Malawi will next month host the 6th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON OPEN ACCESS at Crossroads Hotel in the capital city Lilongwe.
Conference orgnising chair Charles Govati said in an email responce that the conference is being organized by The ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM) in collaboration with OSISA, The Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Malawi Government agencies in ICT Advocacy.
He said the conference will be running together with an ICT fair which will focus on physical technological solutions for promoting first and last mile access to ICT Infrastructure.
He said the gathering which has been orgnised over the 5 years has transformed into a major International ICT event.
He said this is the third time it is being held in Africa adding that In Malawi, for the first time the conference will be preceded by the UbuntuNet Alliance - UbuntuNet -Connect Workshop and will run in parallel for two days with an EU Grid-computing Workshop.
"As you will notice, the Malawi conference is going to be unique as we are expecting the EU commissioner on Information and Society and other prominent global leaders in the ICT sector,"he said.
The international conferences on Open Access started in 2003. They were initiated and organized by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), in collaboration with the United Nations Information and Communications Technologies Task Force, and the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
Both SIDA and KTH have continued to support all subsequent conferences. The inaugural event was held in June 2003 and the second conference in May, 2004 were both held in Stockholm, Sweden.
The third which was may 2005 was in Maputo, Mozambique, while the fourth December was held once again in Stockholm and the Fifth,November 2007 was held in Bagamoyo, Tanzania.
This year, Malawi will host the 6th International Open Access Conference in Lilongwe, The Capital City of the Warm Heart of Africa.
This conference will bring together about 300 International and Local dignitaries, specialists and experts in the field of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to continue with the spirit of Open Access advocacy.
The ICT Association of Malawi (ICTAM) is honoured to collaborate with Sweden’s esteemed Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and OSISA to co-ordinate this Sixth Conference at the Crossroads Hotel, in Lilongwe, the Capital City of Malawi.
It is expected that a high profile delegate will grace the occasion as Guest of Honour during the Opening Ceremony. The theme for this year’s conference is: Open ICT Access for Socio-Economic Development”
Meanwhile the orgnisers are inviting members of the public are invited to join as participants or facilitators to present a paper on a specific subject.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Mozambique: CFM Offers to Rebuild Railway Inside Malawi
Mozambique's publicly owned ports and railway company, CFM, has offered to rehabilitate the railway from the Malawian city of Blantyre to Vila Nova de Fronteira on the Malawi/Mozambique border, according to a report in Monday's issue of the Malawian "Daily Times".
According to the paper, the chairperson of the CFM board, Rui Fonseca, revealed this offer publicly last week, at a meeting in Beira, marking the tenth anniversary of the lease on Beira port to the Dutch company Cornelder. He said the offer had been made several weeks ago, but CFM is still waiting for a reply from the Malawian authorities.
"We are constructing the 45km stretch of railway from Vila Nova da Fronteira up to Nsanje but we have asked the Malawi Government to let us continue with the 100 kilometres up to Blantyre. As of now, we are still waiting for a response," said Fonseca.
Fonseca said this would cost CFM around 11 million US dollars. CFM was prepared to make such an investment to ensure that Malawian goods could travel directly by rail to the port of Beira.
The entire Sena railway, which links Beira to the Moatize coal basin in Tete province, is being rebuilt - including the spur to Vila Nova de Fronteira. But Malawian traffic cannot use the Sena line unless the railway inside Malawi is also rehabilitated.
Malawi used to be a major user of Beira port. But the apartheid backed Renamo rebels destroyed the Sena line in the early 1980s, and for quarter of a century there was no traffic along the line.
Currently any Malawian goods using Beira must reach the port by road.
According to the paper, the chairperson of the CFM board, Rui Fonseca, revealed this offer publicly last week, at a meeting in Beira, marking the tenth anniversary of the lease on Beira port to the Dutch company Cornelder. He said the offer had been made several weeks ago, but CFM is still waiting for a reply from the Malawian authorities.
"We are constructing the 45km stretch of railway from Vila Nova da Fronteira up to Nsanje but we have asked the Malawi Government to let us continue with the 100 kilometres up to Blantyre. As of now, we are still waiting for a response," said Fonseca.
