UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
PADIS Newsletter,Vol.11,No.3, 1996

PADIS Newsletter, Vol 11, No.3, 1996

Vol. 11, No.3, 1996


In this issue

News from PADIS

The World Wide Web at ECA

OAU Summit endorses AISI

The Programme on Environment Information Systems

Mali tourism data base

Mission to IGAD in Djibouti

PADIS training course on data base development

News and Notes

'Visions of the Future of Africa'

Personal Area Networking

Second Conference on Ethiopian Telecommunications

Information for Development

Information Technology

SISA class of '96

The South-East Asia Model

UNESCO releases 1996 CD_ROM

Publications

PADIS stops press

Librarianship in Developing Countries

A User's Guide to African Networks

National Trade Facilitation

Internet News

Mungo Park's Ethiopian Adventure

UNESCO on the Internet

Starling Developments

African Connections

PADIS Profile - Julie Sisskind

PADIS Calendar, October - December 1996

New entries in PADdev


News >From PADIS

THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT ECA

New technology in the development of computers and communications in recent years has opened up new avenues for the communication of ideas to have a big impact on everyday life. Users can send electronic messages to friends or associates and search for information under any topic imaginable using the Internet. The World Wide Web (WWW), used with browsing software, has had success in educational, entertainment and commercial activities. Universities convert volumes stored in libraries into Web sites, available everywhere. Humanitarian and environmental organisations are using the Web to keep people informed about global issues, and businesses are using the Web for commercial purposes such as advertising their products.Under a project inspired to develop cost-effective means of disseminating information about ECA, an ECA-developed World Wide Web site will dramatically improve access to information about ECA. PADIS will assist the various ECA departments to create tailor-made Web-sites; in 1997 advisory services in this area will be extended throughout Africa. The Web site functions as a means of letting anyone, anywhere know what the ECA is doing, in particular within Africa in the context of African development. Under construction is a section of meta-information on development information: how users in Africa can find information useful to them about development and Africa. The impact of the Web is phenomenal. Using the University of Pennsylvania (USA) African Studies Web site (see separate article: `PADIS Profile - Julie Sisskind') as a mirror site for its ECA materials, more than 6000 `surfers' a month have been downloading ECA documents, making 72,000 readers on an annual basis. This compares with normal print runs of between one and three thousand copies. In addition, every download is at no cost to the `poster'! The statistics, which are broken down by country, show an increasing number of African users each month as more and more African countries get connected to the Internet. (There are 23 countries in Africa connected today, an increase of 50% in the last six months.) The Web site (http://www.eca.un.org) is the prototype of the ECA Web site - it gives information on ECA, organised by the new renewal programmes and ECA's restructuring, including full texts of important ECA documents, as well as information supplied by ECA's divisions.

The PADIS team has also given assistance in the Web site and home-page design to the UNDP Emergency Unit Ethiopia. All ECA documents are now submitted for publication in electronic versions, in Word Perfect, by e-mail or on diskette. The information is then converted to a standard format at PADIS using HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). The HTML formatting of all documents on the Web, and accessible through the house LAN means everyone has easy access to every document in ECA. As well as a tool to store, the Web also structures and indexes information. Accessing of information is possible from different perspectives, not only hierarchical, but also under different subjects all connected by linkages. PADIS is also organising Web development courses, using HTML, to assist the various ECA divisions and other interested parties in creating Web sites and publishing their materials electronically. PADIS offers these courses to institutions in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa on a cost recovery basis. Information will be made much more available externally for potential donors, other United Nations organs, and an endless list of interested individuals worldwide able to view the progress of various ECA activities, increasing global interest in ECA.In line with the African Information Society Initiative adopted by ECA's Conference of Ministers in May, the PADIS team has also assisted Ethiopian institutions - public and private - in developing their on-line information - what is referred to as `infostructure' in the current emphasis on development of both information infrastructure and information content. Information about organisations from Addis Ababa University to the Addis Tribune (a weekly newspaper) are available at http://www.etonline.et, as well being mirrored at the following Web site: http://etonline.netnation.com. Information from the first site can be accessed by anyone from ECA (or elsewhere in Ethiopia) with a PC, a modem, and communications software. The second site can be accessed throughout the world. With the advent of full Internet connectivity under the auspices of ETA (Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority), the ECA sites will officialy take on their life in cyberspace.

