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Developers tell us about their favourite ActionApps-based site and the benefits for them of using APC's free software MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, -- *Oliver Zielke of Web Networks, Canada on AttavikApps, a derivation of ActionApps which allows the Inuit to publish online in their own language. *Jaime Torres of Peru on SIA an agrarian system for Peruvian farmers developed by CEPES in Lima *Sarah Escandor-Tomas on the *Voting Campaign for the Presidential Elections Centre for Migrant Advocacy* developed by WomensHub, Philippines. * And more! Audio interviews now ready to listen to. - 04/15/2005 More

Free software camp in Asia brought together non-profits and grassroots hackers BANGALORE, India, -- In late January, India's technology mecca Bangalore became the venue for an international 'camp' intended to promote free and open source software (FOSS) among civil society. Asia Source, as the 'tech camp' is called, was held from January 28 to February 4, 2005 and "hopes to bring together over a hundred people from 20 countries to increase the use and awareness of FOSS amongst the non-profit sector in South and South East Asia." - 01/28/2005 More

World Social Forum: Open Systems for Open Politics LONDON, UK, -- The World Social Forum has open information systems in place to go with an open political ethos. All of about 1,000 computers at the forum are using free software. The official website has been developed for the first time in 'php,' an open source language. A new translation system is also a free software tool. The Forum is hosted in Brazil, a nation whose government at the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society held in Geneva in 2003, strongly opposed intellectual property on software, and succeeded in getting this omitted from the final resolution. - 01/26/2005 More >>

NGOs, searching long for alternatives, find flavour in alt.software GOA, India, -- For an sector that talks of alternatives, the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or voluntary sector stays surprisingly aloof from one significant alternative that has really worked -- free software. But there are stirrings to bridge this huge chasm. In end-January, India's technology mecca Bangalore is to be the venue for an international, APC-supported 'camp' meant to promote FLOSS among the NGO sector. - 01/22/2005 More >>

Progressive programmers from across the APC and beyond gather in South Africa MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, -- Progressive technology organisations all over the world met in Cape Town to discuss the future of the free content management system - ActionApps. ActionApps is a software that makes websites easier to manage and more dynamic and facilitates the creation of portal sites, improving the visibility of civil society information. Almost 40 developers from as far afield as Egypt, Cambodia, Spain, Peru and the Philippines debated future plans, sustainability, documentation needs and a new online campaigning action kit for activists which will come to life in 2005. - 11/26/2004 More >>

Training on free and open source software for NGOs MANILA, Philippines, -- The Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), together with key free and open source software (FOSS) advocates in the country organized a training-workshop for Philippine non-government organizations (NGOs). Held on 28-29 October 2004 and attended by 30 participants from 18 organizations, the learning activity sought to impart not only with the necessary skills and knowledge of FOSS but more importantly, to provide the trainees with the confidence in using FOSS-based applications. - 11/24/2004 More >>

Resistance in Hungary to EU proposals on software patenting BUDAPEST, Hungary, -- A crowd of about four hundred turned out to demonstrate against proposed European software patents legislation. It was the first "geeky", free-software related demonstration in Hungary said APC member Green Spider, organised by groups not typically used to leaving their computer screens to get their voices heard. - 09/30/2004 More >>

The Zitt Geeks - Young Nigerians turn to computing to improve their job prospects BAYANLOCO, Nigeria, -- The Fantsuam Foundation provides refurbished computers to civil society organisations and partners, runs computer training centres and offers the only internet connection for hundreds of miles around in rural Nigeria. All this in Kafanchan State where electricity is often unavailable and innovators power their computers using car batteries. The Foundation*s work is supported by a home-grown corps of ICT youth volunteers, the Zitt Geeks. The Geeks are already free software devotees and they are the first participants in Fantsuam*s business incubator which provides training, mentoring and funding to enable enterprising youths to become self-employed. - 08/30/2004 More >>

Hands-on workshop on free software targets women technicians from Southern Africa JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, -- From 6-10 September 2004 in Johannesburg, South Africa, APC member Women'sNet hosted a southern Africa-wide workshop to build awareness of and demonstrate the potential use of free and open source software (FOSS) in the non-profit sector, and women's organisations specifically. - 08/30/2004 More >>

Cambodians have access to Khmer-language email software for the first time PHNOM PEN, Cambodia, -- Until now, a native Cambodian has needed to be able to read in a foreign language to be able to send email in Cambodia. Software was not available in Khmer. But APC's member organisation in Cambodia, the Open Forum, is changing that. The KhmerOS portal, set up earlier this year to bring together previously isolated developers is starting out by providing Khmer translations of well-known free applications such as the powerful e-mail application, Thunderbird. Thunderbird was ready for use after just two months - sixty days earlier than expected! The Open Forum has sent APC the report on their advances in the first half of 2004. - 07/30/2004 More >>

