On behalf of the Media Programme of the Netherlands institute for Southern Africa (NiZA), Chris Armstrong examined two projects in the media and communications sector in Angola. Aside of that, he also wrote an accessible report on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

middle class housing in Luanda

The Angolan civil war lasted from 1975 to 2002 – twenty-seven years that turned a resource-rich country into one of the poorest nations in Africa.

As reconstruction proceeds, there is an essential role for media and communications projects. But in a country whose last elections were held in 1992 – where oil, diamonds and vested interests can all pull against transparency and accountability – communications work is by no means easy.

Luanda

Chris Armstrong examines in ICT’s for Democracy – Media and the post-war reconstruction of Angola two projects in the media and communications sector in Angola. In Luanda, he studies Rádio Ecclésia’s use of cutting-edge technology as it prepares to take its dynamic and independent programming nation-wide. Then, in Huambo, he reports on the ANGONET Wireless Internet Access Project, which holds out the hope of bringing advanced yet affordable communications to a region isolated by years of war.

Exploring the political, material and practical challenges faced by those wishing to use open and independent information as a tool for building a new Angola, Armstrong assesses the projects’ potential, not just in terms of technology, but also in terms of people and the society they are helping – or hoping – to shape.

Techno-Hype or Info-Hope? - Southern African Civil Society Tackles the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS, known as "wuh-siss") is a two part summit, the first part having been held in Geneva in December 2003, and the second part scheduled to be held in Tunis in November 2005. The summit was convened by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – one of the oldest and least transparent UN bodies.

This report describes the activities of Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NiZA) Media Programme partners and their civil society colleagues in the SADC (Southern African Development Community) in the run-up to and during the WSIS First Phase in Geneva.

Both ICT’s for Democracy – Media and the post-war reconstruction of Angola (€ 9,00) and Techno-Hype or Info-Hope? - Southern African Civil Society Tackles the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) (€ 5,00) can be ordered at niza@niza.nl

More information: www.niza.nl/publications