Communty Guide: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (New Chat/Instant Messaging) and Groups Feature

[Craig Zelizer]

Thank you for visiting the Collaborative Peace and Development Networking. In using this site you're agreement to the Terms of Use below. Please also see below for the community guide about how to use the site and the various features.

USER AGREEMENT - This site is provided as a public service. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that information uploaded to the site does not violate any copyright laws. By registering for the site you agree to use it at your own risk and in no way is the manager responsible for the content posted on the site. This website may include chat rooms, and forums available to its users. Please remember that any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should exercise caution when deciding to disclose your personal information as Google indexes the site (it is possible to adjust who can view your profile /postings by logging in and clicking on my settings/privacy). However, we are not responsible for the personally identifiable information you choose to submit in these forums or if they are indexed by Internet Search engines. If your profile is set to be viewable than it is likely your information can show up on a Google Search.

This site also runs on the NING Platform and you are agreeing to the NING TERMS OF SERVICE

You agree not to upload, distribute, or publish through forums on this website any content that is or may be, in whole or in part: false, unlawful, criminal, libelous, defamatory, slanderous, profane, obscene, pornographic, harassing, threatening, inappropriate, unprofessional, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, abusive, inflammatory or otherwise objectionable, racist, sexist, promoting or soliciting for commercial purposes, containing any known viruses or bugs, promoting or soliciting for criminal purposes, violates the rights of any party, or otherwise creates liability or violates any law. You shall remain solely liable for the content of any posting by you on this website. The Peace and Collaborative Development Network has no obligation to monitor the forums. However, we reserve the right to review materials posted to the forums and to remove any in its sole discretion. Anyone who violates these principles may have their account terminated.

In addition, users are strongly encouraged to double check any information posted on the site to ensure it is valid and from a legitimate source. The PCDN network is only providing an information service to users and does not bear any responsibility for the accuracy or legitimacy of individual postings (Posting on the site does not an endorsement from PCDN). It is the individual user's responsibility to decide to explore information provided on this site and users are encouraged to exercise caution and do a thorough investigation of any opportunities (particularly if financial resources are involved). Users are strongly recommended to not provide any financial resources to participate in an opportunities without a thorough investigation to ensure the legitimacy of the organization/opportunity. If you see a posting that seems dubious or fraudulent in nature please use caution in responding and also contact the site manager so it can be removed. Any user posting fraudulent opportunities will be permanently banned from the site.


For information on how to POST ON THE SITE see the Guide to Posting Materials

Note if you would like to learn more how organizations and institutions can benefit from the site, see the Guide for Organizations.

COMMUNITY GUIDE
You're especially encouraged to read item # 12 about the new groups and chat/instant messaging features, # 13 about the new events calendar, and #16 (see below) about privacy to make sure you're not posting inappropriate information on the site. In addition please see item # 7 about appropriate use of the network. If you have a question that is not answered please feel free to contact me and/or consult the Ning help center.

1) HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE SITE? To register for the site go to http://internationalpeaceandconflict.org

2) ARE THERE ARE ANY FEES FOR USING THE SITE?? No, the site is completely free.

3) Terms of Use - See Above

4)HOW CAN I FIND INFORMATION ON THE SITE? The site has a wealth of information and you're encouraged to look through older postings as there is only a limited amount of information that can fit on the main page (which changes almost daily). In particular you can find hundreds of scholarship opportunities, learn about research projects, conferences and more by looking around the site. The best way to find information (apart from just clicking through to links) is through a keyword using the Search Box in the upper right hand corner of any page. For example try searching by words such as scholarship, fellowship, a particular country, or multiple keywords. In addition, you can find see information by clicking on the various sub-headings such as Members, Forums, etc (and clicking on topics within pages). Also on some pages on the site (such as on the forums) you will see tags (keywords of frequent postings) where you can click and see all of the associated postings.


4b) ADVANCED MEMBER SEARCH Recently we added an ADVANCED MEMBER SEARCH FUNCTION where you can search for members using the following categories

• NAME
• COUNTRIES OR REGIONS OF EXPERTISE
• JOB TITLE/ORGANIZATION
• INSTITUTION AND FIELD OF STUDY
• SECTORAL EXPERTISE
• SKILLS

To access the ADVANCED MEMBER SEARCH CLICK on MEMBERS and Advanced Search.

