First web conference for rural development

From 25 until 27 September Development actors, ICT and information specialists and software developers will gather for the first conference on the use of Web 2.0 tools for development, focusing in particular on the use of these tools within rural and agricultural development and natural resource management. The conference is initiated by CTA, organized & supported by CTA, FAO, IICD, GTZ and will be hosted by FAO in Rome, Italy. Participants - either eager adopters or those with experience in Web 2.0 - are expected from all continents representing both Southern grass-root organisations and renowned public institutions like the World Bank, World Health Organization, FAO and various donor agencies. Web 2.0 covers the latest evolution of the web, offering free or very low-cost interactive Web tools to create, publish and share information. One of the best known examples based on the new web technology is Wikipedia, a free, open content online encyclopaedia created through the collaborative effort of a community of users. The opportunities and challenges that are offered by Web 2.0 have until now scarcely been explored within the development sector, although they could greatly enhance collaboration, networking and information sharing. More than 150 participants, with various backgrounds, will gather to discuss and share experiences and ideas on how development actors and especially Southern ones get to own these new tools. Topics, to be covered, vary from village-to-village knowledge sharing in Cairo and using web 2.0 tools in a low bandwidth environment in Sub-Saharan countries to increased citizen participation in the Pacific, composing new maps from Scattered Geo-data Sources using Open Web Services and overcoming cultural, linguistic and geographic barriers with the use of web 2.0 in the Amazon. The Web2forDev 2007 is the first international conference to discuss how new Internet tools commonly known as Web 2.0 can be used to the advantage of Southern actors to more efficiently network, collaborate and exchange information in the field of rural and agricultural development and natural resource management. For questions regarding the Conference, please contact: Communication Officer - CTA Ph:+31 317 467 143

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