Full Coverage: Capacity building

31.05.2004 Despite South Africa's pro-active initiatives in reaping the benefits of ICTs for societal development, its legislation prohibits deployment of technologies such as voice over internet. Such inhibition of easy-to-use and cost-effective ICT applications can have negative impact on the country's development, warn analysts.

31.05.2004 Despite South Africa's pro-active initiatives in reaping the benefits of ICTs for societal development, its legislation prohibits deployment of technologies such as voice over internet. Such inhibition of easy-to-use and cost-effective ICT applications can have negative impact on the country's development, warn analysts.

31.05.2004 Two Australian scientists will work with their British counterparts to work on the design of faster laser-driven computers. This collaboration is being facilitated by the British Council Eureka Prize for Inspiring Science.

31.05.2004 A conducive funding model has to be built for enabling small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) grow in rural areas using ICTs, according to a senior offical of the International
Telecommunication Union.

28.05.2004 United Nations Development Programme has organised a two-day workshop on national e-strategies in Beirut, Lebanon. Delegates from the Arab region are attending this high-level meeting.

28.05.2004 This information brief brings together the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA), with the recent 2003 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) policy-making process. Section 5 deals with connecting WSIS ICT Policy with Armed Conflict in the BPFA. Produced by the International Women's Tribune Centre as part of the efforts of the NGO Gender Strategies Working Group to engender the WSIS process.

28.05.2004 AITEC is calling for presentation proposals on poverty-alleviation through digital inclusion, enabling universal, sustainable, ubiquitous and affordable access of ICT by all. Proposals should include a short biography of the presenter, a synopsis and contact details. There are sponsorship opportunities available.

27.05.2004 The Health Information Systems Programme in Andhra Pradesh, India, makes innovative uses of ICT, especially of open source software to deliver health knowledge to medical professionals. A finalist of this year's Stockholm Challenge Award , this project is supported by students from different parts of the world.

26.05.2004 Applications of free and open source software in e-learning solutions will be taken up in a virtual discussion from June 1 to 25. Being hosted by UNESCO, the forum will seek to find open source solutions for e-learning in the developing economy perspective.

26.05.2004 Educators were trained in the use of ICTs for educating people with special needs at a workshop organised by UNESCO recently in Yerevan, Armenia. The workshop was part of a seminar for school educators, being conducted by the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education.

26.05.2004 Applications of free and open source software in e-learning solutions will be taken up in a virtual discussion from June 1 to 25. Being hosted by UNESCO, the forum will seek to find open source solutions for e-learning in the developing economy perspective.

26.05.2004 Academicians from Arab countries gathered in a meeting recently pointed out the lack of electronic databases, especially in Arabic languages. They made a strong case for making information on research accessible through such databases.

21.05.2004 More than 50 development experts come together for a consultation in Chennai, India this week to form a National Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Basic Human Needs.

21.05.2004 Volunteers from Australia, India, Kenya, the Philippines, Spain, the United States and Zimbabwe were conferred the prestigious "Online Volunteers of the Year" title by the United Nations Volunteers. The volunteers, numbering ten, were felicitated for their work on a range of development efforts, using the Internet.

20.05.2004 OneWorld South Asia and the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation have launched an online discussion on the sustainability and scalabitliy of Information Kiosks in India. The list is titled: Information Kiosks in every Indian village by 2007 – a myth or reality?
A summary of the discussions would be shared at two separate national workshops on technology and policy issues on the ICT4D initiatives in Delhi, India.
To join the list, send a blank email to join-infokiosks@dgroups.org

20.05.2004 Oxfam has created what it claims to be the charity sector's first video
email. The videos to be streamed into Oxfam's monthly digital newsletter, available this week, show British schoolchildren demonstrating outside Westminster on behalf of the one million children worldwide who have no access to education.

19.05.2004 Radio Sagarmatha in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal seeks donations to build its premises. This will help the community radio station, the first and and only one in this area, to help it sustain itself and serve the community it caters to.

19.05.2004 Four telecentres became operational in remote areas of Romania as part of the Dot-GOV project. These centres will offer a range of services to the village communities, from facilitating communication in emergency situations to tap the potential of e-commerce.

19.05.2004 VCD modules that promote learning and reflection have been developed for migrant girls crossing the Mekong River into Thailand, as well as other groups of at-risk youth. This pilot, developed under a project of the US-based Education Development Center, seeks to demonstrate how VCD
technology - already very popular in the region - can help these girls before they find themselves in compromising situations.

18.05.2004 On May 14-15,2004, an NGO Fair and Exhibition was held in Banja Luka, under the sponsorship of the US Department of Agriculture, and in cooperation with the International Orthodox Christian Charities IOCC. A total of 46 organizations and associations from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in the Fair. The goal of the Fair was to introduce the citizens with the humanitarian activities of Bosnian NGOs.