5) HOW DO I CREATE/EDIT A PROFILE? To adjust your profile click on My Settings and then About ME in the upper right hand corner of each page. A few of the profile questions are required to provide basic information about members. The more information you provide about your work/studies related to the field, the easier it will be to connect with other members, thus you're encouraged to complete the optional questions.

6) WILL I RECEIVE E-MAILS IF I JOIN THE SITE? As a member of the site you're in control of your account settings. Click on My Settings and then on E-mail. You can then choose receive no e-mails or establish customized settings (such as receiving e-mail notices when someone sends you a message. Note at he bottom of each forum or discussion posting you will see a place to click on Follow (Email me when people reply). Click here and you will receive an email letting you know when there is a new posting. At anytime you can return to the page and click on Stop Following (Don't email when people reply).

7) HOW CAN I CREATE/CONTRIBUTE TO A BLOG/DISCUSSION? To contribute to a discussion click on Forum and pick a topic that interests you. You can create your own topic by clicking on start a discussion or respond to any of the postings by clicking on reply to this. To start your own blog go to My Page and click on Add a New Blog Post. Please note that postings on the site should focus on general topics of the site (conflict resolution, development, human rights, gender, etc.). Postings that are inappropriate or of a commercial nature will be deleted and a user may be banned from the network. While you're encouraged to post information on your work, this site is not for fundraising requests (as the site would be deluged). Therefore please do not post individual requests for funding (see other sites that may be helpful in this regard such as Global Giving or Charity Channel .

8) WHAT HAPPENS IF A SEE INAPPROPRIATE POSTINGS OR RECEIVE UNWANTED E-MAILS? This is a site to encourage open interaction between members. However if a member posts offensive and/or inappropriate material (including personal job solicitations) the member may be banned. Also while, this is network is designed to promote open interaction, please do not place blind generic postings/comments across multiple user profiles or send unsolicited spam to members. If anyone does violate this policy you may be banned from the network. You can also block communication from individual users if you so choose. Please free to contact me if you have questions/concerns about something on the site.


9) CAN I POST INDIVIDUAL FUNDING OR JOB REQUESTS ON THE SITE? Individuals are not allowed to post their individual requests related to their job or funding searches on the site. Anyone posting such requests may be banned. There are many resources related to jobs and funding on the site, but if we allowed such individual requests the site would be deluged. There is discussion section where users can talk about strategies for career searching. In addition see the career resources section (including guides to jobs, internships and academic jobs) with links to relevant websites and publications.

10) WHAT IS A TAG? A tag is a one or two keyword description that you are encouraged to add to any postings you make on the site (pictures, blogs, forums, etc.). Tags are a simple and easy way to make searching easier by keyword. You can also click on any tagged items and view other postings with similar keywords. If you would like to make a tag longer than one word, please put it in quotes. For example the tag "conflict resolution" should be in quotes.

11) CAN I HAVE MY BLOG DISPLAY ON OTHER WEBSITES? Yes. Click on the bottom of your blog on RSS and you can then add it to other websites. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication a simple way of providing news feeds from websites.


12a) WHAT IS A GROUP? We have recently added a group feature which allows users to setup subgroups around themes of interest. A group can be set as an open network (meaning anyone can join) or private (only invited members can join). If you would like to setup a group you can now do this directly by clicking on groups. Note only groups that fit with the themes of the site will be allowed and all groups needs to be approved be the site administrator. If a group is created and does not have significant activity then it may be deleted to prevent inactive groups from occupying space on the network. We would encourage you to keep using the features on the main site for most discussions. Groups are really for specialized discussions of conflict areas, subgroup pages for organizations or academic programs, etc.

12b) WHAT IS THE CHAT FEATURE? - We recently added a Chat Feature where you can connect directly with colleagues online. To engage in chat/instant message, click on the chat link in the top menubar and make sure you click online if you want to connect with others (you can change your chat setting at anytime by clicking on offline). There are two types of chat/messaging. First, you can click on chat and engage in a general discussion with other users who are online. Note, the chat is usually visible to other colleagues and you're urged to use respectful dialogue. Anyone posting offensive or inappropriate comments may have their account canceled. Second, if a user's profile is currently live on chat, you can click on the user's name and you will see a place to click on instant message and directly instant message with the selected user.

