In June 2010, I had the pleasure of presenting at Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media (GFEM)’s first Conversation. My task was to comment on the state of/ future of media, technology, and access to information on the continent. A fairly sizable task to accomplish in a 10-minute presentation.

The best part about the opportunity was that not only was I able to talk about the state of technology on the continent, but I was able to actually demonstrate it. I was fortunate enough to be in Kampala and have access the Appfrica Labs/Hive Colab working spaces. There was adequate bandwidth for me to do the presentation over Skype using screen share.

In June 2010, I had the pleasure of presenting at Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media (GFEM)’s first Conversation. My task was to comment on the state of/ future of media, technology, and access to information on the continent. A fairly sizable task to accomplish in a 10-minute presentation.

The best part about the opportunity was that not only was I able to talk about the state of technology on the continent, but I was able to actually demonstrate it. I was fortunate enough to be in Kampala and have access the Appfrica Labs/Hive Colab working spaces.  There was adequate bandwidth for me to do the presentation over Skype using screen share.

DiasporaCamp DC '10

On July 25, 2009, about 80 young Africans and people interested in Africa congregated in Washington, DC for BarCamp Diaspora ’09 to exchange ideas on entrepreneurship, innovation and development under the theme “Investing our talent where it counts. Through a breakout session at the event about healthcare in Ghana, a healthcare-focused NGO called REACH-Ghana was formed. Many attendees also have partnered to work on ongoing projects as a result. On July 24, 2010 at the Kenney Auditorium, School of Advanced International Studies – Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC, the conversations continue again, bringing together the African Diaspora to exchange ideas on doing business in Africa.

DiasporaCamp is a BarCamp with a focus on African Diaspora, primarily African affairs and issues. A BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering where attendees meet for discussions, demos and networking. Unlike a typical conference, at a BarCamp everyone is both a speaker and a participant. The content is provided by all attendees based on their interests, unified under the theme. Though discussions will center on financial innovations and access to capital, there will be breakout sessions on various topics as organized by attendees.

DiasporaCamp DC ’10 is a FREE event for anyone who is interested in using their skills, talent, and resources to benefit Africa. African entrepreneurs and people with an active interest in African affairs are encouraged to attend. The focus will be on access to capital to fuel these entrepreneurial ventures, business ideas and projects. Panelists and speakers will include Joseph Obi of USAID, Dr. Philip Auerswald of George Mason University, Nii Simmonds of Nubiah Cheetah and Magogodi Makhene of Zenzele Circle.

DiasporaCamp DC 2010 is sponsored by the GhanaThink Foundation, and African Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies – Johns Hopkins University. It will run from 8am – 6pm at the Kenney Auditorium, School of Advanced International Studies – Johns Hopkins University at 1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC.

Register/RSVP today on the DiasporaCamp DC ’10 Eventbrite page or at DiasporaCamp.org. You may also contact us for sponsorship opportunities. You may participate online at the conference website if you are not close to the Washington DC area. If you are interested in organizing a breakout session, let us know, especially if you have special needs.

African Union to host ‘Building and maintaining peace and security through sports’ workshop in Addis Ababa on Africa Day (May 25th 2010)

Event: ‘Building and Maintaining Peace and Security through Sports’ Workshop
Date: 25th May 2010
Venue: African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Time: From 10.00am

Among those Attending the event will be:

The event is the latest in a series of fora across Africa to promote the African Union Year of Peace and Security. The workshop will provide information and share experiences on the role of sports in peace and security, as well as explore the opportunities presented by the Year of Peace and Security to further enhance the use of sports in peace-building both in 2010 and beyond.

The workshop will be held alongside other events including the Peace and Security Operations Division exhibition, Photo exhibition and the official flagging-off ceremony of the “Peace Journey”: an expedition across Africa aimed at creating awareness and spreading the message of peace amongst African citizens.

The Year of Peace and Security peaks on Peace Day, 21 September 2010, a day focussed on promoting non-violence and humanitarian assistance across Africa. All Year of Peace and Security activities build up to and follow on from Peace Day.

More about The African Union Year of Peace and Security
On 31 August 2009, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), meeting in Tripoli, on the occasion of the Special Session on the Consideration and Resolution of Conflicts in Africa, declared 2010 to be the Year of Peace and Security on the continent; proclaiming in paragraph 9 of the Tripoli Declaration:

“We are determined to deal once and for all with the scourge of conflicts and violence on our continent, acknowledging our shortcomings and errors, committing our resources and our best people, and missing no opportunity to push forward the agenda of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction. We, as leaders, simply cannot bequeath the burden of conflicts to the next generation of Africans”.

During the AU Summit held in Addis Ababa in January 2010, all 53 African Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to the Tripoli Declaration and the objectives of the Year of Peace and Security in Africa.
The overarching message for The Year of Peace and Security in Africa is Make Peace Happen.

The EAC is kicking off the 3rd installment of the Investment Conference, to be held in Kampala, Uganda. The last edition, which I had the pleasure to attend in Kigali was quite interesting. This year’s installment is timely, especially as EAC marches towards common markets this July.

We are steadily moving towards a fully integrated economic community where goods, capital, labour and services will move freely without borders, and it is important to highlight to the world the abundant potential that East Africa offers today.

The inaugural East African Community Investment Conference was hosted by Rwanda in 2008 and brought together more than 1,000 participants under the theme, Leveraging the East African Market Through Trade and Investment.

The 2^nd Annual Conference, hosted by Kenya last year, hosted 2,000 participants under the theme, Invest in the EAC; Where Global Challenges Are Opportunities. Both conferences attracted local, regional and global investors and business leaders who rightly identified the vast potential that the East African region provides.

The East African Community is made up of approximately 130 million people. The East African Community has a Gross Domestic Product of more than US$60 billion. With the establishment of a fully-fledged Customs Union, and the July launch of the East African Common Market, we can confidently announce that East Africa has opened up as One Market, One Destination, FOR BUSINESS.

If you are interesting in doing business in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, or Tanzania in the near future and tapping into a collective $60 billion market, I’d highly suggest you make haste and register to attend. Better yet, how about buying up one of those sponsor spots for some serious visibility, you high rollers you!

Lastly, is it just me or is it a little bit creepy and unsettling that the EAC Conference’s bank account information is published on the web. Ignorance or just just begging for trouble?

This just in, my talk submitted for SXSW Interactive 2010, Africa 3.0: A Look at the Future of a Connected Africa, has been accepted. If you were looking for a good reason to attend the interactive portion of the festival, a fan of ICT in Africa, or you are already going to be down in Austin—like you really need a reason to be in Austin, TX—be sure to schedule an hour to come see my talk. Here’s a heart-felt warm thank you to everyone who voted or promoted the talk all the way into selection. I am looking at you, my engaging Twitter followers. Thanks for the love and support.