For further information on the Web and Web development courses, please contact Ms. Betty Abera at PADIS at the address listed on page 1. Working on the Web site at PADIS are Betty Abera, Kibruyisfa Achamyeleh, Noelie Akande, Joanne Cabrera, Makane Faye, Lambert Hogenhout, Nanny Kempers, Neil Shaw, Julie Sisskind, Saddik Solbi, Betty Teshager, Teferra Woldeyes and Daniel Yacob.

OAU Summit endorses AISI

Two months after the ECA Conference of Ministers adopted the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), the Organization of African Unity Council of Ministers endorsed it as well. Meeting in Yaounde from 1-5 July 1996 the OAU Ministers affirmed their commitment to exploit the potential of information technology to integrate Africa effectively and equitably into the global economy. They stated that they felt information technology could accelerate the socio-economic development of the continent. In their resolution (CM RES 676 LXIX) they called upon African States to take immediate measures to implement AiSI. In doing so they suggested that States could utilize and capacities and experiences of national, subregional and regional centres of excellence in Africa. They urged regional organizations such as the Pan African Telecommunication Union and the Regional African Satellite Communication System to work together with international organizations and member States to realize the goals of the Initiative. They also requested the World Bank and Africa's development partners to use AISI as a guiding framework for their intervention in the area of information and communication in Africa.

The Programme on Environment Information Systems

The tenth meeting of the Advisory Committee of the programme on Environment Information Systems (EIS) in Sub-Saharan Africa took place in Cambridge, UK on 22-23 July 1996. Associate Expert Lambert Hogenhout represented PADIS at the meeting. The programme on EIS in Sub-Saharan Africa is a World Bank initiative that aims at the incorporation of EIS activities into environmentally sustainable development planning in Africa. Several technologies exist to collect, store and manipulate information particular to a certain place on the earth: Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), remote sensing, and softcopy photogrammetry. The term EIS in this initiative refers to the use of such systems in environmental and natural resources management.

The Cambridge meeting finalised the working group work programme and their structure. So far 12 working groups have been established, and PADIS has become a member of group 8 on Telematics and EIS. PADIS has also expressed its interest in becoming a member (or possibly convener) of working group 11 (Capacity building at African Institutions). Other general issues also of interest to PADIS included:

The next advisory meeting is tentatively scheduled in Madagascar 17-22 March 1997. A copy of the report of this mission is available upon request from PADIS at the address listed on page 1.

Mali tourism data base

PADIS trained 21 persons in Bamako involved in the tourist sector in the use of its databases on migration and tourism in Mali in August 1996. In a workshop held from 1-7 August PADIS staff members Makane Faye, Regional advisor in Information Systems and Lambert Hogenhout, Associate Expert in Database Development, introduced the database that PADIS developed at the request of the Minister of Industry, Handicrafts and Tourism in Mali.

The aim of the database is to capture information related to the entry of tourists and their use of tourist facilities in Mali. Participants at the workshop were trained in data entry and made recommendations for the improvement and extension of the database. They requested PADIS to undertake further work on the database so that it could operate as a uniform hotel reservation system. They also expressed the hope that the database could be extended throughout West Africa and to the entire African region. Once extended, they felt, it would help Mali have a better knowledge of the tourists it was attracting and would help the world to know the tourist facilities Mali offers. PADIS worked with Mr. Filifin Sacko, Tourism Development Officer, ECA Transport, Communications and Tourism Division, in the development of the database and the organisation of the workshop.

Mission to IGAD in Djibouti

A PADIS mission braved the heat of Djibouti from 25-28 September 1996 as a follow up to previous missions undertaken over the last two years. Computer setting-up, installation and training at IGAD (the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development) were the aims of the mission coordinated by Lishan Adam, Project Coordinator at PADIS and Amha Negash, network engineer. PADIS shipped equipment to Djibouti and ensured its arrival; set up a Local Area Network (LAN) at the IGAD Secretariat; connected IGAD to the local Internet service provider; and developed a strategy for bringing IGAD into the information age. The mission took place in conjunction with the USAID/IGAD/PADIS Greater Horn of Africa Electronic Networking Project.

Djibouti is one of the most expensive port cities in Africa, the UNDP estimating its cost of living at 1.8 times that of Addis Ababa or Asmara. For Internet users, the subscription fee is high at US$284, as is the monthly fee of US$200, but these fees will reduce with an increasing user base: there are fewer than fifty users at the moment. Upgrading the dial-up (PPP) connection to a full TCP/IP with accessible information should be the ultimate goal of the IGAD connectivity project. This awaits additional funding, but is expected to be covered under a Greater Horn of Africa Electronic Communications project extension grant.

