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CNN producer: Iranian students say they're doomed if Obama accepts the election
posted at 9:14 pm on June 14, 2009 by Allahpundit
Much depends on the meaning of "accepts," though, doesn't it? I'm sure we'll get some patented Hopenchange drivel tomorrow about "grave concerns," etc, but if Iran's kids are expecting The One to walk away from nuke negotiations in protest of the coup, they're kidding themselves. For one thing, that's something Bush would do, and of course Bush was never, evah right. For another, if Obama walks away then he's essentially betting all his chips on a full-blown counterrevolution to erupt and topple the regime. If it doesn't, or if it's put down a la Tiananmen Square, Khamenei et al. will be in no mood to forgive and forget. Which means it's either war to take out Iran's nuke infrastructure or learn to stop worrying and love the Iranian bomb. Israelis are learning already!
What if Obama did walk away, though? There's actually another possibility here: Western leaders protest the result by ending negotiations and refusing to recognize Ahmadinejad as president, which in turn encourages protesters to keep up their agitation for several more months. Paralyzed and afraid of being overthrown, the regime becomes so desperate that it agrees to give up the nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of all sanctions and renewed diplomatic ties with the U.S. in hopes that the economic turnaround produced by the influx of foreign capital will placate the people. The dilemma for The One here is that he campaigned on the moronic assumption that Iran might conceivably be willing to make a deal on nukes if we just talked nice to them or sweetened our offer a bit. Now comes the moment of truth: Does he really believe that? Does he honestly believe, after years of stonewalling, with the country maybe a year away from being able to build a bomb, that they're going to throw in the towel now? If not, then walk away. There's no downside and potentially a tremendous upside if the regime falls or a grateful Mousavi ends up being installed as president. And needless to say, from a moral standpoint, he'd be on the side of the angels. Conflict with the regime is inevitable; if the Iranian public's willing to fight our battle for us, let's support them with all we've got. As Hitchens eloquently puts it, "Fascism at home sooner or later means fascism abroad. Face it now or fight it later."
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- Obama's Missed Moment In History « NEOAVATARA
- "If Obama accepts election results, we're doomed" « The Tiger in DC
- Hot Air: Iranian Students Are Counting on Obama « The Rhetorican
- ScoopThis.Org » Iranian students say they are doomed if Obama accepts Iranian election results.
- Iranian students tell CNN producer: They are doomed if Obama accepts the rigged Iran election | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Iranian Students worry about Obama « Katia the Conservative Dachshund
- Weekend round-up « Crush Liberalism
- Commentary » Blog Archive » Re: The Bright Side
- Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » The Blogger Coverage of Iran
- Coup D'etat: The Revolutionary Guards In Control of Iran Had Nothing to Fear From Obama Biden | Hashmonean
- The Jawa Report
- The Anchoress — A First Things Blog
- Ace of Spades HQ
- Jules Crittenden » Punting For Peace!
- Iran and the clarity of reality « DaTechguy's Blog
- Obama On Iran: Moral Clarity Requires Morals « Blog Entry « Dr. Melissa Clouthier
- Role reversal « Copacabana
- "Robust" Debate Continues In Iran « Unclemeat
- Norge bør støtte det iranske folket! « Andreas Halse
- green - the color of resistance | Blatherings Blog
- Ace of Spades HQ
- » If Obama throws his support to the Islamic mullas "Were Doomed"
- The Quantum Conservative » Blog Archive » Iran Thread
- Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: Basij open fire on crowd, kill protesters in cold blood
- Hot Air » Blog Archive » Obama on Iran: I cannot be silent, even though I was silent for three days
- Commentary » Blog Archive » Yes, Obama Is Going to Accept This Result
- President Obama Votes "Present" as the Blood Flows in Iran : The Sundries Shack
- Mealymouthed Obama waffles on Iran « Cliftonchadwick's Blog
- Protests over alleged election fraud continue in Iran | Politics News
- BizzyBlog » Lucid Links (061609, Morning)
- Fox News Commentary: Iranian Names Long and Full of Vowels « Happy Valley News Hour
- Mere Rhetoric
- iran - Page 3 - Mustang Forums at StangNet
- Congressional Republicans Trying to Undermine Obama's Foreign Policy with Iran - Politics and Other Controversies - Page 2 - City-Data Forum


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Arsenal Football Club officially opened a new state-of-the-art Lung Function Unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London on Thursday - a legacy from the Club's partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity during the 2009/10 season, which raised more than £800,000.
The event marked 'one month to go' until the Club's dedicated charity matchday against West Bromwich Albion on December 8, when players, staff and supporters will come together to raise funds to help more good causes which transform the lives of young people.
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger was joined by Carl Jenkinson and Jack Wilshere on a tour of the Arsenal Lung Function Unit, which will provide essential care for children who suffer from a range of respiratory problems. The new facility has been designed to provide a well planned, modern and spacious environment in which to treat children and their families and will help young patients of all ages.
Click here for pictures from the official opening
During the visit, the group met some of the patients who will benefit from the new state-of-the-art unit while testing out some of the equipment for themselves, such as the new body plethysmograph and incremental step test. Wenger was joined by Paul Aurora, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine and Lung Transplantation at Great Ormond Street Hospital during his weekly press conference to preview the weekend's London derby against Fulham. Paul explained the power of the hospital's relationship with Arsenal in more detail and outlined how everyone at the Club - including fans, staff and players - were able to make the new unit possible.
Once again, in the build up to Christmas the Club will dedicate a Premier League matchday to fundraising and giving, which will see Arsenal players donate a day's wages to The Arsenal Foundation in order to help even more good causes to transform the lives of young people. Supporters and staff will also be encouraged to give what they can through a variety of initiatives which will take place on and around the matchday.
Speaking about the opening, Wenger said: "Everyone at Arsenal should feel incredibly proud that their generosity has helped to create such a wonderful new unit, which will help thousands of young children visiting Great Ormond Street Hospital. This facility highlights the power that a football club can play in its local community and with our dedicated matchday on the horizon once again, I would encourage all supporters to continue showing their support as it really does make a difference."
Aurora said: "Before the Arsenal partnership, the facilities within the Lung Function Unit badly needed updating. The amazing generosity of the Arsenal players, staff and supporters has enabled us to create this fantastic new department that will be used by patients from small babies right up to teenagers. We are so grateful to everyone at Arsenal Football Club for their support."Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source

subset: commoncrawl


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For the first time since 2004, a Call of Duty title has released on a Nintendo platform that isn't a completely different, and worse, experience to that being played on other consoles.
Black Ops II marks a momentous occasion for Nintendo fans that have had to scramble to find ways to defend a console that just couldn't do what the other consoles could. Not only has Treyarch been the team behind this key moment on the Nintendo timeline, but they do it with a game that could be one of the best launch titles a console has ever had.
There are benchmark tests out there that claim the Wii U has a lower framerate in certain action-heavy moments (but without comparison I can't say I noticed) and there are reviews that claim it's the definitive version to get. While I can't tell you which version to get, I can say with all honesty that Black Ops II is a must-buy for any FPS fans that own a Wii U, and here's why.
In true Call of Duty fashion, the story follows numerous characters and allows you to control a handful of of different protagonists throughout. While it comes across as a little disjointed at the beginning, once the characters become familiar and their stories and motives become clear, everything seems to align. The story is big and brings story changing decisions to the mix. A decision here or there can alter what's happening, or who survives, and can lead to a handful of different endings.
To go along with the story, the action is big as well. While the majority of the game does find ways for you to do your typical CoD-style A to B killfest mechanic, every now and then you're chucked into different situations that give reason for excitement. Whether it's swinging across a cliff-face, using a wingsuit to descend from a plane, or simply casually strolling through an enormous futuristic cruise-boat hotel, the change in pace is welcome and enhanced by the graphical showpiece on offer.
There are moments in Black Ops II that forced me to die; not because the section was too hard or because I sucked at the game, but because I simply wanted to see a certain cutscene or moment again. To know that a game this gorgeous is a launch game for a console (yes, it's a current generation game for other consoles, I know) means that once developers gain a little more knowledge of the hardware, we're going to see some amazing looking titles for sure.
To go along with the rollercoaster ride that is the campaign, you have what most CoD fans will be buying the title for: zombies and multiplayer. It's great to see the Wii U with an online solution that allows gamers to jump into games, send messages to each other, and connect to strangers instantly, but it's disheartening that there isn't a system-based solution.
You won't be able to check your Wii U friends list and join a game your friend is in, you'll need to load up the game, check your Black Ops II friends list and join from there. Sure, it's an inconvenience over anything else, but it's something other consoles do better and something Nintendo should have thought about.
Other than what I feel is a major inconvenience, everything you'd expect from a Call of Duty game is here. As far as I am aware no features are missing, but the one place the Wii U shines over the others is when it comes to the Wii U's GamePad. While it isn't really utilised in the solo campaign, the ability to be able to play the game sans TV will be a huge hit for those that have to share the lounge with others. The game retains its fantastic visuals on the small screen and, if you have headphones plugged in, you'll be just as immersed.
What did seem strange is that at certain moments of the story the character you're playing as looks over to the small monitor attached to his arm-computer (that's the technical term) and the game cuts to a small pre-rendered video of a conversation with his superior. Every single time this happened I instinctively switched my vision to the GamePad; it just seemed like a thing I should be doing, but it wasn't, and it caught me off guard each time. Not a gripe, just something I noticed while playing.
The biggest benefit of the GamePad is the ability to completely erase split-screen gaming from same-couch multiplayer. No longer will you have to struggle with a super widescreen version of zombies or multiplayer and instead you'll get to enjoy an entire screen to yourself. While some of you may wonder why you'd pick the GamePad screen over the 40" TV on the other side of the room; at the distance you'll be holding it the GamePad basically takes up the same amount of your vision a 40" TV would from a few metres away. The argument is null and void when you get it in your hands and realise same-couch gaming is better experienced this way than any other.
So while the Wii U version doesn't improve on the story or have game modes / mechanics that will push this version of Black Ops II above and beyond what you'd be expecting on other platforms, there are plenty of reasons to choose this version. You may only have a Wii U, you might share a TV with others in your family / flatting situation, or you may have a friend who always comes over to play.
On the flipside there's also a very good reason why you may want to go to another platform. While there is an online presence, it isn't large. You shouldn't have a problem finding a game, but that means nothing if you keep bumping into the same people.
This game is easily one of the most jam-packed, visually impressive launch titles that has probably ever been released. Treyarch deserve a round of applause for doing what they've done here both technically and because of what they've done for Nintendo's home console.
Platform: Wii U
Classification: R16
Rating: 4.5/5