13) HOW DO I POST AN EVENT? We have recently added an events calendar to the site. To post an event click on events and fill out the necessary information. Once the event is created it will be visible on the site and it is possible to directly invite friends on the network. Events can be setup as private (only invited people can view the activity or public viewable by all). You can also choose to setup an RVSP function enabling people to respond directly via the site. It is also possible to close an event once it is full, change the settings at anytime by clicking on edit. Note, the system currently requires you to upload a picture (logo, image) when posting an event (using a jpeg file is best).

14) HOW CAN I HELP THE SITE GROW? There are several things members can do to help the site grow which include:

• Invite Your Colleagues to Join- You can invite your colleagues directly from the site by clicking on the Invite Page. Note you can also import your e-mail contact books directly from yahoo, Google, or your e-mail program such as Outlook, by clicking on invite and look towards the bottom of the page to click on webmail or Outlook importing.
• Provide Suggestions for how to Improve the Site (new ideas, materials, etc.).
• Add a Peace and Collaborative Development Badge to other Sites: Click here to get more information.
• Create a Link on Other Websites - You are encouraged to add this page to recommended links on other sites. To create a link please use the following text

New Free Professional and Academic Networking Site in Conflict Resolution, Peace Studies, Human Rights, International Development, Gender, Civil Society Development, and more

This is an invitation to join Peace and Collaborative Development Network (http://internationalpeaceandconflict.org/">http://internationalpeaceandconflict.org) , a new online initiative to bring together professionals, academics and students involved in Conflict Resolution, Human Rights, International Development, Democratization, Social Entrepreneurship and related fields.

The network fosters interaction between individuals and organizations around the world and currently has over 10,300 members. The site is a terrific networking tool where you can find local and international partners and practitioners, share resources (including scholarships in the field), guides to careers, scholarships, internships, funding, and IT resources in the field, and exchange best practices. Discussion topics and personal blogs can be posted. The site also has a video section where members can access and view videos related to the field.

Becoming a member is fast, easy and free. Please, take a minute to visit and explore the network.

15) WHAT HAPPENS IF I FORGET MY PASSWORD? Go to the sign in page and click the "Forgot Password?" link.

16)CAUTION ON PRIVACY AND MANAGING PRIVACY SETTINGS You can adjust your privacy settings at anytime by logging in and clicking My Settings and Privacy. You have the option of allowing everyone to see your postings (blogs, pictures, videos), or only your friends, or only yourself. You can also choose settings for each individual post you make. For example if you want your postings to be viewable by only your friends, choose that setting, but you can choose to set specific posting open to be viewable by the whole network. You can also control what type of e-mail updates you would like to receive (there is an option to receive no e-mails). Please note that the network is an open network meaning outsiders can currently view the comments you make on your wall and others make on your profile. Thus, it is strongly recommended not to provide very personal information on the comment walls (nor your personal contact information). If you want to provide a personal message to a member, click on his/her profile and click send a message which will only go to the individual.You can delete any comments on your wall by clicking on the X to remove the post. As highlighted above the network content is indexed by google and other Internet Search Engines.

For additional suggestions on privacy settings see the following pages on the ning help pages
Answer Title: Can I set my profile to private?
Answer Link: http://help.ning.com?faq=3545

Answer Title: Who can see my photos?
Answer Link: http://help.ning.com?faq=2830

Answer Title: Who can see my videos?
Answer Link: http://help.ning.com?faq=2872

Answer Title: Can I control which of my activities appear in the Latest Activity feed?
Answer Link: http://help.ning.com?faq=3147

For additional tips and information, please see our Safety Page http://about.ning.com/safety.php


17) CAN I SHARE INFORMATION I SEE ON THE NETWORK WITH OTHERS? Yes. Towards the middle/bottom of each page (on the left side) is a share link. If you would like to forward information from a specific page to a colleague click on share and enter an e-mail address (or you can import one) and a short message. You're also encouraged to invite your colleagues to join the network by clicking on invite.


