http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/archive/1084 en_GB_uk http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/160403/1/1084 Open Access to Knowledge and Information: Scholarly Literature and Digital Library Initiatives – the South Asian Scenario released by UNESCO, New Delhi illustrates South Asian initiatives to bridge knowledge gaps in the region. The book is a useful source for building up necessary information infrastructure for development. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/160369/1/1084 Africa today presents the most promising opportunities and perspectives for the ICT industry. International Telecommunication Union is organising Telecom Africa 2008 which will bring together technologies, topics, leaders, speakers and networking opportunities for growth and investment in the continent. http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/160334/1/1084 The Department of Education in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, an Indian Union Territory, is introducing IT hobby centres in 24 schools during the summer vacation. The free of cost centres will encourage use of computers in the learning process. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/160284/1/1084 Telecentres can serve as an important source of information by connecting citizens with the government. A growing trend of commercialisation is however treating such entitlements as services and citizens as customers who pay service charges, writes research associate Vivek Vaidyanathan. http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/160119/1/1084 With BBC World Trust launching its most ambitious project 'English in Action’, Bangladeshis will soon be able to learn the global language through television and mobiles. This will help all sections of society acquire English language skills and increase their prospects in the job market. http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/159807/1/1084 Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies is organising eINDIA2008 from July 29-31, 2008 at New Delhi, India. The fourth annual ICT forum in the country will be a unique platform for stakeholders to share best practices and exchange ideas on creating a technology-enabled society. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/159776/1/1084 Digital Empowerment Foundation in association with Intel Foundation has launched a Community Information Resource Centre (CIRC) named 'Gyan Vatika' (Knowledge Garden) in a village in Jharkhand in eastern India. The move aims to impart knowledge to locals about various development related issues. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/159770/1/1084 Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies is organising eIndia2008 from July 29-31, 2008 at New Delhi, India. The fourth annual ICT forum in the country will be a unique platform for stakeholders to share best practices and exchange ideas on creating a technology-enabled society. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/159448/1/1084 The use of mobile phone communication for various services is rapidly growing in developing countries. The innovative use of mobile phones in the Philippines: lessons for Africa, a report published by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency identifies the best practices and lessons learnt from the Philippines experience. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/159447/1/1084 ASSOCHAM is organising 5th National Summit on e-Governance “Serving the Common Man through e-Governance: Sharing of Experience” on April 18, 2008 in New Delhi, India. The summit aims to provide a platform for various stakeholders from government and industry to share their experiences. http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/159404/1/1084 The state government in Bihar in eastern India plans to set up FM radio stations in schools to make education more effective. Apart from airing phone-in programmes on career counseling, quizzes and guest lectures, the channels would also educate students on community development, health and disaster management. http://tv.oneworld.net/article/view/159347/1/1084 http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/159325/1/1084 Under its World Ahead Programme, Intel Corporation will supply a thousand personal computers to schools across 64 districts in Bangladesh. Ensuring cost-effective Internet connectivity with the help of other agencies is also one of the objectives of the programme. http://tv.oneworld.net/article/view/159255/1/1084 http://www.digitalopportunity.org/article/view/159092/1/1084 Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) invites nominations from South Asian countries for the Manthan Award 2008 to recognize the best e-content for development. The Manthan Award, after its four years of interventions in India, has now decided to cover Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.