The LAFF Society

Jeff Puryear worked in the Latin America and Caribbean Programs from 1973 to 1990.

Jeffrey Puryear and Michael Lisman

Post-quake Haiti should accept and build on its largely private education system.

In addition to killing hundreds of thousands of people, the tragic January 2010 earthquake in Haiti destroyed countless schools. Rebuilding those schools —and establishing new ones— clearly deserves high priority. Yet, it may be just as crucial to consider an overhaul of the education system to help it produce the learned and skilled citizens Haiti so desperately needs.

Developing countries whose populations are poorly educated seldom have the human resources and institutions necessary to break the cycle of poverty and sustain economic growth. Haiti is one of those countries.

Haiti is the country with the least educated citizens in the Americas. Approximately half the population can neither read nor write. School enrolment rates are low at all levels and only two-thirds of those who start primary school complete it; the limited information available on student learning also points to its poor quality. Government spending on education is roughly two per cent of GDP —among the lowest in the world. By most measures, Haiti’s schools are closer in educational quality and quantity to those of the poorest countries of Sub-Saharan Africa than to any of its neighbours in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Haiti’s schools also stand out for another reason: they are mostly private. The country is one of very few worldwide that educates most of its students in private schools, with 80 per cent of primary and secondary enrolments compared with just 20 per cent in public institutions (the higher education sector is small and roughly two-thirds public). These private schools include church, community and for-profit institutions. Some are better and others are worse than the public schools, which tend to be overcrowded and poorly managed.

Private schools have emerged over the past several decades because the government has failed massively to meet the growing demand for schooling. Private spending has filled this gap: at more than six per cent of GDP, private expenditure on education in Haiti is among the highest in the world. Estimates suggest that many poor families invest as much as 30 percent of their scarce resources in education. Clearly, Haitian parents are willing to make extraordinary sacrifices to educate their children.

The predominantly private character of Haiti’s schools is unlikely to change any time soon. The government’s ability to manage its social services, inadequate enough prior to the earthquake, has been devastated. It would have to more than quadruple its education spending just to enroll the children currently attending private schools, and would still have the lowest per-pupil expenditure in the hemisphere. That kind of spending increase is not going to happen.

This may be a pivotal moment for Haitian education, an opportunity to look beyond the short term crisis and set the long term foundation for what is to come. Beyond the massive challenge of reopening schools, Haiti and its partners should consider systemic changes that may do a better job of educating the poor than the pre-quake schools. Central to that process will be recognizing the predominantly private character of Haitian schools and building upon it.

There are, of course, no quick fixes, but several ideas ought to be on the table. First, donors should be willing to help any school —public or private—that serves the poor and is willing to improve the quality of its education system. In the short term, direct support for private and community schools that serve the poor may be the most productive approach, as long as their administrators agree to meet reasonable standards and be accountable.

In the longer term, emphasis should be on helping Haiti convert its de facto public-private education system into a properly managed, de jure one. Donors should work not only with the government, but with the private sector as well, recognizing the comparative advantage each brings to the table. They should take a lesson from successful public-private education initiatives worldwide, particularly in countries such as Bangladesh, Belgium, the Netherlands and Pakistan. The goal should be to create a system that, although diverse in its methods, is subject to common standards of performance and united by its aim to educate all children, including the poorest.

Several components of successful education systems ought to be considered. A good step forward would be to establish modern learning standards that specify what students ought to have learned upon completing each grade. These can be limited at first to reading and mathematics which are relatively easy to test and are essential skills for all other learning. Then, a simple but rigorous student testing system can be implemented to assess whether students are attaining learning standards or not. Haiti already has considerable experience with national student achievement tests. A testing authority need not be lodged in the government, but could be quasi-public or fully private, as is the case in many other countries.

Donors could help private school associations regulate the performance of their membership and support efforts to raise quality of education. These associations should rethink ways to attract, train and retain qualified teachers, and provide incentives to serve in poor schools. To reach more remote and underserved populations, the government and donors could explore proven approaches such as radio schools, which do not require sophisticated management or infrastructure. Radio education is a documented success in many countries and is usually cost-efficient. Haiti already has experience with radio schools and may be able to expand them rapidly.

The government and donors could expand existing small and experimental scholarship programs that provide families in need with funds to attend private schools, and consider rolling them into a multi-purpose conditional cash transfer program that reaches a significant portion of these families.