18)HOW DO I REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE NETWORK? Login and click on My Settings. At the bottom of the page you will see a link entitled Leave Peace and Collaborative Development Network. Click on the link and your account and all the material you have posted will be removed.

19) CAN I POST FUNDING REQUESTS ON THE SITE? Unfortunately no. This site is for discussion and networking, sharing of resources. If individuals start posting requests for funding, the site would like be deluged by such requests. You're welcome to discuss fundraising strategies but not individual appeals. Users who post funding requests may be banned from the site. The site does welcome any posting of scholarship and funding opportunities that may be of interest to members.

20) WHY IS THERE ADVERTISING ON THE SITE? This is a free site, but there are some costs. The site has limited ads from relevant organizations and companies to help covers expenses. Please feel free to explore services provided by advertisers if you find them of interest by clicking on the appropriate ad. Note the ads are provided automatically by Google. We try to ensure the ads are consistent with the site values, but if you see an inappropriate ad, please let us know.

21) PLEASE SHARE YOUR SUCCESS STORES. For example if you made a new contact, research project, etc. it would be wonderful if you could share a brief summary of the experience. This will greatly aid in trying to track the "impact" of this site.You can contribute your feedback in the Forum Section.

Thanks again for supporting the network.

Sincerely,
Craig Zelizer
________________
Craig Zelizer, Ph.D., Associate Director, Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution, Department of Government, Georgetown University and; Senior Partner, Alliance for Conflict Transformation

[Christine Quelch]

Thanks so much for this information.

[Rotarian gbemi tijani]

Download the original attachment SENT TO GBEMI from BANJI OKUNLOLA IN UK 23/0809
Omotoso: Many Faces Of A Writer-activist
By Adedayo Odulaja ,REPORTER, Lagos
In every society, writers and intellectuals, along with media practitioners and human right activists have usually formed the pillars on which the society is held in place. This is especially notable with the popular observation that African writers cannot afford to tread the path of art for art's sake. This has left most of the African writers burdened with the cross of societal reformation and themes of injustice, corruption and governance.

Among writers, who have swam creditably in the human rights areas while still maintaining the full regalia of wonderful writing and literary output are Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate; Shehu Sani, Ogaga Ifowodo, Odia Ofeimum and of course, Kole Omotoso. The last of these authors is the subject of this piece.

Omotoso has always been a familiar face in the literary field, so he is not new to anyone who has been a literary enthusiast, at least, in the last ten years. What is, however, plainly intriguing is a feature that has become a part of his personality, one that many readers and fellow writers have often prayed earnestly to change. This is hitherto, his self-imposed exile. Not that many do not know the reason that forced him to leave Nigeria, the country of his birth and made it look as if the nation is not good enough for him anymore. Incongruously, Just Before Dawn, the book that became so controversial as to prompt his departure from Nigeria, is the one that has been severally pointed at by critics and reviewers as the very best, alongside the hugely fascinatingSeason of Migration to the South, among his works.

Players in the literary playground hold divergent views about what class of fiction Omotoso should be placed, but many agree that he does not just write fiction but systematically brings many factual and resounding details into his works.

This is what wikipedia calls "detective fiction" as typified especially by Omotoso's Fella's Choice.

Another problematic area in the making of Kole Omotoso is his categorisation according to the generation of Nigerian writers into which he belongs. Since it is not a thing done by looking at the writer's age but at his period his/her book(s) appear and the thematic preoccupation of such works. This explains why a writer like Ola Rotimi is said to be of the second generation while the Nobel laurate, Wole Soyinka is of the first generation in spite of the almost non-existent age gap between them. The scintilating genre pionereed by Omotoso, easily descibed as faction, is so interesting and complex that no other notable Nigerian writer has done anything related, a long time after the book appeared. Kole Omotoso belongs to the second generation of Nigerian writers. Since the beginning of his writing career, he has always addressed the local audience, usually using local publishers and embracing an artistic style, which will be accessible to common people. He is an audacious social critic and relentless writer whose creative representations and interactions with the media reveal the tragic situation of the common man in Nigeria and at the same time criticise the Nigerian intellectual, political, and business elite given to materialism and the perpetuation of the tendencies of neo-colonialism. He is one of the pillars of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), which he served as national secretary since the founding of the writers' body in 1981 until 1984, and then as the national president between 1986 and 1987.

