most traumatic periods in the history of South Africa in the post-1994 period. The xenophobic violence that spread throughout the country and resulted in the loss of life, destruction of property and the displacement of thousands of immigrants, have fundamentally tarnished the image and reputation of South Africa.

To make things worse, the slow response by the South African government to this crisis has done little to counter public perceptions of a lack of leadership, capacity and compassion.

Not surprisingly, in this time of need, it was NGOs throughout South Africa that took the lead in mobilising public support and providing assistance and care to the victims of violence and displaced communities.

However, at a time that South Africans were also coping with an electricity crisis, escalating cost of living and rising fuel prices, unacceptably high levels of crime and unemployment, an AIDS epidemic and the political meltdown in Zimbabwe, it is unfortunate that misguided criticism was once again aimed at the NGO sector in South Africa.

Rather than focusing on the lack of leadership and action by government in responding to the many challenges facing our country, or highlighting concrete solutions, ANC backbencher in Parliament, Mtikeni Sibande, used the Home Affairs budget vote to accuse so-called "white-run" NGOs of posing a threat to national security while pretending to help victims of xenophobia.

“Our leadership must alert our security institutions about the so-called NGOs that are operated by unknown whites in those affected areas, because, in our society, we don't need people who are instruments of imperialism - who are here to destroy our beloved country - pretending as if they are good Samaritans to those who are affected," he said.

Maybe if he focused his attention on the corruption and incompetence at Home Affairs and the inability of that department to implement proper migration control and procedures, many of the contributing factors to the xenophobia witnessed in the past month could have been prevented or better managed. These Mugabe-like comments have no place in South African society and should be treated with the contempt that they deserve.

Most people working in the NGO sector will be the first to acknowledge that we face many challenges, including our long-term financial sustainability, demands for increased impact and accountability, and how best to improve our reputation which is often tarnished by media reports of mismanagement and lack of professionalism.

However, we also take great pride in our achievements and the unique role NGOs continue to play in responding to the development challenges South Africa faces. Much more could be achieved in this regard if our role receives more recognition and appreciation by government and the private sector, rather than being the target of ill-informed criticism and attacks.

Turning to SANGONeT activities, preparations for the MobileActive08 Summit, to be held from 13-15 October 2008 in Johannesburg, are progressing according to schedule.

The deadline for session submissions is Monday, 30 June 2008, and if you are involved and/or interested in the development impact of mobile technology, we invite you to submit proposals for:

• Workshops and Skill-share Sessions (90 minutes) for in-depth exploration of a topic about unlocking the potential of mobile technology for social impact;
• Short (15-minute) Rotating Mini-Talks for research and project overviews;
• A space in the SIMplace to showcase your product;
• A space in the SIMlab where participants can test-drive your mobile application and explore it in depth.

For more information about the event and how to submit proposals, please refer to http://www.mobileactive08.org.

As always, we are very interested in how you think we could best serve the NGO sector with relevant ICT products and services. Please send us your views, comments and suggestions.

Best wishes

David Barnard (dbarnard@sangonet.org.za)

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<> CIVIL SOCIETY INFORMATION (CSI) PROGRAMME

# SANGONeT NGO Portal

Articles published in May 2008 focused on development projects implemented at a local level with communities and local government structures. We also featured articles on the xenophobic attacks which shook South Africa and marked Press Freedom Day on 3 May by publishing an article on media and activism.

Western Cape Responds to Xenophobic Attacks: Building a Society We Can be Proud Of

Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social Impact

Are There Risks in Giving Money Directly to Communities?

Community Stakeholder Participation in Government Projects

Media, Activism, and Change

Local Democracy in Action

Other key articles produced by the CSI team during May 2008 include the following:

Child Protection Week: Is Child Protection Everyone’s Business?

The 2008 CIVICUS World Assembly

The State of Human Rights in SA

The May 2008 poll asked whether CSI programmes have an impact in South Africa. The results of the poll, taken by 125 voters, are as follow:

• 48% (60 votes) To some extent
• 44.8% (56 votes) Yes, to a significant degree
• 7.2% (9 votes) Not at all

For more information about the SANGONeT NGO Portal, please contact Janine Moolman at SANGONeT on Tel: (011) 403-4935 or jan@sangonet.org.za.

# Prodder Online Directory

The new version of Prodder has moved out of 'beta' and is now available at - http://www.prodder.org.za.

We encourage NGOs and development organisations to review their entries and forward us information about changes and corrections that need to be made.

Please forward your comments to - prodder@sangonet.org.za.

# Prodder - NGOs and Development in South Africa 2008

The 2008 Prodder directory is available from SANGONeT’s office in Braamfontein.

To order your copy, please refer to the information about the book on http://www.prodder.org.za or send an e-mail to prodder@sangonet.org.za, specifying your interest to order the book (R350 VAT inclusive plus R35 postage).

# BackaBuddy

SANGONeT supports BackaBuddy, an online fundraising website which combines the power of sport and the reach of the Internet in support of NGOs in South Africa. We provide potential donors with detailed information, through the Prodder NGO Directory, about the NGOs profiled for support on BackaBuddy.