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View Comment
Posted at 5:20 AM on September 4, 2012
Posted at 6:12 PM on August 26, 2012
jane doe
Posted at 8:37 PM on August 31, 2012
sexy girl
Posted at 1:02 PM on October 4, 2012
Posted at 12:25 PM on August 25, 2012
Isabele ,Janice …u shd b gvn medals for hving the most twisted brains in the world …in case u guys cant understand english …Kristen cheated …so Rob wants nothing to do with her …u cant blame him !! he loved her n she killed his love !
And Rob does not need Kristen to enhance his career he is a gr8 actor n a lovely humanbeing n very hard working ….becoz of these beatiful traits has earned respect in the industry . Infact kristen has always brought him down …so am very happy that he is moving on ..all the very best to him !!
Posted at 11:29 AM on August 25, 2012
I have to agree with Janice. U don't fall out of love that fast. My husbabd and i cheating on eachother. We had alot of issues and didnt know How to handle them . We forgaive eachother and attented Counseling. Our love is stronger today. We have been married for almost 3o years. Our incident was 16 years ago. The fact is that Rob is using this affair to enhance his career because u don't go away to celebrate an aching heart. Parting with Leo is a fact that he never loved Kristen
Posted at 12:24 PM on August 29, 2012
Isabele, you had a lot of issues with your husband and you BOTH cheated. It was not shock for you as it was for Rob. You also brought a good point against a lot of K supporters that are saying that she was not married to Rob and therefore, she was NOT in committed relationship. It did not make any difference in your case. Cheating is a cheating your are married or not. I new a bunch of examples when husbands after find out about their wife infidelity has separated started to date another women and after ~ an year gave their family another chance. Usually, the presence of kid(s) push them together again… Nevertheless, is is lifelong scar.
And please, do not bring Rob career to show him in a "bad" light and justify her behavior. She betrayed their relationship and his trust.
sexy girl
Posted at 1:01 PM on October 4, 2012
Posted at 8:34 AM on August 25, 2012
Rob should be nominated for an Oscar, for portraying a boyfriend head over heels in love with Kristen for four years. I applaud him. Bravo! He not only fooled her, but the Twihards and studio executives as well. He cleverly hid all of his hook ups and mistakes. Now is the poster boy of high morals in HW. Give me a break. You can't fall completely out of love in three weeks like he did. He just was never in love with her, and I think that this is probably hurting Kristen the most. That she wasted four long years of her youth with an imposter and his fake family and friends. Nothing good will become of them in the long run.
Posted at 11:53 AM on August 25, 2012
Janice, etc.. Same Kristen lover tripe I hear all the time. Who said Rob was no longer in love with Kristen, when did he say that??? You can't fall out of love in three weeks time but you can't get over someone you love cheating on you in three weeks either. I'm so sick of the Rob bashing in defense of Kristen. I'm really sick of eveyone using RUMORS: a story in general circulation WITHOUT CONFIRMATION OF FACT, hearsay, about Rob to justify the FACTS about Kristen. If Rob was gulity of all he is accused of the papparazzi would have busted him long before they busted Kristen. How come none of you ever arrive at the conclusion that if KRISTEN LOVED ROB SHE NEVER WOULD HAVE CHEATED!! Whether you like it or not KRISTEN CHEATED ON ROB, this is an irrefutable fact, there are pictures and both parties admitted to it, it happened. You also don't acknowledge that Kristen, in her juvenile and lacking apology refered to Rob as "the person I love and respect the most", so I don't think Rob is the bastard YOU want to make him out to be, if he was Kristen could be telling the world in a pathetic attempt at a defense of her actions. No matter what went on with Kristen and Rob it still does NOT EXCUSE HOOKING UP WITH A MARRIED MAN, LET ALONE ONE WITH KIDS. What's worse Kristen knew and socialized with Sanders wife and kids, just ahhh!!! WRONG!! Kristen said she wanted to be effed over in her boring life (or something to that effect, ELLE magazine June 2012) now in a new interview (Little White Lies)Kristen states she loves to feel out of control, don't crucify Rob because of the choices Kristen's made, (the director is a sleaze and just as much to blame as Kristen but she didn't have to do anything she didn't choose too, she looks damn happy in those pictures) "This is probably hurting Kristen the most" PUHLEAZE, how about Sanders children??? That marriage is still up in the air. Whatever Kristen and Sanders are suffering it's a result of thier actions, meanwhile Rob, Liberty and her kids are suffering for what was done to them, big difference. Just because Rob is meeting his work responsibilities or meeting up with friends (who doesn't after a relationship implodes) doesn't mean he's over it or Kristen. Whether Rob choose to forgive Kristen and take her back is his choice but if he walks away I don't think he deserves to be vilified. Sometimes the pain inflicted is to much to open yourself up to the possibility again, the love may still be there but once the trust is broken it's very hard to recapture. You can forgive a person and not continue a relationship. It boggles my mind that so many are making Rob out to be the one not truly in love with Kristen, when Kristen was the one who cheated. Skewed logic at best.
Posted at 4:58 AM on August 29, 2012
Posted at 6:33 AM on August 25, 2012
Posted at 12:34 PM on August 29, 2012
To francessca:
– first of all you not always get a second chance. May be often but definitely not always.
-whatever we all call a "mistake", for Rob it is betrayal of their relationship and their trust. Also, the way it was done and discovered should be feeling as a backstabbing…
– he may and probably forgive her, but reconciliation is completely another story.
sexy girl
Posted at 1:06 PM on October 4, 2012
Posted at 5:54 AM on August 25, 2012
Posted at 5:50 AM on August 25, 2012
Posted at 12:35 PM on August 29, 2012
Stupid ppl..
Posted at 5:43 AM on August 25, 2012
This dude has gotten more responsible, good-looking, and less awkward since the affair. I kinda like him even more now. As long as hes happy about the path hes taking right now he should definately continue. I dont want him to be this new person if hes not happy. But if he is..hes doing good,
Posted at 2:46 AM on August 25, 2012
Posted at 2:32 AM on August 25, 2012


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Norah Jones's Feature Presentation
Norah Jones became very famous in 2002.
That was the year her debut, Come Away with Me, became a hit. Although the word "hit" is really something of an understatement. The album has sold in the neighborhood of 22.5 million copies. To put that in perspective, the Recording Industry Association of America's highest certification is Diamond, topping Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum. Only one album has achieved Diamond status since 2004 – Usher's Confessions. Jones's debut is Double Diamond … and then some!
That level of instant fame can overwhelm an artist. If you're looking for proof that Jones has found a way to manage the expectations of her many fans while challenging herself as an artist, check out her new CD, … Featuring in our coffeehouses.
The 18-track collection pulls together an awe-inspiring assortment of collaborative recordings the singer-songwriter has participated in, dating from a 2001 cover of the old Roxy Music romancer "More Than This" with jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter to an effort completed with the U.K.'s Belle & Sebastian earlier this year. She's at home in the company of legends (Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Herbie Hancock), rockers (Foo Fighters, Ryan Adams) and hip-hoppers (Outkast, Talib Kweli, Q-Tip). I'd list more genres and artists, but it'd take up too much space. What's particularly striking is how comfortable and just plain right she sounds in such diverse soundscapes.
I'm hard-pressed to think of an artist who's successfully made forays into such a wide variety music. Can you?
comments (2)
- qtpu2te
- lisamargolin


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Custom fukus are still available through the store- though the format for ordering has changed slightly. Go check out the page here if you're interested! As I mentioned before, the prices on them have gone up due to how much time they take to make. If you'd rather make your own, I finally completed the pattern for classic and regular style fukus and it's up for sale here!
EDIT: Eternal Fuku Patterns should be up by mid March- I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to iron out the details on them! I will make another post when they become available.