Finally, the government’s role in education should also be restructured to concentrate on setting and enforcing standards, assessing quality, promoting equity and providing parents with user friendly information on how well their children’s schools are performing.

By investing their meager funds in private schools, Haitians have dramatically demonstrated their demand for education. Haiti’s government and the international community should respond by rethinking how the system works, and helping guarantee that all schools, public and private, do a better job of serving their students.

For more information, readers can download Education in Haiti: The Way Forward (PREAL / Inter-American Dialogue, 2008).

Michael Seltzer worked in Governance and Civil Society in 1995-1998.

From PhilanTopic April 21, 2010

The War on the Poor

(Michael Seltzer is a regular contributor to PhilanTopic. In his last post, he spoke with Gloria Steinem about the economic downturn and its impact on women and nonprofit organizations that serve and support women and girls.)

In the midst of a recession that has seen millions join the ranks of the poor (the “new poor,” as Geoffrey Canada, CEO of Harlem’s Children Zone, calls them), one might expect to encounter more empathy for low-income Americans.

One group, however, isn’t that sympathetic — Tea Party members and conservative radio and television commentators. Indeed, to hear them tell it, concern for the poor, whether they struggle to make ends meet in the hollows of Appalachia or the barrios of South-Central Los Angeles, leads to one thing and one thing only: Big Government. And Big Government, as any Tea Partier will tell you, is the cause of our economic and political woes.

In an eye-opening front-page article (”Poll Finds Tea Party Backers Wealthier and More Educated,” April 14, 2010), New York Times reporters Kate Zernike and Megan Thee-Brenan shared some fascinating Tea Party data. According to a Times poll, a majority of self-identified Tea Party rank-and-filers said the policies of the Obama administration favor the poor, while 25 percent felt the administration favors blacks over whites (compared with 11 percent of the general public).

Such views are buttressed by the rantings of a small but vocal segment of the chattering class. The right-wing radio commentator Glenn Beck, for example, recently launched a campaign to vilify well-respected political scientist and City University of New York professor Frances Fox Piven for her work on behalf of the nation’s poor.

Piven’s crime?

As Peter Edelman and Barbara Ehrenreich explain in an article in the Nation (”What Really Happened to Welfare,” April 12, 2010), Piven and her late husband, Richard Cloward, hatched a “plot” some forty-five years ago in the pages of the Nation to get civil rights groups, social service agencies, and others to enroll large numbers of the eligible poor in the Aid to Families With Dependent Children program. The idea, says Beck, was to impose large spending obligations on the public sector, thus “breaking the system.”

Beck is hardly the first person to scapegoat those with the least as the cause of the nation’s fiscal woes. Indeed, the angry backlash against the disparate efforts and events that awoke America in the 1960s to the grinding poverty in its midst has been simmering for more than forty years. Those efforts/events included:

the publication of The Other America: Poverty in the United States by Michael Harrington (1962) and Let Them Eat Promises: The Politics of Hunger In America (1969), by Washington Post reporter Nick Kotz;
the Johnson administration’s War on Poverty and Great Society programs (1963-1969);
the creation of the Peace Corps (1961) and VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) (1964);
the leadership of individuals like Martin Luther King, Jr., and Sen. George McGovern (D-SD), who chaired the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs (1968-1977); and, most importantly,
the social movements that fueled and were inspired by these efforts.

My own coming of age was deeply rooted in the 1960s. I helped build an elementary school in Bafoussam, Cameroon, under the aegis of Operation Crossroads Africa in 1966, worked as a VISTA Associate at a Job Corps Center in West Virginia in 1967, and, after I graduated from college, “re-upped” with VISTA and worked in Kalihi-Palama, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Honolulu — all before I turned 22.

Like many members of my generation, I ended up pouring my passion and energy into nonprofit organizations and the nonnprofit sector. But while my peers and I embarked on our life journeys as idealists, our work was grounded in the realities of what it takes to effect real change in the lives of those who have been conditioned to view the American dream as unattainable. In part through our efforts, the number of nonprofit organizations in the United States more than doubled, from 309,000 to 790,000, between 1967 and 1977. Yes, some of those organizations stumbled and disappeared with the demise of the Great Society in the 1970s, although the majority managed to adapt, cultivating new revenues streams from foundations, local and state government, business, and the general public. Indeed, many evolved into strong institutions and today serve as a second safety net for both the new and old poor. In many cases, they’re also the only “trampoline” (to borrow Gloria Steinem’s phrase) for the newly poor and families trying to get back on their feet.