Below is a little synopsis on the talk:

2010 is the year that Africa will finally connect to the global undersea cable network powering today’s broadband internet traffic. How can Africa use the arrival of this high speed super highway to it’s advantage? What impact will broadband communications have on Africa’s development? Are we looking at Africa 3.0?

Check back regularly for updates once scheduling has been released. I also want to thank Hugh Forrest and his fabulous staff at SXSWi for granting me this opportunity! I truly take it as an honor to be among the selected out of 2300 proposed talks!

Background to the Summit
Uganda Government through Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has been executing several programs that have been essential and critical in National development. These programs have been designed in line with the national strategies like the Competitiveness Investment Climate Strategy (CICS) which has mapped out the main activities and listed the expected outcomes. Under these programs, UIA focused on pro-active investment promotion and facilitation as a core activity. Under the promotion and facilitation part, the Diaspora investment stands out as a main component which needed more attention. UIA has effectively undertaken its pro-active role to inform the Diaspora about investment and trade opportunities that exist at home.

The Ugandan Diaspora, at different levels, occasionally met with UIA and Government officials promoting investment packages at their meetings or conventions on the opportunities that exist in the country and the region as a whole. Issues of the general policy, regulatory frameworks as well initiatives that the Uganda Government has in place to make home the best investment destination are discussed. These issues are manifested by the theme “Home is the Best” for all Diaspora Conferences held in Uganda since 2004. The last Conference was held in Gulu and Kampala. A decision was then made to have a Diaspora Conference in December of every year.

It is a common practice that many Ugandans in the Diaspora trek home to cerebrate the Christmas festivals with the families. Therefore this year’s Conference code named “Home is the Best Summit -3” will be held in Lira on 23rd December 2009, Kampala on 29th to 30th December 2009, and Mbale on 4th January 2010. Home is the Best Summit – 3 because it will be the third Conference to organise under such a theme.

Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) is coordinating Government Departments/Institutions and the Private Sector to realize this Diaspora Investment Summit.

Summit Objectives
The “Home is the Best” Forum which has become an annual event is intended to embrace all Ugandans in the Diaspora .The Summit will also allows the Diaspora to actively express ideas on the development and review processes of policy and regulatory frame work regarding the business environment. Members of the Diaspora also get the opportunity to reflect on their business investment achievements at home.

Summit Structure
The Summit structure will include presentations, discussion panels and may be live broadcasting that will discuss trade & investment opportunities and challenges in different areas of the country. There will be side events that will include Exhibitions and Fashion Shows, Entertainment, Cultural Activities, Youths Activities and Diners, and Cocktails. This years Summit will pay special attention to Agriculture-Agro-possessing especially Value Addition to our abundant natural resources, ICT especially Business Process Outsourcing & Multimedia, Education Finance ,Health care and Tourism and other areas.

The out of Kampala meets (Lira and Mbale) give the Diaspora participants a chance to see the countryside and the numerous latent investment and trading opportunities outside the capital.

Participation in the Summit
Approximately 300 to 450 Diaspora members and their families who make the annual Christmas holiday pilgrimage to Uganda are expected to attend this year’s Summit. Last year’s (2008) events hosted in Gulu and Kampala had more that 250 participants. There will be strong presence of Ugandan Business Community, Government Officials, NGO’S and limited general public.

Summit Outcome
The Forum usually comprises as an exhibition of the solutions to the Diaspora needs, discussions on challenges, and new opportunities. Financial institutions, the construction & building industry, trading houses and the private sector as whole present their branded packages to the Ugandan Diaspora who usually lack information and knowledge about the home economic and investment climate.

Finally the Summit agenda will recommend the practical actions, time lines and tools that will lead to improved measures for better environment and embark on initiatives that will promote more Diaspora-led investments in the country.

Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) and the Private Sector in Uganda is organising yet another Diaspora Investment Summit, under the theme “HOME IS THE BEST 3”. Three business summits are scheduled to take place in Lira, Kampala (Hotel Africana) and Mbale on 23rd December 2009, 29th to 30th December 2009, and 4th January 2010 respectively.

The “Home is the Best” Forum has become an annual event that embraces all Ugandans in the Diaspora into active participation in the development and review processes of policy and regulatory frame work regarding the business environment. Members also get the opportunity to reflect on their business investment achievements at home. .

The Forum usually comprises an exhibition of the solutions to the Diaspora needs, discussions on challenges, and new opportunities. Financial institutions, the construction & building industry, trading houses and the private sector as a whole present their branded packages to the Ugandan Diaspora who usually lack information and knowledge about the home’s economic and investment climate.

Approximately 300 to 450 Diaspora members and their families, who make the annual Christmas holiday pilgrimage to Uganda, attend the Summit. Last year’s (2008) events were hosted in Gulu and Kampala. The out of Kampala meets give the participants a chance to see the countryside and the numerous latent investment and trading opportunities outside the capital.

This year’s summit will pay special attention to Investment and Trade opportunities in ICT especially Business Process Outsourcing and Multimedia, Value Addition to our abundant natural resources (Agriculture-Agro-possessing), Tourism, Health care, Education Bio-Technology etc.

There will be number of side events that will include i) Exhibitions and Fashion Shows where Ugandans at home and in the Diaspora with display their products and services, ii) Entertainment & Cultural Activities where participants will discuss the effects of modernisation on the culture, there will be training sessions on valued cultural norms including gender issues, iii) Youths and Children Activities which will include games and sports iv) Dinners, and Cocktails.

For further Information, please contact:

Mr. John Musajjakawa
Senior Investment Promotion Officer
Uganda Investment Authority
Twed Plaza, 2nd Floor, Plot 22B Lumumba Avenue
Tel: 0414-301161, Fax: 0414-342903
Email: musajja@ugandainvest.com or info@ugandainvest.com

Mrs. Doris Mitti Kimuli
Deputy Director, Communications & Public Relations
Uganda Investment Authority
Twed Plaza, 2nd Floor, Plot 22B Lumumba Avenue
Tel: 0414-301101, Fax: 0414-342903
E-mail: dmitti@ugandainvest.com, info@ugandainvest.com
Website: www.ugandainvest.com

The BarCampUK team

Yesterday I got a chance to talk to the team behind the upcoming BarCampAfricaUK [ SOLD OUT ]. BarCampAfricaUK is just another town hall meeting spurred by social media conversations and the subjects of ICT, development and Africa. The gathering is the next step in the long process of getting to the center of many issues around development in Africa. Ethel D. Cofie hopes that this gathering, like the many before, becomes a launching platform of collaborative ideas that will go beyond passing conversation and into reality.