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Community Module: Overview
Tina James, icteum consulting, South Africa
1.1.1 Introduction
1.1.2 Innovative technology options
Mobile telephony and applications
Wireless technologies
1.1.3 Business models and options for community ICT projects
3.1 Community-owned and community-driven models
3.2 Cooperatives
3.3 Government-driven models
3.4 Private sector-driven models and community-based entrepreneurial development
1.1.4 Recommendations for successful project implementation
Case studies
1.1.1 Introduction
In recent years there has been increased interest in the empowerment of the poor through the provision of low-cost and more affordable information and communication technologies (ICTs). This requires pro-poor supportive policies and regulatory frameworks to ensure a conducive environment for the development of appropriate and affordable ICT infrastructure in underserved areas; the upscaling of such initiatives to provide services which are easily accessible and affordable to the poor on a larger scale; the ongoing sustainability of the projects through sufficient funding, ownership and commitment; the allocation of sufficient human resources to maintain them; and the provision of relevant content which is seen as having value to the poor to improve their livelihoods and quality of life. This overview provides a synthesis of the emerging possibilities and issues for implementing innovative technology options in community-level projects, and particularly in poor, marginalised and underserved communities.
Equitable access can seldom be achieved through the initiatives of an individual institution or government ministry, nor can it be seen as the territory of only public utilities or large private telecoms operators – the scale of required effort to reach unattractive markets (generally the poorer and more remote areas) is just too large in most cases, with little financial return for the traditional providers of telecoms services. This calls for a pro-poor policy approach in order to reach the bottom-most sections of developing societies. A detailed analysis on the need for a pro-poor approach can be seen in the Policy and Regulatory Issues module of this toolkit.
What has however emerged to address the needs of underserved communities has been the development of a range of innovative business models involving different owners and players such as municipal and local governments, cooperatives, community-owned and/or community-driven models, and those driven by the private sector, both large companies and small local entrepreneurs. These new models are generally implemented on a smaller scale; make use of low-cost technologies such as wireless networks and the incorporation of open source software; and show strong community commitment through various means, such as the contribution of "sweat equity" to install equipment or the purchase of shares by community members to provide start-up capital.
Implementing ICT access projects in poor and marginalised communities presents many challenges: lack of access to ICT infrastructure; lack of power supplies to operate ICT equipment; lack of knowledge about available and rapidly changing technologies; lack of human resource capacity to develop, install and maintain technologies; lack of access to financing to upscale projects; lack of public awareness of the benefits of ICT access; navigating through local bureaucracies; and unsupportive policy and regulatory environments. In addition, gender inequities are generally evident in accessing ICTs, with specific interventions required to redress this situation. We will therefore include examples of how community projects have addressed such issues and provide lessons that could be adopted elsewhere, through the presentation of three case studies:
- The Huaral Valley Agrarian Information System, Peru[1]
- The Nepal Wireless Networking Project
- The Mozambique Health Information Network (MHIN).
- A brief overview of various types of emerging technology options and how they have been applied. Examples are included across a range of sectors and applications to illustrate how these technologies have benefited poor communities.
- New types of business models and how these have been implemented in communities.
- Recommendations for ensuring successful project
ICTs refer to a wide range of old, new and emerging technologies which include radio, television, voice and data transmission through fixed-line and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephony, and more recently the rapid development of new and emerging technologies in mobile telephony and a range of wireless technologies. Recent ICT developments and the possibilities emerging from combining technologies such as the internet and mobile technology have threatened traditional mainstream ("old") media, resulting in lowered public consumption. This has resulted in them increasingly turning to the use of mobile and web-based applications to reach their audiences, as well as to allow their audiences to contribute content, thereby increasing the level of interactivity available to citizens.
The choice of technologies can play a major role in determining the extent to which ICTs are appropriated by the poor. Radio is generally still the most accessible of technologies, and the rise in community radio has played a significant role in providing locally relevant information to poor communities.
Since the 1990s much attention has been given to providing telephone and internet access to underserved communities through the provision of public internet access points (PIAPs). Universal service and access funds have been created in many countries through government-driven mechanisms to provide the necessary funding for implementing access mechanisms such as public kiosks and community telecentres,[2] where phone and internet services are provided at an affordable cost. On the whole, telecentres have faced enormous challenges and have had limited success in achieving universal access for a number of reasons: unreliable and expensive access to the internet through fixed-line connectivity and satellite communications, unreliable power supplies, and lack of commitment and ownership, to mention but a few.[3] The advent of wireless technologies has opened up new and affordable ways to provide widespread access to ICTs and more equitable access by the poor.
Technology-neutral options and solutions (i.e., deliberate policy measures not to favour one or a few particular technological options) such as open standards, open hardware and open source are increasingly promoted to provide better options to encourage community-level innovations. (For a detailed analysis, refer to the Policy and Regulatory Issues module overview.)
Mobile telephony and applications
Mobile communications have seen remarkable growth worldwide, with over two billion subscriptions expected by the end of 2008. The uptake in developing countries has been dramatic, with Africa showing an annual growth of 39% for 2006-2007 and Asia with 28% growth during the same period.[4] About 45% of sub-Saharan African villages were connected by mobile in 2006. Mobile telephony has also emerged as the predominant form of access in the Latin American and Caribbean countries with usage increasing from four million in 1995 to over 300 million ten years later.[5] In many cases, this is the only form of communication available to the poor. This penetration has in many cases been achieved in the absence of universal service and access policies.[6]
The increasing affordability and flexibility of mobiles, and the evidence that pro-poor usage is contributing to the large-scale pervasiveness of uptake, point to a changed economic model for the provision of telecommunications despite low revenue returns per user in these markets. The provision of mobile telecommunications, however, requires costly installations within managed regulatory frameworks, with ownership in the hands of private and/or government-owned companies. This makes community ownership an unviable option, but what has developed are innovative approaches by the poor to reduce the costs of mobile usage through the extensive use of prepaid systems, shared use of mobile phones, use of call-back, the informal "selling" of phone services by those who own mobiles, the extensive use of text messaging, and a range of micro-financing schemes for mobile vendors. Listed below are some examples to illustrate the varied use of mobile to serve the poor:
- The Grameen Village Phone system in Bangladesh is by far the most documented and well-known example.[7] A grassroots entrepreneurial venture is set up to service the rural poor through partnerships between a combination of institutions who provide a shared service model to poor communities: a micro-financing institution (Grameen Bank) to provide finance; a mobile company to provide mobile telecommunications services; and a development institution (in this case, the Grameen Foundation) to facilitate the linkage between the institutions. A system of Village Phone Operators (VPOs) now operates in rural villages where previously no telecommunications services existed. By renting out the use of the phone, loans can be repaid and income generated.
- In Namibia, an interesting combination of old and new technologies has emerged, where some newspapers offer, free of charge, the printing of text messages in separate inserts for those who do not have mobile access.
- Message exchange systems such as the MXit technology in Southern Africa (GPRS/3G) have also become a huge success among the youth, where the technology allows mobile users, at an extremely low cost of less than USD 0.001 per minute, to chat to people on their computers and to other MXit users on their mobiles, from anywhere in the world.
- A recent report on mobile banking for the poor (2006)[8] describes the way in which m-banking operates in the Philippines through the provision of banking facilities to the unbanked. Using mobile technology over two mobile networks, clients are able to carry out a number of different types of transactions, including the receipt of inward remittance payments from outside the country, with reduced transactional costs.
- The use of mobile phones, due to the low required degree of literacy and the anonymity they provide, has been highly successful in the mobilisation of activists for human rights and democracy. For example, a human-rights NGO has created a web portal which allows advocacy groups to create campaigns around their video footage, much of it provided through film taken with mobile phones.[9] There are also numerous examples where communities were able to ensure fairer elections through anonymous reporting of voting irregularities (Ghana), the organising of protests (Philippines and Ukraine), and exposure of corruption.[10] Mobile phones can also be used together with radio, as in the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo's Interactive Radio for Justice Project,[11] through which community members can send anonymous text messages to a panel of Congolese and UN officials who respond to them through radio programmes.
- Through the use of text messaging on mobile phones, information can be shared with farmers and fishers regarding market conditions and prices, allowing them to determine the best times and markets for selling their products.
- The Meraka Institute in South Africa has been experimenting with the use of mobile telephony in education, particularly for use by poor children with no access to educational resources or the internet. They have recently developed an open source mobile application which enables schoolchildren to send mobile text messages with queries required for school projects. The system accesses Wikipedia, and allows automated responses to be sent back via text messaging.
- Mobile phone usage is also increasingly being used by NGOs in mobile "activism" across a range of applications such as emergency relief situations, environmental conservation, and community health initiatives to ensure that medication regimes are being followed for the treatment of a range of illnesses such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDs.[12]
While mobile phone penetration has been very significant, there are still many areas where mobile operators are highly unlikely to provide services, particularly in remote and sparsely populated areas with poor communities who cannot afford to spend much on communications costs. New entrants into the mobile field are also unlikely to find such areas attractive, and the inherently centralised structures of mobile networks (a top-down model with few players) and high installation costs also present further challenges.
The advent of new types of wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and WiMAX and the building of grassroots, community-driven (bottom-up) wireless networks have, however, created new opportunities for reaching the rural poor.
Wireless technologies
The most significant group of technologies which has developed since the early 1990s is referred to as Wi-Fi, a wireless networking platform based on an international standard called 802.11 and operating in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrum range, with a limited range of about 150 metres. It was originally developed to function in indoor environments using unlicensed spectrum and allowed local wireless networks to be set up in buildings. In the late 1990s this gave rise to the IEEE[13] 802.11b standard which provided interoperability and allowed different computers and laptops to be linked in a network without the hassle and expense of cables. This was rapidly extended to deployment in outdoor environments, allowing computer equipment to be linked wirelessly between buildings and over short distances.
