Lwati September 2005, Number 15

*LWATI *

The monthly e-newsletter of the Southern African
Non-Governmental Organisation Network (SANGONeT)

September 2005, Number 15

www.sangonet.org.za

"Lwati" is an isiSwati word meaning information.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

<> EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS
<> STAFF NEWS
<> EVENTS
<> TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
<> CIVIL SOCIETY INFORMATION SERVICES
<> NETWORKING AND OUTREACH
<> CONTACT DETAILS

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

<> EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS

Dear reader

Welcome to the 15th edition of SANGONeT's monthly e-newsletter!

SANGONeT was involved in a number of very important initiatives during the past month which continue to shape the focus and impact of our work.

On 11 August 2005 we launched Phase One of the new PRODDER Directory. This new online service will showcase the work NGOs and development organisations, raise awareness of their activities, and highlight the issues and challenges they face. It will provide all stakeholders in the South African development process with a strategic tool to enhance networking, information-sharing,  decision-making, governance and the allocation of resources.

During this phase of the project, all South African NGOs are invited to
search the directory (www.prodder.org.za), review and update their information or submit new entries.

Linked to the work on PRODDER, we are also making significant progress with the development of the new South African NGO portal. This comprehensive information service for and about the South African NGO sector will replace the current SANGONeT website, and integrate the activities of the Thusanang and PRODDER projects.

This new portal, as well as the next phase of the PRODDER Directory, the revamped NGO.ZA service and the 2006 SANGONeT Development Calendar will be launched during a special SANGONeT event on 24 October 2005 to celebrate World Development Information Day.

SANGONeT was also involved in two very important civil society events
during August 2005. On 22 August 2005 we hosted the biggest Thetha forum to date when more than 120 people attended an event on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Cape Town. This was the second Thetha which focused on WSIS and the aim was to generate input and feedback in support of the compilation of the WSIS South African Civil Society Statement. SANGONeT has been coordinating this process since March 2005.

The second draft of the Statement is available on the SANGONeT website and all civil society organisations are requested to review the document and submit their final comments, as well as endorsements, to SANGONeT by no later than Wednesday, 14 September 2005.

On 23 August 2005, SANGONeT and telecentre.org hosted a very significant event in Cape Town in support of strengthening the impact of telecentres andother community ICT initiatives in South Africa. More than 40 keystakeholders,representing telecentres, NGOs, funders, research institutions and the Universal Service Agency, attended this meeting to discuss the key challenges facing telecentres, as well as potential interventions to strengthen their work.

For more information on the discussions at the event, please refer to
http://capetown.telecentre.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)

////////////////////////////

<> STAFF NEWS

# Vacancies

ICT Advocacy Coordinator.

This position is a wonderful opportunity for someone passionate about the potential role and contribution of ICTs in support of the Southern African development process, with a keen interest in advocacy, policy and related issues shaping the role and application of ICTs in the region.

Amongst other things, the successful applicant will be responsible for developing, planning and implementing various events and activities with a focus on regional ICT advocacy and policy issues; networking and liaison with key government, private sector and civil society stakeholders in support of their participation and contribution to these activities; and documenting and disseminating the outcomes of the events to funders and stakeholders.

Requirements include a relevant qualification in the social sciences, communication, marketing or journalism; at least five years' relevant work experience; solid knowledge of the Southern African ICT and NGO sectors and issues; understanding of ICT advocacy issues advancing a progressive agenda; excellent event management, coordination and facilitation skills; excellent writing, editing and communication skills; good computer literacy skills (word processing, spreadsheets, etc); ability to manage and prioritise a tight workload and multi-task; and a valid drivers' license.

If you have the necessary qualifications and want to work in a challenging environment, fax or e-mail your CV and the names of two referees to SANGONeT's Executive Director, David Barnard, at (011) 403-0130 or dbarnard@sangonet.org.za.