Fonseca said this would cost CFM around 11 million US dollars. CFM was prepared to make such an investment to ensure that Malawian goods could travel directly by rail to the port of Beira.
The entire Sena railway, which links Beira to the Moatize coal basin in Tete province, is being rebuilt - including the spur to Vila Nova de Fronteira. But Malawian traffic cannot use the Sena line unless the railway inside Malawi is also rehabilitated.
Malawi used to be a major user of Beira port. But the apartheid backed Renamo rebels destroyed the Sena line in the early 1980s, and for quarter of a century there was no traffic along the line.
Currently any Malawian goods using Beira must reach the port by road.
Avoid the crystal clear waters of Lake Malawi
With its crystal blue water and scorching African heat, many are further enticed to take a dip.
However, there are some hidden nasties in the lake that many should be aware of.
Writing in the Times, travel expert Richard Green has said that Bilharzia, or its more commonly known name Schistosomiasis, is in abundance in the lake and it is best to take swimming trips in it with caution.
Caused by a parasitic worm that can penetrate the skin, fever, chills and general fatigue can all be experienced if caught.
Although easily treatable it is an unpleasant condition, and visitors should always have a check up when they come home from a trip to the lake.
However, Mr Green says that "the crystal clear waters of Lake Malawi are impossible to avoid jumping into," and added that he had never had any health problems as a result.
It is always advisable to get good travel insurance if on a trip to destinations such as Lake Malawi, as health problems can often blight a trip as well as cause complications.
Oliver Mtukudzi to raise malaria awareness in Malawi
Zimbabwe’s superstar, Oliver Mtukudzi, will from 31 October to 2 November perform live shows in Malawi’s main cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe to raise awareness of the country’s ongoing malaria campaign, APA learnt here Tuesday.
Deputy Director of the local Malaria Control Programme, John Chiphwanya, confirmed to APA that Mtukudzi was coming to have series of concerts in the country’s capital and the southern commercial city of Blantyre.
"Malawi is one of the countries in the region which has been hard-hit by the disease, mainly among children of under-five and pregnant mothers. Therefore, Oliver is coming to raise awareness about the dangers of the disease among the people," he said.
According to the organiser of the events, Petros Kubwalo, Mtukudzi is coming at the invitation of the Malaria Awareness Campaign in the country.
He said the country was approaching rainy season when malaria cases are very high. "With his malaria messages people would listen to him," he added.
Mtukudzi tour follows that of South African superstar Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for malaria, who was in the country recently to launch the malaria campaign.
Among other types of treatment, the campaign has placed great emphasis on the use of medically treated mosquito bed nets to stop the deadly disease, which kills an African child every 30 seconds.
Deputy Director of the local Malaria Control Programme, John Chiphwanya, confirmed to APA that Mtukudzi was coming to have series of concerts in the country’s capital and the southern commercial city of Blantyre.
"Malawi is one of the countries in the region which has been hard-hit by the disease, mainly among children of under-five and pregnant mothers. Therefore, Oliver is coming to raise awareness about the dangers of the disease among the people," he said.
According to the organiser of the events, Petros Kubwalo, Mtukudzi is coming at the invitation of the Malaria Awareness Campaign in the country.
He said the country was approaching rainy season when malaria cases are very high. "With his malaria messages people would listen to him," he added.
Mtukudzi tour follows that of South African superstar Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for malaria, who was in the country recently to launch the malaria campaign.
Among other types of treatment, the campaign has placed great emphasis on the use of medically treated mosquito bed nets to stop the deadly disease, which kills an African child every 30 seconds.
Malawi: Beauty queen joins politics, citing Palin as inspiration
The reigning Miss Malawi, Peth Msiska, has hit the campaign trail, not seeking another crown but to be voted into Parliament in her country's general elections in May 2009.
Msiska, 24, says this is the right time to join the majority Democratic People's Party (DPP) and run for office because she is "young, focused and determined to serve others as I have always done over the past two years in my capacity as Miss Malawi."
Trading high heels for flat shoes, the beauty queen with a degree in accountancy has swapped fashion and charity events in Blantyre for rallies along dusty roads in her home area of Chileka, in the south of the country.
