ICTD News for 23 March 2007

[ICTD Newsmaster <ictdnews@undp.org>]

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 UNDP's ICT for Development (ICTD) Observatory keeps an 
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CONTENTS

TELECENTRES/SCHOOLNETS
	Village Computing:  A State of the Field

HEALTH/TELEMEDICINE
	Task force proposes ICT projects for African health

PRIVACY/SECURITY
	'Alive in Baghdad' uses Web to report the everyday dangers in Iraq
	My National Security Letter Gag Order




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TELECENTRES/SCHOOLNETS
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---- Village Computing:  A State of the Field
This report attempts to presents ?a? picture of village computing: a particular interpretation of the myriad views, examples, experiences, and suggestions provided by consultation participants. As such, the picture of village computing presented herein reflects the interpretations of this report?s author and not necessarily those of each of the consultation?s participants. This report is not meant to be definitive or to conclude discussion. Rather, it is hoped that in addition to providing an initial snapshot, this report will 1) suggest a way of approaching a macro assessment of village computing, 2) encourage continued discussion particularly between domains, and 3) illustrate the value of understanding that interplay between the macro-level forces shaping the village computing field.
http://www.sdnp.undp.org/perl/news/articles.pl?id=9360&do=gpage




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HEALTH/TELEMEDICINE
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---- Task force proposes ICT projects for African health
At a meeting in Gaborone, Botswana earlier this month, the Telemedicine Task Force reviewed ICT for health in the region. Three pilot projects were proposed under the eHealth initiative, part of a European Union strategy to enhance interconnectivity in Africa through ICT.
http://www.sdnp.undp.org/perl/news/articles.pl?id=9358&do=gpage




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PRIVACY/SECURITY
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---- 'Alive in Baghdad' uses Web to report the everyday dangers in Iraq
Brian Conley visited Iraq in October 2005 and spent three weeks filming a documentary about the life of Iraqis in a war zone. Accompanied by a translator and no security detail, he interviewed Iraqis about their lives at a time when the United States was struggling to shape some semblance of stability out of the growing chaos. But instead of creating a documentary that screens at film festivals, he decided to create a website that "airs" short videos weekly. The site, Alive in Baghdad, has seen its traffic rise to well beyond film festival capacity.
http://www.sdnp.undp.org/perl/news/articles.pl?id=9359&do=gpage



---- My National Security Letter Gag Order
The Justice Department's inspector general revealed on March 9 that the FBI has been systematically abusing one of the most controversial provisions of the USA Patriot Act: the expanded power to issue "national security letters." It no doubt surprised most Americans to learn that between 2003 and 2005 the FBI issued more than 140,000 specific demands under this provision -- demands issued without a showing of probable cause or prior judicial approval -- to obtain potentially sensitive information about U.S. citizens and residents. It did not, however, come as any surprise to me.
http://www.sdnp.undp.org/perl/news/articles.pl?id=9357&do=gpage




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