Technology allows for an environment where multiple developmental goals can be achieved more efficiently.

Development in Africa is one of those subjects that you can discuss ad nauseum because it’s simply that complicated and there are so many solutions to so many problems. It’s a wonder that no one can agree on what is the most important thing to tackle first. The truth is all of it is important.

BarCampAfricaUK

The take away from this discussion was that while a concentration on ICT in Africa’s development is essential, the sector shouldn’t be viewed as the answer to all of Africa’s ills. Technology is going to be an enabler for all the development sectors, allowing for more efficient environment. We also have to broaden the definition of technology; careful not to simply limit it to telecommunications. Technology can enable better infrastructure, more efficient agricultural methods and educational systems.

Joining me on the call were Ethel D. Cofie (@etheldcofie), Tony Burkson (@TonyStark1), Conrad Taylor (@ConradTaylor, and Richard Tandoh. A live stream will be available during the event if you are not one of the lucky 200 participants at the sold out event. We’ll publish a link to that stream when it becomes available.

PD Podcast: BarCampAfricaUK [ Audio | 45:44 | MP3 ] [ Music: Disco Science by Mirwais ]
PD talks to the organizers of BarCampAfricaUK

UPDATE:

Looks like the event went off superbly. If you were unable to attend last week, the team has put together a wiki space full of content from the BarCamp. You can also peruse numerous articles written about the event here and here.

This weekend Cameroon will host the country’s first BarCamp in Douala on November 7, 2009 at Le Meridien Hotel. Be sure to check out their blog and Twitter streams for live updates on the nearly sold out event. Corporate support has really shown up big to help support the event with the likes of Google, Microsoft, Open Solutions Cameroun, Africa 2.0, Africa Startup Challenge and Limbe Labs as a sampling of some of the major sponsors.

The event is heavily tech-centered, judging by the caliber of sponsors. Considering it is a “unconference” format, I am pretty sure anything goes and those lucky enough to attend will get a full plate of exciting presentations.

I managed to catch up with Jean-Francis Ahanda, the main organizer behind this gathering, for a short Q & A over Skype. Ironically, due to bandwidth limitations, we were limited to an interview over IM. Even more ironic is the connection kept dropping out, so it took quite a few tries just to get the questions below answered.

BarCampCameroon is lining up to be very tech-centered, even though your internet speeds are still very much in need of an upgrade, how is the tech sector innovating with this limitation?
I think innovation is good but of course could be better if we had better infrastructure, better formation in school and of course one of the purpose of the barcamp is push inovation by sharing experience and ideas.

What motivated you to organize this BarCamp in Cameroon and tell me how this event came about?
The first motivation was the lack of tech events in Cameroon , the second was to put Cameroonian web community in the same room to share ideas, experiences, create connections between projects. I would like to add that this was not my idea alone. It was a group decision to make a BarCamp happen. To name just a few: Jeremy Brown and Bill Zimmerman from Limbelabs, Joel Nlepe from Africa 2.0, Fritz Ekwoge from http://kerawa.com  and Leslie Tita from Ringo.

I see we are suffering from connection issues, is that due to lack of power or bad internet connection. Can you describe your typical internet connection setup and costs associated with being online? It’s true that we have some power issues. Now regarding the internet access I think Cameroon made a lot of progress in last 18 months, we have multiple internet providers and due to that, cost has fallen. One of the major internet providers, RINGO is actually a major sponsor for barcamp and will provide us high speed internet acces during the event. In my case i’m using a WIMAX connection , the monthly cost is less than 30 USD for 256K. The’re also some providers that are using CDMA or DSL. We need more competion to bring the cost down and push providers to improve the quality of the service.

True, competition is always good in such a young market. What would you say is the percentage of the population able to afford a personal internet connection? Computer are much cheaper than a few year ago but i’m don’t think we will see the same numbers as for mobile phone users for sure.

In that case, do you see much of a future need for desktop computing in the country if the mobile is the lowest common technology accesible to the masses? Are we looking at yet another case of leap-frogging as smart phones get smarter, more powerful and cheaper? We will still need desktops, anyway most of computers that are sold here are secondhand coming from Europe or the US, this the only way to get cheap one. I don’t think the smartphone is an option especially because [they] can be more expensive than most of the computer sold here. And smartphone would mean 3G or HSPA or even LTE which is something we can’t dream about here for the moment as we are still hopping to have nationwide EDGE.

WOW! So truly Cameroon is just now getting its foot in the connectivity pool. What other kinds of technology sectors are beginning to emerge in Cameroon. Clearly telecommunications can’t be the only growing sector? We have innovation in every sector, [for example] Customs are now using GPS to track container in transit as an example of innovation. For me ICT innovation is the one driving the others sectors such as education.

So in terms of the BarCamp itself, what do you hope to be the knock on effect of so many sponsors and presenters gathering for the first time in Cameroon’s tech history? It’s going to be the biggest tech event ever in Cameroon and also in central africa ! we have more than 200 attendees, and around 20 journalist. All operators (mobile, fixed, internet) are represented. This is for me the birth certificate of the web community in Cameroon.

Of course you know I am going to ask if there’s a vibrant Cameroon Diaspora involved in your event this weekend? Is there a vocal Diapora in the Cameroon tech sector at all? Oh Yeah! The diaspora has taken an active part in the organization of this first edtion, we even have guys coming from the US and France.

Will you have enough bandwidth for a live-stream of some kind? Is there a Twitter hashtag for the event? “Internet Independence for Cameroon” is a Must Attend!

Will you have enough bandwidth for a live-stream of some kind? Is there a Twitter hashtag for the event? Yes our internet provider and sponsor will provide WIFI connection with full bandwith for the event. The hashtag we have been using so far is #barcampcameroon.

If you happen to be in London in October, make sure it’s on the 8th and 9th. The Project Diaspora team is gate-crashing the 2nd Africa Gathering event. If you have been procrastinating and haven’t bought your tickets yet, make sure to hit up the registration page and do so now, like right now. The last event in April sold out weeks before opening day.

The growing speaker list has a number of luminaries that have either appeared or soon will be appearing here on PD including; Ken Banks of Kiwanja.net & FrontlineSMS, Benjamin Lyon and the team at CreditSMS,  and Jon Gosier at Appfrica Labs (#afriPARTY anyone?) all have speaking slots. Molly Mattessich from Africa Rural Connect will also be making an appearance.

Yours truly will be presenting on Friday, October 8th. I’ll be giving a talk on customer service in Africa and the impact it will have on the continent’s future.

