If someone had said to me four years ago that a new electronic newsletter on social justice in Africa would reach a readership three years later of more than 80,000 people every week, most of them in Africa, and that this could be done without forming an alliance with media magnates or multinationals, I would have told them they were insane.

And yet that is exactly what Pambazuka News has succeeded in doing. Almost without realising, Fahamu has become a publisher of news and with a constituency that not only consumes what we produce, but also actively feeds information to the newsletter on a regular basis.

How did this come about? What were the features that led to this modest success? And are there lessons for others from these experiences? Answering the first two questions is relatively straightforward. How far our experiences can be generalised for African publishers seeking to harness information and communications technologies (ICTs) is more difficult to answer: we have used publishing as a means to an end, rather than as an end in itself. And that, perhaps, provides a clue to what others might take from our experiences.

The context

Pambazuka News was the serendipitous offspring of a programme established to harness ICTs for strengthening the human rights movement in Africa. Its birth was intimately intertwined with an attempt to develop distance learning materials for civil society organisations in Africa.

In 1997, Fahamu set out to examine how developments in information and communications technologies can be harnessed to support the growth of human rights and civil society organisations in Africa. Like many others, we saw the potentials opening up with the growth in access to the internet.

Although less well developed than in the industrialised world, access to the internet has spread rapidly in Africa. In 1996 only 16 countries had access; by 1998, 49 of the 54 countries were online, with most African capitals having more than one internet service provider. By 2001, all African countries were online. According to Mike Jensen, the number of computers permanently connected to the internet extended beyond 10,000 in 1999, but this probably grossly underestimated the actual numbers, given the widespread use of .com and .net addresses.

Since the early 1990s, Africa has witnessed a flourishing of numerous organisations of civil society, including non-governmental organisations, membership organisations, professional associations, religious groups and movements. The period has also seen a significant growth in the number of organisations concerned with promoting and protecting human rights. Human rights activism is not, of course, new to Africa. It has been a feature of all democratic struggles in the region both during and since colonial times. However, it has largely been during the last decade that there has been a proliferation of self-proclaimed human rights organisations whose explicit purpose is to investigate, monitor and report on violations or abuses of human rights and to campaign, lobby and advocate for these rights. Our view was that the ability of the African human rights movement to open, maintain and expand an environment in which basic freedoms are respected will depend largely on the establishment of a critical mass of organisations that have the necessary skills both to promote and protect human rights.

Could the new technologies be harnessed to strengthen this movement?

When we first started, the idea seemed simple enough (if rather naive): given the development of the worldwide web, we should be able to produce web-based distance learning materials and establish a web-portal to bring together relevant information resources for this constituency. Human rights organisations would in this way, we thought, be able to access the material as they needed. But before we could launch such a website, we needed to know what kind of training such organisations needed.

Understanding needs

In 1998, we undertook surveys involving more than 100 human rights and civil society organisations in eastern and southern Africa. We wanted to know how such organisations used the internet, what kind of technology they had access to, what their training priorities were, and the way they managed their organisations. We were able to visit the offices of about 60per cent of the organisations interviewed, enabling us to inspect their ICT infrastructure and to test out the problems of accessing the internet.

Although most organisations had access to email, access to the web was found to be much more problematic: organisations expressed frustration with how long it took to download web pages because of low bandwidth, and irritation with the number of times they had to dial in to re-establish connections over the telephone lines. One of the biggest constraints to accessing the internet was found to be the cost of going online: the average cost of using a local dialup internet account for 20 hours a month in Africa is about $60 (including call charges). To understand the relative scale of these charges, $60 is higher than the average African monthly salary.