For more information about this initiative, please contact Matthew de Gale at SANGONeT on Tel: (011) 403-4935 or matthew@sangonet.org.za, or visit http://www.backabuddy.co.za.

# SN-Announce

SN-Announce is an e-mail advertising service that provides an invaluable service to the NGO sector in Southern Africa. With a potential readership of more than 15 000 people, it remains one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to reach non-profit organisations, development practitioners, funders and others working in the development sector.

All members of the development sector can advertise on SN-Announce. The type of information distributed includes alerts for vacancies, events, campaign launches, conferences, meetings and services for the development sector. Subscription to the SN-Announce service is free.

Refer to http://www.sangonet.org.za for copies of past announcements.

For more information about how to subscribe to SN-Announce or post an announcement, please contact Neila Pillay at SANGONeT on (011) 403-4935 or neila@sangonet.org.za

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<> ICT SERVICES

# SANGOTeCH Online Technology Donations Portal

SANGOTeCH assisted South African NGOs in saving over R1 million on Microsoft software, as well as R120 000 on Cisco networking equipment during May 2008. Nearly 20 donation requests were fulfilled during this period.

The SANGOTeCH product catalogue can be viewed at http://store.sangotech.org/directory

For more information about SANGOTeCH, as well as to receive regular updates about new products and services, please refer to http://www.sangotech.org or contact us on 086 110 6443 or support@sangotech.org
# SANGOTeCH Botswana

SANGOTeCH registered three Botswana organisations in May 2008. Botswana is the second country in Africa after South Africa to benefit from donations of Microsoft software to local non-profit organisations.

For more information about SANGOTeCH Botswana, and to sign up for the programme, refer to http://www.sangotech.org/Botswana.

# Citizen Journalism in Africa Project

SANGONeT and Hivos are collaborating on a project aimed at developing citizen journalism in Africa, with a specific focus on South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique.

The crisis in Zimbabwe has contributed to an increase in the number of postings from and about Zimbabwe.

For more information about the project, and to read about the situation in Zimbabwe, please refer to http://www.citizenjournalismafrica.org.

# Technology Consulting

SANGONeT offers a range of customised online applications that include social networking portals, online directories, and constituent relationship management solutions. We also offer a linked technical support desk service.

For more information on how we can assist you, please contact Matthew de Gale at SANGONeT on Tel: (011) 403-4935 or matthew@sangonet.org.za.

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<> VACANCY

Civil Society Information Programme: Programme Assistant

SANGONeT’s Civil Society Information (CSI) Programme seeks to employ a Programme Assistant. The successful candidate will work with the CSI team to provide current and relevant information, analysis and resources for the development community. Amongst other projects, he/she will contribute to the SANGONeT Portal which supports NGOs and the development sector by providing a media platform and strategic tool to disseminate, communicate and access information of relevance to the institutional capacity of civil society.

Duties:

• Managing the SN Announce service;
• Sourcing content for the SANGONeT NGO Portal;
• Archiving content from the SANGONeT NGO Portal;
• Manage subscription and removal requests for SANGONeT listserves;
• Providing support to the Information Coordinator.

Requirements:

• Relevant tertiary qualification;
• Computer literacy;
• Basic understanding of HTML;
• Good writing skills;
• An eye for detail;
• Ability to meet deadlines;
• An interest in ICT and its development use.

SANGONeT offers the ideal candidate the opportunity to grow personally and professionally in a stable and stimulating work environment. Note this is a junior position.

Deadline for applications: 11 July 2008.

Please e-mail your application letter, curriculum vitae and supporting documents to - editor@sangonet.org.za.

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<> NETWORKING AND OUTREACH

SANGONeT’s Executive Director, David Barnard, attended a Meraka e-Skills Institute Reference Group meeting on 16 May 2008 in Pretoria.

SANGONeT’s Information Coordinator, Butjwana Seokoma, attended the launch of the Human Rights Development Report by the South African Human Rights Commission on 22 May 2008 in Johannesburg.

SANGONeT’s ICT Services Manager, Matthew de Gale, and David Barnard, attended the certificate ceremony of the Microsoft/USAASA Telecentre Training project on 22 May 2008 in Bryanston.

They also attended the TechSoup Partners’ Meeting on 2 June 2008 in London.

SANGONeT’s ICT Programme Officer, Botswang Kgeledi, attended Computer Faire 2008 on 23 May 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton.

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<> CONTACT DETAILS

SANGONeT
P O Box 31392
2017 Braamfontein
SOUTH AFRICA

29th Floor, UCS Building
209 Smit Street
Braamfontein

Tel: (+27) (11) 403-4935
Fax: (+27) (11) 403-0130
E-mail: newsletter@sangonet.org.za
WWW: http://www.sangonet.org.za

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CopyLeft. 2008. SANGONeT.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and modify this document. Please provide an acknowledgment to SANGONeT.

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