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-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: "Murali Shanmugavelan" <Murali.Shanmugavelan@panos.org.uk><BR>
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2005 13:39:41<BR>
Subject: FW: Panos-GKP journalism awards 2005 - pl. spread the news. thanks.<BR>
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PANOS-GKP JOURNALISM AWARDS 2005<BR>
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Where is the money for bridging the digital divide?<BR>
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Panos and GKP are pleased to invite submissions for the 2005 Reporting on the Information Society awards. The topic for this year is Where is the money for bridging the digital divide?<BR>
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Four awards of $1,000 each will be made for the best journalism on this topic produced by journalists in developing and transition countries. The winners will also be invited to participate in the World Summit on the Information Society, in Tunis, in November 2005.<BR>
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These awards, which were launched by Panos and GKP in 2003, aim to encourage and bring to international recognition thoughtful and incisive reporting that goes beyond merely describing information projects or new investment initiatives, but also analyses their social and political impacts and policy implications.<BR>
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We welcome submissions from print, radio, TV and web journalists. Previous winners are not eligible to apply.<BR>
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To submit a piece of work for consideration, send a clipping, audio or video tape, transcript or web reference by email to: PanosGKPawards@panos.org.uk or by post to:<BR>
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Murali Shanmugavelan, Panos London, 9 White Lion Street, London N1 9PD, United Kingdom.<BR>
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The work submitted must have been published/broadcast after 1 January 2005. To see previous award winning stories, please go to:<BR>
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<A HREF="http://www.panos.org.uk/global/projectdetails.asp?ProjectID=1045&ID=1002">http://www.panos.org.uk/global/projectdetails.asp?ProjectID=1045&ID=1002</A><BR>
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Deadline for submissions: 15 September 2005<BR>
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This years theme: Where is the money for bridging the digital divide?<BR>
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New information and communication technologies (ICT) are transforming most aspects of modern life including business, customer and financial services, politics, entertainment and social interaction. Terms like the knowledge economy and the information society have become commonplace. But, as with other resources, access to ICT is unevenly distributed between rich and poor, north and south, giving rise to the concept of a digital divide.<BR>
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Some development analysts see the digital divide as a cause of poverty and underdevelopment: they believe that as the global economy becomes more and more dependent on ICT, those countries and people who are not able to use the technologies will be increasingly excluded. <BR>
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Other experts think the digital divide is just a symptom of poverty, similar to lack of education or poor housing, and that as people and countries get richer their access to ICT will naturally increase. As the Economist argued (12 March 2005), Fewer people in poor countries than in rich own computers... [and have] access to the internet simply because they are too pooror have more pressing concerns, such as food, health care and security. Others point out that the digital divide is now part of an overall development divide and therefore opportunities for increasing communication channels should be seen as a core activity of development.<BR>
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Another significant debate is over what if anything should be done by development agencies and governments to close the divide. During the preparations for the first part of the World Summit on the Information Society (Geneva, 2003) a proposal to set up a special international fund to support ICT development projects, the Digital Solidarity Fund, was hotly disputed. No agreement was reached, and the issue is likely to cause controversy again in the second stage of the Summit.<BR>
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Opponents of the proposed Digital Solidarity Fund (who include many northern governments) believe that sufficient funds are already available, and that private sector investment is often more successful than development project funding in providing ICT that meets peoples real needs. In any case, they believe that lack of money to spend on ICT is not the main issue for developing countries.<BR>
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Supporters of the Fund argue that private investment is not bridging the gap. They point out that the telecommunications revolution in Africa has mostly favoured urban areas and left villagers behind. Bridging the digital divide will be expensive, and poor countries need additional funds.<BR>
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Despite the lack of international agreement, a number of African countries joined together after the Geneva Summit to set up the Fund and look for innovative ways of raising money for it. One suggestion is to levy a 1 per cent tax on global sales of ICT software and hardware.<BR>
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The key question is: Are poor nations genuinely in need of setting up a new Fund to bridge their bridge the digital divide affecting their citizens?<BR>
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This question should be widely debated by governments, private and public communication service providers, development organisations and the general public, ahead of the November WSIS meeting.<BR>
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Some questions journalists might consider investigating include the following, and there are many more:<BR>
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&middot; What are the innovative ways through which poor people manage to join in the information revolution? (e.g. sharing a mobile phone)<BR>