We found that many of these organisations had difficulties accessing training. In part, this was due to the relatively high cost of course fees. In addition, faced as they are by the day-to-day demands of activism in a frequently hostile political environment, with deteriorating economic conditions, and ever-increasing public demands on a small number of committed and experienced staff, many of these organisations have difficulties in giving priority to capacity building either within or beyond their own institutions. We found that most training undertaken by human rights and civil society organisations in the region was in the form of short workshops. In-depth training was rarely possible without long absences from work, and therefore relatively few have attended longer, residential courses. Given the fragility of many of these organisations, many said that prolonged absences of key staff threatened their viability.

Our survey confirmed the findings of previous studies on the training needs of human rights organisations in the region , . Their priorities included: skills training in fact-finding, investigation and monitoring; knowledge and application of international and regional standards and mechanisms, especially in the field of social and economic rights; strategies for human rights litigation, reporting complaints and adjudication; provision of paralegal services; campaigning and lobbying; documentation techniques and uses of documentation; monitoring of elections and trials; popular education and human rights education.

Because of the problems of access, relatively few organisations at the time had much experience in using the internet for systematic research beyond investigations using the most common search engines. Few had experience of using the internet in their advocacy work. However, most organisations did have computers with a modem, which they used mainly to collect and send emails. Most had at least one computer with a CDROM drive, with 32-64MB RAM capacity as the norm. Except in South Africa, the ratio of computers to staff was about 1:4. The operating systems that were common at the time were Windows 95 and Windows 98. Few computers had sound or video cards.

Most organisations stated that they would be interested in participating in distance learning courses, provided that they did not have to rely on the web.
Our research pointed out clearly what kind of training was required. But how could that be delivered using ICTs?

Developing interactive course materials using ICTs

Any strategy based on offering courses via the worldwide web was doomed to failure, given the difficulties of using what one wag called the 'worldwide wait'. Furthermore, any technologies we developed were going to have to be workable on what were, even then, low specification machines. If the web was not going to be practical, then we would need to develop materials that provided similar interactivity offline. Using some kind of interactive programme stored on CDROM seemed the obvious solution.

If we were to develop distance learning course materials, how would we enable interactions between course participants? How would they communicate with each other and with their course tutor if online discussion via the web were not a practical route? Given the ubiquity of email, it was clear that we would need courses organised to use that form as the principal means of communications.

We designed our courses with three phases. In the first phase (usually lasting about 10 weeks), participants are provided with carefully designed interactive CDROM that helps them to learn the subject at their own pace. They are connected to each other and to the course tutor via an email list where they discuss issues arising in the course of their studies, and where they hold asynchronous discussions on topics set by the tutor. During this phase, they are required to complete and submit via email as attachments a series of assignments. Their work is formally assessed by the course tutor.

In the second phase, those who have completed the first phase satisfactorily are invited to attend a 3-4 day workshop held at a convenient location. As a result of what participants had learned in the first phase, there should be a considerable homogeneity in the participants' knowledge and understanding of the subject. The depth to which the subject can be treated is therefore much greater than would otherwise be the case.

In the third phase of the course, participants are required to carry out a practical project, putting into practice what they have learned during the first two phases. They are mentored through this work by their course tutors. They prepare a written report on their project that is then formally assessed.

There were a number of challenges in developing appropriate learning materials. We commissioned authors to write the materials based on an agreed framework of learning objectives and outcomes. Authors were provided with guidelines on, and examples of, the range of interactive exercises and 'tricks' that they could use as part of their courses. They produced their manuscripts electronically in Word or other similar formats. The manuscripts, based as they were on extensive courses that spanned several months, were always substantial in length. The first challenge we faced was to work out how such large quantities of material could be transferred to an interactive medium that could be stored and delivered on CDROM.

After extensive research, we had decided that we would use Macromedia Director as the medium for delivering the course materials. Although this required somewhat complex programming, and although other software programmes are available for this purpose, we chose Director principally because it gave us the flexibility for producing the range of exercises and interactivity that we knew would be required. However, we were also concerned that we should not be imprisoned by the choice of software or platform: what if tomorrow the web became a practical route for delivering our course materials - would that mean we would have to start all over again? What if tomorrow we wanted to move the material on to another platform - for example, on to palmtop computers (PDAs)? How could we 'future-proof' our developments?

