International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

IDRC was one of our earliest supporters, providing funds needed to launch the APC Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP) activities around the world during the lead-up to the 1995 UN World Conference on Women. IDRC also provided support to some of the earliest work promoting connectivity through a network of store-and-forward notes in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe. IDRC continued to support initiatives of the APC WNSP, as well as the development of our Mission-Driven Business Planning Toolkit. IDRC also provided start-up support to our internet rights work through the Global ICT Policy Monitor project, with a focus on activities in Latin America and Africa. In addition, APC’s Betinho Communications Prize to recognise socially meaningful uses of the internet was funded by IDRC for the first two years, along with partial support for the APC Africa Hafkin Prize and, in 1995, for the APC Council Meeting in Brazil.

Work supported:

  • Feminist Internet Research Network (2018-2022)

  • Local Access Networks: Can the unconnected connect themselves? (2017-2018)

  • Mapping Gender and the Information Society (2016-2017)

  • A Rights-Based Approach to Internet Policy and Governance for the Advancement of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2013-2016)

  • Building research and communications capacity for an open, fair and sustainable networked society: The APC Action Network (2010-2012)

  • Implementation of a Business Development Strategy for the Gender Evaluation Methodology (GEM business model) (2010-2011)

  • Capacity Building and Institutional Support Project (INSPRO I and II) (2005-2010)

  • Communication for Influence in Central, East and West Africa (CICEWA) (2008-2010)

  • D-Island – online spaces for ICT4D practitioners (2010) Towards Détente in Media Piracy (2008-2010)

  • Gender and ICT Evaluation Methodology (GEM II) (2006-2009)

  • Communication for Influence in Latin America (CILAC) (2008-2009)

  • GenARDIS project (2005-2009) Feminist Tech Exchange (FTX) (2008)

  • Institutional strengthening and assessment of KICTANet (2007)

  • Harambee (2006-2007) GEM workshop in Asia (2006)

  • GenARDIS project evaluation (2006)

  • Making EASSy Easy (2006)

  • Capacity Building for Community Wireless Connectivity in Africa (2004-2006)

  • Gender Research in Africa into ICTs for Empowerment (GRACE) (2005-2006)

  • Media and ICT policy meeting (2006) Meeting of all wireless partners (2006)

  • Wireless Going Forward (2006)

  • Wireless Training workshop at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) (2005)

  • Global Gender and ICT Forum (2004)

  • Africa ICT Policy Monitor project (2004-2005) Africa Hafkin Prize (2003-2005)

  • Betinho Prize (2003 and 2005)

  • Gender and ICT Evaluation Methodology (GEM) (2003-2004)

  • LAC and Africa ICT Policy Monitor Projects (2003)

Link: https://www.idrc.ca/

FIRN: Feminist Internet Research Network
FIRN: Feminist Internet Research Network 15 November 2018

The Feminist Internet Research Network is a three-and-a-half-year collaborative and multidisciplinary research project led by APC, funded by the International Development Research Centre. The project draws on the study “Mapping research in gender and digital technology”, and the Feminist Principles of the Internet collectively crafted by feminists and activists, primarily located in the global South. 

What's new on the spectrum? “Let's make sure we can use it for what is needed”: A conversation with Peter Bloom from Rhizomatica
What's new on the spectrum? “Let's make sure we can use it for what is needed”: A conversation with Peter Bloom from Rhizomatica 14 November 2018 APCNews

Peter Bloom highlights trends in spectrum regulation, the importance of empowering communities to govern their own telecommunications, and the need to see spectrum as “a potential to communicate over the airwaves” rather than a commodity to be owned. 

Launch of the 2018 edition of GISWatch on community networks at the IGF
Launch of the 2018 edition of GISWatch on community networks at the IGF 08 November 2018

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will be the venue where APC launches the new edition of its annual publication Global Information Society Watch. This year, the theme of the report is community networks. Join us for a conversation with the authors on 13 November from 13:30 to 15:00!

What's new on the spectrum? "Regulation cannot be static: Flexibility is required to accompany technological advances" - A conversation with Carlos Afonso from Nupef
What's new on the spectrum? "Regulation cannot be static: Flexibility is required to accompany technological advances" - A conversation with Carlos Afonso from Nupef 07 November 2018

Like other common goods, spectrum has historically been subject to gradual curtailment and private ownership. There are opportunities to change this scenario, which will depend on a new understanding of what the spectrum is and how to use it, as well as participation by civil society in debates. 

Community Networks and Local Access Monthly Newsletter - Number 11
Community Networks and Local Access Monthly Newsletter - Number 11 25 October 2018

Welcome to the eleventh monthly round-up of developments impacting your local access networks.

Connecting rural South Africa: The case for community networks
Connecting rural South Africa: The case for community networks 05 October 2018 APCNews

“There is so much potential in rural South Africa, and with a little bit of capacity building, a lot of things could happen around affordable internet access,” said Carlos Rey-Moreno of APC's Local Access Networks project at the end of a workshop with the Technology Innovation Agency.

Community Networks and Local Access Monthly Newsletter - Number 10
Community Networks and Local Access Monthly Newsletter - Number 10 28 September 2018 APCNews

Welcome to the tenth monthly round-up of developments impacting your local access networks.

Who can still doubt the capacity of community networks to provide universal access?
Who can still doubt the capacity of community networks to provide universal access? 11 September 2018 APCNews

The Third Summit on Community Networks in Africa took place on 2-7 September 2018 in Eastern Cape, South Africa, with the aim of promoting the creation and growth of community networks on the continent.

Gender and community networks: Researching social and gender impact
Gender and community networks: Researching social and gender impact 30 August 2018 Nic Bidwell

In this fourth column on gender and community networks, Nic Bidwell looks closely at the processes and difficulties of research on the social and gender impact of community networks in rural places, and focuses on some issues encountered in the nitty-gritty of such research.

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