When I look around, I see a large number of nonprofits that are vibrant, living examples of their founders’ legacies — truly inspiring people like George Wiley, Wilma Mankiller, Saul Alinsky, Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, Harvey Milk, Cesar Chavez, Fannie Lou Hamer, and countless others. And when those people are attacked by conservatives and anti-government types, our vital work is being attacked as well.

While the financial crisis and economic downturn have left us with fewer resources — both human and financial — to continue that work and fight the message promulgated by the Tea Partiers in our midst, we can take comfort from the fact that the majority of Americans believe that our nation has an ongoing social contract with its least fortunate citizens. History can teach us many things, and one of those things is that it is on our side.

– Michael Seltzer

Comments

ThirdWay said…
I am one of those tea party members who also happens to be a professional social worker and philanthropist. I am protesting Wall Street and Washington.

I believe in the basic truth that every individual has been created in God’s image and has dignity and worth, regardless of position, intelligence, sex, religion, race, sexual orientation, or politics.

Since I hold firmly to this truth I also believe that it is fundamentally right to serve and help another. It is also fundamentally wrong to secure a benefit at the expense of another.

I reject Conflict Theory and it’s philosophical and political offspring of Marxism and Socialism. I also reject the unbridled greed of Capitalism and the not-so-free market system of Corporatism. The end result of both systems is wealth and power in the hands of a few elite.

In Socialism the elite are the political class who maintain power by redistributing wealth and playing class warfare. The elite in Capitalism are the corporations who use their wealth to buy government influence and crush real free market through monopolies, bailouts, and “to big to fail” policies.

There is a better way, a third way. The goal is prosperity for all without taking from any.

To get there you will have to give up your old worn out ideas based on Conflict Theory, and your opponents will have to give up their selfish ambitions.

Socialism preaches “fairness” but it is flawed because it is motivated by envy. Left unchecked it ends up institutionalizing envy. Capitalism preaches “freedom” but is flawed because it is motivated by greed. Left unchecked it ends up institutionalizing greed. Both are built on a faulty win-lose paradigm.

The third way preaches “empowerment” because it is motivated by justice. It is built on a win-win paradigm.

In a Capitalist system, ownership is in the hand of a few rich. In Socialism, ownership is the hand of the state. In the Just Third Way, everyone can truly by an owner. It is the only system that decentralizes power and thus eludes the corruptible nature of centralized power.

George Wiley, Wilma Mankiller, Saul Alinsky, Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, Harvey Milk, Cesar Chavez, Fannie Lou Hamer, are prophets of of a kind of revolution built on a sandy foundation of envy that only leads to a different bunch of despots.

We can do better.

Reply April 22, 2010 at 11:07 AM

Michael Seltzer said in reply to ThirdWay…
I find your characterization of all the key social movement leaders that I mentioned in my article unseemly and a profound disservice to their historical contributions. Each leader played a critical role in eliminating structural barriers that impeded substantial numbers of Americans of enjoying the fruits of our democracy

This is especially true since all of those that I mentioned except Gloria Steinem are deceased, and are not able to respond to your charges. And of course, Harvey Milk was assassinated for his beliefs of equality for all.

I was very privileged to have known them all, and each stood up to injustices that marred American democracy and the hopes put forth by the Declaration of Independence. They are all American patriots.

Reply April 22, 2010 at 02:31 PM

ThirdWay said in reply to Michael Seltzer…
Michael,

I do not question the contribution or success of the social movement leaders you mention. I honor their legacy but also question the basic sociological theory that motivated their work.

It is fundamentally flawed and ultimately leads to power shifts with different set of winners and different set of losers.

Those leaders, with the exception of Steinem, did not live long enough to witness the power shift. I wonder, if they did live long enough to see the tables turned, would they fight equally as hard to secure justice and fairness for their former oppressors.

It is like what Caroyln Todd posted, “ongoing struggle to improve life for all Americans, not just the privileged few.”

It is the “us verses them” mentality of the conflict theory that must stop. To continue the work those social movement leaders began we must change our thinking and our language.

If our arguments and our work is always cast in rich v poor, white v black, straight v gay, men v women, kinds of rhetoric then it only makes sense that the conflict will only continue.

