Interesting article which links indigenous knowledge and ICTs to climate change resilience.

The underlying sense of ‘belonging’ and ‘connectedness’ to a social group can play a key role in the ability of vulnerable communities to cope with and recover from the impacts of climate change.

Acknowledging the linkages between cultural identity and climate change resilience is particularly relevant within vulnerable developing contexts given the richness of their traditional knowledge and cultural heritage, the need for innovative responses to the challenges posed by climate change, as well as the new opportunities provided by information and communities technologies (ICTs) to access, assess and use information and knowledge.

The notion of cultural identity is linked to the way in which we relate to the customs, practices, languages and worldviews that define a group or territory. It involves the conservation of social memory, the generational transfer of indigenous knowledge, the ability of a community to self-organise around common interests and shared values, and the maintenance of social networks that are based on trust and solidarity, among others.

All of these factors are pivotal in the capacity of vulnerable communities to deal with change and uncertainty, and to build resilience in the face of climate change.

Read the full article …

Interesting article on mobile broadband penetration in Kenya and the innovation it promotes.

The arrival of the undersea fiber cables in Kenya in 2009 has revolutionized the technology and economic sectors. Kenya is one of very few countries in Africa with a comprehensive framework set up in this regard. Average national download speeds have increased from 670.89 kbps in 2009 to 3,806.03 Kbps in 2011. Further, mobile broadband speeds have also drastically increased while cost of Internet access decreased.  Mobile broadband is the ability to access data, voice and video at high speeds over an Internet connection through a portable modem especially a mobile phone. Recently, Safaricom and Orange announced download speeds of up to 21Mbps on their 3G networks .

Read the full article at iHub …

The much disputed Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill — which will give protection to indigenous knowledge under SA’s existing intellectual property laws — has finally been approved by a parliamentary committee after nearly two years of deliberations and despite strong opposition.

Read the full article on the Business Day …

The Ulwazi Programme’s Niall McNulty is a finalist in the Highway Africa New Media Awards, taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre this weekend.  The awards honour people who ‘find innovative ways to overcome the limitations of the existing African infrastructure’, which we think is exactly what the new media component of the Ulwazi Programme does.  We wish him the best of luck and hope he comes back with the trophy!

Peter Machen, in an excellent publication developed for an exhibition at the Durban Art Gallery, explains why the street name changes took place in Durban, who the streets were originally named after and who the people behind the new street names are.

• Read the document (PDF, 10mb) …