"I decided to join politics to make a difference in the lives of people, especially those in the rural areas," Msiska told IPS.
Hers is no easy task. Up to 70 percent of Malawi's population of 14 million is rural, more than half live in poverty and 22 per cent live in extreme poverty, according to the United Nations.
For the people of Chileka, Msiska wants to bring boreholes and taps closer. She knows from her childhood that local women and girls walk up to 10 kilometres to fetch clean water.
Second in her to-do list is bringing electricity. Ironically, Chileka is close to a hydro-electrical power station on the Shire River, Malawi's longest watercourse, but people here use paraffin lamps and candles.
"Electricity is generated right on their door-steps but they don't have access to it," she fires. "And it's unacceptable to see women travelling long distances in search of clean water."
Orphanages and schools are another priority. As Miss Malawi, Msiska fundraised for charities dealing with orphans and the elderly. There are one million orphans in Malawi, according to United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
Msiska is a powerful motivational speaker, urging young women to see themselves just as capable as men. Just like she does: "I am aware that some people might not take me seriously because I am young but politics it is not about age. I am a very determined woman, principled, confident and qualified to be a member of parliament." Msiska, who is single, has the backing of her family, and derives strength from praying at the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian.
Malawian women do not often venture into politics because of harassment, intimidation and cultural perceptions that bind them to domesticity, says Emma Kaliya, of the Gender Coordination Network (GCN). Malawi scores below the sub-Saharan Africa average of female representation in government. Women account for 14 percent in Parliament, 16 percent in the executive arm of government, and 12 per cent in the judiciary.
Kaliya says the small number of women in parliament hampers discussions on issues such as maternal deaths and property grabbing from widows.
There is now new hope for improvement. Msiska, like all 425 women parliamentary candidates, has the backing of the 50/50 Campaign, a national effort of government and 42 civil society groups to boost women's participation in politics and decision-making positions. The Campaign wants at least half of the 193 parliamentary seats to go to women.
To get there, the Campaign is putting its money where its mouth is. All women candidates will be trained in advocacy, lobbying and campaigning, and get $700 as a campaign start-up in their constituencies.
Miss Malawi is further inspired by the vice-presidential candidate for the Republican party in the United States, Governor Sarah Palin, who won the third place in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant.
Unlike Palin, who has received a lot of negative coverage in the American press, Msiska has been portrayed positively in the Malawi media.
"It's high time that people realised that beauty queens can make great leaders," Msiska told IPS.
Msiska, 24, says this is the right time to join the majority Democratic People's Party (DPP) and run for office because she is "young, focused and determined to serve others as I have always done over the past two years in my capacity as Miss Malawi."
Trading high heels for flat shoes, the beauty queen with a degree in accountancy has swapped fashion and charity events in Blantyre for rallies along dusty roads in her home area of Chileka, in the south of the country.
"I decided to join politics to make a difference in the lives of people, especially those in the rural areas," Msiska told IPS.
Hers is no easy task. Up to 70 percent of Malawi's population of 14 million is rural, more than half live in poverty and 22 per cent live in extreme poverty, according to the United Nations.
For the people of Chileka, Msiska wants to bring boreholes and taps closer. She knows from her childhood that local women and girls walk up to 10 kilometres to fetch clean water.
Second in her to-do list is bringing electricity. Ironically, Chileka is close to a hydro-electrical power station on the Shire River, Malawi's longest watercourse, but people here use paraffin lamps and candles.
"Electricity is generated right on their door-steps but they don't have access to it," she fires. "And it's unacceptable to see women travelling long distances in search of clean water."
Orphanages and schools are another priority. As Miss Malawi, Msiska fundraised for charities dealing with orphans and the elderly. There are one million orphans in Malawi, according to United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
Msiska is a powerful motivational speaker, urging young women to see themselves just as capable as men. Just like she does: "I am aware that some people might not take me seriously because I am young but politics it is not about age. I am a very determined woman, principled, confident and qualified to be a member of parliament." Msiska, who is single, has the backing of her family, and derives strength from praying at the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian.