Commenting on the impact of the cerebral author, Denja Abdulahi, the National General Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), said "Kole Omotoso did a landmarking book on Nigeria. As at the time that book was published, it was a first of its kind in this country when you see a mixture of facts and fiction that tells the story of Nigeria since independence till that present time, presented in the form of fiction. Though people did not really understand that type of writing when it was published, it was a very daring kind of thing and I must say it was very creative. It is a popular kind of writing in other places, but not here. Other writers have not been able to do it. But gradually, some writers are taking up the job."

Denja, who incidentally did his thesis on Just Before Dawn, intoned that Omotoso's other work, Season of Migration to the South, in tandem with Tayeh Salib's Season of Migration to the North, about Africa also generated much attention.

"I enjoyed working on the book athough the book belongs to a very controversial genre. Omotoso is an iconic writer but in spite of the controversial nature of the book, Omotoso really left Nigeria because things became so abysmal, and many other professors also left as a result of the military rule which made things so bad. We invited him in 2002, he came to Nigeria and was our keynote speaker at the ANA convention that year," Mallam Denja concluded.

Kole Omotoso was born on April 21, 1943 in Akure, now the capital of Ondo State. He grew under the care of his mother and maternal grandparents after having to gulp an unpleasant cup of sad coffee from the tray of fate with the loss of his father at a really tender age, but showed uncommon resilience by not dwelling on that and eventually growing into the great person he has become.

Easily identified as a writer with depth and profound intellectual engagement, Omotoso is also easily recognised for his dedication and commitment in infusing a socio-political reappraisal of the African continent as well as respect and desire for human dignity into most of his works.

Now, a professor, who has taught in very foremost universities and institutions in different parts of the world, Omotoso was educated at the prestigious King's College, Lagos, and the premier university, the University of Ibadan, before undertaking his doctoral thesis on the modern Arabic writer, Ahmad Ba Kathir, at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

After his education abroad, Omotoso returned to Nigeria, and precisely to Ibadan to lecture on Arabic studies, a pointer to the fact that he is a patriotic Nigerian as opposed to what the current circumstances have been interpreted to portray. He later moved to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) to commence work in the area of drama, a task in which he was involved from 1976 to 1988 when his most popular novel and stinging, satirical and controversial work on the issue of governance and socio-political account of Nigeria Just Before Dawn appeared on the scene.

The interesting matter with the novel, Just Before Dawn is a historical work laced with imaginative tendencies of the author's prompting. Omotoso probably intended to give an account of the military incursion into governance and trace its history from the purview of the bloody military coup that changed everything but in areas where he got stuck, he delved into the abundant reservoir of his creative mind to fill the void that would have been created due to the inability to access information from the pervading military quarters at the time. With the dexterity of Kole Omotoso never in doubt, the book emerged as an enthralling and perfect panoply of fact and fiction.

The work was not only viewed as an affront by the government of the time, the authorities were becoming increasingly hostile to 'daring' journalists, writers, intellectuals and politically-conscious activists.

With the terrain no more conducive for him, he went into exile and after travelling and working in various places, among which are as a visiting professor in English at the University of Stirling, the National University of Lesotho and a spell at the Tawala Theatre in London. He settled in South Africa, where he became a professor of English at the University of the Western Cape. He later worked in the Department of Drama at the University of Stellenbosch in Matieland also in South Africa, but the frankness with which he dwells on socio-political issues and his outstanding creative productivity are still very prominent features of his personality.

As much as it is incontestable that Nigeria is enormously blessed with abundant resources and potentials in the literary playground as well as all other fields, the 'loss' of such an exemplary Nigerian writer and literary giant remarkably respected at home and abroad is a costly one for literature and sadly, many youths who would have received direct feeding from his restlessly intellectual mind.


MY HURRIED REJOINDER:
fromOyebanji okunlola
toBY TJMST

dateSun, Aug 23, 2009 at 7:17 PM
subjectRe: I guess you may like this
mailed-byyahoo.com
signed-byyahoo.com

hide details Aug 23 (2 days ago)


Yes, it was from on-line papers but not today's. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday 20/08/09 Mayybe from Daily Independent,

The Sun or The Guardian. I read all good Nigerian Papers everyday.