The IGAD Secretariat can be reached by E-mail at: IGAD@intnet.dj.

PADIS Training course on data base development

A training course on data base development using PADIS methodologies will take place in Lome, Togo from 31 October - 8 November 1996. The introduction to PADIS methodologies for Information processing includes:

There will also be hands on training for creating national data bases, and an overview of the CDS/ISIS software for data base development. PADIS staff members undertaking the mission are Lambert Hogenhout and Teferra Woldeyes.

News and Notes

`Visions of the Future of Africa'

An exciting book project tentatively entitled `Visions of the Future of Africa' is being compiled pending contributions from dynamic and talented Africans under the age of 40. Each contribution should be from the personal perspective of the author centering around the following issues:

What do you think about the future? What are your visions, hopes, fears, ambitions, and goals for the future? What are your perceptions about the trends that will shape the world, your region, nation and societies? The year 2026 (thirty years from now) should be the focus, and contributions should be limited to 4000 words. The deadline for submissions is 30 December 1996, and authors whose articles are selected will be paid US$500.

The following information is necessary to be included in this far-reaching project: Name, Profession and Job Title, Nationality, Sex, Address, Telephone #, fax #, and E-mail. The book proposal and guidelines for contributions are available from: Olugbenga Adesida and Arunma Oteh at: B.P. 46 Guichet, Annexe BAD, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire; Tel: (+225) 44 80 81 / 44 70 02; Fax: (+225) 22 26 64 / 44 70 02; E-mail: jadesida@worldbank.org

Personal Area Networking

After the WAN (Wide Area Network) and the LAN (Local Area Network), here comes the bodybased PAN (Personal Area Network) linking various electronic devices carried by a person thanks to a technology developed by the US computer giant IBM. The technology transfers data from a pocketsized computer by using the human body's ability to transmit electricity. It would for instance allow to transfer electronic business card information between two persons equipped with the technology though a simple handshake or to transmit information from a pager to a cellular phone.

Second Conference on Ethiopian Telecommunications

The Ethiopian Scientific Society (ESS) will organise a second conference on telecommunications entitled `Ethiopian Telecommunications in the Information Age-II' to be held at ECA in Addis Ababa in early July 1997. The first successful conference, held in July 1996, dealt with issues such as the development of human resources for the information age in Ethiopia and financing African telecommunications. The second conference will revisit topics covered in the first conference as well as exciting new topics like the feasibility of distant learning, the performance of ETA (Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority), and Internet access in other African countries. Further details on the conference can be obtained from the ESS Internet committee at: (E-mail) damenam@seas.gwu.edu (Michael M.S. Damena) or ESS@his.com or check the ESS homepage at: http://www.ctr.columbia.edu/~nemo/ess

Information for Development

The Centre for Agriculture and Science - International (CABI) is an international non-profit organisation located in over ten countries in five continents. CABI aims to help improve human welfare worldwide through the dissemination, application and generation of scientific knowledge in support of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on developing countries. Under its recently opened Africa programme, CAB International currently has in excess of forty separate projects in twenty African countries.

CABI's information services include production of databases on research in agriculture, forestry, social science and aspects of human health. The databases contain more than three million abstracts of agricultural and related publications, and is available in printed and machine readable format. A new CABI programme, Information For Development (IFD), is designed to improve the provision of information to developing countries. The programme aims to assist developing countries with securing external finance in order to strengthen information systems. The IFD programme will also assist in the design and planning of sustainable library and information systems and encourage their inclusion in development projects and research programmes. Relevant Training, new technologies, tools, and information transfer delivery systems will be made available. In addition books, journals, and other information products and services on African agriculture and health will also be provided under the IFD programme. PADIS is participating in a CABI-organised workshop on health information exchange being organised in Nairobi in November 1996.

For more information, contact the regional representative for Africa:Address: CABI Regional Office for Africa, P.O.Box 76520, Nairobi, Kenya. Phone: (254) (2) 747 329/337. fax: (254) (2) 747 340.E-mail: CABI-ROAF@CABI.ORG or CABIROAF@ilrad.msm.cgnet.com

Information Technology

SISA class of `96

July saw the celebration of the graduating class at SISA, the School of Information Studies for Africa, at Addis Ababa University. The successful candidates completed the Master of Science in Information Science (M.Sc.I.S) degree. The two-year course, comprising of 33 credit hours of course work is one of the leading programmes in Information Science in Africa. The eleven graduates are equipped with skills in the planning and implementing of data and information systems based on computer and telecommunications technologies. Generally the graduates are expected to serve as leaders in the promotion of the transfer from manually-operated information storage and retrieval routines to computerised systems in various types of organisations in the region. Each student completed a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the M.Sc.I.S degree. The following three thesis from the current graduating class serve as examples:

Information retrieval by using e-mail facilities: a case study with home-grown agricultural databases in Uganda - by Jane K.F. Asaba.

