CLIMATE NEWS NETWORK AFRICA

Reuters and Nokia Research Center have teamed up to advance the usage of mobile journalism with the release of a new mobile toolkit and reporting try-out. Although the initiative is currently aimed at professional reporters, the project has implications for citizen journalists around the world. In a trial that began over the summer, Reuters journalists were given a lightweight " mobile toolkit " that included a Nokia N95 mobile phone, a tripod, a folding bluetooth keyboard, a Sony microphone, and Power Monkeys. The Power Monkey Explorer was used in Senegal and allowed the phone to be charged using solar power. The toolkit also includes text editing and multimedia capabilities. According to Nokia, "metadata facilities" combine everything that the phone already knows about the story, such as GPS location, time, date and other information. The toolkit allows journalists to write and publish stories from the field to deliver up-to-date news and instant reporting. The

More than 200 organisations from 56 countries are calling on the World Bank and other international financial institutions to end subsidies to the oil industry. In a statement released today, the groups refer to 'oil aid' as one of the most glaring barriers to fighting climate change and addressing energy access in developing countries. As the heads of the World Bank gather in Washington this week to discuss their energy lending and climate change strategy, the latest annual report of the International Finance Corporation indicates that little has changed in the institution's approach. In 2007, the private-sector lending arm of the World Bank provided more than $645 million to oil and gas companies. This is an increase of at least 40 per cent from 2006. "The World Bank's approach to climate change and energy is inconsistent and contradictory," said Jennifer Kalafut of NGO Oil Change International. "Despite commitments to cut global greenhouse gas emission

The International Institute of ICT Journalism (PenPlusBytes), is collaboration with the Ghana Journalist Association,with support of the French Embassy is organising a two day workshop for twenty(20) editors in Accra The workshop which runs from 10th to 1th October is being held under the theme "Improving the quality of journalism using web 2.0" for Editors, Senior Journalists and Journalism Educators at the Accra International Press Centre. The face of journalism is changing as well as the rules of the game and ICT especially digital media is playing a major transformational role. It is being held in recognition of the fact that achieving excellence in Journalism demands a new approach to working with ICT tools. The practical workshop will among others things, take participants through ICT tools for journalis-a journey through the past,present and future and video blogging. Practical web 2.0 tools for journalism workshop will takt the participants through editing for th

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) are co-sponsoring the second edition of the WASH Media Award competition, to be held between July 2007 and April 2008. This competition is open to journalists in developing countries who publish or broadcast original investigative reports on issues relating to water supply, sanitation or hygiene in their countries. Journalists can each submit up to two pieces of work, which can include articles from traditional print or recognized online newspapers, magazines, or journals; radio broadcasts; television documentaries or reports. The entry form with further instructions is available at www.wsscc.org/en/media/wash-media-awards . Eligible works must be published or broadcast between 1 July 2007 and 30 April 2008. Articles or broadcasts can be submitted in French, English or Spanish. Works not originally published or broadcast in one of these languages must be translated into