SANGONeT offers a competitive remuneration package based on qualifications and experience. This is a one-year position with the option to extend it at the end of the contract period. The deadline for
applications is Monday, 19 September 2005. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

////////////////////////////

<> EVENTS

# World Development Information Day (WDID) 2005

SANGONeT will host a special event on Monday, 24 October 2005, to celebrate World Development Information Day. The United Nations General Assembly instituted World Development Information Day in December 1972 with the objective of drawing public attention annually to development problems and the importance of strengthening international cooperation to solve them.

The event will be held in Johannesburg, while a video conference link with Cape Town and Durban will enable participation from those two cities.

The objective of the event is to highlight the role and significance of information and communication in the South African NGO sector and to
profile specific initiatives aimed at improving its information and communication capacity.

If you are interested in attending the event in Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town, please contact Cathy Niken at SANGONeT on (011) 403-4935 or cathy@sangonet.org.za.

There is no charge for attending the event, but as space is limited, please register by 20 October 2005.

# Second Annual SANGONeT "ICTs for Civil Society" Conference and
Exhibition

SANGONeT will host its second annual "ICTs for Civil Society" conference from 1-3 March 2006 at the Indaba Hotel in Fairways, Johannesburg. Building on the success of the 2005 event, the next conference will focus specifically on a wide range of practical ICT solutions and applications relevant to the work of civil society organisations in Southern Africa.

SANGONeT therefore invites anyone interested in participating in the event as a speaker or participant to register their interest at -
info@sangonet.org.za

We are especially interested in receiving information on any case studies, technology solutions, etc. which could be incorporated into the conference programme.

////////////////////////////

<> TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

# Free and Open Source Software

SANGONeT has been using Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) since its inception in the provision of e-mail and web services. The internal network and mail server also run on FOSS. Moreover, the new PRODDER online directory is created using an open source solution. In addition to this, SANGONeT is preparing to integrate FOSS into the desktop arena. The Technology Services programme is currently devising a migration project planfor the organisation. This includes staff orientation and training workshops as part of our change management strategy in introducing Open Source operating systems and applications.

Daniel Gray represented SANGONeT at the Go Open Source Task Team Conference from 22-23 August 2005 in Sandton. The conference was organised to assist in the development of a National Open Source Strategy.

# Website Publishing Policy

The Programme is developing a website publishing policy for NGOs. This
valuable tool and resource will be used to assist NGOs in developing and managing their websites by providing industry leading design techniques, web standards and compliance in terms of code and search functionality and hosting environment best practices.

# Quality Control Process

Leading into the last quarter of this year, the Programme will embark on establishing new quality control procedures and processes in order to best service the changing requirements of its civil society clients. This will include procedures to document all client interventions and the building of a knowledge base and institutional history in the provision of services to clients.

# NGO.ZA

The NGO.ZA website is currently undergoing major upgrades to enable
online procurement of technology using eCommerce software. The successful integration of online shopping will enable users to place orders for ICT products and services on the website through a shopping cart facility. NGO.ZA offers a range of connectivity, hardware and communication services. Additional ICT services and products at competitive rates will be added shortly.

For more information on NGO.ZA, please visit http://www.ngo.za

# Technology Consulting

SANGONeT offers a wide range of customised technology solutions, including open source software consulting, facilitation of website workshops and developing a technology plan for your organisation. For more information on how we can assist you, please contact Joseph George on Tel: (011) 403-4935 or joseph@sangonet.org.za

////////////////////////////

<> CIVIL SOCIETY INFORMATION SERVICES

# NGO Portal

The CSIS team has been extremely busy during August 2005 in creating the building blocks for SANGONeT's forthcoming development information portal for and about the NGO sector in South Africa. The portal will integrate both the current Thusanang and PRODDER websites, as well as add a new dimension, "NGO Pulse", which will incorporate news from the broader NGO sector. In the meantime, both Thusanang and PRODDER continue to grow in popularity.

# Thusanang: The Southern African Funding Information Facility

Thusanang is an Internet portal (http://www.thusanang.org.za) that aims to disseminate information on funding and fundraising issues, promoting good grantmaking and grantseeking practices.