The fact that Wi-Fi operates on open standards has meant that service providers have choices in terms of which technologies and software they deploy in setting up their networks and that they are not locked into using proprietary software and equipment. For poorer communities, this creates opportunities in establishing low-cost networks with locally available technology that can be purchased off the shelf and at relatively low cost. The flexibility in technology combinations also enables smaller players to play in the telecommunications space, allowing them to offer telephony and internet provision to local communities. In many countries, however, regulatory frameworks have prohibited the provision of such services, and advocacy actions need to be undertaken to ensure that these are changed to accommodate the deployment of Wi-Fi networks. Two of the case studies developed for this project implementation module (on the Huaral Agrarian Information System and the Nepal Wireless Networking Project) both illustrate how lobbying for changes in regulations has resulted in the successful provision of telecoms services in poor communities. In the case of Huaral, the irrigation board, a local community-based organisation serving farming communities, is allowed to offer telecoms services to its members, which was not previously allowed. In the case of the Nepal project, the cost of licence fees was substantially reduced (from USD 2,000 to under USD 2), thus enabling these community-driven networks to be affordable and more likely to be economically sustainable.
In the past five years, a new standard has been developed – IEEE 802.16, more commonly known as WiMAX – which operates over a larger range of frequencies (between 2 and 11 GHz) and has the ability to provide improved broadband offerings over a longer distance of 35 to 40 kilometres. It is, however, not as yet an affordable technology and is still subject to regulatory restrictions in many countries.[14]
Wireless networks have been successfully implemented across a range of projects and are proving to be sustainable and affordable in providing access to communities, particularly because of their reduced maintenance requirements. Online communities of enthusiastic wireless network specialists have also evolved which can provide assistance in terms of know-how.[15] The following examples illustrate the variety of ways in which wireless networks are being implemented in community projects:
- The provision of clean water to rural communities is a critical activity which is presently done on a manual basis in many developing countries. A project has recently been initiated in
- Malawi and Tanzania to install a low-cost, low-energy wireless sensor network (WSN) in communities to monitor water quality. The intention is to train entrepreneurs who will be able to run businesses based on the technology.[16]
- The Fantsuam Foundation in Nigeria established the country's first community wireless network, ZittNet. However, on carrying out a gender evaluation it found that uptake of the service by women was low.[17] Fantsuam is hoping to increase the female uptake of the wireless services at ZittNet by 30% within 12 months.[18]
- In South Africa, community mesh networks have been piloted using a "cantenna" to set up communications between schools, hospitals and communities. In another project several hundred Digital Doorways, robust open source-based terminals providing self-assisted access, have been placed at strategic public locations in poor communities. The system is maintained by a community member.[19] The system is self-assisted and allows community users to access the internet as well as various types of content such as Wikipedia. The business model is still being finalised, with the National Department of Science and Technology funding the efforts as part of its drive to connect underserved communities.
1.1.3 Business models and options for community ICT projects
The availability of innovative technology options has also opened the field for the emergence of new types of business models to establish more affordable ICT access for the poor. The barriers to entry have been lowered as a result of the lower start-up investment costs required; the availability of information (and an increasing range of case studies) on bottom-up approaches to establish community networks and ICT access programmes; and technology convergence, which has opened up new and more affordable possibilities. There has also been widespread interest from the international donor community in exploring whether community-owned models are likely to have a place in the implementation of ICT-enabled projects.
3.1 Community-owned and community-driven models
Community participation in projects can be placed along a continuum of levels of involvement.[20] These do not necessarily apply to implementation in poor communities only, as the models can also be found in projects outside the development context, nor are they only applicable to projects underpinned by the application of emerging ICT technologies.
Modalities for community involvement
- Community participation through consultative processes: Projects in which communities actively participate in various stages of project implementation are regarded in most development projects as a minimum requirement. Strong emphasis is placed on participation and community inputs to ensure that there is buy-in for what the project wishes to achieve.
- Community involvement in decision-making: Communities may be involved in various forms of decision-making at different stages of project implementation – from conceptualisation, planning and piloting to full-scale implementation. The sense of community ownership may be achieved either through contractual agreements with partners to carry out aspects of the implementation, leading the development of the project, and/or taking over the implementation of the project on completion. The process requires levels of leadership and management to be assumed by the community, either through establishing a consensus mechanism or through the appointment of a designated leader who will work closely with partners to ensure that implementation takes place.
- Community ownership through self-directed and self-driven efforts: Project implementation is driven by the community itself, which takes responsibility for the full implementation process. Partnerships may be established on various levels (with government, technical support, financial) and may be formal or informal, bound by contractual arrangements or through the use of resource networks to access training, skills and know-how. Levels of community control can vary:
- Community contributions through "sweat equity", where community members see benefit in offering their time in project implementation. This could be through the setting up of equipment,
- the building of infrastructure, the provision of security at community centres to safeguard ICT equipment, or the contribution of volunteer training to other community members.
- Community management through the use of culturally appropriate decision-making processes, which could take the form of consultation with local leader groups, the establishment of management structures such as community forums, or the use of existing or specially convened community structures such as women's groups or church groups.
- More formal management structures such as the creation of a hierarchical structure with employed staff (voluntary and/or paid), or the establishment of a board of directors, advisory committees, or elected local officials who are bound contractually to provide strategic direction for the project. The irrigator commissions comprising locally elected farmers in the Huaral case study would fall into this category.
- Community ownership through various mechanisms such as cooperatives (see the section on cooperatives below), where community members or workers own shares and have voting rights
- in the project, as in the case of unions.
Emerging community-driven models
The ease of deployment and relatively low-cost investment for wireless networks for voice and data services have led to numerous pilots and feasibility studies to determine whether these can be applied in poor communities, with community ownership and ongoing maintenance provided through partnerships and support from the community. The Huaral and Nepal case studies are both examples of community-driven models where ownership resides in local community structures (farmer-owned irrigator commissions and schools, respectively).
A series of studies recently commissioned by UNDP explore the feasibility of various types of community-driven models in four East African countries.[21] The studies, undertaken as collaborative projects between governments, communities and local research institutions in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, present business plans and estimated costs for the installation and maintenance of community-based wireless networks, including energy requirements and costs, a critical factor often neglected in implementation.[22] The studies also point to the need for policy and regulatory frameworks to take cognisance of bottom-up community-driven approaches to the provision of telecoms services in underserved communities.
3.2 Cooperatives
The establishment of cooperatives to meet the cultural, economic and social needs of communities has long been in existence, whether in the building of infrastructure such as electricity and irrigation systems, for mutual benefit in farming communities through the purchase of seed and agricultural equipment, or for achieving political gains such as the cooperatives formed during the apartheid struggle in South Africa.
Telecoms cooperatives have generally developed in rural and remote communities where traditional telecoms operators have no interest in providing services. Cooperatives can play a significant role in providing ICTs to poor and remote communities, although they have been implemented in only a few countries, but with widespread success. The model has been successfully adopted in countries such as the USA, Argentina and Bolivia.23 Although a cooperative model, the situation in Poland is somewhat different in that the Telecommunications Act of 1990 allowed the creation of 44 licences which were in competition with the government-owned operator.[24] In South Africa, specific licences are being awarded for services in underserved areas (USALs).
All were first established to provide fixed-line services before the advent of mobile and the possibilities opened up by wireless networking. The earliest examples of ICT-based cooperatives can be found in the late 1950s/early 1960s in rural USA and Argentina, where the roll-out of telecommunications infrastructure was largely achieved through the establishment of rural community cooperatives – through financial contributions and shared ownership, and the provision of "sweat equity" to install shared infrastructure for the provision of telecommunication services. Many of these cooperatives still exist today and continue to provide a range of voice and data services to small, rural and underserved communities; the fact that they provide multiple services has been a key element in their sustainability. The successful implementation of the cooperative has also been dependent on the creation of favourable interconnect agreements with incumbent telecoms operators and/or the provision of subsidies, as in the case of the USA. Most of the cooperatives were also initiated before the advent of mobile telephony, which has had a significant effect on their ability to sustain operations.
3.3 Government-driven models
Numerous initiatives to address pro-poor ICT access have been driven through government efforts, the most well known in use being the establishment of universal service or access funds. Models take various forms, whether through the provision of subsidies to needy persons directly, subsidies to telecentre operators to ensure some measure of financial sustainability, or grants and subsidies to telecommunications operators for the provision of ICT infrastructure in areas where market forces do not operate. These public-private partnerships (PPPs) have been put in place largely through procurement processes for the establishment of pro-poor access.[25]
Municipal broadband networks
The establishment of municipal broadband networks has been an interesting recent development, where a non-market model has been adopted to provide a broadband facility for communities in much the same way that roads are provided for the common good.[26] Efforts have sprung up throughout the developed world, and particularly in the USA, with examples of residents building and maintaining their own networks, such as in Bristol, Virginia. Examples from developing countries include Knysna, South Africa and the Nepal Wireless Networking Project (see the case study in this toolkit). The advent of low-cost wireless networks, or combined fibre-wireless networks, has resulted in competitive services to communities which rival those in larger cities.[27] There have also been statements from the government of India that it intends to offer free broadband connectivity at a speed of 2 Mb per second across the country, using its Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) to provide the financing.[28] Whether this will include service provision in poorer and more remote areas remains to be seen.
Service delivery to communities
Beyond universal service funds, various examples exist where governments have taken the lead in ICT service delivery to communities, with or without external partners. For example, the government of India has undertaken numerous activities to provide services to the poor:
- The Warana Wired Village Project was implemented as an e-government project to support sugarcane farmers, with 50% of the funding provided by the national government, 40% by the district, and 10% by the Warana farmers cooperatives. The project was further extended to the Warana Unwired Project in collaboration with Microsoft Research India to integrate the original PC-based internet system with a mobile text-messaging service to provide access to real-time market prices, payment schedules, permit status and sugarcane output per farmer.29 Evaluations have shown that despite its success, more community participation, particularly by women and the poor, would result in more effective use and benefit for the community.
- Lokvani[30] is a public-private partnership programme between the district administration of Sitapur and the National Informatics Centre of India. The project aims to provide e-government services to communities to raise grievances and petitions via the internet and/or mobile text messaging. The government benefits by being able to track the performance of national departments, and citizens benefit from the use of multiple channels to raise concerns.