Malawian women do not often venture into politics because of harassment, intimidation and cultural perceptions that bind them to domesticity, says Emma Kaliya, of the Gender Coordination Network (GCN). Malawi scores below the sub-Saharan Africa average of female representation in government. Women account for 14 percent in Parliament, 16 percent in the executive arm of government, and 12 per cent in the judiciary.
Kaliya says the small number of women in parliament hampers discussions on issues such as maternal deaths and property grabbing from widows.
There is now new hope for improvement. Msiska, like all 425 women parliamentary candidates, has the backing of the 50/50 Campaign, a national effort of government and 42 civil society groups to boost women's participation in politics and decision-making positions. The Campaign wants at least half of the 193 parliamentary seats to go to women.
To get there, the Campaign is putting its money where its mouth is. All women candidates will be trained in advocacy, lobbying and campaigning, and get $700 as a campaign start-up in their constituencies.
Miss Malawi is further inspired by the vice-presidential candidate for the Republican party in the United States, Governor Sarah Palin, who won the third place in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant.
Unlike Palin, who has received a lot of negative coverage in the American press, Msiska has been portrayed positively in the Malawi media.
"It's high time that people realised that beauty queens can make great leaders," Msiska told IPS.
Malawi formulating Anti-human trafficking law
Malawi is in the process of formulating anti-human trafficking laws to reduce cases of human trafficking among girls, women and children in the country, according to Peter Nsefula, the director of Women Development in the Ministry Women and Child Development, here on Tuesday.
Nsefula told APA in Lilongwe during an interview that currently the country, unlike other countries in the southern African region, has no laws to curb the malpractice of human trafficking, especially among the vulnerable groups.
"We are currently working together with the Malawi Law Commission (MLC) and other stakeholders to come up with a law that would prosecute all perpetrators of human trafficking," he said.
Nsefula noted that it was disappointing to learn that traffickers come as far as the USA, the United Kingdom, Europe and South Africa to deceive young women that they would give them good employment only to turn them into prostitutes once they take them abroad.
He added that human trafficking was also rampant locally mainly among school going children who are trafficked to work in tea and tobacco estates of the country by estate farmers.
As government, he said, we will make sure that human trafficking is reduced through the forthcoming new law.
Nsefula told APA in Lilongwe during an interview that currently the country, unlike other countries in the southern African region, has no laws to curb the malpractice of human trafficking, especially among the vulnerable groups.
"We are currently working together with the Malawi Law Commission (MLC) and other stakeholders to come up with a law that would prosecute all perpetrators of human trafficking," he said.
Nsefula noted that it was disappointing to learn that traffickers come as far as the USA, the United Kingdom, Europe and South Africa to deceive young women that they would give them good employment only to turn them into prostitutes once they take them abroad.
He added that human trafficking was also rampant locally mainly among school going children who are trafficked to work in tea and tobacco estates of the country by estate farmers.
As government, he said, we will make sure that human trafficking is reduced through the forthcoming new law.
£2.26m more aid for Malawi, says Fabiani
About £2.26m is to be spent this year on 29 aid projects for Malawi, the Scottish Government said yesterday. The announcement takes the annual aid commitment to the country to more than £3m.
External Affairs Minister Linda Fabiani, said the projects focused on economic growth and helping Malawi grow and prosper, adding: "This funding is good news for Scotland, for Malawi and for the world."
The funding announcement includes £340,000 to improve land management and provide renewable energy to villages through the Aberdeen-based Macaulay Institute.
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Nearly £370,000 goes to Tearfund Scotland to build on work with street children and orphans, and Oxfam Scotland is to receive nearly £373,000 to help vulnerable people affected by HIV.
External Affairs Minister Linda Fabiani, said the projects focused on economic growth and helping Malawi grow and prosper, adding: "This funding is good news for Scotland, for Malawi and for the world."
The funding announcement includes £340,000 to improve land management and provide renewable energy to villages through the Aberdeen-based Macaulay Institute.
advertisement
Nearly £370,000 goes to Tearfund Scotland to build on work with street children and orphans, and Oxfam Scotland is to receive nearly £373,000 to help vulnerable people affected by HIV.
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