text:
posted by Benjamin .
I was wondering what you all may think about video games and their effects on children playing them? Are the children becoming more violent? What do these games do t a child's psyche?
Try some of the fol lowing links for ideas:
My opinion is based on what I see happening in my daughter's and son's homes --
My daughter's two sons play all kinds of video games, including some of the most violent out there. Neither is a violent boy, and they are not becoming violent -- not because of the games or any other reason. HOWEVER, the younger boy's vocabulary is not as broad as it should be by now (to him, everything is instantly related to the military in some way!), and the breadth of his thinking is stunted, in my opinion. The older boy loves to play all kinds of games, but is not addicted to any of them! He is also in university now, studying for an engineering degree.
In my son's home, his daughter plays only the games on her Nintendo DS and focuses on her reading, her studies, her artwork, etc. She is a much more "rounded" child, and her educational progress so far is amazing.
From what I've seen in my own family (including the above examples and those in other family members' homes), these games don't make my grandchildren, nieces, nephews, et al., violent, but they can have a negative effect on children's ability to think well, to focus in school, to WANT to develop a variety of interests, etc.
Thank you, your responses helped my very much.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


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The government through the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration, on December 6, 2012, Revealed that African nationals from the African continent transiting to or through Rwanda will be issued with entry visa upon arrival at any Rwandan entry point, effectively January 1, 2013.
The decision was taken in a bid to remove formalities in visa acquisition from Rwanda's respective embassies in the travelers' countries of origin.
This will benefit applicants- no delays in acquiring a visa while removing the condition to pass by their respective embassies or the risk of missing all requirements while applying online.
According to Anaclet Kalibata, the director of immigration and emigration, this will help both the foreigners coming to Rwanda and the country itself.
"It's not easy for African countries nationals to apply for an online visa, when the access to internet is limited. Others come without all the requirements, In spite of that, the online option remains valid," Kalibata said.
For the country, Kalibata said, it's very beneficial because it opens more doors to businessmen, tourists and workers who, upon arrival will understand that the country is hospitable indeed.
Richard Kabonero, Uganda's High Commissioner to Rwanda as well as the Dean of Diplomats accredited to Kigali, said that this was within the spirit of integration that is being promoted under the East African Community.
Kabonero said our region is ahead in protocols of reintegration. We allow free movement of people, and I think this is what Rwanda keeps promoting.
"This is an advantage to promote education and trade, even the intra African trade will benefit from this facility," he added.
Concerning the awareness of the new system, Kalibata said they are disseminating information on what is required to apply for an entry visa at arrival on their website and different social websites for the public to know what they need to apply for a visa.
Kalibata also said there will not be any risk for one to be sent back upon arrival in Rwanda and the decision to the change does not remove any existing payments.
The entry visa acquisition doesn't concern residents from regional blocs like the East African Community, the Economic Commission for the Great Lakes Region (CEPGL) as well as individual countries like Mauritius, with which Rwanda has existing agreements.
Similarly, member states of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa are already enjoying this facility.
The Rwanda immigration and emigration has previously scooped several national and international awards because of its efficiency in services delivery.
Currently the entry visa cost $30 and lasts for 1 month, except for the tourist's visa that is valid for three months.


text:
Young creators of digital content can
register their products themselves. An international young expert
jury will then judge the products and select a winner in each of the six WSYA
The reward for winners is to be
recognized on a world stage, to be invited to the winners' events
(with all related cost covered by organizers), to be able to connect
with each other and discuss with renowned experts in the field of ICT
for development. The Youth Award is not a cash award. Last years winner's events took place in Graz, Austria. In 2012, the event is going to take
place in Montreal, Canada.
The WSYA is organized as a follow up
activity of the World Summit on Information Society and its action
plan towards the year 2015. The Youth Award is being organized by the
World Summit Award Network for the fifth time after 2005, 2009, 2010,
and 2011. It is promoted in all UN member states through the networks
of the World Summit Award (WSA) the UN Global Alliance for ICT, other
participating UN Organizations and Agencies such as UNESCO and UNIDO,
governments and NGOs, youth organizations, and all those committed to
making a real difference in the achievement of the MDGs.The
WSYA Team is based at the International Centre for New Media (ICNM),
an independent non-profit organization in Salzburg, Austria.
(Source: WSYA)
This is a document that serves as a
guide to teachers in ICT teaching of the schools
which were benefited from Computadoras para educar (Computers for
Schools), ICT Ministry program."We are convinced
that technology contributes significantly in
education", said ICT Ministry, Diego Molano Vega."We
are more than technology. Computadoras para educar is
sustainable social development for Colombia because the learning
process supported from ICT, thanks to the guidelines of the Ministry
of Education", said Director Martha Castellanos referring to the
launch of this digital document, which includes a study by the
University of the Andes and supports the results of the program since
its existence and several articles on the use of ICT in education,
written by experts and ministers of ICT and Education.However,
the focus of the publication is defined into the
seven components of education mediated by ICTs, including the
dimensions research, evaluative, communication, educational,
technical and technological, attitudinal and disciplinary. The book
also addresses the main challenges of the new age teachers, such as
turning the student into the protagonist of his own educational
process, making it more purpose and more focused on the skills that
the accumulation of knowledge."This book is a real
turning point between what is the use of computers in the classroom
and the incorporation of digital tools to strengthen education",
said the Deputy Minister of ICT María Carolina Hoyos Turbay.The
publication serves as a guide on the most important steps that
the Government of Colombia has taken to meet targets on access to
technology in the educational context, raised in Vive Digital Plans
and Quality Education.
(Source: MINTIC Colombia)
The project, which was formerly
supported by IICD in collaboration with local partner Casa de la
Mujer (Womans House), was presented as an example of an inspiring
innovative approach to capacity development that leads to the
improvement of peoples lives.
The project consists of an online
consulting service for women suffering from domestic violence, which
provides them legal advice and the opportunity to interact online
anonymously with professional counselors. In addition, these women
are trained in the basic use of computers as well as the use of tools
such as chat and Skype where they can speak to their peers or learn
how to anonymously tell their story. Given that most women do
not have a computer of their own, Casa de La Mujer has created
computer centres throughout Santa Cruz, which women can visit and use
for free to send messages to lawyers and psychologists who volunteer
in the project or to other victims, anonymously, if they prefer.As
a result, the women feel that they are not alone. By interacting with
other women facing the same problems and by being introduced to basic
ICT skills like blogging or using Skype, they are given a voice to
communicate about domestic violence and inspire other women who
suffer in other areas of the country. In addition to this, ICT has
given them the opportunity to seek help maintaining their anonymity,
something that is really important to victims of domestic violence
and gender discrimination.IICDs officer Community
Relations, Innovation & Capacity Development, Saskia Harmsen says
that We are pleased with the results seen from the training of 600
women in the use of ICT, and in the use of the on-line legal services
and in legal rights issues.
(Source: IICD)
Margaret Wanjiku Mwangi has been a
regular user of the Ngarua Maarifa ICT Centre in the rural county
of Laikipia in Kenya since it was inaugurated seven years ago. She
has acquired computer skills free of charge and regularly borrows
books and magazines to discover new ideas to improve yield
productivity. For example, she learnt how to preserve various
vegetable seeds for planting to enhance food security. It was also at
this rural ICT Centre, an initiative of the Arid Lands Information
Network (ALIN), that she came up with the idea of making a kitchen
garden to grow vegetables in the dry season, and to make fruit juices
at home to sell at special occasions and social gatherings.
Mwangi has also attended market access
trainings at the ICT Centre, where she has learnt to use her mobile
phone and the internet to check market prices. Whenever my crops
are ready, she says, I use my mobile phone to check market
prices in major towns so that I can learn about the current market
situation. I share the information with neighbours, and we are no
longer exploited by middle men.