- In Mozambique, a project is currently underway to pilot the use of handheld devices by rural health workers to collect health information. This is documented in the case study on the Mozambique Health Information Network (MHIN) included in this toolkit, an example of a government-led e-health project which is being implemented in partnership with an NGO, AED-Satellife.
The private sector is increasingly starting to show an interest in reaching previously unreached communities. The existence of social networks within local communities, coupled with the extended range of low-cost wireless and converged technologies now available, present an opportunity to provide a range of services to the mutual benefit of poor communities and the private sector. Notable examples can be found in banking and a variety of innovative applications emerging in agricultural production. These emerging models illustrate how communities can benefit from the organisational capacities, market reach and capital investments brought in by the private sector, as well as a new range of services on offer in communications and services. This is underpinned by support mechanisms to grow entrepreneurial skills in the community through mentoring, skills support networks and technical skills transfer. The creation of new entrepreneurial opportunities through partnerships between small business and communities also provides models for mutual benefit, where entrepreneurs bring their business skills to the table to support social development activities. Some examples to illustrate the application of the model are presented below:
- New low-cost technologies are presenting an opportunity to banking institutions in many developing countries to consider the provision of "last-mile" banking to the unbanked in more remote and poorer communities.[31] Various models are emerging, from the pervasive use of mobile banking in the Philippines, to the use of local agents to act as virtual bankers in communities. Models are including the use of existing airtime vendors, community entrepreneurs, and mobile distribution structures that are stronger and less fragmented than those in existence in the banking sector. The involvement of community members in such last-mile banking initiatives potentially offers new sources of revenue to community members through partnerships with the private sector and the mobilisation of existing community networks, enabled by low-cost mobile and wireless technologies.
- The well-documented case of the e-Choupals in India illustrates how a partnership between the government, a large private sector company (ITC Ltd in India) and the community can provide mutual benefits.[32] The internet-based initiative has been in operation since June 2000, and provides agricultural services to over four million farmers in more than 40,000 villages through more than 6,500 kiosks, which are operated by local farmers. The huge initial investment in ICT infrastructure was provided by the private sector and includes a range of technologies (including alternative energy sources and mobile units).
- Many ICT-enabled development projects are hampered by sustainability issues, often resulting in good concepts failing in implementation. Increasingly, partnerships are being created between community development projects and local entrepreneurs. An example is an innovative model which is being piloted in Soweto, South Africa for sustainably implementing computer laboratories in underprivileged schools.[33] Using the school's open source laboratory, a local businessman has been tasked to open the school computer lab to the community after school hours. The intention is to test whether this model will provide enough income to interest an entrepreneur while generating more income for the school than might have been the case otherwise. The intention is to replicate the model nationally should it prove to be sustainable.
- Mobilise communities and champions to advocate for an enabling pro-poor policy and regulatory environment where this does not exist: There have been considerable changes in regulatory and policy environments, and there are moves towards separating the provision of network services from that of network infrastructure. This layered approach is challenging the roles of traditional operators, and is creating opportunities for the provision of a wider range of ICT services, all with different policy and regulatory requirements. The changing models of ownership, with a different range of players from the traditional one which focuses on a limited number of large telecoms operators, is also opening up opportunities for communities to play a role in ICT service provision. In many developing countries, however, proactive lobbying for policy and regulatory change will be needed if communities are to benefit from the new range of converged technologies. This was the case in both the Huaral (Peru) and Nepal cases, where active lobbying with government was required to address regulatory obstacles. The case for pro-poor policies and regulations may therefore require communities to develop active advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns to accelerate change. There is, however, evidence of changed thinking towards the inclusion of a wider range of possible models, which is surfacing in global and regional debates, assisted by the emerging success stories of bottom-up models springing up worldwide.
- Create services that are seen as valued in communities: The sustainability of community projects will largely depend on the value that the community puts on the services on offer. Case studies where successful implementation has taken place show that the active involvement of the community in the project implementation – either in initial consultation processes to determine the key services to be delivered, through the involvement of volunteers, or through the creation of new jobs for community members – will contribute towards the social sustainability of the project. The existing networks within communities can also be usefully applied to provide services on behalf of government (e.g., local data collection on health, environmental monitoring, epidemiology, e-government services) or the private sector (mobile banking, collection of local agriculture crop supplies and distribution points for agricultural products and services as in the case of the e-Choupals in India).
- Ensure succession planning for key technical skills: Often projects which impart ICT skills to community members find that they lose them to other projects or the commercial sector as they now have marketable skills. Training programmes and ongoing capacity building should be built into the project to ensure that key skills can be replaced and that the implementation project remains sustainable in terms of human resources.
- Mobilise the community and key stakeholders to ensure buy-in: This takes time as a trust relationship needs to be built up over time. The presence of a local champion is critical, whether in the shape of an individual or local institution. This is evident from many examples which have been applied across a number of applications. For example, in the Huaral Valley irrigation project in Peru (see case study), the local irrigation board assumed the leadership and ownership of the project, which resulted in a strong champion to take forward the challenge of adapting policy and regulation to allow communities to essentially own wireless networks and operate as telecommunications providers.
- Build technological sustainability: It is essential to choose technology options that are affordable, can be easily maintained by communities, and make use of a range of resources now available through networks of experts, particularly through those involved in setting up wireless and mesh networks, and existing resource networks such as the MobileActive community. The recently formed Feminist Technology Exchange (FTX) aims to bring more women into the technical side of ICTs and provides an informal support network. The use of alternative energy sources to power the system should also be explored.
- Ensure financial sustainability: The small scale of community-driven projects, and their development focus in many cases, make financial sustainability challenging. Funding mechanisms need to be developed to ensure financial sustainability. This could be done through mechanisms involving:
Case studies
- Universal service funds (where they exist) and the provision of subsidies and/or infrastructure roll-out to support ICT provision to underserved communities.[34]
- Low- or no-interest loans, as was the case in the US rural cooperative model.
- The "embedding" of a project through partnerships with other institutions to create alternative sources of income such as access to credit through unions or micro-finance businesses (as in the case of the Grameen Village Phone project).
- The introduction of mechanisms for cost recovery from the community for service delivery, such as:
- i.member subscriptions
- ii.the levying of monthly fees from users
- iii.pay-as-you-use income from services rendered
- iv.the provision of "sweat equity" by community members for the installation of networks and ICT equipment
- v.the use of volunteers to provide support and training
- vi.in-kind contributions such as the provision of buildings or computers
- vii.the pooling of community resources to provide start-up capital.
- Requesting donations from the international public, such as the Nepal Wireless Networking Project has done in setting up a fundraising effort in partnership with a US-based university for one-dollar donations, which provides another interesting model.
Three case studies have been provided for this module as well as a list of additional resource material. The community projects case studies are outlined below:
|Project Description
|The Mozambique Health Information Network (MHIN)
|Health workers use mobile networks and PDAs to collect, transmit, and manage health data as part of implementing government commitments to provide affordable health services to communities
|The technology users are health workers who are often
older in age and
less prone to the adoption of new technologies. With proper training,
health workers collected information and data from the field that
benefited people. The case study illustrates a number of critical
elements required for moving a project from prototype to pilot and
eventual sustainable roll-out.
|The Huaral Valley Agrarian Information System, Peru
|The project is providing phone and internet access to poor farming communities and access to an agrarian information system
|Although originally planned as an ICT installation to
manage the
network of irrigation canals for local farmers, the project has evolved
into the provision of telecoms and internet access for poor farming
communities that would otherwise have been excluded from such resources.
|Nepal Wireless Networking Project
|Low-cost and easy-to-maintain wireless networks used in harsh and remote locations in Nepal to provide phone and internet access to dispersed and marginalised communities
|A combination of strong community support and effective
leadership is delivering much-needed communications, community and
entrepreneurial services. This case study serves as an excellent
example of how a community-based project can be implemented with few
resources but was able to challenge existing policy frameworks to allow
for the use of innovative technologies to provide ICT access to poor
There are also case studies in other modules of this toolkit which are relevant to projects being implemented at a community level:
|Project Description
|Providing Universal Access: FITEL, Peru
|This programme provides mechanisms for minimising the subsidy required for commercial telecoms companies to extend the network into non-commercial areas
|Evidence has shown that the installation of public phones has enabled people to save on transportation costs. The project reduced the distance to the nearest public phone from more than twenty kilometres to less than five kilometres for over one million people. Anecdotal evidence has also shown that rural phones have increased the incomes of store owners who provide public phone services.
Benkler, Yochai The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006
Escudero-Pascual, Alberto Tools and technologies for equitable access Montevideo: APC, 2008 www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_EquitableAccess_ToolsAndTechnologies_IssuePaper_20080730.pdf
Galperin, Hernan and Bruce Girard "Chapter 8: Microtelcos in Latin America and the Caribbean". In Diversifying Participation in Network Development: Case Studies and Research from WDR Research Cycle 3 edited by Amy Mahan and William H. Melody. Montevideo: IDRC/infoDev/LIRNE.NET/Comunica, 2007 www.comminit.com/en/node/270757/307
Gillwald, Alison and Christoph Stork Towards an African e-Index: ICT access and usage across 16 African countries Johannesburg: LINK Centre, Witwatersrand University, 2006 www.researchictafrica.net/images/upload/Cairo.pdf
infoDev and ITU ICT Regulation Toolkit www.ictregulationtoolkit.org/en/Section.3195.html
International Institute for Communication and Development ICTs for Agricultural Livelihoods: Impact and Lessons Learned from IICD Supported Activities The Hague: IICD, 2006 www.ftpiicd.org/files/publications/IICD-agri-impact-2006.pdf
International Telecommunication Union Measuring Village ICT in Sub-Saharan Africa Geneva: ITU, 2007 www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/material/Africa_Village_ICT_2007.pdf
International Telecommunication Union Report on the World Summit on the Information Society Stocktaking Geneva: ITU, 2008 www.itu.int/wsis/stocktaking/docs/2008/WSIS-Stocktaking2008-e.pdf
Kinkade, Sheila and Katrin Verclas Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in Mobile Use by NGOs Washington: United Nations Foundation-Vodafone Group Foundation, 2008 mobileactive.org/files/MobilizingSocialChange_full.pdf
Kithuka, James, Jacob Mutemi and Ali Hassan Mohamed Keeping Up With Technology: The use of mobile telephony in delivering community-based decentralised animal health services in Mwingi and Kitui Districts, Kenya London: FARM-Africa, 2007 www.farmafrica.org.uk/documents/212.PDF
Mariscal, Judith Market Structure and Penetration in the Latin American Mobile Sector Lima: DIRSI, 2007 www.dirsi.net/files/finals/070215--mariscal.pdf