I appreciate your article and for allowing a dissenting voice.

Reply April 23, 2010 at 11:30 AM

ThirdWay said in reply to ThirdWay…
In short: Flawed paradigms lead to false dichotomies.

Reply April 23, 2010 at 01:29 PM

Carolyn Todd said…
Mike, great commentary and historical perspective on the ongoing struggle to improve life for all Americans, not just the privileged few. And also brings back to me such wonderful thoughts and memories about how you personally impacted me and the direction in my life. Your passion and optimism continues to be a shining beacon and inspiration for me and many others.

Non-profits and community organizations have become smarter over the years about what works and doesn’t work to truly help people better their lives. And they have been forced to become more resourceful in attracting resources such as business partners and private donations to continue their important work.

The flaw in Third Way’s thinking that I see is the reference to the important social movements and the leaders you mention as proposing “big government” sort of solutions. Or marxism/socialism? No, I don’t think so.

The leaders you mentioned became leaders because they were, first and foremost, grounded in local communities, saw critical human rights issues and profound poverty or injustice that needed to be addressed, and solved problems/created programs locally at first. Over time they became national leaders because their local work was lauded and it worked. The de-centralization-centralization argument is a smokescreen that in my mind is just rhetoric.

By the way I am encouraged by what I’m seeing at the business school where I teach. There is an emerging interest, expressed recently to me by many business students, in learning about non-profit careers, about social marketing, or about business partnerships on sustainability. The search for breakthrough and innovative solutions to poverty will be fueled not only by leaders like yourself, but by a new generation that will instinctively think globally.

Reply April 22, 2010 at 09:02 PM

Michael Seltzer said…
Thanks, Carolyn, for adding your own voice to this discussion, and for sharing the hopeful signs emerging among Penn State business students. There are other clear signs that a new socially-concerned generation is emerging, such as an upturn in applications to Peace Corps, Cross-Cultural Solutions and other international nonprofit service organizations. Not only is history on our side, but there is strong chance that the future is as well.

Reply April 23, 2010 at 02:24 PM

Carolyn Todd said in reply to Michael Seltzer…
A quote from one of my marketing textbooks on the meaning of “sustainability”: “This refers to the idea that socially responsible companies will outperform their peers by focusing on the world’s social problems and viewing them as opportunities to build profits and help the world at the same time. It is also the notion that companies cannot thrive for long (i.e. lack sustainability) in a world where billions of people are suffering and are desperately poor. Thus, it is in business’s interest to find ways to attack society’s ills.”

New initiatives are underway at business schools to explore the notion of sustainabiity. A lot of people think about this as just environmental sustainability but in fact it’s much broader than that.

We are seeing now the impact of diversity initiatives that were promoted by social change activists in the 60’s and 70’s. It took business 30 years to fully embrace diversity as not just the legal or right thing to do, but a necessary requirement in order to compete in the global economy. Basically business discovered (somewhat accidentally through Affirmative Action laws imposed on them) that diversity was good for profits - that by attracting the best talent regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, etc. they would outperform other companies that were less open to expanding their talent pool.

So I don’t know how long it will take for businesses to embrace the idea of sustainability, but I see positive signs in the current proliferation of marketing partnerships between businesses and non-profits. There is self-interest as well - businesses have discovered that by aligning with non-profits they can create customer loyalty that increases their revenues and market share.

Mike, you have a different perspective from your expertise as a non-profit fundraising consultant. I’m curious as to what you see in these business/non-profit marketing partnerships. Do you see a permanent trend leading to more non-profit resources in the future or are you thinking that this is a passing fancy by business that, once every business starts adopting a charity, will become old-hat and less attractive to business because such partnerships will no create a competitive advantage for business?

Reply April 23, 2010 at 03:15 PM

Betsy Fitzgerald said…
Michael,
Thank you for the perspective on this troubling latest eruption. While they may believe their ideas are new, their narcissism is as old and tired as other movements that place humanity at the bottom of the scale. Since I had the great honor of working with you on some of the nonprofit projects of the late 60s, I appreciate your solid commitment to community. You continue to inspire.

Reply April 23, 2010 at 02:38 PM

Carl Anthony worked in the Community and Resource Development Program in 2001-2007

From http://green-changemakers.blogspot.com

By Carl Anthony

Peter Bell worked at the Ford Foundation from 1964 to 1977 in Education and Research and the Latin American & Caribbean programs.