Bett Kipsang, field officer at the
Ngarua Maarifa Centre says: We have initiated training sessions
targeting all the community members and specifically women. During
these sessions, we introduce them to initiatives about online
marketing skills, for example, where we train farmers to check market
prices from a web-based portal using the internet and mobile phones.
The portal is called Sokopepe, which
loosely translated into Swahili means online market. It was developed by ALIN, for use by local
farmers to access market information via the Short Message Service
(SMS). The internet portal has been customized to receive SMS and
give feedback on the prices of commodities as inquired by the farmers
and buyers. The initiative enables farmers to upload their offers
online and receive market information from different market centers
in order to make informed decisions on where to sell their produce.
This marketing system has helped rural women find prices and also
discover the location of prospective buyers.
(Source: ICT Update)
Designers, programmers and innovators
of all kinds are invited to consider the user experience of
resource-poor women to reimagine a smartphones core user interface
to be more intuitive and accessible. The more a woman can use her
phone, the more value shell be able to realize from the
pre-installed apps, widgets, and other functionality that can enhance
her and her familys lives.
Today, most mobile users in developing
markets rely on basic feature phones, which generally offer little
beyond basic voice and SMS functionality. But smartphones will drive
the next stage of the mobile revolution, offering access to more
phone features, as well as being the primary tool for internet access
for many in the developing world. As competition grows and the phones
become more popular, manufacturers will realize economics of scale
and will reduce prices, creating a cycle that will ultimately lead to
affordable smartphones throughout the developing world.
More information(Source: GSMA mWomen)
In order to effectively
contend with this evolving style, it is vital for educators to
incorporate these changes into the classroom. One way of doing so is
by the integration of mobile learning and, more specifically, remote
teaching. This study attempted to measure the effectiveness of mobile
learning and remote teaching in delivering classroom content within
the university context, as opposed to traditional lecture-based
delivery. Results indicated that mobile-based remote teaching is not
only as effective as traditional instruction, but more so, in regard
to student understanding of course content.
This study will explore the use of
mobile technology in remote teaching, giving professors the ability
to teach and instruct students via the mobile device while not in the
traditional classroom setting. This study will utilize a
quasi-experimental design between separate sections of no less than
three classes. Three sections will be taught utilizing extensive
remote teaching activities (i.e. sending students out of the
classroom to experience different activities and blogging/podcasting
about them remotely on their device, conducting scavenger hunts
using mobile devices for instruction, using HeadsUp to facilitate
group work while the professor is not physically present), while the
other three sections will be taught identical course materials using
traditional face-to-face methods. Measurement will consist of a
pre-test/post-test design to compare student comprehension, retention
of, and interest in course materials.
Full report(Source: Abilene Christian University)
This is what the teachers consider; to
adapt the tests to what is taught in classrooms every day, and
especially at how it is taught. "In one hand, they tend
increasingly to teach skills, teachers want the students to be able
to do something with the stuff they learn, think and analyze, but in
the opposite way we (teachers) mostly continue evaluating memory",
said Coral regi, Director of Virolai School and professor of Biology.
Regi raises another issue. The reality is this: people access to
various sources of information, books, manuals, journals, internet,
experts ... - to respond to the questions they face in their lives,
at work ... Do not rely all the data stored in their brain. But the
school does not allow it in testing. In this center, and in another
thirty Spain, have decided to turn around the situation.
Virolai center of Barcelona is part of
a program of DIM research group from Universat Autónoma de Barcelona
(UAB), coordinated by Pere Marquis, who proposes something similar.
Last academic year this group conducted a research in fifty schools
and colleges where they could realize the evaluation during the
exams. About 70% of teachers felt that the result for the students
was positive. Students who were good they continue good and those who
had difficulties improved with effort, but those who were dragging
deficits or who were unwilling to work could not perform well.
Therefore, this course has launched a second phase of research, which
will continue the 2012-2013, in which they propose a new approach to
the curriculum - called bimodal.
(Source: La Vanguardia Spain)
Whilst tech start-ups are now able to
access news and information readily, TechZim has had another
unprecedented impact by helping secondary school students who are
learning the ropes of using ICT as a tool for academic research.
Makani explains, "We decided to take on young people from secondary
schools and colleges to teach them how to use the Internet and social
media networks for their academic research". They host free
informal training seminars during the school holidays where a few
youths at a time learn about software, web designing and project
management. For novices, there are sessions on basic computer skills
something so many privileged people take for granted these days.
"We dont award certificates because we arent a college",
says Makani. "We are basically demystifying ICT and assisting
students who would otherwise not be able to afford computer classes
at all", he says.
Makanis project has proved popular,
so much so that the Department of Media Studies at WITS University in
Johannesburg invited his input for a study into the revision of the
regulatory framework of a new national media policy for Zimbabwe. "If
tech start-ups are to succeed, the overall ICT climate has to be
conducive to doing business", he argues. "For eCommerce to become
a reality, we need to be investing in skills; in research and
development and working towards Universal Internet Access".
(Source: eLearning Africa)
During the SSOE Deployment Milestone
Celebration on August 24, the Ministry of Education (MOE), in
partnership with NCS, announced the completion of the transition
phase that would empower over 500,000 students. The devices
consisting of desktop computers, notebook computers, and tablet Pcs
have been arranged for over 40,000 principals, teachers, and
administrative staff who have been educated on the use of the new
services and solutions under the programme.
The Schools Standard ICT Operating
Environment (SSOE) programme has enhanced the ICT infrastructure of
schools in Singapore, to provide an environment for greater use of
ICT in teaching and learning in schools, said SSOE Programme
Director Lim Teck Soon.
With SSOE, schools can now look
forward to faster speed, enhanced security and full on-site support
for their computing needs to enhance teaching and learning. A strong
focus on users needs and the close partnership between MOE and NCS
had enabled the entire programme to be implemented successfully. We
are confident that SSOE will redefine the pedagogical approach in the
education system in Singapore and equip future generations of
students to harness the full potential of ICT, he added.
Launched in June 2010, the SSOE
programme has arranged and managed desktops, network and ICT support
for all MOE schools in Singapore, enabling both wired and wireless
network to improve the schools network performance and
accessibility to education applications. Also, the programme has
provided computing devices to all staff and school computing labs to
facilitate effective and efficient use of the ICT infrastructure.
For the next phase of the SSOE
programme, NCS will manage the operations and provide maintenance
support and technology refresh of the desktops and infrastructure, as
part of the eight-year contract with the MOE.
(Source: NCS)
Under the National Education Blueprint
2013-2025 launched last week, Malaysia will equip 10,000 national
schools nationwide with 4G Internet access and a virtual
learning platform.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak unveiled
the plan to embed ICT in teaching and learning for teachers,
students, and parents through the expansion of 1BestariNet (Wi-Fi)
programme to all schools.
Also, the government will increase the
number of ICT devices until the ratio of student-to-device reaches
10:1. He added that the ratio can continue to be lowered further
subjected to the availability of funds and impact assessment.
Between 1999 and 2010, Malaysian
government has invested up to RM6 billion (US$ 1.97 billion) on the
initiative ICT for education projects. Most of the funds went for
additional computer labs especially to support the PPSMI schemethe
governments education policy aimed at improving the proficiency in
English among pupils at primary and secondary schools.
In the blueprint, the effective use of
ICT is required to foster students to learn how to leverage ICT
efficiently to scale up quality learning across the country. It will
also further strengthen the foundation of ICT-enabled schools as well
as introducing proven ICT solutions into the education system.
