Chennai: Lennart Båge, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), inaugurated the hub of ten different rural knowledge centres and a community radio station on May 12 in the village of Pillayarkuppam in Pondicherry.
During his visit to Chennai, Båge will also meet with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He will also visit the tsunami affected areas in the districts of Kancheepuram, Villupruam, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvallur and Kanyakumari.
The Presidents visit is part of a tsunami relief programme organized by the MS Swaminathan Foundation, which initiated the knowledge centre project in 1998 with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
The knowledge centre hub will connect ten rural villages to various communications technologies, including telephone, computer, e-mail, radio, community newspapers and the Internet, while taking into account the local populations needs, culture and language. Specific information on agriculture, health care, employment opportunities, marketing techniques and new government schemes, as well as English language courses and computer science training for children and youth, will also be available.
The aim of the knowledge centre project is to redress some of the inequalities that are being created by new information and communication technologies and emphasize community ownership of such modern tools.
One of the most positive results of the project has been the introduction of loud speakers that broadcast weather conditions to coastal villages. During the December 2004 tsunami, for instance, loudspeakers warned local fishers about the dangerous waves and helped to save lives.
For more information:
Farhana Haque Rahman,
Chief, Media Relations, Special Events and Programmes
Tel: +39-0654592485+39-0654592215
f.haquerahman@ifad.org
OR Contact: United Nations Information Centre
New Delhi, India
Tel: + (91-11) 24628877, ext. 242
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