Internet as an information service: opportunities in Ethiopia and connectivity conditions - by Fanta Adane.

An Online public access catalogue for the Egerton University Library System: a proposal and strategy for implementation - by Jane Grace Kidei.

The South-East Asia Model

The HIID Research Review, volume VII, number 3 (Spring/summer 1994) discusses southeast Asia as a model for accelerated development in Africa. Asian governments have seen economic growth as essential to their survival, and hired well-trained economists to direct economic policy. In the early stages of growth, the ASEAN governments invested in education, health and rural infrastructure, and dismantled protectionism. Only Botswana and Mauritius have succeeded in finding the four effective strategies for rapid growth; governance, utilisation of factor endowments, macroeconomic management, and industrial strategy. Most of these East Asian countries have little in common with Africa, they are: poorly endowed with land, richly endowed with educated labour and indigenous entrepreneurs, and are governed by disciplined and effective elites. The `ASEAN three' (Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand) had more in common with many countries in Africa when they began to develop rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, including a generous endowment of natural resources. The ASEAN three actively invested in primary exports and food production, building a secure base of savings and foreign exchange earnings from which to launch industrialisation.

UNESCO releases 1996 CD-ROM

UNESCO has released the 1996 edition of its CD-ROM of UNESCO databases, an expanded version which includes 11 databases. The CD-ROM contains more than 100,000 bibliographic references, as well as 6,800 reference entries andd listings of 5000 periodicals in social sciences.

The databases contained on the CD-ROM include:UNESBIB: UNESCO documents and publications (60,000 references); UNESTHES,(UNESCO Thesaurus, 7,000 terms); AIDS (preventive education against AIDS, 3,240 references); HEDBIB (Higher education, 19,000); IBEDOCS (Education, literacy and innovation, 15,400 references); IBETHES, (International Bureau of Education Thesaurus, 3,900 terms); ICOMMOS (Museums, Monuments and Sites, 31,480 references); DARE, Social Sciences: institutions, periodicals and specialists (12,000 references); ISISDIF (national distributors of miccro CDS/ISIS), 71 references; UNESDATA, database of UNESCO databases (85 references) and UNESCO Office Information Services (60 references).

Copies of the CD-ROM are available from UNESCO Clearing House; 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP France; e-mail: ditch@unesco.org.

Publications

PADIS Stops Press

PADIS recently published two books on Information management. The first, `Reader on Information Management Strategies for Africa's Development', deals with the lack of relevant data and information in African countries. Information power to support Africa's public sector development planning, execution, and evaluation offers very great competitive advantages in bilateral and international negotiations. The book is edited by Nat. M. Adeyemi, and is a compilation of experiences that have taken place in Africa. The second book, `Strategies for Human Resources Development for Information Management in Africa' is edited by Francis Inganji, Training coordinator at PADIS. PADIS's overall objective is to assist African member states in the development or strengthening of their information and documentation infrastructures. Trained manpower, continued education, and terminology and standardisation are some of the topics discussed in the book which is also a compilation of practical experiences that have taken place throughout Africa.

The two books are available free of charge from PADIS at the address listed on page 1.

Librarianship in Developing Countries

The IFLA/ALP (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions/Advancement of Librarianship in the third World Programme) have published the `Guide to Institutions supporting Librarianship in Developing Countries'. The guide lists groups prepared to give funding for projects concerning librarianship, information provision and reading promotion, and gives them an idea of what to do and how. Funding agencies include: international funding agencies, international non-governmental organisations, national development aid agencies, library associations, private foundations, and charities. Advice on how to obtain grants is given to applicants. For example about 90% of funding requests are rejected immediately. Many of these rejections occur because they fall outside the funder's stated area of interest, or because they do not show that the organisation applying has the ability to achieve the objectives of the proposal.