The government will also pilot a
distance-learning and self-paced learning before scaling
up nationwide.
Under shift 9 in the same blueprint, a
system called School Examination Analysis System (SAPS)an online
system to monitor students progress, will be set up at some 500
trust schools as part of encouraging the partnership among parents,
community and private sector to monitor learning performance of
the students.
The government will also invest in ICT
solutions for groups with specific needs such as rural schools,
under-enrolled schools, and gifted students to enable cost-efficient
access to high-quality teaching and learning resources.
(Source: FutureGov)
Moving to digital hospital management
took some time. In the first phase, with the support of IICD, some
key staff was trained and computers were already partially used in
the administration office to for instance create schedules for nurses
and computers were placed in an Internet café in the hospital. This
allowed staff to already get familiar with computers. Then about 2
months before introducing the Hospital Management Information System
(HMIS), 40 staff members were trained for 2 weeks in a basic ICT
training that was focused on getting to know the system in simple
In addition to the reduced waiting
time, another benefit for patients is that they now know better what
they pay for. As there was not a general price list, pharmacists
often worked with estimated prices. This meant that it differed what
you had to pay depending on which pharmacist you would get. With the
digital system, errors are virtually impossible. All products are
priced in the system and patients now get digital receipts with the
exact amounts.For the hospital, the digital system also has
financial benefits. Of course it costs money to implement, but it
also raises money. The hospitals had to deal with patients not paying
for their treatment and medicine, because of poor communication
between the registering office, the lab, the pharmacy and the billing
department or simply because of a hurry. This lost the hospital
a significant amount of money every day that could have been used for
new hospital equipment or hiring specialists.Now, its not
possible for a patient to walk out without paying anymore. The doctor
orders a certain medicine from the pharmacy for a patient digitally
and then the billing department gets the information about how much
this medication costs. Only after the patient paid the amount for
medication and doctor treatment, will the computer system allow
patients to pick up their medicines.
The system is cost- and energy
efficient by using Ncomputing hardware. The big advantage of this
virtual desktop solution is that multiple computer screens and
keyboards are able to run on one computer. This makes the system very
energy efficient and does not require a lot of maintenance.
(Source: IICD)Further details
Zack Matere is not an average farmer.
Having studied for a diploma in business administration at Eldoret
Polytechnic in Kenya, he ventured into white collar jobs, which he
quickly abandoned to concentrate on what many people on his age
regarded as a poor mans job: farming.
He started farming vegetables, and
first encountered ICTs when a strange disease attacked his potatoes.
Not even the agricultural officer could diagnose the cause. Zacks
farm is in Segereya village, near Eldoret, a long way from Kenyas
capital, Nairobi. He had learned a little about computers and the
Internet at college, so Zack cycled 10 km from his home to the
nearest internet café. He opened the Google search engine and typed
potato diseases.
He found that ants had attacked his
potatoes, and also found a cheap and environmentally friendly cure:
spraying wood ash. Amazed by the results, Zack returned to the
Internet café and, after a few clicks, he was able to find a buyer
for his potatoes.
Zack invested in a 3G-enabled phone
that he could use to look for information online from the comfort of
his home. Zack is lucky, he is internet literate, but thousands of
farmers in his area do not even know how to use cell phones. Zack has
therefore become the bridge between these farmers and the internet.
Zack pays 50 Kenyan shillings (0.50 euro) everyday to access the
internet from his phone, an amount that is beyond the reach of his
fellow farmers.
Zack has tried to bring these farmers
the information that they so desperately need. The initial challenge
was to identify the most effective and inexpensive platform to reach
and interact with a community of 10,000 people within a radius of 50
km. He came up with the idea for the network of notice boards, an
initiative he calls Leo Pamoja, in Swahili for together today.
More details(Source: ICT Update)
Malvar Community eCenter
(CeC), a telecentre based in Batangas, Philippines, has been declared the
winner of a contest organized by Telecentre.org Foundation (TCF) and the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to support their joint Telecentre
Women: Digital Literacy Campaign. The contest was open to all telecentres
conducting digital literacy training for women from April 7, 2011 to September
1, 2012. A total of 221 organizations and telecentres from 65 countries participated
in the contest, submitting verifiable reports of the digital literacy training
for women they conducted during the contest period. TCF tallied and verified
the reports, which showed that Malvar Community e-Center had trained the most
women. ITU will now award the Malvar Community eCenter 15,000 Swiss Francs
worth of ICT equipment for its telecentre.
Malvar CeC, was able to
train a total of 528 women in basic digital literacy courses during the contest
period. Of the total, a vast majority (316 or 60%) admitted that the training
was their first introduction to the Internet. Trainees came from all walks of
lifefrom students to public and private sector employees, to the unemployed,
to retired senior citizens.
Upon hearing that they had
won the contest, Malvar CeC Manager Linda Balbuena said, Competing with the
worlds telecentres is really daunting and quite intimidating. But we gave it
our best shot and we won! We, at the Malvar Community eCenter are all thrilled
and exhilarated! With the prize equipment, we think of how much easier it will
be for us to reach more women in remote areas and teach them basic computer
literacy. Thanks and more power to Telecentre.org. Foundation and ITU!
Malvar Municipal Mayor,
Carlito Reyes, who was instrumental in the establishment of the
government-supported telecentre, also expressed his delight at the win, saying:
I am very happy and honored to learn that our Community eCenter won the
contest of training the most women to become digitally literate. It is totally
remarkable and amazing that we won in an international competition like this.
The Telecentre Women:
Digital Literacy Campaign target is to reach 1 million women. To learn more and participate in the
campaign, please visit http://women.telecentre.org.
(Source: Telecentre.org)
The service - 'Business Women' - was introduced by Nokia
West Africa, in partnership with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women (CBFW)
and MTN. Cherie Blair, founder of CBFW, told journalists that women
entrepreneurs are faced with significant barriers to scaling up their
businesses, including access to affordable resources, marketing channels and
training inputs.
According to Blair, the new information service aims to
address this imbalance by providing essential entrepreneurship tips, delivered
via SMS to mobile phones with the Nokia Life service.
Women entrepreneurs present at the launch of the service
expressed optimism that the new information service would assist them in
overcoming some of the social and economic barriers preventing women from
reaching their economic potential.
Respondents agreed that computers and the internet allow
women to build entrepreneurial success; however, mobile phones have the most
potential because their portability and ease of use make them a particularly
friendly tool to support women's business growth.
James Rutherford, the Vice President of Nokia West Africa,
said the initiative was part of Nokia's "commitment towards connecting
people to new opportunities, including making women a larger part of the next
billion of people to be connected".
"Nokia Life is by far the world's largest mobile
information service suite helping consumers in emerging markets learn, live and
share information better", he said. "The foundation invests in women
entrepreneurs to build and expand their businesses; and in doing so, benefit
not only them but also their families and communities. We are delighted to
partner with the foundation to provide Nigerian women with the best information
available to help their businesses.
The service will be available for free, for the first six
months, to Nokia Life users who are also currently subscribed to MTN Nigeria.
Atul Bharve, a farmer from Maharashtra's Marathwada
district, says a mobile phone message saved him from crop losses this year.
When monsoon was delayed, he sent an SMS to Nokia Life Tools - a text
message-based information service-seeking advice on what to cultivate and was
promptly advised to focus on fodder.
Kapil Mehta, a farmer from Sabakantha district in northern
Gujarat, took up sorghum cultivation, which requires less water, this season in
line with a voice message advisory from Iffco Kisan Sanchar, a joint venture
between mobile carrier Bharti Airtel and fertiliser firm Iffco.