Last but not least, our very own Siena Anstis has been tapped for official Africa Gathering rappoteur duties. Fresh off her stint at UNESCO’s 35th General Conference, Siena will live-blog, tweet and file interviews on the Africa Gathering, PD, and THIS Magazine Canada blogs. Check back here for links to the articles as they are published.

Of course you can follow all three of our tweet streams (@tmsruge | @tracy1314 | @sienaanstis) during the event should you not be able to attend (lame!) in person. Until then though, you might want to also follow the team behind AFrica Gathering (@africagathering | @mjamme | @chiefmoamba).

All For Africa Promo Video from allforafrica on Vimeo.

Just got word that on Thursday, the 24 of September from 7 – 11 pm, L’Altruist in New York is having a trés chic benefit event for All For Africa. If you are in the area next Thursday and already booked, do yourself a favor and cancel your plans and head straight to Cain Luxe. The event gala kicks off at 7pm with a dance performance, and music by DJ Moma and friends.

The highlight of the evening is not the hors d’oeuvres, or the music or the dancing, but the opportunity to support a great cause. All For Africa’s mission is attacking poverty in Africa through their Palm Out Poverty initiative:

The Palm Out Poverty (POP) campaign is groundbreaking in its simplicity but even more so in its’ sustainability. The plan is straightforward: to plant one million oil palm trees on approximately 17,000 acres of land in West  Africa.  Once mature, these trees will yield approximately 300,000 barrels of crude palm oil each year for the next 30 years.

Book your $20 ticket through Eventbrite or pay $30 at the door. If you are unable to attend you can still buy a tree to support the cause.

Palm Out Poverty is essentially pledging to provide a 30-year lifeline to the same failed aid strategy of the last 30 years. Now that’s some great foresight. And, I am failing to understand why William H. Clinton didn’t address that minor detail in support of this initiative. It seems to me that the only “businessy” arrangement here is the sustainability of POP over the next 3 decades. Then again I could be wrong. Anyone else see what’s wrong with this picture?

Diaspora and the Cloud – Cloud Intelligence Symposium at Ars Electronica from TMS Ruge on Vimeo.

No longer is Africa’s rich cultural heritage, development and identity championed and hijacked by those from outside and treated as a footnote to human history.

Social Media tools are allowing Africa’s Neo Diaspora an opportunity to tell their stories, share their culture, collaborate, and engage in Africa’s development.

For the first time, Africa is contributing it’s collective intelligence to the collective human cloud of knowledge.

Africa’s story is increasingly being told by Africans.

This past week I was in Linz, Austria for Ars Electronica Festival. The theme of this year’s festival was ‘Human Nature.’ As such the Cloud Intelligence Symposium explored mankind’s collective human intelligence and it’s migration to the cloud the subsequent benefits and consequences of this impending migration. More in-depth primers on ‘Cloud Intelligence’ and ‘cloud computing’ can be perused here.

Along with other far more accomplished luminaries and thinkers than myself, we spent a day exploring various aspects of human nature and mankind’s collective intelligence through the use of tools that deliver location independent collaborative solutions and services. In particular, we wanted to explore the use of social media as the new platform for collaboration, integration and communication from various perspectives that ranged from the cloud and Environmentalism the the effects of the cloud and scientific study.

If you were to look at the list of speakers, you will no doubt agree that I was there mainly to learn from their extensive knowledge and perspectives. And learn I did.

Within my capacity of understanding, I shared a bit of knowledge on how the African diaspora is using modern communication tools—web 2.0 tools—like blogs, Twitter, and social networks as a platform for spurring development in Africa. Social Media tools are allowing Africa’s Neo Diaspora an opportunity to tell their stories, share their culture, collaborate, and engage in Africa’s development. No longer is Africa’s rich cultural heritage, development and identity championed and hijacked by those from outside and treated as a footnote to human history. For the first time, Africa is contributing it’s intelligence to the collective human cloud of knowledge. Africa’s story is increasingly being told by Africans. A look at the growing number of Africans that are connected to the internet, albeit nascent by global standards, paints a promising picture that soon a large part of the 900,000,000 Africans on the continent will be online. Until that happens however, a lion’s share of Africa’s cloud participation will be led by it’s very connected and vocal diaspora.

I published my slides to Slideshare if you’d like to take a look at the slide decks.

Update:
There was a round table discussion after the afternoon speakers had finished their individual talks.
A photo gallery of all the shots I took while in Linz is also available here:

Dr. Adebayo Discusses the partnership between Kennesaw State University and 2nd Kenyan Diaspora International Conference & Investment Forum

Akanmu G. Adebayo, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Institute for Global Initiatives
Kennesaw State University
Interviewed by Benin Brown

Benin: Can you tell us a little bit about the background of the KSU Institute for Global Initiatives?

Adebayo: The Institue for Global Initiatives was established to be Kennesaw State University‘s office to coordinate all of the university’s global learning initiatives. The institute was established in 2003 by merging a number of autonomous global learning units. So it was created with the idea of creating an international programs one stop shop for faculty and students where they can go for any international program related issues. So the Institute for Global Initiatives is the coordinator of both grants and programs that promote international learning amongst students and faculty alike.

Additionally, it has become the place where several regional centers are all housed. Those regional centers help KSU coordinate degree programs/to bring services to university that help to promote univesity’s involvement in those regions of the world. i.e. the center for African & African Diaspora Studies where we coordinate programs for Africa and the African Diaspora.

Also, we have the Center for Hispanic Studies where we coordinate programs about Hispanics in the US and also about Spain and Latin America. And last year we added the Confucious Institute, which is fully funded by Chinese Government, as place where Chinese culture and language will be learned by members of the KSU community. In nutshell the institute helps KSU and surrounding commuyntity become more aware of whats happening around the world.

Benin: Very true, Atlanta has been the international city of the South. One of the interesting things about Kennesaw State University is that although it is situated in Kennesaw, Ga; which is a suburb of Metro Atlanta it is not in actually located within the city limits of Atlanta. So my question is how was KSU able to do what it did, in terms of becoming an international city, outside of inner city limits of Atlanta?

Adebayo: You hit the nail on the head about location. In Business School we hear the adage that talks about location being a key element in marketing. Such is the case with KSU. The location is good because Kennesaw is a suburb of Atlanta, but also because it is within a short distance to the interstate, so you can get there very easily. And we have also heard from some of our students who are from the greater Atlanta metropolitan area that they like the campus because they consider it to be more convenient and safe than the Atlanta city limits. So what this means is that some of our students are provincial in their thinking and this gives us the opportunity to make an impact by bringing the world to Kennesaw.

In addition to location Kennesaw has foresight of a strong administration. They have taken internationalization as a top priority for the university. This is part of the reason that we have over 1500 international students from 140 countries and are able to send over 500 students per year abroad. In these harsh economic times, this is quite significant.