From The Hauser Center at Harvard University - Submitted by Sherine Jayawickrama on April 15, 2010 – 9:31 pm

Mohamoud Jibrell served as Chief Technology Officer at the Ford Foundation in 2003-2010.

From the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

APRIL 08, 2010 The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) today announced that Mohamoud Jibrell has been named as its next Vice President, Information Technology. “Mohamoud brings a wealth of experience to HHMI as a leader in information technology within the non-profit sector,” said Robert Tjian, president of HHMI. “He brings vision, as well as a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across a distributed organization.” “Mohamoud brings a wealth of experience to HHMI as a leader in information technology within the non-profit sector.” Robert Tjian Jibrell joins HHMI from the Ford Foundation in New York where he served as chief technology officer with global responsibility for IT operations in 13 locations. Over his seven-year tenure at Ford, he led major initiatives to streamline the foundation’s IT operations, in addition to the development and implementation of new enterprise-wide systems to support its worldwide grant-making activities. These efforts included implementation of a strategic plan, the integration of global information technology infrastructure and the consolidation of application systems into a single facility. Mohamoud Jibrell Vice President for Information Technology Photo: Paul Fetters A high-resolution photograph is available on request. Request a photo As chief information officer and director of information technology for the Washington, D.C.-based American Psychiatric Association from 2001-2002, Jibrell led a major realignment of the systems that support the APA’s publishing and other activities. He also has extensive experience in the manufacturing sector and held positions in information technology and product management with the Thermo King Corp., a division of the Ingersoll-Rand Co., that manufactures heating and cooling systems, from 1992-2001. From 1998-2001, he was a global product manager with responsibility for a line of bus air conditioning systems manufactured in the U.S., Czech Republic, China, and Brazil. Trained as a mechanical engineer with a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., Jibrell began his career as an engineer with the Otis Elevator Co., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., in Farmington, Conn. He was born in Somalia and moved to the U.S. as a teenager. He lives in Vienna, Virginia with his wife Teha and their three children. Jibrell serves on the board of Samasource, a non-profit organization that leverages the power of the internet to provide paying work to marginalized people, including refugees and disadvantaged women around the world. He is also a member of the board of XBRL US, Inc., a non-profit consortium that supports business reporting standards in the United States through the adoption of XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language).

President Obama said, “The Commission on Presidential Scholars is charged with recognizing the future leaders of our country and honoring them for their outstanding achievements. I am grateful that these impressive men and women have agreed to serve on this commission and help a new generation realize their potential and pursue their dreams.”

A few of the appointees are:

Reginald Lewis, Appointee for Member, Commission on Presidential Scholars

Reginald Lewis currently serves as the City Administrator for the City of East Orange, New Jersey, where he oversees the complete day-to-day operations of all municipal services for 70,000 residents.  As the City’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Lewis manages a workforce of nearly 1,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $131 million. From 2005 to 2006, Mr. Lewis was Executive Vice President at the United Way in Newark, New Jersey.  He also previously served in senior management roles in New Jersey State Government from 2002 to 2005 as Special Assistant and Director of the Commissioner’s Office of External Affairs in the Department of Human Services and as Special Assistant to the Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Abbott Implementation in the Department of Education. Mr. Lewis also spent nearly eight years serving on the program staffs of various foundations as Program Assistant to the Director of the Urban Poverty Program of the Ford Foundation in New York City, Program Officer at the Victoria Foundation in Montclair, New Jersey, Program Officer for Education at the Joyce Foundation in Chicago, and Director of Policy and Program Development at the Fund for New Jersey.  Mr. Lewis holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Morehouse College, and a M.A. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

Donald M. Stewart, Appointee for Member, Commission on Presidential Scholars

Donald M. Stewart is currently a Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy Studies where he has taught since 2005.  He previously served as CEO and President of the Chicago Community Trust. Prior to joining the Trust, Stewart was a Senior Program Officer and Special Advisor to the President at the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For over 12 years, Mr. Stewart was President and CEO of the College Board, which provides SAT and Advanced Placement assessments to help students make the transition from high school to college.  Stewart is also former President of Spelman College, the 129 year old historically black women’s college in Atlanta.  Stewart was a program officer in the Overseas Development Division of the Ford Foundation serving  in Nigeria, Egypt and Tunisia.  He is currently a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  He earned a B.A. from Grinnell College and a M.A. from Yale University as well as Master and Doctoral degrees in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.