This guide (project report no.7) and previous reports (for example, project report no.5 has a paper entitled How to...exploit resources) are available from the following address - (and are free to IFLA members in developing countries):IFLA/ALP International Focal Pointc/o Uppsala University LibraryBox 510S-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden, Tel. +46-18-183989/90Fax. +46-18-183994E-mail: IFLA.ALP@ub.uu.se

A User's Guide to African Networks

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) published the second, revised edition of the `User's guide to electronic networks in Africa', in April 1996. The thick, handy guide is a must for anyone needing easy access to the present African electronic network status, as well as layman explanations for computer jargon. Thirty-five African countries with networking capabilities are examined in detail, from training and support to fees and contact addresses/numbers. For further information on the activities and publications of the AAAS Sub-Saharan Africa Programme, contact: E-mail: africa@aaas.org Tel:+1(202) 326-6730 fax:+1(202) 289-4958 URL: ttp://www.aaas.org/International/africa-guide/bynation.htm

National Trade Facilitation

The advancement of information technology is bringing nations together in a single global community - but a community more fiercely competitive than ever before. The World Bank published two technical papers on the subject, both entitled `Information Technology and National Trade Facilitation' under the sub-titles of `Guide to best practice' and `Making the most of global trade'. Electronic data interchange and electronic commerce are replacing the slower, more tedious paper trail. Time zones, national boundaries and distance are no longer limitations to competing in global markets. The World Bank publications examine costs, benefits, and best practices in applying information technology to trade facilitation.

In addition they provide essential information for decision makers promoting better trade practices in concert with international standards, common practice, and specific national goals. These and other World Bank publications are available from: Publications, The World Bank, 66 avenue d'Iena, 75116 Paris, France or, the Distribution Unit, Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.

INTERNET NEWS

MUNGO PARK'S ETHIOPIAN ADVENTURES

Microsoft is to mirror theirMungo Park WWW Adventure magazine on the PADIS Web site, bringing the Tekeze river journey accessible to Web `surfers' in Ethiopia. The adventure magazine recently covered the Tekeze river expedition, the first descent of the river which was closed for more than twenty years due to political turmoil in the region. Expedition progress was previously not accessible to Ethiopians within Ethiopia. The expedition was updated daily on the Internet, providing continuously renewed information for those able to `surf the 'Net', now including Ethiopians with access to PADIS' electronic bulletin board.

UNESCO on the Internet

In addition to its CD-ROM of UNESCO databases, a great deal of public information on UNESCO is available from its Internet services. This includes general information about UNESCO; UNESCO current events and press releases; a listing of UNESCO publications; information about UNESCO programmes; on UNESCO information services; on legal instruments and statistics. Links have also been established with all other United Nations gophers and web sites. The URL of the UNESCO Internet server is http://www.unesco.org.

Starling Developments

Starling Communications Ltd.(STARCOM), operators of the Arrow Internet Service, and Makerere University in Uganda have signed an agreement in which STARCOM will provide a free live satellite connection between the University and the worldwide network, Internet. Makerere University will become one of the first higher institutions of learning in east Africa to send educational and research information globally to the Internet. The agreement also allows any academic institutions within Uganda to connect free of charge to the Internet through Makerere University.

African Connections

The following are useful Web sistes to those interested in electronic network development in Africa:

1) http://www.aaas.org/international/africa-guide/index.html (for an overview)

2) http://www.worldbank.org/html/emc/documents/afrirev.html (analytical article)

3) http://www.nsrc.org/africa (text data country by country)


PADIS Profile

Julie Sisskind

PADIS has enjoyed the vibrant company of Julie Sisskind while she has been doing research in Ethiopia for her Ph.D. in Anthropology. She has a dynamic history with information technology, having initiated the reknowned African Studies World Wide Web site <www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/AS.html> at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). She has been at Penn for eight years where she headed the African Studies WWW project in her capacity as Outreach Coordinator for the Penn African Studies Center (PAS).

A wealth of information on Africa can be accessed with a few mouse clicks when browsing the African Studies WWW. This, the first Africa-focused web site, has developed in concert with contemporaneous technological and financial support, and has expanded enormously since its 1993 inception. In March 1993, Julie, as a graduate student, designed the original site at the request of PAS Director, Dr. Sandra T. Barnes. The original electronic bulletin board concept using Fidonet store-and-forward technology was soon replaced by a real-time connection on Penn's campus-wide information system, known as PennInfo. The first month of service saw 1,000 inquiries, the second 10,000 and today the web site receives over 500,000 `hits' monthly from all over the world.