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&middot; How have externally-driven (government, donor agencies) ICT projects increased opportunities for poor people to access information? (e.g. farmers accessing crop prices from a public kiosk)<BR>
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&middot; Have externally-driven projects lasted after the initial funding support came to an end, or have they proved unsustainable and died?<BR>
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&middot; What development outcomes has your country so far achieved by bringing new ICTs to the people? (e.g. distribution of land titles to the poor without corrupt intermediaries)<BR>
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&middot; In your country are there examples of private investment providing ICT access that poor people really find useful? Did the government do anything to help these private sector initiatives get established?<BR>
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&middot; Does your country need more money to bridge the divide? Are existing resources properly managed? What do people, policy experts, and politicians in your area think as to who should pay for bridging the digital divide?<BR>
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Panos London is currently producing a more detailed briefing paper on this issue as part of its Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) toolkit for journalists. If you would like to receive a copy please email C4D@panos.org.uk<BR>
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About us<BR>
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Panos London (www.panos.org.uk) is an NGO which exists to stimulate debate on global development issues, including media and communication issues. Panos works with journalists in developing countries to produce news, features and analysis about the most critical global issues of today. Panos London is part of a network of Panos Institutes in eleven countries.<BR>
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The Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) (www.globalknowledge.org) is a worldwide network of organisations committed to harnessing the potentials of information and communication technologies (ICT) for sustainable development. GKP is the world's first multistakeholder ICT for Development (ICT4D) partnership at the global level, with members comprising governments, donor agencies, private sector companies, civil society, networks and international institutions.<BR>
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Submission criteria and instructions<BR>
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Only journalists who are citizens of, or living in, developing or transition countries may apply.<BR>
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The work submitted can be a piece of print, radio, TV or online journalism.<BR>
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A journalist can submit as many pieces as s/he likes.<BR>
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Types of print/web article that will be considered include news reports, features, analysis, interviews, opinion/think pieces, and editorials. Broadcast pieces can also include debates and phone-in programmes.<BR>
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There is no maximum or minimum length.<BR>
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Submitted works should be stories or features relating to the question of whether additional development project funding is important in bridging the digital divide and enabling development. The story can focus on any technology-assisted communication medium, but it must extend beyond merely reporting an event to analysing its significance in the light of the wider development issues and the concept of the information society.<BR>
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We are interested in stories that take account of gender aspects of this debate.<BR>
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The work must have been published or broadcast between 1 January and 15 September 2005 (or publication/broadcast must be confirmed to take place before 30 September 2005) and you must provide evidence of this a newspaper clipping, web reference or broadcasting schedule (or details of broadcast station, time, date, name of programme).<BR>
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Video material should be submitted in PAL format. Audio material can be submitted on cassette, or as MP3 files.<BR>
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Print and online submissions can be in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. Radio and audiovisual submissions in languages other than English must be accompanied by a full transcript in English.<BR>
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Please give the following information with your submission:<BR>
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Name<BR>
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Employment (eg Business reporter with the Zambia Daily News)<BR>
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Postal address<BR>
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Email address<BR>
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Telephone number <BR>
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Your covering letter (in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese) should give some information about the medium in which your submission was published e.g. national or local newspaper, national or community radio.<BR>
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If your submission was originally in a non-European language, please state what language it is in, and give some information about the status and users of this language (eg It is the language of the xx people, who live in xxxx. This language is not the main language of the state, but there is one newspaper and two radio stations that use it.).<BR>
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Please indicate briefly some other stories about communication issues that you would like to research and report on, for which you might use the award if you received it.<BR>
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Reports that were commissioned by Panos are not eligible for this award.<BR>
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Panos will acknowlePanos will acknowl<BR>
Sent via BlackBerry Wireless.<BR>
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