Benin: Why do you think that the first Kenya Diaspora Investment Forum was so successful?

Adebayo: In the 1990′s Kenya was the top country for sending intl students to KSU. And this is one of the reasons that the first conference was so successful-KSU’s large Kenyan student community. Interestingly, at that time, we were not doing any recruiting in Kenya. But I think that what happened is that the first group of Kenyan students to arrive were treated so well that those students told their brothers, sisters, and other members of their families-who upon hearing became students at KSU also. And these initial students increased our interest in KE.

Another reason is that each year at KSU we choose one country to highlight through lectures, cultural shows, classes, and etc. We had selected the 2006-2007 school year to be the Year of Kenya. The entire year we continued to feature activities about Kenya and soon enough the entire community became accustomed to the fact that every Thurs there was something special going on that focused on Kenya.

Additionally, the level of participation from the Kenya community all over the US was tremendous. And the Atlanta Kenyan Professionals Association (AKPA) worked with us to help plan the conference. Likewise, the majority of the attendees attended because they had been invited by friends or family.

Benin: So how do you explain affinity on the part of Kenyans for KSU ?

Adebayo: Well in the academic world we know that you get international students through many ways-recruitment, public awareness, and etc. But nothing is as assured as having students from the country that you want to recruit. That person becomes your biggest exposure to that particular market that they represent. Word of mouth even from just one student is very powerful. And we treat our students very well. Even as far back in the 90′s we’d already established an international center and today we now have an office of international student retention. So KSU does not leave anything to chance. We were very intent on creating programs to take care of students welfare. KSU is one of few Atlanta univeristys that makes health care insurance available and mandatory for its intl students. The Institute Global Initiatives continues to promote the academic welfar of its students.

Benin: What can you say about this years focus on ICT?

Adebayo: Well this year with the 2nd Diaspora conference on Kenya, we chose to focus on building the knowledge community. And this is because we’d like to have some impact on the way in which policies are determind in Kenya. Having a positive impact on the processes of economic development in Kenya is something that is important to us.

The focus on ICT is very timely. Kenya is just completing its fiber optic program, which will allow millions in KE affordable access to the internet. Kenya’s strategy is to be Africa’s main ICT center outside of South Africa.

What it also means is that we are able to dicuss these things and propose ideas about what needs to be done from a policy standpoint; we are able to propose ideas in a way that means we arent just talking about general business in Kenya. But we also view this as an awareness opportunity to expose American business people to Kenya as well. And what we are saying is that as a result of new technological developments there are new business opportunities that represent amazing potential for business people and investors.

You see…I often hear many of my counterparts in America referencing the potential for call center operators in Kenya, but the opportunity is so much larger than call centers. In fact, one could say that centers are just the tip of the iceberg. One of the areas that we see really huge potential in KE is in software development and distribution. You see, Kenya can derive revenue from sources outside of tourism. And again, with the economic climate that we are facing right now it is very important that this happens.

Benin: What do you think is the impact of Kenya’s Diaspora population on business in Kenya?

Adebayo: The Diaspora population increases the awareness of Kenya abroad. And with President Obama’s roots in Kenya, he has also done a lot to increase global awareness of Kenya. I think that the Diaspora community also provides Kenya with a unique opportunity to look beyond tourism. Because although tourism is great and there is nothing wrong with it, it does allow many opportunities to corrupt the local environment through pollution. Finally, the diaspora community also contributes to Kenya’s economic development as a source of funding.

Benin: I see and how does the partnership between KSU and The Kenya Diaspora Forum work?

KSU donates the entire venue to the forum which includes world class rooms, facilities, conference equipment and a safe environment. The Computer Science department takes the lead in helping with the presentation & etc. Likewise, KSU benefits because it allows the school to increase its awareness in Kenya to potential students

Benin: Is there anything else that you’d like to add?

Adebayo: We are looking forward to the conference and are very excited about the investment opportunities that will be discussed there, as well as the busines people that will be able to take part in this event. We are also excited because we have the chance to meet Kenyans who are planning to go back to Kenya for retirement because we know that we might be able to make an impact on what businesses they might be able to pursue once back in Kenya.

For more information on the upcoming conference, readers are encouraged to visit the official site-kenyaopen4business.com.

Not too long ago we covered the fact that the first ever WherecampAfrica was being held in Nairobi. Well, I neglected to follow up and there are some cool things that have come out of that event.

Firstly…. WHERECAMP KAMPALA!!!

WhereCamp Africa: Kampala is tentatively planned for Friday October 30th at the same venue as the Africa GIS 2009 conference. (I had to look it up, GIS= Geographic Information System) The event will occur on the final day of the conference and should allow plenty of opportunity for traditional GIS folks to interact with local developers.

A little about the GIS Conference:

AFRICAGIS is the premier conference and exhibition focusing on geo-information technologies and applications in Africa. The principal objective of AFRICAGIS is to provide a platform for geo-information professionals from Africa to learn about geo-information technology and its applications. It provides a forum for geo-information professionals to meet, interact, and be updated on new developments, products and emerging trends and issues.

There is more information coming, so stay tuned and well let you know about all the WhereCamp developments.

And if that is not enough mapping fun for you…. also in the works:
WhereCampAfrica Bamako!
In the planning stages for April 2010 during the 2nd annual African Geospatial week. During which the annual CGIAR-CSI (The Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research- Consortium for Spatial Information) meeting will take place. Keep your eyes peeled!

Along with all the camps the team at WhereCampAfrica in conjunction with Open Street Map and Development Seed is also planning a potential Open Source Mapping Project in East Africa: AfricaGIS Participatory Mapping Project.

From their Prospectus

The opportunity is immediately available to leapfrog the African mapping community into the latest accessible practices of the GeoWeb, utilizing open data, open standards and open source software for application and systems development.
This project aims to catalyze a dormant but otherwise very motivated African geo community through local, community based, but scalable participatory mapping

With four ambitious phases, this project works hard to get the participatory part right:
We have already told you about phase 1:
WhereKampala – An informal un-conference focused on mapping and spatial technology where participants set the agenda.

The rest of the phases include:
Map Kibera – Mapping the Kibera slum area of Nairobi to raise awareness, catalyze a community and test open data licensing with major vendors and initiatives

Mapping Parties – Expand on mapping Kibera and hold mapping parties in and around East African capitols including Nairobi, Kampala, Lilongwe and Kigali.

Open Source Geo Workshop - Train in the use of Open Source Geo technologies, including PostGIS, GeoServer, GeoWebCache, GeoNetwork and Open Layers immediately before or After the AfricaGIS conference.