Navas-Sabater, Juan, Andrew Dymond and Niina Juntunen Telecommunications and Information Services for the Poor: Towards a Strategy for Universal Access Washington: World Bank, 2002 www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2002/05/03/000094946_02041804225061/Rendered/PDF/multi0page.pdf
Ó Siochrú, Seán and Bruce Girard Community-based Networks and Innovative Technologies: New models to serve and empower the poor New York: UNDP, 2005 www.propoor-ict.net
Ó Siochrú, Seán "Empowering Communities through ICT Cooperative Enterprises: The Case of India". In The Political Economy of the Information Society: A Southern View edited by Parminder Jeet Singh, Anita Gurumurthy and Mridula Swamy. Bangalore: IT for Change, 2008 itforchange.net/media/ISSS/Political_Economy_of_IS.pdf
Porteous, David Banking and the Last Mile: Technology and the Distribution of Financial Services in Developing Countries Somerville: Bankable Frontier Associates, 2006 www.bankablefrontier.com/assets/banking-andthe-last-mile.v1.0.pdf
Porteous, David The Enabling Environment for Mobile Banking in Africa Somerville: Bankable Frontier Associates, 2006 www.bankablefrontier.com/assets/ee.mobil.banking.report.v3.1.pdf
Song, Steve A Commentary on Tools and Technologies for Equitable Access Montevideo: APC, 2008 www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_EquitableAccess_ToolsAndTechnologies_CommentarySong_20080728.pdf
Stern, Peter A. and David Townsend New Models for Universal Access in Latin America: Summary of Main Report Regulatel/World Bank/ECLAC, 2006 www.regulatel.org/miembros/publicaciones/ESTU%20DIOS/SERV%20UNIV/PPIAF/informe%20final/draft%20vf/Ab%20%20Summary%20v%209.pdf
Williams, Mark Broadband for Africa: Policy for Promoting the Development of Backbone Networks Washington: infoDev/World Bank, 2008 www.infodev.org/en/Publication.526.html
Wishart, Neville Micro-Payment Systems and their Applications to Mobile Networks Washington: infoDev, 2006 www.infodev.org/en/Publication.43.html
Women'sNet and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa Mainstreaming ICTs: Africa lives the Information Society Johannesburg: Women'sNet and OSISA, 2005 www.osisa.org/files/mainstreaming_icts.pdf
World Resources Institute What Works: ITC's E-Choupal and Profitable Rural Transformation Washington: World Resources Institute, 2003 www.digitaldividend.org/case/case_echoupal.htm
[1] CEPES, the organisation responsible for supporting the system, is also a member institution of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).
[2] Refer to the module on policy and regulatory issues for a more detailed discussion.
[3] For an overview of the situation of public internet access points in 25 countries, see: www.cis.washington.edu/landscape. This research, completed in October 2008, covers a range of access options such as kiosks, libraries, telecentres, cybercafés and community projects, including an overview of the policy and regulatory environments.
[4] ITU statistics: www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics and www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/hardware/page7216.cfm
[5] Judith Mariscal Market Structure and Penetration in the Latin American Mobile Sector (Lima: DIRSI, 2007) www.dirsi.net/files/finals/070215--mariscal.pdf
[6] ITU Measuring Village ICT in Sub-Saharan Africa (Geneva: ITU, 2007) www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/statistics/material/Africa_Village_ICT_2007.pdf
[7] For more information see: www.grameenfoundation.org/what_we_do/technology_programs/village_phone
[8] Neville Wishart Micro-Payment Systems and their Applications to Mobile Networks (Washington: infoDev, 2006) www.infodev.org/en/Publication.43.html; see also David Porteous The Enabling Environment for Mobile Banking in Africa (Somerville: Bankable Frontier Associates, 2006) www.bankablefrontier.com/assets/ee.mobil.banking.report.v3.1.pdf
[9] Ethan Zuckerman "Mobile Phones and Social Activism: Why cell phones may be the most important technical innovation of the decade" TechSoup 20 June 2007 www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/hardware/page7216.cfm
[10] The Hub: hub.witness.org and Corinne Ramey "Using Mobile Phones to Advance Human Rights" MobileActive.org 10 December 2007 mobileactive.org/hub-using-mobile-phones-advance-human-rights
[11] Stephanie Hayes "Congolese radio show gives war victims a voice" The Christian Science Monitor 22 March 2007 www.csmonitor.com/2007/0322/p20s01-woaf.html?page=1
[12] Sheila Kinkade and Katrin Verclas Wireless Technology for Social Change: Trends in Mobile Use by NGOs (Washington: United Nations Foundation-Vodafone Group Foundation, 2008) mobileactive.org/files/MobilizingSocialChange_full.pdf
[13] Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
[14] Alberto Escudero-Pascual Tools and technologies for equitable access (Montevideo: APC, 2008) www.apc.org/en/system/files/APC_EquitableAccess_ToolsAndTechnologies_Iss... For a more detailed discussion of the technology options see also: Seán Ó Siochrú and Bruce Girard Community-based Networks and Innovative Technologies: New models to serve and empower the poor (New York: UNDP, 2005) www.propoor-ict.net
[15] The International Summit for Community Wireless Networks: www.wirelesssummit.org
[16] www.tslab.ssvl.kth.se/csd/2007/fall/system/files/Online-Water-Quality-Mo... and www.spidercenter.org/project/online-water-quality-monitoring
[17] The Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM), developed by the Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP), was used to provide possible solutions to engender the provision of wireless network services in the community. For more details, see: www.apcwomen.org/gemkit/en/practitioners/reports_2d78.htm
[18] www.apcwomen.org/gem/?q=gem_users
[19] Wireless Africa "Building a Rural Wireless Mesh Network: A do-it-yourself guide to planning and building a Freifunk based mesh network" wirelessafrica.meraka.org.za/wiki/index.php/DIY_Mesh_Guide
[20] See Ó Siochrú and Girard, Community-based Networks and Innovative Technologies for a more detailed discussion of various models of community ownership.
[21] Muriuki Mureithi and Albert Nsengiyumva "Community-Driven Networks, Cooperatives and Enterprises: An Emerging Access and Development Model for Rural Areas?" (PowerPoint presentation at the CRASA 10th AGM workshop, Windhoek, Namibia, March 2007) www.crasa.org/docs/10agm/Pro-Poor%20ICT-rev%20-%20Mureithi%20&%20Nsengiy...
[22] See www.propoor-ict.net for the four country feasibility reports.
[23] Ó Siochrú and Girard, Community-based Networks and Innovative Technologies, 10
[24] infoDev and ITU ICT Regulation Toolkit, Section 3.5.1. Rural Cooperatives (updated 21 November 2008) www.ictregulationtoolkit.org/en/Section.3195.html
[25] See the PowerPoint presentation by Ned White, Institute of Public-Private Partnerships (IP3), 27 February 2007, which provides an overview of PPPs in ICT initiatives, including guidelines for establishing tender and procurement procedures. A case study on Chile's Universal Development Fund is presented. www.escwa.un.org/divisions/ictd/events/2_6NedWhiteTendering.pdf
[26] For a practical and simple guide on how such municipal networks work, see: computer.howstuffworks.com/municipal-wifi.htm
[27] Yochai Benkler The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006), 405-406 books.google.co.za/books?id=TZmkG2y-vBsC
[28] Joji Thomas Philip "Broadband to go free in two years" The Economic Times 26 April 2007 economictimes.indiatimes.com/Broadband_to_go_free_in_2_yrs/articleshow/1955351.cms
[29] Simone Cecchini and Monica Raina Village Information Kiosks for the Warana Cooperatives in India web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTINFORMATIONANDCOMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGIES/EXTEGOVERNMENT/0,,contentMDK:20486701~isCURL:Y~menuPK:702592~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:702586,00.html
[30] www.apdip.net/apdipenote/11.pdf
[31] David Porteous Banking and the Last Mile: Technology and the Distribution of Financial Services in Developing Countries (Somerville: Bankable Frontier Associates, 2006) www.bankablefrontier.com/assets/banking-andthe-last-mile.v1.0.pdf
[32] World Resources Institute What Works: ITC's E-Choupal and Profitable Rural Transformation (Washington: World Resources Institute, 2003) www.digitaldividend.org/case/case_echoupal.htm; see also www.itcportal.com/agri_exports/e-choupal_new.htm for a more detailed explanation of the model.
[33] Tectonic "New Tuxlab looks to community for sustainability" Tectonic 15 May 2006 www.tectonic.co.za/wordpress/?p=997
[34] The toolkit module on policy and regulatory issues covers detailed approaches that could be adopted.
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text:
Rock royalty beats a path to Teaneck music shop and Buzzy Levine's guitar trove
The highways of North Jersey are littered with chain stores selling guitars and other musical instruments. In Paramus alone, there are two Guitar Centers, a national company with stores in 44 states, and there is another in Totowa.
Yet in downtowns throughout Bergen and Passaic counties a number of more modest music stores manage to survive, often catering to eager teenagers who congregate in the late afternoons, noodling with acoustic and electric guitars and dreaming of a future in a band.
Lark Street Music on Cedar Lane in Teaneck is one of these — and a whole lot more.
Sherrod Barnes stopped by one afternoon late last week to chat with the owner, Bernard Levine, about how he might get a new neck built for a custom electric guitar that a friend made for him. Barnes is no amateur enthusiast. He has toured and recorded with an impressive array of performers: Whitney Houston, Roberta Flack, Beyoncé, Natalie Cole, Quincy Jones and Dionne Warwick among them. He was a producer and arranger for Flack's latest album, "Let it Be Roberta,'' a collection of Beatles songs released last year on which he also played several instruments and sang background vocals.
Barnes, who lives in Fort Lee, pointed to an expensive vintage guitar among the dozens hanging on the walls at Lark Street Music. "The guitar is out of my price range, but I want that neck,'' he explained. Levine told Barnes that he knows a first-rate craftsman in Catskill, N.Y., who could make a neck similar to the one on the vintage model. "I'm learning that you need a neck that's really comfortable for your hand,'' Barnes said.
Four or five times a month, Barnes said, he drops by the store to check out the used and vintage guitars. "They always have cool things here,'' he said. "The vintage guitars are amazing. I'm always tempted to spend money, but I have a family.''
Lots of people, many of them devoted amateurs, come by to see what's new — or, more precisely, what used instruments manufactured before the 1970s have arrived recently in the store. Ralph Salute of Piscataway stopped in to see what vintage "strats," or Fender Stratocaster guitars, were in stock. One hanging on the wall, made in 1967, was priced at $8,500, Salute was told. He appeared to be looking for a version made in 1971. Levine explained that he did not have any '71 strats and said it would likely sell for about the same price. "It's a Jimi Hendrix kind of look,'' he said, which helps determine its market value.
Salute, who said he owns six or seven guitars, described himself as a passionate amateur musician, though he said that "once in a while" he gets paid to play classic rock with different people. He had heard about Lark Street Music from a friend, who purchased a guitar here.
"You have your main music stores,'' Salute says, "but he's more personalized here.''
A personal connection brought another customer, Gavriel Bellino, into the store. He and Levine have mutual friends and are neighbors in Teaneck. Bellino brought in a guitar with broken strings for repair. "I'm not professional enough to fix my own problems,'' he joked.
While there, Bellino decided to buy a banjo, describing his decision as "a total whim.'' Bellino said he owns a few guitars, all of them purchased at the store. Dressed very casually in a black knit cap, a light black hooded sweatshirt and beige pants, Bellino explained that he plays his guitars at work: He's a rabbi at the 16th Street Synagogue in Manhattan.
It's not by chance that many serious musicians have found their way to Cedar Lane. Levine, an Orthodox Jew who is known universally as Buzzy, has been in business for more than 30 years and has developed a trusted reputation among guitar aficionados, especially those who, like him, think the sound produced by older instruments is vastly richer than new guitars produce.
His more well-known customers over the years, who have either visited the store or had assistants make purchases for them, represent a cavalcade of music royalty; they include Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Walter Becker of Steely Dan, Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and the jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.
"It's a small guitar world,'' Levine said, "and we're on the radar, especially since we're right here in Teaneck, near the city.''
From 1981 until 1999, he repaired and sold string instruments, including vintage guitars, from a store on Lark Street in Albany, N.Y., just two blocks from the state Capitol. He relocated 14 years ago to Teaneck, retaining the store's name. He says he and his family moved primarily because of the quality of the schools available to his four children.
While Levine sells new acoustic guitars, including inexpensive instruments for beginners, about 80 percent of his business involves used and vintage guitars, both acoustic and electric. "Folks come by, but a lot of it is on the phone, sending stuff out,'' he said.
"I really believe used electrics are better,'' he said. "Wood seasons and ages. The acoustic properties improve. The wood gets more resonant.''
"There's something about the old ones,'' he added. "They feel special.''
Levine has an easygoing manner and a robust sense of humor. Customers readily seek out his expertise.
"You can always bring it back if you don't like it,'' he told another customer, Wei Chen of Teaneck, who was helping his son Tyler, 8, select a small, inexpensive guitar.
A little earlier, a middle-aged customer, Glen Coleman, arrived to pick up a guitar that had been repaired. "Anyone who's a serious player knows this place,'' said Coleman, who said he owns "about 20 guitars.''


