MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Blogswana' source. Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:28:46 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1097707&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F12%2F16%2Fblogswana-time-to-say-goodbye%2F Brian and Curt came up with the idea for a blogging-for-others project, to be located in the southern African country of Botswana in March of last year. We wanted to do something that put blogging on the ground, that was very practical, and that helped out Africa in a non-Bono, non-Brad Pitt, non-Big NGO way. Representatives of the University of Botswana and, later, representatives of Northern Arizona University, both indicated a lot of interest in the project. So, Brian took responsibility for writing grants and I for hitting up individuals, specifically those who had made a huge amount of money from the Internet. Two or three dozen exhausting grant applications, and two or three dozen personal communications to well-heeled Silicon Valley types later — along with half a dozen innova... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1097707 Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:48:59 +0100 1097707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1087641&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F12%2F11%2Fcomments-on-blogswana%2F The overwhelming majority of comments on Blogswana are deeply-thought, deeply-felt and most of all, authored by human beings. Unfortunately, and increasing number are spam. To counter-act that, we’ve made it necessary for each initial contribution by a commenter to go throw one of the editors for approval. If it takes a little while for yours to appear, that is the reason. (Source: Blogswana) Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1087641 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:23:21 +0100 1087641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1081618&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F12%2F09%2Fblogswana-chipin-widget-for-fundraising%2F We have created a ChipIn account to raise money for a “field trip” to Botswana to conduct blogging seminars at the University of Botswana for interested students and faculty. This is a kind of “pilot project” for the larger Blogswana project. This site will not host a copy of the widget until we migrate it to our own servers, which we’re hoping to do soon. So, if you would like to donate, visit the Chipin widget on the Committee to Protect Bloggers site, visit the Blogswana ChipIn page, or click here. If you would like to help us distribute the fundraising, please make a copy of the Botswana project widget here, or by clicking on “Copy” on the widget, and post. If you are a Facebook user, you can either contribute or post the widget on your Faceboo... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1081618 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:51:13 +0100 1081618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=818858&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F08%2F23%2Fcommittee-to-protect-bloggers-reactivated%2F Our parent organization, the Committee to Protect Bloggers, has come out of its hiatus. Visit the site and subscribe to the fee for up-to-the-minute information on threatened bloggers and threats to bloggers worldwide. Committee_to_Protect_Bloggers, threatened_bloggers, censorship, free_speech, human_rights (Source: Blogswana) Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=818858 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:20:27 +0100 818858 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=805998&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F08%2F17%2Fthe-african-internet-blogosphere%2F Itai Madamombe’s recent article in the United Nations magazine Africa Renewal describes internet use in a rural school in Uganda. In this community well off of the electrical grid (generators supply the electricity) students have access to DSL. Madamombe writes that during the World Cup students closely monitored their favorite teams. Both teachers and students were enthusiastic about utilizing ICTs (information and communication technologies). Munhana Paul Rogers, a 17-year old student, told Africa Renewal: Since Bugulumbya received computers, we see a big difference in the way we learn. When you have the Internet, it’s like you have another five teachers in te classroom. It helps us find information we need on anything. International football matches, how to protect yoursel... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=805998 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:34:25 +0100 805998 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=710328&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F07%2F02%2Fmotho-ke-motho-ka-motho-yo-mongwe%2F I attended a wedding of a couple of friends about a year ago.  The bride was blessed to have grown up in a caring family and as part of a caring community.  She became the fine person she is today due in part to the influence of those around her. At the wedding  there were over a hundred guests. It was obvious that her friends were now benefitting from their contact with her.  I wanted to make mention of this, so I wrote on my wedding gift card to them the Setswana proverb: Motho ke motho ka motho yo mongwe A person becomes human through his or her interaction with other people. I admit that I also wanted to add to the more than a dozen languages being spoken that weekend.  In this month’s Vanity Fair Archbishop Desmond Tutu explains this same concept which he refers to as u... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=710328 Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:26:43 +0100 710328 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=691337&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F06%2F22%2Fa-continents-response-part-iii-the-chga-interactive-ethiopia%2F Now that those that were supposed to pass on these skills die before they can do that, we need to look into other ways to ensure that new new generations are able to generate a livelihood out of their resources. Mary Chinery-Hesse, CHGA Commissioner In my previous post I made mention of the “brain drain” affecting the health infrastructure throughout Africa.  