If India avoids a farming disaster of huge crop losses due
to deficient monsoon rains this year, part of its credits go to specialized
mobile-based advisory services such as Iffco Kisan Sanchar, Nokia Life Tools
and Reuters Market Light, which are helping a millions of farmers across the
country take the right decisions.
Finnish mobile handset maker Nokia says nearly 30 million
customers subscribe to its Nokia Life Tools service and a sizeable chunk of
this group are farmers.
Reuters Market Light, an initiative of news and information
firm Thomson Reuters to provide personalized agricultural information through
text messages in local languages to farmers for Rs 999 a year, boasts of one
million unique subscribers.
These service providers are now working overtime to respond
to a deluge in demand due to delayed monsoon. Experts believe mobile-based farmer
advisory providers will play an increasingly larger role in coming years.
B V Natesh, director (emerging markets services) at Nokia
Life Tools, says: "Since the Indian farmer now faces significant
monsoon-related challenges, we've been providing our subscribers with best
practices and tips on water and soil moisture conservation, alternate crop
selection in low rainfall scenarios and five-day weather forecasts". Nokia
Life provides personalized text messages on 270 commodities in 12 languages across
22 states in 12 languages and can be accessed by farmers on a daily basis.
According to the World Bank, mobile-based access to price
information has improved average farmer incomes by up to 24%, adding that the
most common usage of text messaging in the context of agriculture includes
access to price information, crop disease and meteorological information.
Futurecom is
the largest and most qualified Telecommunications event in Latin America, with
special focus in Brazil. 14 000 attendees from more than 40 countries
participate at Futurecom Brazil.
Futurecom struggles
to be an environmentally responsible event by reducing the impacts to the
environment, becoming an example to be followed in the management of
environmental impacts. We encourage exhibitors, sponsors and partners to do
their part.
It has a
20.000 sqm. exhibition area and an outstanding International Congress with more
than 250 speakers and 3500+ delegates. Most of worldwide ICT companies
participate at Futurecom, as well as all Brazilian Fixed and Mobile Carriers.
Futurecom 14th edition will be held in the city of Rio de Janeiro, from October
8th to 12th, 2012!
Link Box:
http://www.futurecom.com.br/, Facebook, Twitter
#futurecom, Linkedin and Youtube
For more information see:
(Source: Innovationsky)
The capital city of South Korea
will be providing smartphones and free wireless Internet service at homeless
shelters as part of the city governments Social Networking Service, education
program for 300 homeless people who are trying to reintegrate back
into society.
Under the program, the Seoul
Metropolitan Government and its partners will be providing second hand
smartphones, donated by citizens to homeless residents, which they can use
during hosted workshops on how they can interact with society through the
social networking services. In addition, workshop attendees are also taught how
they can make better use of mobile applications available in their smart
After completing the workshops,
each homeless resident will receive a new smartphone with a KRW
20,000 credit. From then on the users will be responsible for adding credit
themselves. However, even if the credit runs out, the phone will still work
wherever free Wi-Fi is available.
According to the Seoul
Metropolitan Government, by using smartphones, homeless people can now search
for jobs and employment related information, online, anytime, anywhere.
Furthermore, they will be able to reconnect with their family and friends and
interact with the rest of society through social networking services.
Remote, mountainous, and
hard-to-reach areas like Ugandas Kabale district suffer from inadequate access
to information of all kinds. Because the region, located in the southwestern
corner of Uganda, is predominantly agricultural, timely and relevant
information for farmers in Kabale would significantly help improve their
A mobile phone application
developed by the project Life Long Learning for Farmers in Uganda (L3F
Uganda) is helping Kabale farmers get the information they need. The
project sends text messages with agricultural updates and information to about
1,000 farmers. This information, disseminated twice weekly by L3F Uganda, has
helped farmers get valuable guidance on market access, fertilizer application,
plant spacing, timely planting, local diseases, and other topics. The project
is a partnership of Commonwealth of Learning, Makerere Universitys
Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo, and local community organizations,
and was instituted as a pilot project in Bufundi, a sub-county of Kabale, in
2009 with the hope of extending it to all of Uganda.
The main aim of L3F Uganda is to
help solve the many challenges farmers confront in the region. These include
inadequate road networks, preventing farmers from getting to markets; a lack of
credit and financial services; volatile market prices; and a lack of up-to-date
information about seeds, weather patterns, appropriate fertilizers, pests, and
other agricultural issues. Traditionally, the governments agricultural
extension service was the main source of information for farmers in Uganda, but
the current ratio of extension workers to farmers in the country is 1:24,000,
rendering the service largely ineffective. In Bufundi, the ratio is 1:46,000.
(Source: iconnect)
Further details
Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Anna Maria
Chávez Will Accept Diversity Advocate Award On Behalf of the Commission in
New York City September 12.
The leaders of the Healthy MEdia
Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls expressed gratitude to the
Walter Kaitz Foundation for the Foundations decision to bestow upon the
Commission the Foundations Diversity Advocate Award.
The Healthy MEdia Commission strives to
promote representations of women in the media in the areas of healthy body
images, active and diverse female characters, equal and healthy relationships,
and increased roles of women and girls, said Academy Award-winning actor Geena
Davis, Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and a co-chair
of the Healthy MEdia Commission. Were proud to receive this award in
recognition of our goals to ensure were creating a positive media environment
for our children.
The Healthy MEdia Commission is guided
by its principal sponsors, Girl Scouts of the USA, The Creative Coalition, The
National Association of Broadcasters, and the National Cable &
Telecommunications Association. The Walter Kaitz Foundation is the cable
industrys national foundation dedicated to advocating for diversity.
Its especially gratifying that a
prestigious organization such as the Kaitz Foundation, which is dedicated to
enhancing and increasing diversity in media, would recognize the efforts of the
Commission. We thank the Foundation for that recognition, said Girl Scouts of
the USA CEO Anna Maria Chávez, who will accept the Award on September 12 on
behalf of the Commission. We and the Healthy MEdia Commissioners also look
forward later this fall to delivering a full set of recommendations on how to
encourage the proliferation of healthy images of women and girls in all forms
of media.
More details
(Source: Walter Kaitz Foundation)
In line with
Omantels vision Together, we innovate to build a totally
connected society and as part of its endeavors to offer products
and services that meet the needs of its wide range of customers, the Company
announced yesterday the launch of a new Hayyak package for people with
Disability to help them get in touch with their families and friends.
Commenting on
the new Hayyak package, Saleh bin Mahmood Al Maimani, Manager Core Services at Omantel said
At Omantel, we focus on meeting the various
needs of our valued customers. This new package is designed to meet the
special needs of disabled to help them get in touch with friends and family
through different communication means. The new package offers reduced rates of
up to 25% on mobile broadband and a flat calling rate of 29 bzs day and night.
This move comes as a part of the company commitment to provide something for everyone.
To avail of
this special package, applicants should visit their nearest Omantel retail
outlet and present their Disability ID issued by the Ministry of Social
Development. He added.
Commenting on
the service, Hamoud al Shabibi, Director of Special Care Department at the
Ministry of
Social Development said We are
delighted with Omantel initiative which reflects the attention and care given
by the Company to this important people in our society.
We are pleased
that this initiative will further enable them to communicate more with friends
and family through different means of communications be it through voice calls,
video calls, SMS, MMS or even the mobile internet.
SAMENA Daily News)
Young Peruvians are participating
in various radio and television spots and are active on online social networks,
disseminating and raising awareness about the benefits of consuming organic
products that are healthy, chemical free and nutritious and focusing on the
ecological impact of agricultural practices. They also invite people to buy
products at Fruits of the Earth Ecological Fairs (EcoFairs) in the areas of
Cusco, Áncash and Cajamarca. These fairs function as a point of sale where
local organic farmers can sell their products.