Free and open source software sweeps US non-profit tech conference PHILADELPHIA, USA, -- Looking around at the recent Non-Profit Technology Enterprise Network conference in Philadelphia, it would have been easy to think that free and open source software is sweeping the non-profit world. With an attendance of over 700 people, this year's NTEN event featured a full track of six workshops on free and open source software (FOSS) topics - almost all of which were packed. - 04/28/2004 More >>

Tea and internet security advice come in the same cup at recent Hungarian green meeting BUDAPEST, Hungary, -- Once again, at the Annual Meeting of Hungarian Green Non-profits (OT2004) APC member Green Spider offered herbal teas and sound internet access, training and advice to participants. Raising awareness of environmental contamination and in support of free software, Green Spider collected up visitors' old CD-roms and exchanged them for new GNU/Linux CDs. - 04/28/2004 More >>

Choosing open source software: Decision-making materials for civil society organisations MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, -- Free and open source software (FOSS) holds a great deal of potential for civil society organisations. The most obvious benefit of FOSS is that it is often free to use or low-cost. However, it also offers more including -crucially- better security. Ddid you know that if your computer uses the GNU/Linux operating system you don't have to use anti-virus software? No more days or data lost recovering from the latest virus...

The materials available in the MultiMedia Toolkit's latest unit on FOSS provide an introduction to FOSS, tackling questions like 'what is open source?' and 'how will it benefit my organisation?' They also include practical advice on how to review open source software packages and select the right ones for your organisation. - 03/29/2004 More >>

APC ActionApps is one of the top 10 open source tools for e-Activism MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, -- APC*s free content management system designed specifically for progressive organisations to publish news automatically and share content at the click of a button has been nominated one of the best open source software tools that can be used by activists to spread the message and promote interaction by e-newsletters, forums, blogs, and online petitions.

Compiled by Dan Bashaw and Mike Gifford in an article for the Democracies Online Newswire APC ActionApps came out tops along with other well-known applications like PostNuke, Twiki and WebCards. - 02/07/2004 More >>

New intellectual property law forces Cambodians to start developing their own Khmer-language software PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, -- *We envision, in 2007, a country where Cambodians can learn and use computers in their own language, a country that does not have to change to a new language in order to use computers!* say the activists behind the new KhmerOS initiative. Until now, computer use in Cambodia has been mostly in English, and mostly using unlicensed copies of Microsoft Windows products. However, a new Cambodian intellectual property law means that a user will have to purchase a license for each copy of software sold by companies such as Microsoft and that*s unaffordable for most Cambodian computer users. This new portal coordinated by APC member, Open Forum of Cambodia, gets together some previously isolated developers and is starting out by providing Khmer translations of well-known free software programmes such as Mozilla (the powerful web browser and mail programme). But the eventual goal is to create a full applications package under GNU/Linux, "which has 90% of all applications which 100% of all users need". Find out more about the motivation behind KhmerOS. - 02/04/2004 More >>

Farmers and local government in rural Peru use free APC software LIMA, Peru, -- CEPES, one of APC's newest members, has trained participants in a rural-urban information service to set up a portal and exchange agricultural information from six telecentres in a remote area of the northern Peruvian sierras. A replication of the course is being organised for staff at the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture's offices in the same region. The technology of choice is APC's free software, APC ActionApps. - 01/29/2004 More >>

Idlelo - First African Conference on Digital Commons Cape Town, South Africa, -- The conference addressed the challenges and opportunities of the creation and use of free / open source software and open content and their development potential for Africa. The conference had both strategic and practical objectives, as it sought to bring together participants from government, education, business and civil society together with the developer community. - 01/16/2004 More >>

Making it easier to build online information communities using APC*s free software: APC ActionApps MONTVIDEO, Uruguay, -- APC ActionApps allows anyone to publish online without knowing any programming or learning specialised software. It*s a content management system design specifically for progressive organisations. And because it is being developed and adopted all over the world APC ActionApps software is available in English, Spanish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Japanese and German. Find out more about the ActionApps! - 01/05/2004 More >>

*Free Software and Digital Inclusion*, a new book published in Brazil RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, -- Two of the directors of APC member in Rio de Janeiro, RITS, are co-authors of *Free Software and Digital Inclusion* which was published in Brazil in August. *The book is an interesting project,* says RITS information coordinator, Graciela Baroni Selaimen, *and it*s part of a larger much larger digital inclusion initiative by the Sao Paulo e-government which is setting up community telecentres in marginal and often violent neighbourhoods throughout the city.* RITS is administering the telecentres and providing training in the use of free software. Visit RITS. - 09/15/2003 More

Foundation for Africa: Action plan for the next three years JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, -- The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) in conjunction with APC has completed an action plan for 2003-2005 and a briefing on the state of FOSS in Africa. - 07/02/2003 More >>

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.......................................................................... Frederick (FN) Noronha | Freelance Journalist | Mobile +91 9822 122436 Tel +91.832.2409490 | http://fn.swiki.net | http://www.bytesforall.net ..........................................................................