This all volunteer project is looking for funding to get off the ground… so contact them if you are interested in giving this important project a helping-hand.

Find Jubal Harpster:
via e-mail: jharpster@wherecampafrica.org
Jubal on Twitter

WherecampAfrica on Twitter

For those of you looking for more information on the first WhereCamp:
One of the main objectives of the original camp was to showcase the opportunities that rapidly changing Information and communication technologies offer. The hope was to really leverage the media to raise awareness especially in the area of agricultural production and productivity. Media represented at the event included BBC, IPS, UN IRIN, Nation TV and Newspaper as well as the Africa Science News Service. The complete list of media outlets that covered the event is impressive. WhereCampAfrica Coverage Report_June2009

Recently was contacted by their event manager and was impressed by what I saw on their site. This looks like a fun event, totally worth checking out! So all you folks in London, stop on by and then let us know what you think!

Afrika Art is a family event that celebrates the diversity of the African
Caribbean culture through its Arts, its Crafts and its Flavours. While
listening to live bands with warm African vibes, scheduled or open mic,
you can browse through the vibrant market to find a rich selection of
creative objects ranging from fashion to crafts.

Afrika Art is every first Saturday of the month from 12pm till 7pm in the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E.

For more info you can visit the afrodiva site or call 07949 652 757. The next Afrika Art will be
on Saturday 01st August.
Free Entry

Just found out today the the flood of African BarCamps has added another member! BarCamp Cameroon is in the planning stages so if you are interested in lending your support please let them know! Join the Google group:

BarCamp Cameroon Google Group

BarCamp Cameroon Official Event Page

BarCamp Cameroon Blog

Follow Barcamp Cameroon on Twitter!

Ato Ulzen-Appiah On BarCamps Ghana and Diaspora from Project Diaspora on Vimeo.

BarCamp Diapora is coming up fast. For those of you living in our near DC sign up and join the conversation! Admission is free… What a DEAL!

When: July 25
Where: Kenney Auditorium, School of Advanced International Studies – Johns Hopkins
University, 1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Why: Investing Our Talents Where it Counts!
Who: Organized by GhanaThink

I was fortunate enough to have a chance to talk to Ato not only about BarCamp Diaspora, the first Barcamp intended to bring together Ghanians living in the diaspora and people interested in Africa, but also what it took to put on GhanaThink’s first effort: BarCamp Ghana. Barcamp Diaspora is not about a keynote speech and big name speakers but instead about Ghanians who are doing interesting and innovative things worth discussion. It is for anyone who is interested in using their skills, talent, and resources to benefit Africa. Which pretty much means anyone who is interested and has something to contribute to the conversation is welcome.

If you are interested in attending, Registation is FREE and you can sign up at the Barcamp Diaspora EventBright page.

Remember these events are only as good as the participants who engage with them. If you are planning to attend be ready to organize a breakout session, and be a part of what will make this Barcamp the best one yet! What to expect as Barcamp Breakout Organizer

These great folks all contributed to making BarCamp Ghana a great success and setting the bar for the next team. Plus check out your BarCamp Diaspora organizers! Be sure and let them know about your ideas and be ready to have an experience you won’t forget!

BarCamp Ghana team
Henry Barnor, Nii Simmonds, Ato Ulzen-Appiah, Shirley Somuah, Henry Addo, Kwesi Smith, Ashifi Gogo, Emmanuel Akrong, Worlali Senyo, Eugene Kofi Tandoh

BarCamp Diaspora team
Ato Ulzen-Appiah, Henry Barnor, Reginald Amoa, Seyram Avle, Christine Yieleh Chireh, Kobina Aidoo, Kwabena Amporful, Julia Mensah, Emmanuel Mensah, Abena Sackey, Nana Yaw Kwadade, Denise Twum, Emmanuel Akrong

Esi Yankah, CEO of The Africa Mentor Network, Inc. contacted PD with information on an upcoming networking event for Ghana’s enterprising youth to be held this August. The event will offer selected youth a chance to showcase their “innovative ideas and exceptional resumes” in front of Ghana’s elite business executives.

If you haven’t heard, then you are pretty late! The Africa Mentor Network is here and it’s all about Africa Helping Africans. They are launching their organization with a big bang, something new, something unique, and something you would love to be part of. It’s all about the African youth and the corporate executives! The signature “Speed Networking Roundtable” is the premiere-networking event in Ghana bringing together top executives of companies in Ghana with the African youth. This event also launches The Africa Mentor Network. Many African youth have very innovative ideas and exceptional resumes and are looking for that one opportunity to put their best foot forward. They are looking to pitch their big ideas as well as sell their exceptional resumes directly to corporate executives they would never get to meet on a regular day or possibly in their lifetime. These executives are also highly regarded and admired as role models to the youth and to the Ghanaian community. This event will give the youth participant a face-to-face chance to impress these executives and also network with them. This could open a great door of opportunity for them. Participants could get hired instantly, win a second interview, have their ideas adopted and more importantly establish long-term relationships. Participants are only given 2.5 minutes per executive therefore careful preparation becomes critical.

The great thing about this event is that it is an equal opportunity event; once you carefully prepare and pitch your resume and ideas well you stand an equal chance as any other participants. This event will introduce the art of networking into the Ghanaian community and create an environment where all corporate executives who may be competitors can come together for a common purpose. The event is set for August 12th at the African Regent Hotel, one of Ghana’s first class hotels and an authentically branded symbol of Africa. Corporate executives interested in being a part of this event should email Esi Yankah.

Applications will be put out middle of July on www.africamentor.org and public announcements will be made for Ghana’s youth participants to apply to be a part of this experience. A limited number of applicants will be selected. Participants of this event officially become members of The Africa Mentor Network and can participate in all their other Mentoring and Networking programs they will be implementing, and also enjoy all the benefits and opportunities that come with being a member. The organization is currently seeking sponsorships and donations for this event and for this organizations initiative. This organizations signature event will be held twice a year and will be held in other African countries. Any company or organization interested in helping to launch“ The Speed Networking Roundtable” event in their country should contact them through email.

The Africa Mentor Network is a 501(c)3 tax exempt not-for-profit organization founded to serve all of Africa. This organization was made for Africa by Africans because Africans deserve to have their own voice too! It founded based on a simple idea of helping the African youth to help themselves through mentoring and networking. Everyone needs a mentor in his or her life. Africa has all the resources needed to help motivate and inspire the younger generation to create awareness for themselves and help them realize their full potentials and advance in their social, educational and economic opportunities.

