Full coverage: Development

09.08.2006

ICT4D

This article discusses the link between national Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy in developing countries and the effectiveness of ICT for development (ICT4D) initiatives at a community level. This research project, currently in progress, which has the primary goal of determining determine whether, by adopting a Community Informatics (CI) approach to community based ICT4D projects, which leverages existing social capital in the communities, the sustainability of such projects can be significantly improved so that ICT4D is more inclusive in reach and its overall contribution to development is enhanced. The research has a secondary goal to develop a framework for national ICT policy which is anchored in this social paradigm as distinct from the purely techno-economic paradigm that currently prevails. This article reviews the current policy paradigm and framework as reflected in the literature, elaborates on the central research question relating to CI, social capital and sustainability, and hypothesises on what an alternative ICT policy development framework might look like.

09.08.2006 "Hoy también es un día de fiesta para el pueblo venezolano, porque estamos y estaremos siempre con Bolivia", dijo el Primer Mandatario venezolano en su programa dominical "Aló, Presidente" al sostener una conversación telefónica con Evo Morales tras la instalación de la Constituyente.

08.08.2006 Fairtrade - TransFair Italia annuncia per agosto due progetti: mango di Apad, associazione di piccoli produttori del Casamance (Senegal) in vendita nei supermercati Coop e arance dei coltivatori della comunità Zebediela di Bjatladi situata nella provincia Limpopo (Sudafrica) in vendita nei supermercati Pam. Quest'anno Apad è riuscita a spedire 10 tonnellate di mango in Italia, ma tanta altra produzione viene venduta localmente a basso costo o rimane invenduta: solo i soci Apad producono oltre 1.500 tonnellate di mango. I coltivatori della comunità di di Zebediela erano stati espropriati delle loro terre nel periodo dell'apartheid e sono entrati nel circuito del commercio equo e solidale certificato, dando vita a numerosi progetti per sviluppare l'economia della regione partendo dalla scuola fino alla radio della comunità per sensibilizzare i contadini e veicolare programmi educativi per la lotta all'Aids e alle malattie sessualmente trasmissibili.

08.08.2006 Mission 2007's objective to set up knowledge centres in 6,00,000 villages by 2007, the 60th anniversary of country's independence, will be achieved, said M.S. Swaminathan, chairman of the MSSR Foundation and Mission chairperson.

08.08.2006 Gender relations in Bangladesh have been undergoing a process of considerable transformation over the last two decades as a part of broader processes of economic transition and social change. Although progress has been considerable in many spheres, women’s changing roles have also given rise to a range of new challenges that require shifts in policy making and program implementation as well as the various social and cultural values which have informed and shaped implicit societal understandings of women’s roles and responsibilities.

08.08.2006 United Nations mission sent by Secretary General Kofi Annan has been huddled in the Nepalese capital trying to hammer out an agreement between the government and Maoists rebels on how to manage weapons for a durable peace. But the task is turning out to be tricky

08.08.2006 The Maharashtra government has taken a step forward in taking information technology to remote areas that do not have formal educational institutions. Mobile vans are set to bring computer literacy to people in these areas.

07.08.2006 The Commonwealth has launched a new initiative to take information technology to underdeveloped countries that need it most. The initiative 'Commonwealth Connects' aims to bridge the digital divide that leaves large numbers of people in many vulnerable Commonwealth countries cut off from the information flow.

07.08.2006 Negative publicity and attacks by Islamist groups on non- governmental organizations (NGOs) working with women have forced several to close their offices and move staff out of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

07.08.2006 Opinion is divided on the question of private education and like all issues in Sri Lanka groups that are able to arouse emotions end up raising hell needlessly.
The most important question that anybody should keep in mind is that while the Government offers Free Education it does not mean that the Government is bound to offer jobs as well.

04.08.2006 Todo parece indicar que la suerte de los ciudadanos de a pie en lo que respecta al debate sobre el Proyecto del Tercer Juego de Esclusas y de los supuestos beneficios que se derivarían del mismo está echada...

04.08.2006 In order to broaden the reach of IT (Information Technology) education in the State, the Education Department will launch four separate EDUSAT-based education channels for primary, secondary, high school and higher secondary classes, Education Minister M. A. Baby has said.

04.08.2006 Civil society activists, who early on foretold the inevitable collapse of the Doha Round, are now predicting the beginning of the end for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) itself, which sponsored the failed negotiations.

04.08.2006 A new Commonwealth initiative to bridge the deepening digital divide across its member countries was unveiled by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, UK.Its project manager, Naimur Rahman of OneWorld South Asia, said: "Improving connectivity for individuals and communities, which in turn may provide access to this critical transformational information, is the key focus for any ICT for development initiative.

03.08.2006 En el marco de la exposición "La vida rural en El Salvador a través del arte", se llevó a cabo el 27 de julio de 2006 el segundo conversatorio con el objetivo de analizar la historia del agro en el país así como el rumbo que le depara frente a la globalización.

03.08.2006 Estados Unidos está enfrascado en la formación de un área de libre comercio hemisférica (ALCA o TLC) que le permitiría enfrentar en mejores condiciones la competencia con sus principales rivales económicos, o sea, la Unión Europea, Japón y China y a la vez, fortalecer su hegemonía a nivel continental.

03.08.2006 According to various reports, the 14-hour meeting on Sunday 23 July amongst the G6 -- US, EU, Japan, Brazil, India, Australia -- ministers ended in the early hours of the Monday morning. Ministers did not even get around to discussing NAMA.

03.08.2006 President General Pervez Musharraf has said that the government is paying special attention for the progress in the field of science and technology that is imperative for country’s development and to get prominent place among the comity of nations.

03.08.2006 Delhi is fast emerging as a dump yard for e-wastes from around the world. Says Ravi Agarwal of NGO Toxics Link: "Delhi and surrounding areas have a big market for recycled e-waste. Be it burning of PVC coated copper wires, gold extraction from computer chips, reuse of glass, plastic or taking out lead from picture tubes; there is a ready market in north India. Each picture tube of a dismantled PC yields four to 5 kg of lead," Agarwal said.

02.08.2006 A new peace process has been initiated to end ethnic clashes in Sri Lanka. With an imminent danger of a full-scale war breaking out in the island nation, prominent personalities in India and neighbouring countries will work on evolving a long-term peace solution.