| ashu |
Posted
on 13-Mar-02 12:06 AM
Call For Papers
The International Conference on Information Technology,
Communications & Development
December 1-3, 2002, Kathmandu, Nepal
In the years since the development of the world wide web,
an increasing number of people also in developing countries
have been using information communication technology (ICT)
to bring about change in their work methods and environment
and to speed up the development process.
Development organizations, NGOs, media houses, government
agencies, schools and many individuals make use of ICT
in one way or another. Yet, many questions are to be asked:
- What are the results?
- What is the context between ICT and development?
- Is the www so powerful in development as many people think it is?
- Are the priorities of big development organizations right when
it comes to using ICT or would the better money be spent on other
projects?
- Can ICT really a make difference in the poorest parts of the world?
- What are the prerequisites to apply ICT in remote areas in Nepal,
for example?
- What impact has ICT on society?
- Which are the lessons to be learnt and experiences to be shared?
- What policies are required, especially in developing countries, to
facilitate the use and access to ICT?
There are also questions regarding how global networking of
like-minded people through the web can make a difference in
policy advocacy and social equity for example.
As the technology advances, the gap between the information
haves and have-nots is widening. The digital divide becomes
more and more apparent. To highlight and discuss these issues,
the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES-N) in Nepal started the
conference on Information Technology, Communications and
Development (ITCD) in 2001. ITCD 2001 (www.itcd.net), which
was hosted in Kathmandu, drew more than 30 speakers from 14
different countries. Altogether 130 participants attended.
Encouraged by the feedback from last year, the conference
for 2002 is now announced.
The objectives of the conference are to learn from one another
and also to draw up recommendations for better policies and
better projects that benefit people, particularly in developing
countries. The conference aims to create a network of like
minded people working in the area for IT&C, who can meet at
least once a year to share ideas and experiences.
Six topics have been identified for presentation and discussion.
The main focus across all these areas would be on youth, gender,
e-health, and how technology can help in building democratic
societies. But the list is not exhaustive and ideas are welcome.
- Appropriate Information Technologies
- IT, Youth and Volunteerism
- Using ICT in Development
- Society, Web and Gender
- Policy and Legislation
- Internet and democratization
We value inputs made available to the conference and invite
papers and proposals for presentation. The conference will
be attended by academics, development workers, media
practitioners as well as ICT experts from Nepal and other
countries.
Selected papers will be offered fast-track approval for
publication in a special edition of the Electronic Journal
on Information Systems in Developing Countries (EJISDC).
Selected papers from the 2001 conference are now available
in Volume 8 at http://www.ejisdc.org/.
Please send papers/proposals for presentations to
Alfred.Diebold@fesnepal.org.
Further information about the conference is available on
the web at http://www.itcd.net
Paper / proposal submission deadline: 30 August 2002
Confirmation for presentation deadline: 30 September 2002
Full paper / presentation submission deadline: 30 October 2002.
Looking forward to your contributions.
Dr. Alfred Diebold
Resident Representative
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Nepal Office
Tel: +977 1 522526, 542406
Fax: +977 1 521101
Email: alfred.diebold@fesnepal.org
Visit us at www.itcd.net
|
| Gokul |
Posted
on 13-Mar-02 04:17 PM
Ashu,
Thanks for the information.
I think it is a great topic and believe that the impact of the Internet is going to be very fundamental and omnidirectional. It will impact not only the economy and business section, but the whole human civilization because it directly affects what we know, how we know and when we know and in this sense the Internet works as a very subtle, psychedelic medium. It's impact will be far more revolutionary than that of telephone.
But it is true that looking beyond the hype of the Internet lies a very grim picture, a picture which depicts how it may aggravate the already widening gap between have and have-nots. The Internet is a great medium for change and unless we are prepared for accepting and adapting the change, it will have negative effects.
So as an open forum for discussion, let us explore how it may affect our society and country in the coming years.
As someone once said, " The Internet is the greatest experiment in anarchy."
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