The young Peruvian organic
ambassadors are also present at the fairs to provide the public with even more
information about organic farming and ecologically sound agricultural
practices. They are equipped with laptops, digital cameras and recorders, as
well as printers, mobile phones and routers for wireless internet to make sure
that they collect and disseminate information wherever they go.
Maylie Carrasco is one of the
young people who participates in the project. In a Peruvian news show, she
explained about agro-ecological products and invited consumers to visit the
EcoFair Fruits of the Earth (Frutos de la
The ambassadors all come from
organic farmers families that are associated with the National Association of
Ecological Producers in Peru. The underlying goal of this initiative is to
improve the income and increase the access to the market for over 500 families
of ecological producers by informing the public on the advantages of organic
and ecologically sound agricultural products so that they buy products from the
EcoFair. This project is supported by IICD and ICCO through the Connect4Change
ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2012 (OEB) focuses on fostering a
bright and inclusive future for lifelong learning in which technology enables
learners globally to improve themselves.
conference sessions they will explore the effects of the multitude of changes
in the fields of technology and education, as learners and learning experts are
asked to respond to challenges in society today. One of the major consequences
of these changes is a need to adapt educational content and practices and
capture opportunities using available tools. This need takes centre stage at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN. Technology asks
us to innovate rapidly but how can we ensure quality, take advantage of
possibilities and implement our ideas and plans sustainably?
the theme Reaching beyond tomorrow, OEB will explore these issues and
inform you about the latest research and practices in both education and
business. It is:
form here: http://www.online-educa.com/cms7/sites/default/files/documents/downloads/registration-form.pdf
new online community that launched on 22 August aims to help schools and
districts as they move toward digital education and implement corresponding
policy changes.
U.S. Department of Education, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
at North Carolina State University, and the Consortium for School Networking
(CoSN) partnered to create the online community of practice.
Epic-ed aims
to empower digital transitions at all stages of development, including school
leaders who are thinking about moving to ubiquitous computing environments,
those who wish to implement ed-tech pilot projects, and those who are ready for
full-scale implementation.
will provide K-12 educators, district leaders, and other community participants
with a unique channel to get connected and develop strategies for navigating
the digital transition, said CoSN CEO Keith Krueger. With increased
peer-to-peer interaction and greater connectivity, epic-ed members will have an
opportunity to learn from each other, share ideas, and ultimately implement
effective plans to help ease the transition and maximize the benefits of
technology-enabled learning environments.
one-to-one computing has long been a goal of many districts, ed-tech leaders
find they are now faced with a one-to-many situation, because many students
today own and use more than one wireless mobile device.
your own device initiativeswhere students use their own devices on a schools
network, and the school often provides a classroom set of tools for students
who dont have their own devicealso are growing in popularity. These
initiatives cut down on tech support and take advantage of the large numbers of
students who own high-tech devices and who already are using those devices,
such as tablets, laptops, and smart phones, for educational purposes.
The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women supports women entrepreneurs, providing them with a
variety of resources and tools to overcome barriers they may encounter. In
their published report Mobile Value
Added Services: A Business Growth Opportunity for Women Entrepreneurs
in partnership with the ExxonMobil Foundation, they demonstrated that business
barriers in emerging markets can be addressed through the development of targeted
mobile phone services. They launched this research at the Council on Foreign
Relations earlier this year and are now following up on their findings,
carrying out recommendations from the report with the mobile technology sector
to deliver a service specifically tailored for women business owners in
developing and emerging markets.
This week,
in partnership with Nokia and MTN Nigeria, they are launching Business Women, a
new mobile phone service for women looking to grow their small-scale enterprise
in Nigeria. Designed with the experiences of Nigerian women entrepreneurs in
mind, the service was developed by international and Nigerian entrepreneurship
experts. It provides valuable, bite-size information on business management
such as advice on working with traders, how to improve distribution channels,
the steps required to register a business in Nigeria and how to tap into
valuable business networks. Customers who opt into this service will receive
four to five text messages with business tips per week and also have the option
of taking a weekly multiple choice quiz to test what they have learned.
They will
introduce Business Women in conjunction with a project that provides hands-on
business skills training to over 2,000 women entrepreneurs in Nigeria in
partnership with the Youth for Technology Foundation. They look forward to
charting the progress of the women entrepreneurs who use Business Women and to
following this launch with mobile services for women entrepreneurs in Indonesia
and Egypt soon.
Huffpost Tech)
The DVD is called "The Wold of the Baure" and will be included in schools in a greater programme to emphasize
Bolivian indigenous cultures and preserve them. It is an interactive DVD that
will feature encyclopedia type of information, but also many video and sound
clips. The advantage of these educational DVDs over a website is that even
schools without an Internet connection can use this material. Additionally, the
DVDs can also be used by the Baure themselves to educate people about their
history and customs.
With the socialization of public policies and experiences in telehealth and
medicine in the ICT sector, the ICT Ministry participated in the Third
International Telemedicine Conference where over 150 representatives of the
health sector met to discuss technology and health.
The event, organized by the Center for Telemedicine in Colombia, with the
participation of national and international experts in the field of telemedicine,
telehealth and e-health held various academic
sessions such as workshops, lectures, courses and specialized tradeshow to
showcase advances in telemedicine industry.
"With the development of telemedicine in Colombia we are saving lives,
professionals in Health have increasingly tools to practice, making that all
people receive timely medical care and quality, regardless of where they are,
all this thanks to the opportunities offered by today's technology "said
Johanna Pimiento, Manager of the Program e-Government, who participated in the
first day of the Conference.
ICT Ministry and telehealth.
Since Act 1419 of 2010, which establishes guidelines for the development of
telehealth in Colombia and its development; which aims to support the Social
Security System in Health on principles of efficiency, universality,
solidarity, integrity , unity and quality telehealth as public policy seeks to
improve through technology, health conditions of the Colombian population,
particularly the ones who are socially and economically vulnerable, finding
themselves in places difficult to access and out of reach from the health
institutions of medium and high complexity.
Afroes creates uniquely African mobile applications and
tools for social development agencies and corporate enterprises keen to spread
educational and branded messages across the continent.
Afroes was born to celebrate Africas rich heritage and instill
messages of hope and possibility in young people. Afroes mission is to inspire
the conversations and choices of young Africans through branded digital media
and socially responsible campaigns rooted in the African content.
To ensure the widest possible reach among young people,
including those at the bottom-of-the-pyramid, Afroes is leveraging the rapid
growth of mobile in Africa, which represents an unprecedented opportunity to
deliver branded and educational messages directly and repeatedly into the hands
and pockets of potential customers and citizens across the continent and
The World Bank Board of Directors
approved last June the extension of the Rural Telecommunications
Project with an additional credit of US$5 million, in order to expand
access to telecommunications services among more than 200,000 rural
inhabitants in the Caribbean coast and Rio San Juan Department in
The Rural Telecommunications Project,
implemented since 2007 through an initial financing of US$7 million,
has already installed new broadband Internet access points in 101
municipalities, expanded mobile phone coverage to 37 rural
communities, and installed almost 600 public phones in rural areas.
These US$5 million in additional
financing will support Government efforts to reduce the cost of
telecommunications services and expand opportunities for the
inhabitants of the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) and South
Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS), Alto Wanki Territory and Rio San
Juan Department in Nicaraguas southeast. In these areas, poverty
levels reach almost 55 percent and poverty is especially prevalent in
indigenous and Afro-descendants living in small communities, away
from national communication networks.
With the extension of this
project, we will be able to increase regional access to
telecommunications services by at least 40 percent, something that
will have a positive effect on the local economy, said Orlando
Castillo, Executive President of the Nicaraguan Telecommunications
and Posts Institute (TELCOR).
