Full coverage: Capacity building

31.12.2007 In a recently held conference in India, participants from eleven countries deliberated upon the emerging trend in public service delivery system through mobiles. There is an immense potential to make government services more accessible to everyone with mobile networks covering 70% of world’s population.

28.12.2007 You can now get a return on your investment and also help fight global poverty. Online auction giant eBay’s new micro lending website lets people invest in entrepreneurs in poor communities around the world to help them build better lives for themselves while also earning modest returns.

28.12.2007 Patriarchal attitudes towards female literacy are hostile in many traditional societies, including that of Pakistan. Breaking the shackles of tradition, women are now seeking ways to educate themselves and their daughters.

27.12.2007 A new book, Communicating Disasters: An Asia Pacific Resource Book released during Third Global Knowledge Conference held in Kuala Lumpur in mid December takes a critical look at the communication lessons of the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and explores the role of good communications before, during and after disasters.

27.12.2007 Voluntary labour helps transform barren lands of zero production value to amazingly fertile farms in villages across Nanded district in western Indian state of Maharashtra. Villagers are now witnessing a remarkable change in their fortunes.

26.12.2007 The Planning Commission of India has made a provision of Rs 100 crores for setting up 20 Indian Institute of Information Technology in various parts of the country. The government also promises to ensure broadband accessibility to almost every citizen in countryside, covering 97% of its geographical area by 2012.

26.12.2007 The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO has signed an agreement with Inmarsat to further improve and enhance the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. Once upgraded, there will be minute-by-minute transmission of sea level observation providing more time to sounding alert.

26.12.2007 Only a fraction of the millions of children with disabilities in Bangladesh are able to get basic education, owing to government’s apparent indifference in ensuring their educational rights. However, the country's social welfare secretary says all that may change soon.

22.12.2007 Three years after Sri Lanka was hit by tsunami, people are disappointed at the pace of reconstruction work. An aid worker admits that there has been a disconnect between intended efforts and what has actually materialised.

21.12.2007 Using video conferencing to procure quality seeds, fertiliser and access market-related information to sell their products is becoming popular among Indian farmers. In ten districts of northern state of Rajasthan, the state government has recently installed the facility.

20.12.2007 Located in a small hamlet in Boormajra in northern Indian state of Punjab’s Ropar district, a government school was adjudged as the country’s greenest school second time in a row. A Delhi-based organisation, Centre for Science and Environment under its Green School Programme, in a ceremony held here distributed the awards to 20 schools for their best environmental practices.

19.12.2007 Countries in South Asia like Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal will receive ADB assistance of US$ 21.2 million to develop ICTs in their respective countries. It will promote inclusive growth and help reduce poverty.

19.12.2007 Bangladesh government had sought almost US$ 2 billion in aid from the international community to rehabilitate people affected by the cyclone. The country is in urgent need of assistance if it has to recover from devastation.

18.12.2007 In launching an e-learning tool to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS pandemic in Nigeria, OneWorld UK and others had three main objectives: Using ICT to educate young people on reproductive health, improving information on sex education and gender equality.

17.12.2007 For visually challenged people in western Indian state of Maharashtra, the life will become much easier with the setting up of a special resource centre in Pune. The centre will provide them 100 different services and equipment under one roof like medical treatment, walking sticks, audio calculators, braille watches, computer software, etc.

14.12.2007 When Rasid Naim, a young Filipino man from a family of rice farmers, applied organic farming techniques to his land, he not only saved money from mixing his own pesticides and fertilizers, but also saw his crops grow more resilient to drought and flash floods.

13.12.2007 Government of India this year has included two more categories of awards, which are given for excellence in e-governance. Nominations for the awards can now be filed until December 25.

13.12.2007 The “Menu for Hope” is an on-line lottery conceived as a fund-raising campaign. The World Food Programme has welcomed the initiative, saying that it makes a unique connection between impoverished African farmers and people with fascination for food in the developed world.

13.12.2007 Biogas systems in Nepal have been in use for last half a century and today thousands of households are using them. Every biogas system avoids nearly 7.5 tonnes of carbon emissions per year, which may be small when compared globally, but this is an example of how poor countries can help combat global warming.

11.12.2007 Kerala will soon become the first Indian state to achieve total IT literacy. ICT-based education has shown promising results. Now decision to equip 2,800 high schools with broadband internet connectivity by August next year would open up immense possibilities in the education sector.