Re: [GKD] Revisiting National E-Readiness and E-Strategies
I have been following discussions on the GKD on many issues but 'managed to get provoked' into the discussion myself, but the discussion on the use of or non-use of local consultants finally 'stirred' me to writing in this forum. I agree with Sam Lanfranco for some form of in-house search/inquiry on what reasons local consultants do not get hired? I suggest this debate to include a study on who hires the expensive international consultants in developing countries? Where does the money for paying such persons originate from? Could there be more going behind doors than the usual explanation of expertise quality or the lack of it? I believe answering these few questions can help shade some light on why local consultants do or do not get hired, or when they do, they are normally assigned the field-errand-part of the study while the real earners stay put somewhere in some hotel, or even worse thousands of miles away in some capital of the developed world. Remigio Achia ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.globalknowledge.org
[GKD] Launch of ItrainOnline
Hello GKDers, We are pleased to announce the launch of ItrainOnline, a collaboration and training oriented resource centre for people who want to learn how to use the Internet effectively for social justice and sustainable development. Please forward as appropriate. Spanish text follows the English text below. Cheers, -Shady --- Shady Kanfi www.bellanet.org/staff/shady Bellanet International Secretariat [EMAIL PROTECTED] === ItrainOnline: Internet Training Centre for Sustainable Development and Human Rights Launches Montivideo, Uruguay -- Nov 29, 2001 Six international organizations have joined forces to create ItrainOnline www.itrainonline.org, a technology resource centre for people who want to learn how to use the Internet effectively for social justice and sustainable development. The World Wide Web offers many Internet-related training materials. However, it is often difficult to find relevant, high-quality resources developed by and for NGOs, development organizations, and other civil society groups. ItrainOnline responds to the need to bring such resources together in one place - an interactive multilingual website containing the best and most relevant computer and Internet training content. Topics covered range from computer and Internet basics to more advanced subjects such as building online communities and incorporating audio and video into websites. The site also includes training events and educational resources for Internet trainers. ItrainOnline launches in English and Spanish with other languages to be rolled out in 2002. Resources will also be added on information and communications technologies (ICTs) other than the Internet as the site develops. The majority of the content has been developed by people working in development for people working in development. ItrainOnline is a continuing initiative of the following organizations, all contributing particular expertise and experience in computer and Internet training in the South: The Association for Progressive Communications www.apc.org Bellanet International Secretariat www.bellanet.org International Institute for Communication and Development www.iicd.org The International Institute for Sustainable Development www.iisd.org The International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications www.inasp.info OneWorld www.oneworld.net By pooling energies and resources, the partners in ItrainOnline reduce duplication, learn from each other, and focus their Internet training investments for greater impact. The founding organizations invite others to contribute their materials so that civil society and development organizations can increase the impact of their work through the effective use of ICTs. ItrainOnline partners share a commitment to free and open sharing of knowledge in the fight to end world poverty, create a global sustainable future and ensure human rights for all. For more information contact: Glen Tarman, OneWorld publicity manager Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 2100 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ann Tothill, Project Coordinator: Online Resource Centre, APC - The Association for Progressive Communications Tel: +27 12 998 2064 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] = ItrainOnline: Lanzamiento de un centro en lInea de formacion y capacitacion en Internet para los derechos humanos y el desarrollo Montevideo, Uruguay - 29 Nov 2001- Seis organizaciones internacionales han sumado esfuerzos para crear ItrainOnline www.itrainonline.org, centro de recursos tecnologicos en lInea para los interesados en la utilizacion efectiva de Internet para fines de justicia social y desarrollo sostenible. La World Wide Web ofrece multitud de recursos y materiales de formacion y capacitaciUn sobre Internet. Pese a ello, a menudo es difIcil hallar recursos relevantes y de alta calidad desarrollados especIficamente por y para las ONG, las organizaciones que trabajan en desarrollo y otros grupos de la sociedad civil. ItrainOnline responde a la necesidad de reunir algunos de estos recursos en un solo sitio (un sitio web interactivo y multiling,e que alojar. los mejores y m.s relevantes contenidos en materia de formacion y capacitaciUn en Internet). Los temas tratados cubrir.n desde lo m.s b.sico sobre computadoras e Internet hasta cuestiones m.s avanzadas como la construccion de comunidades en lInea o la incorporacion de audio y video a las p.ginas de los sitios web. ItrainOnline incluye tambien una agenda con los principales cursos de formaciUn, asI como m'ltiples recursos educativos para maestros de Internet. ItrainOnline lanza ahora su sitio en espanol e ingles (adem.s de otros idiomas que se aOadir.n a lo largo de 2002). A medida que el sitio se vaya desarrollando, sus recursos se divulgar.n tambien mediante otras tecnologIas de informacion y comunicacion distintas de Internet. La mayor parte del contenido de ItrainOnline ha sido elaborado por personas que trabajan en desarrollo para personas que trabajan