Michael Seltzer was with the Ford Foundation in 1995-1998 in Governance and Civil Society.

Becky Lentz who worked at the Ford Foundation in Media Arts and Culture from 2001 to 2007, will be a guest speaker.

Published on A2Knetwork.org (http://a2knetwork.org)

By Jeremy Malcolm

The Consumers International Global Meeting on A2K 2010 is to be held at the Holiday Villa hotel in Subang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 21 and 22 April 2010.

The meeting will bring together CI members and other NGOs from around the world to discuss and collaborate on issues of access to knowledge (A2K) and communications rights. Highlights will include the launch of the Consumers International IP Watch List [1] for 2010, the launch of CI’s new film on A2K, and a preview of the results of our access barrier survey [2].

Don’t miss the most important day on the A2K calendar for the global consumer movement!

. Agenda [3]

. Paper abstracts [4]

. Registration [5] - now open!

. Sponsors [6]

Agenda

Paper abstracts

21 April 2010

. The launch of the 2010 IP Watch List will include the following presentation from a member:

. 300th Anniversary of the Statute of Anne Speaker: Saskia Walzel, Consumer Focus Abstract: April 2010 marks the 300th anniversary of the Statute of Anne, considered the first Copyright Act. The successor 1911 Act was the model for many other countries. In the UK copyrighti [23] law exceptions (fair dealingi [24]) were very strong until the 1911 Copyright Act and have been eroded since. The scope of copyright has also extended over time, starting with books, expanding to drawings etc in the 19th century and then sound recordings, motion pictures and databases in the 20th Century. Similarly the Statute of Anne only awarded the exclusive right to copy and issue copies to the public - other uses such as adaptations, translations etc were not covered. Over time almost all uses were brought within the scope of copyright. This talk will offer an overview of these developments.

. The report on the A2K Access barrier survey will include a report from our consulting statistician, Dr Karuthan Chinna, along with a short presentation by member PROTESTE (Brazil) and this lengthier one from Atlas Sais (Morocco):

. The role of stakeholders in the education system and access to knowledge / Le rôle des acteurs du système éducatif dans l’accès à la connaissance Speaker: Najib el Amrani EL Idrissi and Mohamed Abdou Ammor Abstract: The integration of ICTi [25] into the education system improves its performance. This technology has advantages in terms of cost and flexibility, but faces constraints of IP rights. Alternative means are free but are not known and used by the broad public. A policy of capacity building for users is to be developed. The extension and integration of training in the use of free software should be conducted by the education system. The strategy should encourage the promotion and support of free software developers and content. / L’intégration des TIC dans le système éducatif permet d’améliorer ses performances Cette technologie présente des avantages en terme de coûts et de souplesse mais se heurte aux contraintes des droits de PI. Des moyens alternatifs et gratuits existent mais ne sont pas connus et maîtrisés du large public. Une politique de renforcement des capacités des utilisateurs est à développer. La vulgarisation et l’intégration de la formation à l’utilisation des logiciels libres devraient être conduite par le système éducatif. La stratégie doit favoriser la promotion et l’appui aux développeurs de logiciels et contenus libres.

. Reports on Australian and Israeli research Speakers: David Vaile (University of New South Wales, Australia) and Nimrod Kozlovski (InternetLaws, Israel) Abstract: Our research partners from Australia and Israel, representing both their respective institutions and also our member partners CHOICE and Israel Consumers Council, will present on their national-level research on the effect of consumer-friendly copyright exceptions and limitations.

. The session on national-level advocacy and campaigning activities will include reports from CAI India, CAO Nigeria, NCF South Africa, RACE Cameroon, ZACA Zambia, and IDEC Brazil. For the last of these the following abstract has been provided:

. Reforming the Copyright Law in Brazil Speaker: Guilherme Varella Abstract: The proposal of Idec’s presentation is to discuss the ongoing process of reforming the copyright law in Brazil and to show some actions developed by the Institute referring to consumer’s interests in this area. The Brazilian copyright law dates from 1998 and have received no update after the dissemination of the the digital age. Now, the federal government promises a new bill of act reforming Brazilian copyright law to be introduced in National Congress in beginning of 2010. In the same House, it increases the number of acts that provide still more restriction to consumers, as the keeping of personal customers information, the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) responsibility of reporting suspected crimes and behaviours of their users and the interruption of internet access, even without judicial order. As the Idec, several organizations are mobilized to obstruct these kind of projects and participate of the copyright reform construction. To contribute in the process of reaching rules that balance the rights of authors and rights of consumers to access information and culture, Idec develops activities with four main specific objectives: (1) advocate for consumer rights in the new copyright law in discussion in Brazil; (2) articulate with and establish partnerships with the educational sector; (3) disseminate information about the consumer rights and the copyright law reform in Brazil; (4) promote public debate, bringing views of experts, representatives of the federal government, parliamentarians and partner organizations. These are the points of Idec’s paper and presentation in the meeting.

. The report on CI’s Strategic Plan for 2010-2012 will include the following presentation from a member:

. Promoting Human Rights in the Information Society Speaker: Khalilur Rahman Sajal, General Secretary, Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Abstract:The information society must be guided by objectives of peace, justice, equality and sustainable development at social, economic, cultural and demographic levels. It must permit access to the means of information and communication to all. Priority must be given to those who today are excluded from the information society. It must limit to the maximum extent possible its negative impact on the society. Promotion and establishment of human rights in information society is urgently needed. The information society must guarantee the right to freedom of expression and information. It should be in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Articles 19, 27 and 28, which stipulate that `everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression’ and that `everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community’. The information society must be firmly based on democratic foundations and on a real participation of all citizens. It should place the notions of communication, exchange and empowerment at the heart of its concerns and recognize local initiatives as crucial to its functioning. For promoting human rights, information society need information and communication technologies in public and private administrations, obligatory international funding mechanism, links between the `traditional media’ and new information technologies and community access to information and communications, knowledge transfer through training programs for women, freedom from license restrictions on primary software code, use of open source as an alternative way of encouraging innovation and the development of adequate technologies.

. Evaluation of the project Speaker: Becky Lentz Abstract:Dr Lentz will describe the research that she is conducting by way of evaluation of the A2K project, and will invite members to participate.

. Dinner and movie night Location: Coriander Garden Restaurant, Holiday Villa Subang Hotel Programme:

. When Copyright Goes Bad (CI film)

. Big Buck Bunny

. RIP: A Remix Manifesto (CI remix)

.

22 April 2010

. Libraries and Access to Knowledge - Partners with Consumers Speaker: Mariana Harjevschi, eIFLi [26].net Abstract: Access to knowledge (A2K) is essential for the functioning of open and democratic societies, economic development and innovation, culture and creativity. As the mission of libraries is to provide access to the world’s cultural and scientific knowledge for current and future generations, libraries play a key role in the global A2K movement. This presentation will examine the role of libraries, especially from the global south, and how libraries are natural partners for consumers and consumer organisations advocating for access to knowledge. It will focus on the work of Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL.net), a global network of libraries in developing and transition countries and its programme “Advocacy for Access to Knowledge: copyright and libraries”, known as eIFL-IP, and will highlight the tools and learning resources available. It will look at Moldova as a case study for strengthening advocacy in the non-governmental sector in the project “Advocacy for Fair Copyright Laws: the role of libraries”, that aims to work with a range of civil society allies in Moldova. Finally, it will look at practical ways in which members of eIFL.net and CI can work together.

. Intellectual Property and development Speaker: Rami Olwan, Research Fellow at CCI, Center of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation, Australia Abstract: To be provided.

. Cyber-Security and Consumers Speaker: Philip Victor, Director, Training, Skills Development and Outreach, IMPACT Abstract: Cybersecurity is a growing issue and it involves everyone today. With organisations and individuals dependent on information technology, the window for cyber threats will continue to grow. Attacks can happen from anywhere and with the growing number of users today, unsecured computers are being used by attackers as launching pads. Users awareness have become more vital than ever in order to reduce these attacks. In a borderless society it is important that governments, industry, academia, international bodies and individual users come together and collaborate in order to mitigate cyber threats and attacks. International cooperation and partnerships are crucial in realising this and creating greater awareness and savvy internet users. IMPACT is the first comprehensive global platform that brings together governments, academia, industry and international bodies to enhance the global community’s capacity to prevent, defend against and respond to cyber threats.

. 15Malaysia and Creative Commons Speaker: Pete Teo, recording artist and entrepreneur Abstract: To be provided. This session will likely include a short film screening.