text:
This has been covered before, somewhere here.
Springs "go bad" only from being flexed, not from staying in one condition or the other.
So you can leave a magazine fully (or partly) loaded from now until the end of the world, with no bad effects to the spring.
However, every time you unload a magazine, and every time you reload a magazine, you are flexing its spring.
Repeated flexing fatigues the spring's metal, and someday it will fail.
Rotate your magazines, giving all of them equal use.
(But it's OK to leave a couple of them fully loaded, forever.)


text:
Mechanics and governance of the internet
The internet is an important part of many of our daily lives, work and activism – but how many of us actually understand what it is? Beyond mechanics, questions around who governs the internet are key to contextualising the struggle for rights – including sexuality rights – online.
Read more in GenderIT.org .


text:
Sponsor message.
Cricket: Black Caps ready to claim victory
8:08 PM Monday Mar 25, 2013
Peter Fulton and Graham Gooch press conferences. New Zealand are within striking distance of a second home series victory in 18 attempts over England at stumps on the fourth day of the final test. England is 90 for four, chasing an improbable 481 for victory.


text:
If you ship only LTL (less-than-truckload), use My LTL Freight to get rates, track shipments, and review open invoices. You can also create bills of lading and view images of shipping documents. With this specialized interface for LTL shippers, take control of your LTL shipment information--design customized reports, set up shipment notifications, and keep an eye on all of your tracking information.
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Provides building blocks for healthy neurons
Supports healthy memory and thinking ability
Best Phosphatidylserine provides the essential brain nutrient phosphatidylserine in a matrix of other phospholipids are structural components of brain neurons than can enhance cell-to-cell communication. Studies have shown the ability of supplemental phosphatidylserine to support healthy cognitive function. It may enhance healthy memory and thinking ability by facilitating neuronal communication. Best Phosphatidylserine contains phosphatidylserine and other essential nutritional cofactors in a liquid softgel' providing added stability to these key phospholipid molecules.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose' treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Serving Size: 1 softgel
Servings per container: 60
Amount Per Serving / %Daily Value**
Phospholopid Matrix Providing: 500 mg / *
Phosphatidylserine 100 mg
Phosphatidylcholine 25 mg
Glycolipids 45 mg
Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) 345 mg
**%Daily Values are based on a 2'000 calorie diet.
*Daily Value not established.
Other ingredients: Softgel capsule (gelatin' glycerin' purified water).
Contains Soy
Contains nothing other than listed ingredients.
Take one softgel 3 times daily with meals.
A group of researchers reported on the excellent safety profile of soy derived PS. In this study' they found no significant differences between treatment and control groups when they looked at a number of blood safety parameters' vital signs' and subjective complaints. Thus they concluded that PS is a safe nutritional supplement for the elderly at least up to 600mg per day in divided doses' and further studies in humans are needed to clarify the exact role phosphatidylserine supplementation may play on cognitive function.
Allergen Caution: Contains Soy.
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Your question(s) and our corresponding answer(s) will not be confidential and will be posted publically on this specific product page.
Additionally, PureFormulas is unable to directly recommend products in relation to specific health conditions. Please contact your trusted healthcare practitioner for direct product recommendations.
If you have any general questions regarding orders or our policies and programs, please contact our Customer Happiness Team @ 1.800.383.6008
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition, consult your doctor before use. Your healthcare professional is the best source for guidance before beginning an exercise or nutritional supplement program.