Participants at the CHGA Interactive in Ethiopia made mention of a similar phenomenon in many of Africa’s rural areas. HIV/AIDS related morbidity and mortality, particularily the death of adults, leads to a disruption of indigenous intergenerational transfer of agricultural knowledge.  African cultures are grunded on oral traditions, and skills needed to sustain rural livelihoods are learnt on the job. Interactive... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=691337 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 23:26:42 +0100 691337 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=688653&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F06%2F21%2Fa-continents-response-part-ii-the-chga-interactive-botswana%2F The Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa is meant to do much more than produce a report. The issue we are dealing with is much too urgent. The CHGA Interactive is about bringing out African solutions to the challenges that HIV/AIDS poses for our societies, and about finding  ways to implement the solutions quickly.  Alan Whiteside, CHGA Commissioner During the two day meeting in Gaborone, Botswana in July of 2004 two issues were identified for discussion: scaling up treatment and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).  The report on the meeting notes that there is an opportunity to scale up AIDS treatment due to an increse in resources and a decrease in costs of drugs. Botswana has, possibly, more experience with rolling out ART than any other country. Lessons ... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=688653 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:54:58 +0100 688653 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676463&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F06%2F10%2Fa-continent%25e2%2580%2599s-response-to-an-african-catastrophe%2F   Seven years ago South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki referred to the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a “uniquely African catastrophe”. Those affected by the disease in places such as Sao Paulo, Mumbai, Atlanta, etc., might be more inclined to view it as a global catastrophe. For the purpose of this post I’ll be taking a look at an African response to a global catastrophe that has affected the African continent more than any other.   The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), headquartered in Addis Adaba, was established in 1958. The ECA’s mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member State, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development. A few years ago, the ECA considered how to best provide recommendat... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676463 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 22:12:18 +0100 676463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495771&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F03%2F01%2Fsilent-monsters%2F Discussions that center around awareness of PLWA may help to de-stigmatize HIV and reduce discrimination.  I’m not sure how the discussion might be raised in America so as to reduce apathy. I like Project Red but I would prefer a greater connection in their ads to the situation in southern Africa. <span class=”technoratitag”>Technorati Tags: <a href=”http://www.technorati.com/tags/CDC_Chatter” rel=”tag”>CDC_Chatter</a>, <a href=”http://www.technorati.com/tags/Ntwakgolo_Support_Group” rel=”tag”>Ntwakgolo_Support_Group</a>, <a href=”http://www.technorati.com/tags/HIV/AIDS” rel=”tag”>HIV/AIDS</a>, <a href=”http://www.technorati.com/tags/stigma” re... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495771 Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:24:51 +0100 495771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495772&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F02%2F19%2Fo-mang-testing-the-kgotla%2F The Opt-in approach and the Opt-out approach are two common ways of doing voluntary HIV testing. With the Opt-in approach patients are given pre-test counseling and then are given the option of getting an HIV test. With the Opt-out approach nearly all patients are tested for HIV as a part of routine medical visits unless they explicitly refuse. A number of studies, i.e., a report on prenatal HIV testing in the November 15, 2002, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, show that a much greater percentage of patients take part in HIV tests when the Opt-out approach is employed rather than the Opt-in approach.   Such an approach (Opt-out) may make the test seem routine to the patient and therefore much easier to take part in. In the United States, ”the Centers for Disease Control and P... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495772 Mon, 19 Feb 2007 18:12:08 +0100 495772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495773&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F01%2F19%2Ftechnorati%2F Profile (Source: Blogswana) Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495773 Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:12:15 +0100 495773 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495774&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2007%2F01%2F09%2Fblogging-for-others-in-wikipedia%2F If anyone out there is interested in writing an entry for Wikipedia on blogging-for-others, I would like to encourage you. Of course there is our project, but blogging-for-others takes many forms. Examples I can think of off the top of my head include the Indian AIDS blog Lives in Focus and Mukhtar Mai’s blog, in Urdu. (I have heard that she dictates the blog to others. I can’t swear to that, as I don’t speak Urdu, but it seems quite possible.) Another