Esi Yankah is the President of this initiative, a Ghanaian citizen and a final year graduate student. Miss Yankah works with a wonderful team made up of Ugochukwu Nwosu, Bernice Karikari- Apau and Jacquelyn Knight Jackson. Visit their website www.africamentor.org today and join them on facebook! You don’t want to miss this event. Please direct all correspondence toesiyankah@africamentor.org.

If you are looking to invest in Africa’s burgeoning travel, tourism and real estate industries, then mark your calendar for the African Travel Expo 2009 to be held in Toronto this September.

According to the press release, “the purpose of the show is to promote tourism and real estate in Africa by bringing together African-based businesses and tourism officials with Canadian and American consumers.”

The full press release follows:

MEDIA RELEASE
July 1, 2009

OUR MISSION IS TO PROMOTE THE CONTINENT OF AFRICA TO THE CANADIAN AND AMERICAN MARKET

Toronto, ON – The African Travel & Real Estate Expo will take place at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, Canada on September 1 to September 3, 2009 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm each day. The Expo will feature exhibitors promoting travel, tourism and real estate products from Africa.

The three day expo expects over 100 exhibitors and 5,000 visitors. Exhibitors will include members from travel and tourism, real estate, government and corporate sectors. “The purpose of the show is to promote tourism and real estate in Africa by bringing together African-based businesses and tourism officials with Canadian and American consumers. Africa, to a large extent, has bucked the global slowdown and has shown growth in travel, branding opportunities, and investment” says Patience Chirisa, event organizer and president of African Travel Expo.

Sponsors for the show include South African Airways, Fedex, and CTV as well as many others. The Expo will effectively market to consumers by offering complimentary seminars on African travel and real estate products. A cocktail evening is planned for exhibitors, media, and government officials on the first night of the expo to promote networking opportunities. Admission to the expo is free and numerous prizes will be awarded including two round-trip tickets to South Africa.

Please visit our site: http://www.africantravelexpo.com

Special Discount
As of July 1, 2009 we are offering a 10% discount off the price of any registered booth. This special offer applies to anyone that reserves a booth using the promotional code provided on this announcement.

Promotional Code: MKIRK

For further information, please contact us:

phone: 1-905-912-5806
email: sales@africantravelexpo.com.
web: www.africantravelexpo.com

The 2nd Kenya Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum

So pleased to discover this event.
The 2nd Kenya Diaspora International Conference and Investment Forum

Big thanks to Mariam Ali Mucheru who not only participated in our survey but also took the time to drop us a line and let us know about this event.

The purpose of this Conference is to provide a forum for multiple stakeholders to engage the Kenya Diaspora and potential foreign investors on effective initiatives to build productive partnerships in support of Kenya and her development agenda.

Scheduled to occur Thursday, Aug 20, 2009 – Saturday, Aug 22, 2009
at Kennesaw State University just outside of Atlanta Georgia, its theme is “Building a Knowledge-Based Economy in Kenya: The Role of the Kenyan Diaspora” . They are still accepting proposals for the event until June 15th on the following themes:

ICT Mini-Conference Themes
1. Outlook of the ICT sector in Kenya: A Highlight of the Policy framework, infrastructure and Market Potential.

2. Broadband Access For All: Reaching the Masses with ICT – Strategies and Tactics.

3. Business Process Outsourcing: Kenya the destination for Business Process Outsourcing.

4. Geographic Advantages: Kenya As The Launching Pad For A Revolution In Ict In East And Central Africa

5. E-governance solutions: Improving transparency and Public Sector service delivery through technology.

6. Training and education for the ICT industry in Kenya: Meeting the human capital needs for a knowledge-based Economy.

7. Harnessing innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship: Opportunities for youth

8. Mobile Telephone in Kenya: A Case study for innovation & transformation

9. Application of ICT in health care delivery system: development of e-health solutions in Kenya

10 Protecting ICT Production: status of Intellectual Property Rights in Kenya

Investment Forum Themes
1. Investment and Business Climate in Kenya: Supporting Innovation and Entrepreneurial Culture

2. Mobilizing Capital for an Emerging Economy: Alternatives to Donor Funding- The Role of the Diaspora and Capital Markets

3. Banking and Financial Services Sector in Kenya: Establishing a Center of Excellence

4. Investing in Infrastructure and Real Estate Development in Kenya; harnessing the resources from the Diaspora

5. Meeting Energy Demand for a Growing Economy: Opportunities for Investment

6. Investing in Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Kenya: Opportunities and Challenges

7. Public-Private Partnership (PPP): Engaging the Diaspora

Conference organizers include:
Kennesaw State University, Institute for Global Initiatives
Association of Kenyan Professionals in Atlanta (AKPA)
Ministry of Information and Communication, Republic of Kenya
Kenya Development Network Consortium (KDNC) (actual site being revamped at the moment)
East Africa-American Business Council (EAABC)

Inspired by Barcamp Ghana, the first technology Barcamp in the last monarchy in Africa, will take place June 27th, 2009 in Mbabane, Swaziland. Organizers include Sabelo Dlamini of YouthAssets, and Wandile Nxumalo, CEO of Maestro IT. Stay tuned for interviews with them coming up on www.barcampswaziland.org. Follow them on twitter @barcampswaz

#Afridev panelist at South by Southwest: (L to R) David Kobia - Ushahidi & Mashada; Rose Shuman - Question Box; Erik Hersman - Afrigadget; Jon Gosier - AppAfrica Labs

This past weekend, I had the honor of being invited to be on a panel discussion at South by Southwest (SXSW), “Appfrica: How Web Applications are Helping Emerging Markets Grow” The panel was moderated by one of my favorite techies who’s single-handedly birthing Uganda’s “tech sphere,” John Jon Gosier. Jon is the founder of AppAfrica Labs, an incubator based in Kampala, Uganda. Joining me on the panel were David Kobier and Erik Hersman from Ushahidi and Rose Shuman, founder of Question Box. You can watch the video (bad audio feed) or read a recap of the discussion by ALEX DE CARVALHO or Jon Gossier.

While the topic of discussion centered mainly around the road blocks inherit in writing apps for developing regions like Africa, the underlying hurdle to the growth (and commercial viability of products in this space) is connectivity. Wether you are an African or a Westerner developing applications and technologies with global ambition, connectivity is going to affect how you build and roll out your product. This is not to say that all of Africa should be looked at as holistically unconnected. Certainly, there are markets in Africa where connectivity is vastly better;  South Africa and the Mediterranean North African countries, for example. The opposite holds of areas that have abysmal broadband infrastructure, like the DRC, Southern Sudan, etc.