The Project will continue to expand the
telecenter network to facilitate access to low cost mobile phone and
Internet services in rural communities in the Caribbean coast and Rio
San Juan, along with municipal governments, NGOs and the local
private sector.
(Source: The World Bank)Further details
The Ministry of Education is offering
college faculty training programs to develop their digital education
capability, as well as, to improve the quality of digital education
and the ability of promoting and managing e-learning courses of
colleges in Taiwan. The training plan was undertaken by The
Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National
Chung Cheng University. It is from October 3th 2011 and goes to
November 4th 2012.
The series of training programs
includes: Improvement of Digital Education, Capability of College
Teachers, Teacher Assistants, Administration Assistants, and
Development of Digital Materials and Management of E-learning
Courses. Seminars are held to offer hands-on experiences.
Anyone who works for public and private
colleges, including military and police schools, is welcome to attend
the training programs.
(Source: Ministry of Education
Republic of China (Taiwan)Further details
Tigo announced the launch of a pilot
project, known as Tigo Kilimo, which aims to provide farmers
with relevant and timely agricultural information from their mobile
Farmers can access this service via
their mobile phones by simply dialing *148*14#, bringing them to the
Tigo Kilimo menu. The menu screen will display a list of general
information on daily weather forecast, comprehensive details on soil
management, pest control methods on more than 20 common vegetable,
fruit and grain crops, and information on livestock care and
life-cycle, the press realize said.
Tigo Kilimo is an SMS-based
application which presents small-scale farmers in Tanzania with an
unprecedented opportunity to run their operations more productively.
Through this platform, it said, farmers get real-time information on
weather forecast and agricultural tips. Further, it enables them to
increase their yield and help close the productivity gap with other
parts of the world.
Using mobile phone based
agricultural solutions will create linkages and help farmers improve
their farming practices, said Yaya Ndjore, project manager for
Tigo Kilimo service at Tigo Tanzania. The impact of
poor transport and communications infrastructures, mean that farmers
in developing countries struggle to get access to vital agricultural
information, as well as training and advice on topics such as pests
and diseases, weather and proven farming practices. Through this
service, Tigo will offer new, cost-effective and scalable solutions
to address these challenges, he said.
In the second phase of the project,
Tigo will add more services, such as information on market price, as
well as to set up an interactive helpline for farmers to call in for
advice, the statement said.
(Source: IPP Media)
The Food, Agriculture and Natural
Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN),
in collaboration with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural
Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) commissioned 6 Country
Case Studies (Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania
and Zimbabwe) in November 2011 on current and emerging youth policies
and initiatives with a special focus on links to Agriculture. The
announcement of these case studies was made during the Regional
Dialogue in September 2011,
where the theme of the conference was "Advocating for the active
engagement of the youth in the Agricultural Value-chain".
This year, the FANRPAN Annual High
Level Regional Food Security Policy Dialogue will be held from 3-7
September 2012 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania with the theme "From Policy to Practice: Advocating for the
Active Engagement of Youth in Agriculture Value Chains", whereby
the 6 Country Case Studies conducted by youth representatives from
each of these countries will be synthesized into a Regional Report,
that will give a bird's eye view of the current situation, identify
gaps and better target interventions. The final report will be
presented at the Regional Dialogue in September 2012.
Prior to the FANRPAN 2012 Regional
Dialogue, a Twitter campaign will be run by each of the 6 young
consultants who conducted the Country Case Studies from 1st to 31st
August 2012 to engage youths and others who are interested in the
case-studies in discussions on Twitter.
In order to participate in the Twitter
campaign, you need to know the following:
The Twitter campaign will run for 4
weeks and each week, the focus will be on a specific topic, and hence
will have a specific Hashtag (#) described below:
Week 1 (1-7 Aug) - Topic: Youth
Perceptions on Agriculture - #youthagperc
Week 2 (8-14 Aug) - Topic: National
Policies as Key Drivers - #youthagpol
Week 3 (15-21 Aug) - Topic:
Institutions and Mechanisms for Youth Engagement - #youthageng
Week 4 (22-31 Aug) - Topic:
Opportunities for Youth in Agriculture - #youthagopp
(Source: YPARD)Further details
To enhance and attain the health
component of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Abia State
Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Broadbased
Communications Limited to provide fibre optic network across the
The chief marketing officer of
Broadbased Communications, Mr. Chidi Ibisi, said that the fibre optic
network would put Abia on the telecommunications super highway and
revolutionalise the healthcare delivery system in the state.
Farmers in the rural areas would
have access to new methods of farming as extension officers can talk
to farmers in the rural areas at the same time through video
conferencing, he said, adding that the state governor can also use
the network to make a broadcast.
The chief marketing officer explained
that the benefits of Abias journey into the information
superhighway would be felt everywhere across the state because
hospitals, schools, government ministries, departments and agencies,
banks would all be connected to the network.
It is a super highway that can carry
everybody, a next generation broadband network that can carry a lot
of data, he said, noting that telecommunications companies
operating in Abia could log into the fibre optic network for
efficient services.
Special adviser to the governor on
NEPAD, Hon Longman Emeka Nwachukwu, who facilitated the fibre optic
networking agreement with Broadbased Communications, told that Abia
was well poised to utilize the full benefits of ICT to drive its
(Source: This Day News Paper)Further details
ECDL Foundation Partners with AGE
Platform Europe to Promote the Older Peoples Digital Inclusion
during the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between
Generations and Launches Updated ICT Training Program Adapted to
Older Peoples Needs.
As key stakeholders in the European
Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (EY2012)
Coalition, ECDL Foundation and AGE Platform Europe will collaborate
to connect the capacity of both organisations extensive networks
in support of the Years aims around ICT skills development. The
development of older Europeans ICT skills is considered crucial to
their active ageing and continued participation in society, and to
their ongoing contribution to the labor market. At any age, and
particularly with an ageing population in Europe, European citizens
need to be able to use the technology that can greatly improve their
quality of life. ECDL Foundation is a committed supporter of EY2012
and will work towards using the potential of ICT to open up training
and employment opportunities for older people, including those with
In support of the objectives of the
EY2012 and its collaboration with AGE Platform Europe, ECDL
Foundation is launching a revised version of its accessible
introductory ICT training programme, EqualSkills. This new version of
the highly successful EqualSkills workbook seeks to meet the specific
needs of older people. EqualSkills is a tutor-led, introductory ICT
skills development programme that helps to remove the fear of
computers for complete novices by using a simple, non-threatening
approach to providing basic skills for using a computer, email, and
the Internet. These essential ICT skills are key to individuals
full participation in technology-dependent societies, and are an
important factor in promoting lifelong learning. So far, almost
100,000 Europeans have already participated in the EqualSkills
ECDL Foundation, as a leading advocate
for the promotion of digital literacy in Europe, fully supports the
aims of the European Commissions European Year for Active Ageing
and Solidarity between Generations 2012. ECDL Foundation and its
network of national partners look forward to collaborating with AGE
Platform Europe in the joint aim of enabling the digital inclusion of
the elderly in Europe throughout 2012 and beyond.
(Source: Age Platform Europe)
This year's conference, which was held
in Cotonou, Benin, from 23rd 25th May, saw the launch of The
eLearning Africa 2012 Report. The Report is based on a detailed
survey of nearly five hundred education professionals across the
Continent, and marks the first significant attempt to provide a
snapshot of how ICT and better connectivity are believed to be
changing the face of education in Africa.
These are some of the key findings of
The eLearning Africa 2012 Survey, completed by 447 respondents. The
eLearning Africa 2012 Report, which is the first of its kind,
bringing together the views of eLearning professionals and a range of
other stakeholders from across 41 African countries.