From: BY TJMST
To: Oyebanji okunlola
Cc: by mst ; [e-mail]; Nosa Osaigbovo ; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; Rose Balogun ; [e-mail]; femibalogun ; [e-mail]
Sent: Sunday, August 23, 2009 5:35:42 PM
Subject: Re: I guess you may like this

- Hide quoted text -


No.I don't likeit.I really love it.i even read it as a break b/w browsing in lieu of a brief siesta b4 Rotary meeting.It was very revealing and it was thr likes of them that catalysed my media writings @Ibadan in tho late 80s.There are younger losses to USA/Carribean than K.O. !The consequence of the inexorable milieu that persists pointedly huntingly replicates the gradual drainage of intellectuals and professional class like yours too.CANADA is a new fishnet warily welcoming our far younger technicians & mid-career manpower .
Not unconnected to why & what these human right writers were pressing - todays newspapers especially THIS DAY 23/0809 the pages were full of shocking news about 5 bank MDS UBN,FINBK,INT.CONBK,AFRIBK,OCEANICBK...DUE TO enormous loans that that led these banks into trillion of naira etc.
You & i know this sort of hursling is a cross sector decadence & a reflection of Nigeria polity
& a debtors list as a spillover of this tragic bank news..is pending!.
ASUU -FG TUSSLE STILL A STALEMATE.There are 3 opinions on this on a news paper alone.
However i hope to consolidate all these as raw material for consultancy & jointly create/customise a civic education to banish the darness of apathy docility selfishness on those that ought to know or even lead but are & have been part of the problem till they parasitise with the military & the escalated sophistication @ public stealing is now becoming digitalised & exportable.
There are hardly any group that's in the country since 25 years past that should be exonerated.The docility -or again the poverty of philosophy of the followers -or ghost votes or real but impotent votes are part of our viccissitude.Only God as we know Him that there's a supreme ruler of the universe can help to reorder our smart but dehumanizing civilization anywhen...
p.s.what 's the source of the article? is it from an online Nigerian newspaper online?Just in case i may like to cite it in a new we/blog peace & conflict resolution online forum as well as INFINITY JOURNAL ALSO ONLINE.Atimes i have to upload such a file on impromptu comment .nb. after a comment on an issue a substantiating BROWSE wwill just pop up to upload relevant views.
Thanks foryour concern about NIGERIA STILL IN TRANSITION TO APPROPRIATE MODERNITY -which need not model herself on THE West in toto,China has outstretched UK now in economic power yet they never jettison their own ASIA The G8 -is our nation in the club? what indices will qualify us -except buying/selling & exporting endogenous treasury for anonymous generation of apas -i mean the prodigals..
-Gbemi 23 0809 5,40pm

On Sun, Aug 23, 2009 at 12:18 PM, Oyebanji okunlola wrote:

[Patrick Kamotho Githinji]

Craig than you for thios posting.I woud like this site be posted every week so that members cannot unknowigly post request as i was almost doing.thank you for your directives.God Bless you.

[Rotarian gbemi tijani]

The archival features of the forum blogs and members pages also make it resourceful for popular & acedemic reference by the practitioners & web users too.-Gbemi

[Rotarian gbemi tijani]

yEAH THI S IS CONSISTENTLY CAUTIONARY YET STILL BOUNDLESSLY BOOSTING for users and related new visitors who 'll discover its jelwelry of resources.I also learn how to use it more productively than hitherto.For instance a friend in UK A Pharmacist who's politically aware of what's going on in Nigeria sent me an article that he knows will interest me .Truly i didn't regret reading it despite my fatigue.I ended up reacting to it and thought of sharing it to Craig or his colleagues.Again i didb't know which portal will reach you being a Sunday mail.However its about one of Nigerian writers/novelists who exiled himself perennially whereas his works then & now are still relevant to change desired in contemporary overhaul of academic & political-GOOD GOVERNANCE values.THANKS FOR THIS UPDATE GUIDE.
Gbemi 25/08093.17pm