The route we eventually pursued was to separate the content of the learning materials from the formatting: we did this by parsing the word documents into XML. The XML was then fed into Director dynamically. This allowed us to work on the manuscript whenever we needed to, using word processing software to edit and revise the manuscripts as required. With a library of interactive exercises developed over time, it became a relatively straightforward procedure to call these up as and when required. This approach resulted in a considerable speeding up of the process of production

At the same time, we felt that any technology we used should enable us to maintain Fahamu's essential design principles: namely, strong designs which run through our publications; inspiration from African art; simplicity; usability; focus on learning/content; use of space; clean; minimal text; consistency; and ease of navigation. We applied this approach to a series of courses that we made available, in the first instance, to southern African organisations.

Pambazuka is born

But learning is more than about studying. It is also about reading, reflecting, commenting on and contributing to a discourse on issues that matter. It is about sharing experiences, and about gaining an authority of those experiences. One of the most powerful mediums for that - at least potentially -is, of course, the internet. There are numerous sources of information; there are numerous opportunities for dialogue and engaging in discussion. But what happens to a community that is unable to access these? People often speak of the 'digital divide' as if this were simply a technical divide. It is deeper than that. It is also a social division that prevents the experiences of the greater part of humanity from being heard, and which, therefore, under-nourishes the discourse of those who do have access to the technology.

If the constituency we have worked with does not have access to the web, would it not be possible to bring the web to them? Would it not be possible to provide them the means to share experiences and information with others on the internet? One of the outcomes of the initiative described above was that we began receiving requests from human rights and other civil society organisations for assistance in finding information on the web, and with disseminating information about their own work. Initially, we responded on a case-by-case basis, sending off the results of searches or disseminating by email information we had received from others to those on our modest contacts list. But soon the demand became overwhelming. We simply could not respond to all the requests we received.

To make the process of response more manageable, we compiled the information in the form of a newsletter, with a number of categories that reflected the subjects that appeared to be of concern to the constituency. To make the newsletter more interesting, we included editorial commentary and opinion pieces from activists in the region and elsewhere.

The newsletter is sent out as an email, with text only format so that even those without HTML enabled email programs can read the content with ease. Each section contains a five-line summary of the item, with a URL pointing to the relevant website. Stories or information announcements sent to us directly are stored on the Pambazuka online database (there are currently some 20,000 such news items and editorials available free online). The newsletter receives more than 200 postings from other newsletters, websites, and various sources each week from that we draw on for the different sections. And each week, there is a vibrant debate on critical issues related to social justice in the region and in response to editorial materials.

By forming strategic alliances with other organisations , we were able to expand the reach of the newsletter. In December 2001, it was named Pambazuka News (pambazuka in Kiswahili means to awaken or arise - as in the breaking dawn). From an initial base of a few hundred subscribers, Pambazuka News has grown to nearly 17,000 subscribers at time of writing, and a readership estimated at 80,000. The newsletter is also reproduced in its entirety at allAfrica.com, with a potential readership probably in the hundreds of thousands.

Our last subscriber survey in March 2003 indicated that about 60% of our email subscribers were based in Africa. Response from subscribers on the extent to which they forwarded and printed out the newsletter led us to extrapolate that the newsletter, or parts therof, reached more than 70,000 people on a weekly basis. Approximately 35% of subscribers worked in the NGO sector, 18% in universities, 11% in international agencies and 7% in government, although this number is likely to have increased due to the work we have done targeting parliamentarians in Africa. The survey revealed that about 20% of readers were directors or senior managers, 15% programme staff and 11% held media-related positions. We don't have reliable information on gender distribution of our readers, but we know that the number of subscriptions from women's organisations has increased substantially as a result of our involvement in the campaign on the protocol on the rights of women in Africa.