What role does the ICT-enhanced
learning and training community play in contributing towards Africa's
growth and development? This is the overarching question that frames
The eLearning Africa 2012 Report. How do people define ICT-enhanced
learning and training? What technologies are being used within the
sector? In what contexts are they being used? What motivates people
to use ICT and how do they make use of it? Each of these questions is
explored through the Survey analysis.
The eLearning Africa Report aims to
provide regular, yearly snapshots of the eLearning experience in
Africa, with the aim of fostering richer, more nuanced conversations,
healthier decision-making and more effective action-taking towards
ensuring Education for All in Africa.
To download a free copy of the 2012
Report, please click here.
The Deputy Minister for
ICT, María Carolina Hoyos Turbay, delivered three mobile classrooms
with 30 portables, on Thursday 9 August in the city of Valledupar.
These equipments will benefit over 520 students of the National
School Loperena, in Vicente Roig and Villalba
"It is proven that
students, whom learn with technology, improve their performance and
quality of education. Also, in classrooms where ICT is present, the
dropout rates are reduced", said Hoyos Turbay.
The Ministry of
Information and Communications Technologies, through Computers for
Schools, will deliver this year more than 4,300 computer equipment in
the department of Cesar, an amount that is added to the 12,500
computers that will be delivered at the end of 2014.
Additionally, more than
3,300 teachers across the department will be trained in proper use of
ICT (a diploma), so that not only meets the purpose of access to
technology, but also the proper use of the tools. "A team alone
does not make a difference in an educational campus, but is used in
different areas, like in the class of geography, English, Science or
Spanish", said the Executive Director for Computers for Schools
(Computadores para Educar), Martha Cunningham.
To date, over 215,000
children have benefited from computers in the department of Cesar. In
the capital city of Valledupar, the Program has delivered up to date
2,448 computers and laptops to 123 schools, which have benefited
64,495 students, especially the most vulnerable segments of the
According to official
statistics, Computers for Schools has benefited about 6.5 million
children countrywide and even though it is present in all Colombian
municipalities, including the most remote, there are still over 7,000
schools left for covering.
"Our goal is that
by 2014 we will get all the official Schools", said ICT Deputy
Minister, María Carolina Hoyos, who recalled that recently they
acquired over 320,000 laptops of last generation to meet the needs
nationwide by 2014, through an electronic auction.
(Source: MINTIC
Colombia)Further details
In September 2009, Typhoon Ketsana
(Ondoy) hit the Philippines, causing the worst flooding in more than
40 years in Metro Manila.Damages were estimated to be at
$1.09 billion and about 747 fatalities were recorded.
Now, three years later, the torrential
rains that has been pounding Metro Manila and its nearby provinces
since yesterday is now dubbed as Ondoy 2, as the capital city
now finds itself again submerged in chest-deep flood waters and many
citizens stranded on the 2nd floor or the roof of their houses.
With the crisis far from over, a group
of twitter users proactively created a Googledoc spread sheet to help
first responders facilitate evacuation efforts.
The Googledoc #rescuePH allows
users to report people who are in need of immediate evacuation or
The document includes the following
information: Timestamp (which indicates the time when the entry was
made), address of persons who need to be evacuated, status of the
rescue alert, contact information and the exact twitter message. In
addition, the spreadsheet also contains emergency hotlines of the
National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
New entries are marked red, and users
who input information are requested to update the status column to
green when people are rescued. Up to date there are 250 entries.
This initiative stems from the concept
of turning crowd sourced data into actionable information. Through
this initiative, first responders would be able to streamline their
efforts in order to help victims get needed aid as soon as possible.
Peru has agreed with India to create a
working group to define priority areas for applying innovation in
information technologies to promote equity and social inclusion in
the Peruvian territory.
The mission of technicians and experts
from India in the matter will visit Peru in September, reported the
Peruvian Foreign Ministry after his trip to New Delhi, India, on 13
July. The agreement was reached by both nations during the V Meeting
of the Bilateral Political Consultation Mechanism between the Foreign
Ministries of both countries held in India.
The foreign
viceminister, José Beraún, and the Foreign
Secretary of India, Madhusudan Ganapathi, chaired the meeting which
resulted in the identification of specific projects for joint
cooperation in science and technological innovation for social
inclusion. Both diplomats signed the Memorandum of Understanding on
Cooperation in the Field of Geology and Natural Resources and another
one for the Establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Information
Technology (CETI).
CETI will be implemented in
INICTEL-UNI, considering the valuable experience that this
institution has in the field of information and communication
technology, as well as the work done to bring ICT to the people of
lower incomes and to the people inside the country, referred Dr. K. J
Srinivasa, charged on affaires issues of the Embassy of India, who
visited Peru in 2010.
Notably, the CETI will implement 2
classrooms of 25 students each, the software required for the CETI
and 3 coaches for a period of two years, as well as the donation of
equipment (servers, personal computers, projectors, printers and
scanners) by the Government of India.
(Source: INICTEL-Peru)Further details
The Ministry of Education announced the
creation of postgraduate in Education and New Technologies to train
teachers in the use of Information and Communication Technology
(ICT), which will be delivered from the second half of the year. The
initiative aims to help teachers in the use of netbooks delivered by
Connect Equality Plan (conectar Igualdad - ICP).
The Federal Government has developed
several measures to guarantee the right of quality education for all.
One policy that contributes significantly to achieve this goal is the
universal access to information and communication technologies (ICT),
which finds in the Program Connect Equal the democratizing mechanism
from which students and teachers of the Argentine public schools can
get their own netbook, as well as teachers and students in teacher
training schools.
In this way, arises the need to install
a specific public policy of teacher professional development from the
State, accompanying the process of democratization of access to
technologies involving the Model 1 to 1. The Specialization Teaching
of Higher level in Education and ICT, published in the Official
Gazette by Resolution No. 856/2012, assumes the educational
responsibility of providing a space for training and discussion with
academic rigor in order to enrich the institutional practices from
the inclusion and use of ICT in the daily work of teachers.
It starts from the premise that it is
essential to balance the scope and limitations of ICT, in order to
enforce their potential as tools for development of pedagogical
approaches, without overstating the impact of technological variables
on the teaching and learning.
(Source: educ.ar)Further details
Shea nut collecting women in
southwestern Burkina Faso received a computer system in mid-June to
help them manage, record, retrieve, and track information about the
sale of Shea nuts. This will increase efficiency and eventually will
help them to sell more Shea nuts.
'Before, we used a paper-based
recording system and it caused many problems at the section levels',
said Clementine Hien, the treasurer of Fadefso, the Federation of
Women's Development and Emancipation Associations in Southwestern
Burkina Faso. The Federation has over 20,000 members, of whom more
than 10,000 engage in seasonal Shea nut collection.'The
sections are unable to know exactly how many members involved in Shea
nut collection', added Mrs Hien, concluding that this shortcoming
affect provisions for the next season.With the support of
IICD and ICCO, who teamed up with other partners to form the Connect
for Change Consortium, Fadefso kicked off the piloting phase by
installing its computer and accessories in its headquarters in Dano,
about 340 km southwest of the capital Ouagadougou.'With this
computer, we will digitalize the list of all our members', said
Olivier Some the Fadefso-Dano support agent. He added that the
delay-causing handling of paper-based correspondence with clients and
partners was to be replaced by emails. Shea (a nut that
is used to create Shea Butter) collection is the most important
income-generating activity for women in Southwestern Burkina Faso.