But this patchwork service availability is a “now” problem, let’s look at Africa 24 months from now. Of the 5 serious broadband initiatives slated for completion in the next 5 2 years, SEACOM is in the process of landing this in Kenya and will be operational by this summer. The rest, including Google’s O3b Networks, go live within the next 18 months. In order to develop and succeed in Africa’s emerging “tech scape,” you have to have the ability to look around the corner and quickly predict what the environment will look like. Actually, that’s not even true, you have to have the vision to paint a picture of what you want it to look like! Look at the current conditions, spotty as they are, as gaping holes in market opportunities. Think outside the box. You have to think mobile, and mobile web. Africa isn’t a laptop destination, it’s a mobile-based application destination. What market solutions will you have ready to hit critical mass once this major stumbling block to market access is alleviated? You have to be able to finish the African Proverb, “When the cable arrives…”

SEEING THE BIG PICTURE AROUND THE CORNER

An article arrived in my inbox this morning that commented on Google’s acquisition of a startup video conferencing company. On the surface, Google acquiring another company is nothing earth-shattering. If fact, I am rather disappointed when a month goes by without Google swallowing investing in yet another upstart. But the landscape changes completely when you look around the corner and see what’s coming. Google is a major investor in O3B Networks (O3b), the nemesis to the uncoordinated consortium of highspeed undersea cable initiatives. Instead of laying fibre, O3b is betting on a constellation of 16-Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to the tune of $650 million. LEO Satellite access would be more beneficial for landlocked countries because [satellites] would provide landlocked countries direct access to broadband backhaul without having to traverse and negotiate rights of access to undersea cables with coastal nations. This also relieves land-locked nations from costly and wrangle-some partnerships like EASSy—instead, allowing them the ability to independently deploy high-speed networks countrywide and worldwide.

Lets look closer.

Google pretty much offers a host of very good services for free: mail, calendaring, photo-management, video, etc. What is/was lacking from it’s vast portfolio of products, was realtime collaboration tools. Enter Marratech, a video conferencing and collaboration company, that Google just snapped up. Marry that acquisition and a successful launch of O3b, and you’ve got yourself uninhibited, real-time, global collaboration that includes developing markets. (Pssst! Tech-savvy, entrepreneurial Diasporans! This is where the light goes off in your head, I am just saying). All of a sudden, the playing field is leveled. Access is ubiquitous. African software engineers think globally, not regionally. The sky, as they say, is the limit.

All this, of course, is assuming that O3b can negotiate country-level spectrum rights. Steve Song, a Shuttleworth Foundation fellow in South Africa and general telecommunications enthusiast had this to say about the many challenges facing O3b’s impending launch via email last fall:

If O3b works out, it will be very good news for Africa. However, I see a few challenges in the way:

1) regulatory challenges. 03b will have to negotiate a spectrum license for every country they land in. Regulatory frameworks in
Africa are evolving but there is still a lot of undue influence by incumbent telcos who may or may not be interested in seeing o3b
succeed.

2) LEO satellites. Previous attempts to establish connectivity via a web of LEO satellite have both failed. Iridium and Teledesic sucked up a ton of money and both failed. Launching a satellite involved a certain amount of risk. Just look at the last Intelsat launch attempt. O3b multiplies that risk by 16. Also, these are non-geostationary orbit satellites which mean that a) they don’t stay
up as long as other satellites and b) they need to manage constant hand-off of bandwidth connections as the satellite pass over.

3) Greg Wyler. Founder of Terracom, then Rwantel. Stories differ about what happened there but I tend to take the side of the
Rwandans…. in the words of Minister Albert Butare…. “Promises were made…”

True on all three counts, but I am putting my money on Google. No, I am putting my money on all the broadband initiatives headed to Africa’s digital shores to succeed. If it’s true that competition is good for the consumer, then the existence of these ventures is a good sign. O3b Networks builds out it’s satellite network, and EASSy, NEPAD, et al lay down down some mean fibre. All of a sudden the cost of Africa merging onto the information super highway drops through the Serengeti floor.

THE TAKE AWAY

A digital highway is being built not to Africa, but out of Africa. From business processes outsourcing to next-generation technology and incubation hubs, Africa is ripe for technology investments. It’s still early enough in the game to engage Africa. In fact, the time is right to ask @afridev where the market opportunities are. The time is right to look around the corner and see the big picture. “Africa is rising.”

UPDATE (March 21, 07:51)
Made spelling correction and added additional links for reference.

Under the heading Information is power. I am excited to see the focus of this new event is mapping technologies and how it can be leveraged for the good of the continent. Ushahidi has shown the power of crisis mapping so I am excited to see what develops from this first of its kind event in Africa!

WhereCamp is the free unconference for geogeographers, mobile location experts and social cartographers and all kinds of folks interested in place. We run shortly after the annual CGIAR-CSI meeting and bring together software developers, artists, geographers and academics for a one day extended discussion.

Topics might include:
Mobile location
Remote Sensing
Geoinformatics
Mapping and Agriculture
Food Security and Location
Community Mapping
Local Search
social cartography
Crisis Mapping
Iphones Androids and the way the web is falling into mobile
Expect to participate in conversations on the nature of place as described in pixels, with rays, on paper, and by social practice!

I was lucky enough to catch organizer Jubal Harpster and find out more about the world of mapping in general and this camp specifically.

Wherecamp Africa: Interview with Jubal Harpster from Tracy Pell on Vimeo.

Check out these other great mapping projects that Jubal shared with me.
Africa Soils
Harvest Choice
Crop and economic modelling for the whole contintent

And look for a new Water project (Agriculture Water Management) in a few weeks. I promise to post an update as soon as that is live.

WhereCamp Africa
Saturday April 4th
John Vercoe Conference Room, at the ILRI Headquarters in Nairobi.

Sponsored by:
CH2M Hills, AG Commons, CGIAR-CSI, Harvest Choice, ILRI, ict-km, and Ushahidi

So, in a year of awesome amazing tech conferences in Africa the last on of 2008 was BarCamp Ghana. Today Ato Ulzen-Appiah sent out this letter to all his Facebook friends.

Hello folks,

The first BarCamp Ghana event came off as scheduled and was a success.
Check out pictures from the event here
flickr
here are a number of blogs about the BarCamp event as well
Mighty African

Accra Books and Things

Genius Ghana
if you took notes for any of the breakout sessions, please post them to the group so that we can collate and make available for the attendees and the many others who’ve been asking about them.

Tsooboi!

PS: if you are in Ghana and you still want a T-shirt, contact Henry Addo at addhen at gmail dot com

So check out the links, check out the pics and send Ato some love for a job well done.

I finally got access to some decent bandwidth to upload photos of this month’s Facebook Developer Garage that was held in Kampala, Uganda. Follow the link to see all the action hi-rez glory.

Check it out!

Samasource’s Leila Chirayath Janar: Facebook Developer Garage Uganda (mp3)