Julie left for Eritrea and Ethiopia in 1995 to begin her Ph.D. dissertation research, and the continually growing web site was put in the capable hands of her colleague, Dr. Ali Dinar. Julie now reaps the rewards of her years of work on the African Studies WWW, as she sees how valued the site has become in both national and international circles. Currently, hundreds of thousands of `surfers' interested in gleaning and sharing information on a myriad of Africa-related topics use the African Studies Web site.

Today, Julie is proving instrumental in the exciting web development taking place at ECA. PADIS is fortunate to share in her expertise in the administration and management of a World Wide Web database. Ms. Sisskind plans to return to the United States in early 1997 to finish her Ph.D. and continue her work in the field of Information Technology.


PADIS CALENDER, OCTOBER - DECEMBER 1996

14-16 October: CIESEN Information Cooperative Partners' Forum, Saginaw. Michigan (USA).

15-17 October: Zimbabwe Computer Society conference, Harare, Zimbabwe.

16-17 October: F. Ebert Society Meeting: Regional Telematics Initiatives, Munich, Germany.

21-23 October: AISI/SIAHID Coordination meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

21-25 October: International Federation of Documentation Conference

and Congress: Globalization of Information. The Networking Information Society, Graz, Austria.

31 October-8 November: ECOWAS Computer Centre: training information professionals in PADIS methods, database development, Lome, Togo.

4-8 November: Second United Nations Regional Conference on Space Technology for Sustainable Development, Pretoria, South Africa.

4-8 November: Advisory services Tanzania on PADIS network participation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

14-16 November: CABI Health Information exchange in eastern and southern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.

16-18 November: Standing Committee - Harmonization and Standardization of Information Systems in Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

23-24 November: Advisory Panel meeting: STI in Africa, Washington, D.C., USA.

2-6 December: Advisory mission on the future of ESADIS, Lusaka, Zambia.

9-13 December: Standing Conference Eastern, Central, Southern African Librarians: Libraries and info services in 21st century, Maseru, Lesotho.


New Entries in PADdev

The following are some recent entries into the PADDEV bibliographic data base on social and economic aspects of development in Africa. Microfiches or photocopies of the documents are available upon request from PADIS at the address shown on page 1.

ECA, Addis Ababa, ET. Prospects for information technology in Africa. 13p. tables. 5 Mar 1996.

Conference of African planners, statisticians and population and information specialists,

Addis Ababa, ET, 11-16 March.

Mar 1996. DOC.NO. E/ECA/PSPI.9/9. Focuses on the prospects of information technology in Africa for the emerging information society. Discusses the four main technologies: desktop publishing, CDROM technology, online access and Internet connection which are very important in information access in developing countries. Describes the different service providers in Africa which connect users with microcomputers.

/Information technology*/, /access to information/, /information networks/, /Africa/. ISN: 11146

ECA, Addis Ababa, ET. Progress made in the implementation of the programmes on alleviation of poverty in Africa. 16p. refs., tables. 21 Nov 1995.

Conference of African ministers responsible for sustainable development and the environment, 1st Meeting of the Committee of Experts, Addis Ababa, ET, 47 Mar 1996. Conference of African ministers responsible for sustainable development and the environment, 1st ministerial meeting, Addis Ababa, ET, 89 Mar 1996. DOC.NO. E/ECA/CAMSDE/CE/6

Overviews the global picture of the African region's socioeconomic performance and gives an insight into its poverty profile by focusing on conceptual and measurement issues as well as on poverty magnitudes and related aggravating factors. It attempts to establish a nexus between poverty and the environment. The document highlights the various measures taken to alleviate poverty in the region with a particular emphasis on the roles of governments, donors, nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations and organizations in the UN system. Prospects for alleviating poverty in the region are sketched and those domains where poverty alleviation measures are found inadequate are identified. The Summary analyzes the region's poverty situation with a few, actionoriented recommendations.*

/Poverty*/, /economic performance*/, /social development/, /Africa/. ISN: 11153

Hussein, M.N. An overview of major ADB sponsored research on regional integration in Africa. 9p. Oct 1996.

AERC Conference on regional integration and trade liberalization in SubSaharan African countries, Addis Ababa, ET, 1011 Oct 1996.

Provides an overview of the major ADBsponsored research on regional integration. Summarizes the analysis of research outputs on economic integration and development in Africa, economic integration and structural adjustment in Africa and economic integration in Southern Africa. Gives an overview of their implications regarding the role of the Bank Group in promoting regional integration.

* /Regional integration*/, /economic research/, /economic development/,/ADB/, /Africa/ISN: 11170

Editor: Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.

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