ChangeWaves

TLF MENA 2008: Event Summary

16. December 2008

The telecentre movement has come a long way. More than two years ago when I first heard about telecentres, they were scattered and mostly working in isolation. Now many of these are working in networks either national or regional. But it’s been a long time coming. During the third week of November, I was privileged to share experiences with the knowledge sharing team of the Telecentre Network in Egypt. I was facilitated by telecentre.org.telecentre.org is a social investment of the International Development Research Centre in Canada, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Microsoft. Here is my blog summarising the event. Telecentre MENA Network off to a strong start If the success of the just concluded Telecentre Leaders Forum for MENA is anything to go by, then the regional network is off to a good start. “Two years ago, we didn’t know who was using technology for development. Now through Nayer’s report, we have learnt a lot and the first network that can be used to strengthen these initiatives has been set up,” explained Meddie Mayanja, telecentre.org senior program officer on the final day of the MENA TLF in Cairo, Egypt. Nayer Wanas in the report titled ‘The state of telecentres in MENA’ highlights the need to support the emergence of stronger telecentre networks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In this research commissioned by telecentre.org, Wanas explains that this will encourage telecentre practitioners to share knowledge and support each other across the region. “We believe through knowledge sharing we can strengthen people working in telecentres individually and collectively to be more effective in what they are doing,” Mayanja explained. A part from organizing the face to face meetings, the network runs a mailing list for people working or interested in telecentres in the MENA region. The network also publishes the Telecentre Times in Arabic every six months. So far one edition has been produced with the second expected any time soon. All these activities aim at encouraging telecentre practitioners to share knowledge. To join the listserv or contribute articles to the Telecentre Times (Arabic edition) send an email to telecentre.org Community Content Facilitator for MENA Rasha El Baz (rasha_elbaz@yahoo.com) or Karim Kassim (kkasim@mcit.gov.eg). The two day MENA TLF was attended by over 70 telecentre practitioners from Sudan, Yemen and Egypt. Some of the discussions centered on · Internet safety The middle East is becoming a major force in information and communications technology (ICT). The expansion of the use of internet connections, advanced access technology and unregulated cuber café, where young people meet, share network information and surf without any parental guidance or technical blocs, has been both a blessing and a curse. Unattended surfing of the internet or use of mobile phones may expose young users to risks related to content, contact or commercialism. A team from the Suzzane Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement explained what online dangers children face and how parents, children and telecentre or IT club managers can do to avert the dangers. (Suzzane Mubarak is Egypt’s First Lady) · ICT for Special Needs Education (SNE) Eng. Nabil Eid (Salamieh Telcentre, Syria) held a discussion on how ICT can be used to support people with special needs including the deaf, blind and people with Down’s syndrome. He has developed special software in this regard (the good news is it is open source). · Genderstanding telecentres We heard so many experiences of how telecentres are used to empower women. SOUL for example is a non-profit, non-governmental Yemeni organization, committed to raising the quality of life of Yemeni women and children through development projects and partnerships with civil society, government and international organizations. SOUL conducts training and consultations, research, advocacy, awareness campaigns and service provision activities. We heard how SOUL has proven success and experience in implementing a variety of training programs for women, including in the field of Information Technology. · Mobiles and telecentres In addition to their services, Ahmed Eisa from the Gaderef Digital City in Sudan, explained how they are adding the mobile component to their services. GDCO is partnering with India’s Drishtee to start sending agricultural information to farmers through the mobile phone. This will be launched in January 2008. See some of the pictures here http://telecentrecommunity.ning.com/photo/album/show?id=2086278%3AAlbum%3A4887 · Biggest challenge Participants highlighted the lack of content as one of the biggest challenges telecentres in MENA face. But it was envisaged that with the growth of knowledge sharing activities and creation of partnerships and networks among telecentre practitioners in the region, this would soon become a discussion of the past. See some of the events pictures here http://telecentrecommunity.ning.com/photo/albums/mena-tlf-2008

TLF MENA 2008: Knowledge sharing and networking key for the growth of telecentres in MENA

16. December 2008

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A t 1,001,450 square kilometers, Egypt is the world’s 38th-largest country. In terms of land area, it is approximately the same size as all of Central America, twice the size of France, four times the size of the United Kingdom! Egypt is one of the most populous countries in Africa and the Middle East and [...]

ChangeWaves shares experiences at TLF MENA

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ChangeWaves facilitates sessions at Technology & Education Conference

30. July 2008

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ChangeWaves will be facilitating two brainstorming sessions — “What aid and development is helpful, and what is not helpful? Identifying key needs, and more effective solutions” and “What Unique Strengths Africa and Africans can Contribute to the World?” — at the Technology for Education in Developing Countries Conference in Kampala. The goal of this international [...]