[GKD] Information Village Project (India)
Dear GKD Members, I would like to introduce myself, as this is my first message to GKD. I live in Mumbai, India and have 22 years experience writing technical documentation and promotional material; have supported new market launches and Phased Manufacturing Programmes for a wide number of industries, 12 years of which were spent as a (employee + contracted tenures) marketing and projects executive. Have worked abreast with evolving information systems and technologies since 1979, though about exclusively for the IT industry since 1998. Am an electrical (energy systems) engineer, studied Cybernetic Management Strategy applied to growth of businesses through an Advance Diploma in Management from the Wolfgang Mewes Verlag of Frankfurt, Germany which enables analysis and strategy formulation - esp. business growth by information strategy. Have extensive exposure to all areas of corporate communications - as copywriter and communications consultant. In addition, I take a keen interest in all issues related to economic development, especially energy, environment and technology. I am likewise an observer, subscriber or participant in relevant fora of bodies like Exnora www.exnora.org Save Chennai Environment, the Hawking Communicator Project www.radiophony.com and Society for Clean Environment www.socleen.org, as well as the Simputer list. I would like to share with you this information about the Information Village Project, of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, which I drew from the Drumbeat page at the Communication Initiative site: http://www.comminit.com/pds11-2001/sld-3357.html. Best regards, Udit Chaudhuri -- Information Village Project - India Summary The Information Village Project, of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, linked ten villages near Pondicherry, India with computers, providing information on such aspects as health, crops, weather, and fishing conditions. These new technology tools are empowering everyone with knowledge and opportunity by an inclusive use of local languages and a multimedia format that allows all to participate. Main Communication Strategies The Information Village Project has connected the villages by a hybrid wired and wireless network-consisting of PCs, telephones, VHF duplex radio devices and email connectivity through dial-up telephone lines - that facilitates both voice and data transfer, and have enabled the villagers to get information that they need and can use. The entire project draws its sustenance from the holistic philosophy of Swaminathan, which emphasises an integrated pro-poor, pro-women, pro-Nature orientation to development and community ownership of technological tools against personal or family ownership, and encourages collective action for spread of technology. The bottom up exercise involves local volunteers to gather information, feed it into an Intranet and provide access through nodes in different villages. Value addition to the raw information, use of the local language (Tamil) and multimedia (to facilitate illiterate users) and participation by local people right from the beginning are the noteworthy features of the project. Most of the operators and volunteers providing primary information are women, thus giving them status and influence. All centres came up because of demands made by the community. Information provided in the village knowledge centres is locale specific and relates to prices of agricultural inputs (such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) and outputs (rice, vegetables), market (potential for export), entitlement (the multitude of schemes of the central and state governments, banks), health care (availability of doctors and paramedics in nearby hospitals, women's diseases), cattle diseases, transport (road conditions, cancellation of bus trips), weather (appropriate time for sowing, areas of abundant fish catch, wave heights in the sea), etc. Unique to the project is the fact that most information is collected and fed in by the local community itself. The centres are operated by local volunteers. Development Issues Technology, Economic Development, Rights Key Points In most villages, there are no telephone lines and there are frequent power breakdowns. The project uses hybrid wired and wireless communication links using telephones at one end and Motorola VHF dupleix devices at the other, and by using solar power in conjunction with the mains. In a caste-based society, it is not easy to spread an egaliterian ethos. The project was able to gain working space for the village information centres from a Panchayat (local government) office, a private individual's home and even a temple. They were able to overcome the temple' normal rules and allow Dalit (lowest caste) people and women in their monthly periods to enter and use the informtion centre located in the temple. MSSRF won the Stockholm Challenge Award in 2001 for this project. Partners IDRC,