example is San musician Qani Xiite’s blog, maintained by Delta Dave. The notion of the digital divide is well documented, but the practice of blogging-for-others as a partial remedy is not. blogging_for_others, Blogswana, blog, digital_divide, Technorati Tags: Wikipedia, Africa (Source: Blogswana) Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495774 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:27:13 +0100 495774 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495775&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2006%2F12%2F07%2Fnew-blogswana-domain%2F As you may have noticed, we are now using the blogswana.org domain for our site. I don’t believe you’ll have to change any bookmarks. It should forward automatically. I also don’t believe you’ll need to change your feed subscription. But it should make it easier to remember and share. Blogswana, nonprofit, website, domain, NGO2.0 (Source: Blogswana) Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495775 Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:47:01 +0100 495775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495776&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2006%2F12%2F02%2Fbooks-for-the-botswana-bound%2F In the last post I mentioned Bessie Head. I wanted to recommend one of her books and a few by a couple of other authors. I read somewhere that the average newspaper is read by a dozen people in Botswana. The same can be said for the copy of The Collector of Treasures that I was able to get my hands on while I was living in Mahalapye. I think that book got passed around amongst more of my friends than anything else I read at that time. I read Whites by Norman Rush while I was living in Yotsukaido, Japan.  His Botswana is like Camus’ Algeria - the Batswana, like Camus’ Algerians, are but background characters in these short stories. Nonetheless, it is a compelling read.   And, of coarse, there is Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. I&#8... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495776 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 02:03:32 +0100 495776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495777&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2006%2F11%2F24%2Fvillage-of-the-rain-wind%2F Village and urban life in Botswana share many commonalities. Western dress is the norm in the village and in the city. Men can be observed chatting and walking hand in hand in both the capital city Gaborone and in the village of Serowe. The handshake in which one touches one’s own right forearm while extending the right hand is the same in Francistown and Moshupa. Modern architecture, building techniques, and availability of utilities have however, brought about a contrast in urban and village lifestyles. In Serowe, or as Bessie Head refers to it, Village of the Rain-Wind, one can observe many aspects of village life that have gone on with little change. Women can be observed carrying water containers to nearby standpipes and back to their homes with the weighty containers bal... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495777 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 22:36:38 +0100 495777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495778&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2006%2F11%2F15%2Fa-step-towards-gender-equality%2F 30 years age the United Nations established UNIFEM, the UN Development Fund for Women. It was created to provide technical and financial assistance to support innovative activities empowering women in developing countries and to promote gender equality. Recognizing that the funds allocated to UNIFEM, about $40 million this year, were insufficient to bring about significant change in the status of women worldwide, a High-Level Panel on UN reform this past week made the recommendation to the Secretary-General for the creation of a new UN Agency dedicated solely to women. The new agency for women would require an annual budget of one billion dollars in order to make a significant impact in the lives of women.    Around the globe gender discrimination and gender bias have cast many wo... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495778 Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:53:00 +0100 495778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495779&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2006%2F11%2F14%2Fsokari-wins-bob-award%2F Our friend, and Blogswana champion, Sokari, has won the Best of Blogs User Prize for Best Weblog in English. Her blog, Black Looks, is really vibrant. She’s a cliche-busting, loud-mouthed, poetic so-and-so and we dig her. Even when we disagree with her. No. Especially when. She puts her money where her mouth is when she steps up to the plate. She deserves the award. African_Women, Black_Looks, Bobs, blog (Source: Blogswana) Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495779 Tue, 14 Nov 2006 04:11:10 +0100 495779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495780&cid=s_35273_135_f&fid=35273&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogswana.org%2F2006%2F11%2F13%2Fhivaids-pestilence-within-our-land%2F The following post is from the blog                  Race, Religion, & Power. Sunday, October 15, 2006 HIV/AIDS - Pestilence Within Our Land By LeVoyd L. Carter, II © 2006 All Rights Reserved http://rrpmedia.blogspot.com www.myspace.com/levoydc For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. Matthew 24:7 (KJV) It is with great anxiety that I sit to write this piece. It has been weeks now since I viewed the ABC Primetime news special entitled, “Out of Control: AIDS in Black America. The research for this special was initiated by Peter Jennings prior to his transition. I thank him for his work. I initially looked upon this show with great skepticism and tried to pun... Blogswana blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495780 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 20:20:27 +0100 495780