text:
I post this to Apex, but i guess it could apply to anyone?
I was wondering recently, you guys (Apex) being an importer (?) or at least distributor of great stuff, what, since as long as you've been in business, was the most interesting stuff you yourselves have got?
I mean, i was stoked when i got some balkan furniture with carvings all over it and hash marks and such, but being that you guys get huge amounts of the stuff, whats the craziest or coolest stuff youve seen come into your warehouse? Not just furniture, anything?


text: Like the previous year, a storm was brewing on the horizon, but it certainly didn't stop any of the action at Beech Bend Raceway or put a damper on the many LS enthusiasts in attendance for the Holley LS Fest. In fact, on the final day of drag racing eliminations, the crack staff managed to hustle the racers along and get the finals finished up just in the nick of time. In between Friday, September 9th and Sunday, September 11th, though, the crew at Holley managed to cram as much action as you can imagine drawing a diverse crowd of LS-transplant import drifters, slammed Chevy trucks, crazy swaps you'd never think of, six-figure Pro Touring and G Machines, autocross nuts, car show polishers, and drag racers to Bowling Green, Kentucky. A virtual whose who of the G Machine crowd and the LS drag racing community were all in attendance as well as the many onlookers that came to watch it all unfold. Follow along as we show you the highlights, including GMHTP's Shut Your Face Race.


text:
I have read/heard that if you stack honey supers above inner cover after extraction that the bees will clean & move below inner cover. any comments?
I don't want to put 60+ honey supers out in the air for vermon wasps & hornets to benefit from. last year was a nightmare of dead bees from fighting over stacks of supers.


text:
Winamac Lady Warriors have won their 13th girls basketball sectional championship! The Lady Warriors began their quest for the championship by defeating North Judson for the second time this season in the first round of the North Judson sectional 59-46. Jessica Schramm lead the team in scoring with 13 points. Winamac then turned around in the second game and overpowered North Newton 61-35 behind Stephanie Shorter's 14 points. Then in a hard fought championship game against Rochester, the Lady Warriors were able to avenge a 4-point loss suffered in Novemeber, by defeating the Lady Zebras 62-59. Sarah Redweik went out with a bang in her final sectional game by leading the team in scoring (19) as well as steals and rebounds.
Winamac (18-5) will be taking on Bowman Academy (18-6) in the first round of the Rochester Regional. Congratulations to the Winamac Lady Warriors on their 13th sectional championship!


text:
Submit News
Curiosity's Camera Project Manager Explains Why MSL Used "Archaic" 2 MP Cameras
Tiffany Kaiser
August 9, 2012 1:33 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
(Source: mckaylaisnotimpressed.tumblr.com)
Mike Ravine, Advanced Projects Manager for Malin Space Science Systems
(Source: torynfarr/flickr)
A two-image panorama shot with the rover's 1024 x 1024 mono navigation cameras
(Source: NASA)
Reasons included the amount of data produced, the fact that they had to meet the needs of different cameras, and the team's familiarity with these sensors
NASA recently accomplished a huge feat by landing its
Mars rover Curiosity
on the Red Planet, but one of the questions on the minds of many was why such a sophisticated machine used 2 MP cameras.
Mike Ravine, a project manager from Malin Space Science Systems, was happy to answer that in an interview with
Digital Photography Review
. He said the main reasons for using 2 MP sensors in the cameras were the amount of data produced, the fact that they had to meet the needs of different cameras, and the team's familiarity with these sensors.
"There's a popular belief that projects like this are going to be very advanced, but there are things that mitigate against that," said Ravine. "These designs were proposed in 2004, and you don't get to propose one specification then go off and develop something else. Two MP with 8 GB of flash didn't sound too bad in 2004. But it doesn't compare well to what you get in an iPhone today."
The amount of data produced is a large reason for using 2 MP cameras. There just isn't enough bandwidth for anything more powerful because the cameras must share with other instruments. Curiosity sends data back to Earth via the UHF transmitter, which transmits to two spacecraft orbiting Mars. The data is then sent back to Earth, and this system only allows for 250 megabits per day to be shared amongst various instruments.
The 2 MP camera sensors also were the tools of choice for the use of four different cameras, including the MAHLI, MARDI and two Mastcams. Having four different sensors for each camera would be expensive and more difficult to maintain rather than having one type of sensor all across the board.
The team's familiarity with the sensors was crucial, too. The team knew the behavior of Truesense imaging chips and Kodak's KAI-2020 chip, so it makes sense that they'd work with what they know.
"We know how to clock them and drive them," said Ravine. "They're a very easy CCD to drive."
Other issues, like the low pixel count, are not an issue either since the two Mastcams will create images from multiple exposures.
NASA rover Curiosity landed successfully on Mars
earlier this week after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida on November 26, 2011. Curiosity is a one-ton, nuclear-powered, Mini Cooper-sized science laboratory that will explore the Martian surface for the next two years.
Digital Photography Review
"We basically took a look at this situation and said, this is bullshit." -- Newegg Chief Legal Officer Lee Cheng's take on patent troll Soverain
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text:
Become Part of the Upward Bound Tradition
General information sessions are scheduled in each target high school at the start of the annual recruiting drive in the fall. Interested students should attend to learn more about the Upward Bound Program.
Applications may be obtained from the guidance staff in the target high schools or you may call the Upward Bound office. There are two parts to the application (student and parent), along with other required information that must be submitted by the deadline. A checklist will be provided to assist students and families through the entire application process.
The program now has the financial support to enroll 150 participants each year. Once accepted, students who meet all program responsibilities are continued in Upward Bound throughout high school. Therefore, admission to Upward Bound is limited and competitive. Each year, approximately seventy students are admitted.
Informational meetings will be held in the high schools in October and November. The deadline will be in December.
Upward Bound Program Brochure
Upward Bound is now accepting applications for admission to the program. Students who attend one of the targeted high schools and are in grades 9, 10, or 11 may be eligible to apply. All eligibility criteria are included in the brochure.
Application deadline is Wednesday, November 30.
Admission Criteria
To be considered for Upward Bound, an applicant must be:
- A citizen of the United States or a permanent resident
- An individual neither of whose parents (natural or adoptive) do not have a four-year college degree and/or
- From a family that meets low-income requirements set by the federal government
- In the ninth, tenth or eleventh grade at one of the following target high schools
Target High Schools
|In Central Falls:
|Central Falls High School
|In East Providence:
|East Providence High School
|In Pawtucket:
|Shea High School
|In Providence:
|Central High School
Hope High School
Mount Pleasant High School
- In need of Upward Bound's services to achieve academic success in high school and meet the requirements of the Rhode Island high school diploma system
- Interested in enrolling in a college or university upon graduating from high school
- Not older than nineteen at the time of selection for the program
In addition to the above criteria, students not born in the United States will be given consideration if they have completed at least two full years of an English-as-a-second language (ESL) program in the high school.
|This page contains content in PDF format. You must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this content, click here to download it for free.


text:
Community Rights goes to Occupy Wall Street
Posted by Shannon Biggs in Community Rights, Global Exchange News & Events on 27th October, 2011 | 4 Comments
On October 26 I spent a chilly and drizzly day on Wall Street along with my fellow community-rights organizer, Ben Price from CELDF. We had been asked to share our experiences with those occupying Liberty Plaza. Together we spoke on the steps in the now-famous style of 'the People's Mic', an altogether exhilarating experience.
Read More...