. Access to Knowledge in the Information Society: Reconciling Consumer and Citizen Frameworks in Transnational Rights Advocacy Speaker:Dr Becky Lentz, McGill University, Canada Abstract: This paper presents the early stages of interdisciplinary research on Consumers International’s transnational project: A Global Consumer Dialog and Advocacy Network on Access to Knowledge (A2K) Issues. Consumers International is the world federation of consumer groups that serves as the only independent and authoritative global advocacy voice for consumer issues.The research seeks to provide civil society organizations and their funders guidance on how to structure advocacy in the field of communication andinformation policy (CIP). The study draws on insights from 1) social movement research, 2)critical discourse analysis, 3) public policy studies, 4) information society studies, and its cognate field, 5) communication and information (CIP) policy studies. Methods include online survey research accompanied by follow-up in-depth interviews.

. Government Initiatives in Promoting Free/Open Source Software in Malaysia Speaker: Firdaus Aziz, Adon Solutions Abstract: The Malaysian government (or at least certain quarters in the government) are aware of the benefits of Free/Open Source Software (FOSSi [27]). There a few initiatives done by a few government agencies in promoting FOSS in the government itself. We would like to highlight the reception to these programs.

. Developing a statement on A2K Speaker: Michel Bauwens, P2P Foundation Abstract: To be provided.

. Mapping A2K Advocacy Speaker: Eddan Katz, EFF Abstract: Access to Knowledge (A2K) is about intellectual property (IP), but it is about a lot more than that. It is about the new wealth generated in the transition to a global knowledge economy and the democratizing freedoms enabled by the information society. A2K is information policy rooted in human development and human rights and also in the demands of social justice, distributive equality, and identity politics. A2K is also a positive public interest agenda that affirms social norms and production models facilitating peer collaboration and democratic participation. There are groups identified with A2K that advocate for international and domestic legal reform enabling flexibility for countries in various stages of economic development with different cultural contexts. Licensing frameworks for the dissemination of various kinds of knowledge to build the information commons is an important focus of A2K solutions. A2K suggests a new narrative about globalization revealed in the direction and control of information flows in science, education, culture, and other areas of knowledge. It is the normative foundation of an information age conscious of the social responsibility embedded in our technological infrastructures. This essay is an attempt to make sense of A2K from the policy level, in the networks of movements for whom the idea of A2K resonates.

. African Copyright and A2K (ACA2K) Project: Egypt’s Report Speaker: Dr Perihan Abou Zeid, Pharos University, Alexandria, Egypt Abstract: Dr Zeid will introduce the ACA2K project, which aims to probe the relation between copyright law and access to knowledge with regard to education and learning materials. Working with the ACA2K project are 30 experts in 8 countries: Uganda, Mozambique, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Kenya.

Sponsors

Consumers International acknowledges the kind support of the following institutions:

. Ford Foundation [28], the primary funder of our A2K programme including this meeting;

. Open Society Institute [29], which funds the IP Watch List and access barrier survey; and

. Centre for Internet and Society India [30], for its special additional sponsorship of the meeting.

Event Date and Time:

21/04/2010 00:30 - 22/04/2010 10:00

Beverly Levine worked in various departments at the Foundation from 1984 to 2003.

Beverly Levine was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Town of Greenburgh (Westchester) for being a Women’s History Month Living Legend. It was awarded for life-long commitment, dedication, leadership, expertise and, most significantly, outstanding and meritorious contributions to the quality of life in the Town of Greenburgh, contributing to the designated status of the Town of Greenburgh as “A Best Place to Live in America”.

Rosalia Sciortino worked in the Jakarta and Manila offices from 1993 to 2000.

This synthesis report reviews the provision of contraceptive services and commodities in Southeast Asia, assessing progress in achieving contraceptive security and meeting the reproductive health needs of the region’s population. The purpose is to systematize fragmented knowledge into an integrated evidence base for follow-up study, advocacy and action.

The report was written by Dr Rosalia Sciortino and commissioned by the Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, through a grant provided through Project Resource Mobilisation and Awareness (Project RMA).

Project RMA is a joint effort of Population Action International, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the German Foundation for World Population to increase political and financial support for reproductive health supplies at global, regional and national levels.

Download the web version of the report as a PDF at http://www.asiapacificalliance.org/images/stories/contraceptivesecurityreproductivehealthneedsweb.pdf