ICT

28.04.2008 An open source developer community, consisting of members like BT, IBM, Oracle, etc., has decided to collaborate to develop common healthcare IT products and services. Anyone will be free to use them to provide interoperable healthcare platforms that will link clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and other points of care to make healthcare systems more efficient.

28.04.2008 To bring children with special needs into the general education system, Delhi-based NGO Deepalaya with support from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. has set up a computer training centre at one of its schools in the capital. The idea is to make these differently-abled children self-reliant.

25.04.2008 With BBC World Trust launching its most ambitious project 'English in ActionÂ’, Bangladeshis will soon be able to learn the global language through television and mobiles. This will help all sections of society acquire English language skills and increase their prospects in the job market.

25.04.2008 With BBC World Trust launching its most ambitious project called ‘English in Action’, Bangladeshis will soon be able to learn a truly global language on television and mobiles. This will help all sections of society acquire English language skills and increase their prospects in the job market.

24.04.2008 IBM is toying with the idea of providing information to rural users on toll-free numbers. Its pilot project in southern India will provide information on healthcare services, small businesses and micro-finance. Once successful, it will be taken to international markets.

24.04.2008 Radio Bubusa started by a rural womenÂ’s organisation in Democratic Republic of Congo aims to empower village women and young girls through the exchange of information and experiences. The idea is to help them improve lives in their communities through new knowledge and practices.

23.04.2008 In the recently concluded elections of the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), OneWorld South Asia became its new regional coordinator. The Delhi-based civil society network will promote GKPÂ’s objective of building multi-sectoral partnerships for promoting knowledge and ICT for development in South Asia.

23.04.2008 UNESCOÂ’s month-long online discussion on the theme of inclusive education is currently on. A DVD related to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is also being launched today at its headquarters as part of series of events marking the Global Action Week 2008.

22.04.2008 In the recently concluded elections of the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), OneWorld South Asia became its new regional coordinator. The Delhi-based civil society network will promote GKPÂ’s objective of building multi-sectoral partnerships for development in South Asia.

22.04.2008 Tom Hadfield famous for selling a soccer website at the age of 17 is now launching a social networking site to help fight malaria that kills a million people a year. The site will not just be a fund raising tool but also connect researchers working on its prevention and treatment.

22.04.2008 Kristine Pearson, chief executive of Freeplay Foundation, is the creator of the wind-up and solar-powered Lifeline radio, the first such initiative in the humanitarian sector. She emphasises the use of renewable and clean energy solutions to improve access to communication for the poor.

21.04.2008 Long predicted to replace traditional book or newspaper pulp, e-paper is not yet printing money, but tech firms hope its popularity may eventually mimic the real thing. Watch the video report inside.

21.04.2008 A community radio show by college students in Chennai in southern India is bringing alive characters from neighbouring slums to help women deal with issues of health and education. The use of local Tamil dialect is just one of the ways to reach out to its audience in the slums.

21.04.2008 A non-profit media project is organising Global Voices Citizen Media Summit 2008 in Budapest, Hungary on June 27-28, 2008. The event will highlight the contribution of diverse voices like bloggers, activists and journalists in global information dissemination.

18.04.2008 Using Mobile Phones in Advocacy Campaigns, a strategy guide by MobileActive contains innovative ideas on using mobile phones for active civic engagement. Citing case studies from different parts of the world, the book advocates mobiles as tools of social change in developing nations.

18.04.2008 Partners in Media Asia Pvt. Ltd. is organising India Radio Forum on May 30, 2008 at Mumbai, India. The event aims to inform and update the FM fraternity of the mediumÂ’s evolution in the region, and to invite opinions from the industry worldwide about the future of radio in Asia.

18.04.2008 Building on the popular culture of blogging, BBCÂ’s ZigZagmag.net has created an interactive online space to enable aspiring Iranian journalists generate high quality content for a variety of BBC platforms. The virtual newsroom encourages learning and communication through discussions and training.

17.04.2008 Bulgaria has received a grant of 300 million euros from the European Union for the development of its information and communication technologies. Although the country has a very high number of mobile and Internet users, there is still a scope for more ICT penetration in small towns and rural areas.

17.04.2008 As part of Public-Private Partnership, Ericsson and UNDP have entered into a three-year agreement to help raise the living standards in rural areas of China. Using affordable and innovative mobile solutions for development, they will strive to make health, government, educational and financial services better and easily accessible.

16.04.2008 Project Gutenberg (PG), an online source of books is a unique initiative to combine traditional printing with digital technology. Gregory Newby, the CEO, PG and Michael Hart, the founder-editor of the project highlight their new ventures and overall management of e-Books.