I am very proud that I an article I wrote over the summer is finally published in the ISIS International Manila Magazine, both on-line and in print. ISIS Manila is a feminist NGO dedicated to women’s information and communication needs. "Women in Action covers a broad range of issues affecting women globally, but focusing on the particular needs and concerns of women in the Global South, and forwarding a progressive perspective tempered by the experiences of the thirld world women's movements".

A Thanks to Maja, Maitreyi, Titi and Mahmoud for their generous input. I can't wait to get the magazine by snail mail. Here's where you can find it on-line:

The online version of Women in Action No. 2, 2003, issue on "Young Women" is now available at http://www.isiswomen.orgor http://www.isiswomen.org/pub/wia/wia203/index.html. The print edition will be off the press by the end of December 2003.

Women in Action No. 2, 2003
Theme: Young Women

Here is my article:
Young Women's Participation in International Conferences in the New Information Society
By Jennifer Cottes
The information society, driven by the "new" information and communication technologies (ICTs), has a dangerous potential to further marginalise young women.
http://www.isiswomen.org/pub/wia/wia203/cottes.htm

There are lots of other articles in this mag. Definitely worth the read!

I was fortunate to be invited to a "lunch box" event at the International Development Research Centre to hear Dr. M.S. Swaminathan (Chairman of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation) speak on "Bridging the Digital Divide in Rural India and Conserving Coastal Mangrove Wetlands". He outlined for us some guided principles for using ICT to benefit the poor and to reach the unreached. In this case he spoke of generating awareness around managing Mangrove forests.

So often we concentrate too much on the technology and not enough on the information. We need to focus on knowledge management if we want to benefit the poor. Some guidelines outlined for us were:
1) The technology must be user-oriented and user-controlled
2) Information generation must be “demand driven”
3) Content creation, rather than technology for access, should be a central focus
4) Value added information (knowledge) and a bottom-up process must be integrated for content creation

He emphasised that the best Knowledge Managers are local women. They are the ones managing the households and the livelihoods of their families. Therefore the technology must be gender sensitive (and socio-economic sensitive).

My fear is that youth have not been able to get this ground-level point, where the content is managed based in the NEEDS of young people working generate income of support their own livelihoods, especially, young people who are on merely trying to survive. Dr. Swaminathan also emphasised the importance of connecting the “scientist” with the poor. The scientist must be credible in the eyes of the local community to organise what knowledge is needed for local communities to succeed. Are there any youth-led ICT projects that achieve this? I sense that there are so many projects ideas, and projects that are started, but do not have the capacity to be fully implemented. This is often due to lack of funding, lack of mentoring and a lack of credibility.

It was great presentation and a great example of the need of knowledge communications for the poor. Visit Reaching the unreached: How can we use ICTs to empower the rural poor in the developing world through enhanced access to relevant information? for more information.

Why an Egg?

A small town in Alberta called Vegreville chose a giant ukrainian easter egg (pysanka) as their monument. I grew up taking family trips out west to the mountains. This was a common stop on the road for me. What I didn't know was "Why?"!!
The town voted on the pysanka to symbolize the peace and security the Mounties offerings the area's pioneers and their descendants. As you probably have guessed, this area took in a large Ukrainian population, probably around the 1900's and earlier. What drew me to post this, was the innovation it took to design this in 1973 - new software and engineering and mathematical firsts. Who would have thought! As an 6, 8 or 10 year old, all you see is a giant easter egg. :)

I was outside last night talking on the cordless around 11pm, when northern lights suddenly streaked across the sky. They were so beautiful!! Its been a while since I have seen them. Usually its hard to see them from the city, but last night,... oh, breathtaking. The weren't to the north either this time. Usually they droop in the northern horizon. Last night it was like stripes, a greenish / blue rainbown, straight up above my head. From one end of the sky to the other.

Ahhh, the great north! Did anyone else see them?

My brother is getting married in TWO WEEKS! I am not sure who is the most excited! What's great about this wedding is that its fully a community effort. Everyone is chipping in and contributing. My mother and all her friends have been cooking up a storm! An old friend from my teenage years will be doing the music. My brothers friend, who happens to be a Minister, will marry them. Sunflowers, the wedding theme, are being given - a gift from friends. I am doing the decorations (excluding the flowers). So far I have rolled, wrapped, and tagged 200 bee's wax candles (party favours) and through my thriftiness and creativity conjured up 35 centre peices,..then the head table, the guest table, etc. I have really been enjoying being crafty like this, and for such a good reason. :)

After the wedding I am moving to Ottawa, so I've got my hands full with a 1000 things to do. Stand by for wedding pics!