Feminist Tech Exchange: Call for applications 10-12 November 2008, Cape
Town, South Africa
Deadline: 1 July 2008 Extended to 13th
July
What does technology have to do with feminism? How can we, as
women's rights activists, use tools better and combine digital and traditional
communication strategies to strengthen our advocacies and activism? Join us at
the first Feminist Tech Exchange this November, and be part of a growing
movement that strategically integrates information and communication
technologies (ICT) with the human rights of women.
What is the
FTX?
The Feminist Tech Exchange, also known as the FTX, is an event
preceeding the AWID Forum 2008 that will bring together more than 100 advocates
and activists from Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America, Europe and North America
working on women's rights, feminism and communication rights. It is a three-day
exchange where we will discuss issues, build skills and share our knowledge and
experiences on ICT and how they can strengthen our advocacies and
activism.
After the exchange, FTX participants will directly put
knowledge and skills learnt into action at the AWID Forum, by engaging in the
strategic use of ICT for movement building through content creation, skills
sharing and conversations.
What is it trying to do?
The FTX
aims to:
* build the skills of feminist and women's rights movements
in the creative and strategic use of ICT
* provide a space for open
discussions on the connections between ICT issues and women's rights agenda, as
well as on feminist politics and practices of technology.
* create
partnerships between advocates working on women's rights and feminism with those
working in the field of ICT to sustain movement-building;
* develop a
community of trainers who can continue to support knowledge and skills building,
even after the exchange
What are the skills exchanged at the
FTX?
There will be five ICT capacity building tracks at the FTX. They
will run at the same time, so participants will be following one specific track
during the three days. There will also be discussions of technology issues and
skills exchange sessions open to all participants during the FTX, where you can
initiate topics for conversation or share your know-how.
The ICT capacity
building tracks are:
Track 1: Digital storytelling for
transformation
Digital storytelling is a way of using pictures, images,
video, text and audio to tell stories in one's own voice. This hands-on approach
combines new digital media skills for women tell their own stories. Digital
stories are emerging as a very powerful medium for spreading advocacy messages
that are grounded in women's realities.
Track 2: Social networking
technologies for activism
Social networking technologies has a special
role to play in strategies for activism or for building campaigns. Technologies
like blogs, social bookmarking sites, online communities, tagging and so on can
be powerful mediums to build communities, get people actively engaged with your
message and to take action. This track will look at how we can strategically and
creatively adapt these platforms and tools to build movements and advocacy
campaigns.
Track 3: Wireless and mobile technologies for
advocacy
Wireless and mobile technologies can transform the communication
possibilities for communities that have been traditionally cut off from the
wired telecoms networks that control people's access to telephones, faxes and
the internet. This track will look at how community wireless and mobile networks
offer cheap and accessible communication for your advocacy
strategies.
Track 4: Audio for action
Community radio is a
local, accessible and potentially powerful way of getting your message out.
Podcasting is a simple way to produce audio content (digital media files) that
can be distributed over the internet. This track will explore how participants
can use audio formats for the internet or for community radio.
Track
5: Video for justice
This track focuses on video as a compelling medium
to document violations of rights, record living testimonies and narrate diverse
perspectives. The track also looks at how publishing and dissemination of video
can be strengthened through ICT.
Who can attend?
The FTX is
open to all, especially to support participation from:
* Women’s rights
and feminist advocates interested in connecting their advocacies with
communication rights issues;
* Women’s rights and feminist advocates
interested in building their capacity in ICT for the purposes of movement
building;
* Women web managers, developers, ICT trainers,
exchange-supporters, and those who perform ICT-based work for their
organisations; and
* Researchers working in communications rights and
knowledge networking who are interested in women's rights and feminist
issues.
How to apply?
Fill in the application form and
submit it before the deadline. You can fill it directly online, or send it to us
via email.
Online application form: http://ftx.apcwomen.org/application/
Email
(for submission or a copy of the application form): ftx-apply@apcwomen.org
Deadline
for the submission is: 1 July 2008 extended to 13 July 2008
Please note
that a level of familiarity with ICT, women’s rights, communication rights and
feminism will be required. Participants will be selected with an eye to
representing a range of advocacy areas, ICT skills and regional diversity,
prioritising participants from the developing countries. The Feminist Tech
Exchange will be carried out predominantly in English. Interpretation support is
being organised for different aspects of the Exchange.
Scholarships will
be provided for deserving participants. If you are a recipient of AWID's Access
Fund and your application to FTX is successful, all your costs will be covered.
This includes international travel, accommodation, meals and local transport in
Cape Town. If you are not one of the Access Fund recipients, FTX scholarships
can only cover your accommodation, meals and local transport in Cape
Town.
Who are the organisers?
The FTX is organised by the
Association for Progressive Communications Women’s Networking Support Programme
(APC WNSP) and the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID). The
local hosting partner for this event is APC WNSP member Women'sNet, a South
African feminist organisation working on gender and ICT.
Websites for
more information:
APC WNSP: http://www.apcwomen.org
AWID: http://www.awid.org
Women'sNet: http://www.womensnet.org.za/
We
look forward to you joining the FTX in Cape Town!
Thanks, Fareeda Jadwat.