Thusanang's reputation continues to grow with an increasing number of
people subscribing to the Thusanang Alert, a weekly newsletter informing people about new postings on the site. During August 2005 the Thusanang team was honoured tomeet the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the National Development Agency (NDA), Godfrey Mokate, who granted the team an exclusive interview. Also in our donor news section Thusanang's Diane Babak produced an incisive, butlight-hearted piece about donor relations. To read both articles, please visit http://www.funding.org.za or http://www.thusanang.org.za.

To subscribe to the Thusanang Alert, submit news and articles, or to
request more information about Thusanang, please send an e-mail to
thusanang@sangonet.org.za.

# PRODDER: The South African NGO and Development Directory

The first phase of the new PRODDER Directory was officially launched during August 2005. During this phase of the project the emphasis will be on testing the functionality of the online directory, adding new organisations and validating existing entries. The response to the directory has been very positive with increasing numbers of new organisations submitting their details to the directory. The PRODDER team is very grateful to users of the facility for valuable comments on improving the directory. These will be addressed by forthcoming changes to the directory.

To view the new PRODDER directory, please visit http://www.prodder.org.za.

To submit an inquiry, send an e-mail to prodder@sangonet.org.za.

# SANGONeT Development Calendar 2006

SANGONeT is currently compiling its 2006 Development Calendar, which will once again be designed and produced in the form of a year planner. The Calendar covers a comprehensive list of international, African and South African dates (e.g. World AIDS Day, 1 December) of significance to people involved in development and civil society issues.

If you know of any dates which should be included in the calendar, please forward the information to info@sangonet.org.za

The contents of the 2005 Development Calendar are available on the
SANGONeT website at http://www.sangonet.org.za.

# SANGONeT Conference Calendar

A new feature on the SANGONeT website is a comprehensive listing of
forthcoming Southern African and international development conferences.

To have your event included in this facility, please forward details to
info@sangonet.org.za

For more information about forthcoming conferences, please visit the
"Conference Calendar" section on the SANGONeT website at
http://www.sangonet.org.za

# SN-Announce

SN-Announce is an electronic mailing list that has provided an invaluable service to the CSO sector in Southern Africa for the past six years.With a potential readership of more than 10 000 people, it remains one of the most cost-effective and efficient ways to reach non-profit organizations and the development community in general.

All members of the development sector, including government departments and commercial organisations with a development focus, can advertise on SN-Announce. The type of information distributed on SN-Announce includes alerts for vacancies, events, campaign launches, conferences, meetings, lobbies, petitions and services in the development sector.

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

////////////////////////////

<> NETWORKING AND OUTREACH

# SANGONeT's Executive Director, David Barnard, attended a briefing on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) on 12 July 2005 at the Tunisian Embassy in Pretoria.

# SANGONeT's Senior Information Coordinator, Julie Machin, attended the Centre for Resource and Funding Training (CRAFT) workshop on "Making Friends and Influencing People" on 12 August 2005 at the Wits Club in Braamfontein.

# SANGONeT's Senior Web Designer, Daniel Gray, attended the Go Open Source Task Team Conference from 22-23 August 2005 in Sandton.

# SANGONeT's Executive Director, David Barnard, attended the Second Annual Conference of the Community Informatics Research Network (CIRN) from 24-26August at the Civic Centre in Cape Town.

# SANGONeT's Senior Information Coordinator, Aso Balan, attended the Women's Mutingati on the Information Society from 24-26 August 2005 in Cape Town.

////////////////////////////

<> CONTACT DETAILS

SANGONeT
P O Box 31392
2017 Braamfontein
SOUTH AFRICA

10th Floor
76 Juta Street
Braamfontein

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

////////////////////////////

CopyLeft. 2005. SANGONeT.

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

////////////////////////////

To subscribe to the SANGONeT Newsletter, simply send an
e-mail message to 'sangonet-enewsletter-request@lists.sn.apc.org'
with the word 'Subscribe' in the subject line.
To unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to
newsletter@sangonet.org.za with the word
'Unsubscribe' in the subject line.