Call for Application: FTX Trainers-Facilitators

A friend of mine emailed me regarding this event. I am really tempted to join, however at this moment I doubt if I can ask for a time off at work and even at school..tsk..tsk too bad cape town is such a nice place plus I would really love to join a group of techy women.

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Feminist Tech Exchange: Call for Trainers-Facilitators
10-12 November, 2008
Cape Town, South Africa
Deadline for submission: 2 July 2008
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Are you passionate about building capacity of women in technology? Do you think that there are important connections between the human rights of women, women’s empowerment and ICT (information and communications technologies)? Have you ever wondered if there was a feminist practice of technology?

APC WNSP is organising the Feminist Tech Exchange together with AWID (Association of Women In Development) and Women’sNet this November 10 – 12 in Cape Town. We are calling for volunteers to shape this seminal event by contributing your knowledge, experience and skills as trainers
and facilitators for this event.

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What is the FTX?
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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, to collectively build our knowledge and capacity on how information and communications technologies connect with feminism.

It is a three day exchange where we will discuss issues, build skills and share our knowledge and experiences on information and communications technologies 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.

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What is it trying to do?
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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.

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Women who can make this happen: As Trainers, Facilitators & Team Members
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You will be partners in facilitating practice & knowledge of feminist
practices of technology who will:

*Be able and open to share your skills, experience, materials and knowledge on ICT, gender, women’s rights and/or feminism;
*Shape values on the feminism and practices of technology, that prioritise sharing and exchange, women’s realities and feminist
perspectives ad strategic and creative us of technologies for women’s rights and movement building;
*Participate in building the FTX beyond this first event, towards a longer term vision of movement building;
*Have experience and skills as trainers or facilitators for the types of training that will be offered at the FTX;

You will be FTX Trainers & Facilitators who will be:

*Working together with a team of trainers and the FTX training coordinator in all aspects of the planning, implementation and evaluation stages of the FTX;
*Defining, shaping and developing modules and materials for FTX capacity building tracks;
*Delivering specific training sessions during the FTX;
*Providing support to participants and team of trainers during the FTX, including supporting the language team in translations where possible and when needed;
*Providing support and facilitation during skills share and discussion sessions to ensure open and inclusive participation;
*Supporting participants in continued learning and skills exchange beyond the FTX, including during the AWID Forum 2008 where possible;
*Collectively developing the online FTX space where sustained knowledge and skills sharing occur after the FTX;

The spirit of activism and voluntarism is at the heart of the FTX, and we anticipate your partnership, commitment and vision towards building feminist practices of technology and a movement around women’s rights, information and communication.

Please send an email to: ftx-apply@apcwomen.org
with the subject title: FTX Trainer-Facilitator by 2 July 2008, with:
A paragraph stating why you are interested to participate in the FTX;
A brief paragraph stating your values and approach towards the practice of technology;
A bio or CV of relevant experience and skills;

We hope you are as excited as we are on embarking on this journey. And very much look forward to your participation and partnership!

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The FTX ICT Capacity Building Tracks
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Track 1: Digital storytelling for transformation

Digital storytelling is a way of using multimedia technology (words, pictures, sound and video) for women to tell their own stories in their own words. This hands-on approach mixes together new digital media skills with the chance to tell your 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 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.