Several other factors need to be considered when taking into account the readership and reach of the newsletter. Firstly, we know from our survey that subscribers commonly print out the newsletter for distribution to their networks, indicating that information distributed in the newsletter reaches people in Africa that do not have internet access. Secondly, editorials from Pambazuka News have frequently been republished in print publications, again indicating a cross-over to a wider audience. Lastly, information distributed by Pambazuka News has been used by community radio stations in Africa in their broadcasts in two cases that we know of, again indicating how the newsletter has reached a broader audience.

According to website statistics for the pambazuka.org domain, there have been a monthly average of nearly 200,000 requests over the last six months, These figures indicate a clear upward trend, reflecting the 30% increase in the number of subscribers to the newsletter. It is difficult to draw any conclusions from the actual domain statistics. Individual country domains show low web usage, but many users in Africa make use of yahoo.com or hotmail.com email accounts which could account for the 26.34% of visitors from the .com domain.

The significant growth of Pambazuka News over the last 12 months has been associated with the extent to which the newsletter has been used as a tool for advocacy in the region. We have supported the campaign for the ratification of the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, coalition of some 17 regional organisations, producing two special issues profiling important aspects of the protocol. These have been successfully used as campaigning tools at meetings of the African Union. In July 2004, an edition of Pambazuka News was delivered to parliamentarians of the inaugural Pan-African parliament in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This edition was also produced as a pamphlet and in PDF version and entitled 'Not Yet a Force for Freedom' . We also developed and hosted a petition on the Pambazuka News website in support of women's rights. This has also involved the development of an SMS function that enables people to sign the petition by SMS and receive SMS updates about the campaign. The numbers of signatories to this petition is approaching 4000. News about the petition has been covered by VOA, BBC, Reuters, SABC, UN-IRIN and African radio and newspaper outlets in at least 20 countries.

In addition, Pambazuka News has supported the campaign for the Remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide by producing a special issue that profiled the genocide through a series of ten editorials. Pambazuka News also acted as a forum for the distribution of news and information on the commemorations .

Since its origins, we have stored each news and editorial item on an online database, mainly because this provided an effective resource for production. Over time, we had accumulated so much valuable information that we decided to make the full content of the database available online. The new website was launched in July 2003. The database and the newsletter archives are fully searchable, and access is free. We are as yet unclear what the impact of this has been: we know that there are still difficulties within our primary constituency in Africa in accessing the web. Making the database available means that it is those with easy web access who benefit most.

Lessons

We are reluctant to offer our experiences as a 'model'. We have not been 'successful' in the sense that the term is often used today: we have not made millions, we have not reached millions, and still less, we have not (yet) managed to transform the lives of millions. But we believe that there are certain features of our approach that others may find useful.

The revolution in information and communications technologies (ICTs), and in particular the internet, has potentially transformed the way people can organize, relate, discuss or debate with each other, and the way they exchange, find, retrieve, and disseminate information - even the way in which information itself is produced. Our work has been driven by a purpose outside of and beyond technology. We have sought to contribute to the building of a movement for social justice. ICTs are, we believe, only one means to that end.

We publish not because we are or want to become publishers: publishing is only the means for supporting a particular movement. Although we have devoted much energy to developing the technology that we needed, we are not a technology company. We see technology as a manifestation of social relations, rather than as an end in itself. Our work has been guided by the desire to support a particular movement. As with the products of all previous technological revolutions, the technology itself is not 'neutral'. It serves the interests of those who exercise control. All technological developments have the potential for either contributing to the emancipation of humankind, or serving the self-interest of a minority (often with socially destructive consequences). The extent to which the technology may be used for either purpose depends both upon the power of those who control it and the extent to which organized civil society concedes that control or itself harnesses the technology. Our work has essentially been an exploration of how the movement for social justice can harness that technology.

Firoze Manji is Director of Fahamu and Editor of Pambazuka News

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