Putting Information and Communication Technologies at the disposal of
those hardworking women for managerial, information recording and
tracking tasks is a way to increase their efficiency and their
(Source: IIDC)Further details
Thailands Electronic Government
Agency (EGA) will introduce the Smart Box, an integrated device
that provides connectivity and delivers government services through
smart card authentication for remote communities.
The Smart Box will enable remote
villagers especially farmers to access real-time agricultural
information. The streaming data will be customized to suit interest
and benefit of people in particular provinces, areas, and types of
cultivation. The information includes weather forecast, and market
price for rice, rubber, tapioca and etc.
The EGA is preparing to launch the
pilot project of Smart Box in Nakhon Nayok - a chosen province to be
the first Smart Province of ICT Ministry.
Apart from providing necessary
agricultural information, the Smart Box will be able to read Smart ID
Card and provide personal data and social welfare benefits attached
to each citizen.
The Smart Box has a similar shape to
cable TV box, featuring pre-set Intranet connected to the Government
Information Network (GIN), and wi-fi reception. Initially, it will be
installed in the community ICT centres, houses of village chiefs or
sub-district heads where there is fine connection of internet.
The units of Smart Box will be ready
for distribution in the next 3-4 months. The price per unit is
between THB 3,000 - 4,000 (US$ 95-126) depending on the specification
that the EGA will finalize.
In order to allow
access to integrated telecommunications services in the central rural
areas of the country, the municipality of Simon Bolivar, from the
department of Pasco, and Movistar launched the mobile services, fixed
and wireless public telephony in the district of Simon Bolivar.This
initiative is part of the project Intégrame from Movistar
which will benefit from today to more than 2,600 inhabitants of the
towns: Pacoyan, Quiulacocha, Sacrafamilia, San Antonio de Ranas and
San Pedro de Racco, which can access to telecommunications
already.Intégrame is a project of public-private partnership
that was created in 2006 by Movistar to provide the services to rural
areas that did not have access to telecommunications or which had
very limited services. From that time, Intégrame is serving more
than 100,000 people from 301 locations throughout Peru.
develops infrastructure projects that enable communities to access
the integrated telecommunications services, reducing the digital gap
in poorest areas of the country, promoting their economic and social
growth, and connecting them with the rest of the country and the
(Source: Telefonica)Further details
Technological innovation is taking
place at a breath-taking pace. Simple, open source internet-based
applications and services designed to enhance on-line collaboration
are now available to the wider public at little or no cost at all.
These new online technologies known as Web 2.0 and social media
enable people to collaborate to create, share and publish
The Technical Centre for Agricultural
and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP (CTA) has a mandate to facilitate access
to and dissemination of information in the fields of agriculture and
rural development in 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the
Pacific (ACP). Supporting the adoption of Web 2.0 applications
represents a great opportunity for meeting it.
The Busoga Rural Open Source and
Development Initiative (BROSDI), in collaboration with CTA will host
a 5-day Web 2.0 Learning Opportunity on September 24 - 28, 2012.
Participants will be introduced to selected web 2.0 applications and
will learn how to use them hands-on. The Learning Opportunity will
cover advanced online searching, getting information served via
alerts and RSS, collaborating remotely using wikis and Google Docs,
using VoIP, online mapping and social media. Participants will get a
chance to see what others have done, get hands-on experience on how
to use innovative applications, and assess how they could adopt these
innovations within the context of their work and organization. This
Learning Opportunity forms part of CTA initiatives that support
development partners in networking, accessing and disseminating
information more effectively.
How to apply: If you are interested in
applying, please complete this online form.
Deadline for application: 22 August,
(Source: Web2 for Dev)
The study by Rajender Verma assesses
the impact of IT services and e-governance projects in the
development of the rural society. It covers the services concerned
with their regular routine such as agriculture, education, health,
social relation, product marketing, administration, planning and
current information needs. Agriculture is the main income source on
Rural Himachal. So, the study identifies IT as an effective tool for
increasing agricultural output stressing government to start
e-Business Scheme like e-Choupal Scheme (Internet-based interventions
in rural Farmers introduced by ITC).
Report along many regional e-governance
tools covers SUGAM or Integrated Community Service Centers (i-CoSC)
and Agriculture Resource Information Systems and Networking
(AGRISNET) particularly concerned with rural agriculture. SUGAM
provides all important services including agriculture commodity
prices at the doorstep of rural community by bringing all citizen
related services and information under a single roof cutting across
different tiers of administration. While, AGRISNET Project brings
farmers, researchers, scientists and administrators together by
establishing online information for agriculture, animal husbandry,
horticulture and fisheries departments. The citizens can put their
queries online along with the scanned photographs (if any) on the web
and get the advice from the experts of concerned departments. It
longs to create a sustainable data bank of all agricultural Inputs in
the State of Himachal Pradesh containing entries for all relevant
information pertaining to agriculture and related activities.
(Source: e-agriculture)Full report
The Ministry of Information and
Communication Technology through the program Computers for Schools
(Computadores para educar), began an ambitious and innovative
strategy for integrating the stages of computer delivery with the
training of 28,000 teachers in schools in the countrywide.
To achieve the purpose of the national
government, there will be a professional team of 2,300 ICT managers,
who are linked with universities and schools that won the public
tender, which has as objective the supply of computers in every
education center and training to teachers in ICT skills, in order to
improve classroom practices.
Managers are professionals in the areas
of education and technology, with experience in developing social
projects. The challenge of this group will be to motivate and
transfer the knowledge to teachers so that they can take technologies
as tools that enhance the learning of children. The process at each
school will begin in mid-August.
To advance this work, since Monday 23
July until 3 August, Computers for Schools program will be leading
institutions and universities, selected in different regions of the
country, in working sessions that will qualify their knowledge to
develop work with teachers.
"The coverage of this strategy
covers all over the country, reaching more than 28,000 official
educational centers, located in 1,123 municipalities", said ICT
Minister Diego Molano Vega, noting that this strategy will be
implemented in the next three years , during which 400,000 terminals
will be delivered, benefiting mainly the sectors of the population
with the highest degree of vulnerability.
(Source: MINTIC Colombia)Further details
With over 6 billion
mobile subscriptions in use worldwide, up from fewer than 1 billion
in 2000, three out of every four human beings worldwide now have
access to a mobile phone, says a flagship report on global mobile
trends released today by infoDev and the
World Bank.
According to
Information and Communications for
Development 2012: Maximizing Mobile, more than 30 billion mobile
applications, or apps, were downloaded in 2011 software
that extends the capabilities of phones, for instance to become
mobile wallets, navigational aids, or price comparison tools. In
developing countries, citizens are increasingly using mobile phones
to create new livelihoods and enhance their lifestyles, while
governments are using them to improve service delivery and citizen
feedback mechanisms.
This new report, the third in the World
Banks series on Information and Communications for Development
(IC4D), explores the consequences for development of the emerging
app economy, especially in evolving approaches to
entrepreneurship and employment. It also examines the vast
transformative impact of mobile technology in sectors such as
agriculture, health, financial services, and government.
Countries around the world are taking
advantage of this potential, for example:
In India, the
state of Keralas mGovernment program has deployed over 20
applications and facilitated more than 3 million interactions
between the government and citizens since its launch in December
Kenya has
emerged as a leading player in mobile for development, largely due
to the success of the M-PESA mobile payment ecosystem.
Nairobi-based AkiraChix, for example, provides networking and
training for women technologists.
In Palestine,
Souktels JobMatch service is helping young people find jobs.
College graduates using the service reported a reduction in the time
spent looking for employment from an average of twelve weeks to one
week or less, and an increase in wages of up to 50 percent.
The report benefits from research
funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Government of
Finland, the Korea Trust Fund for ICT4D, and UKaid. It features
at-a-glance tables for more than 150 economies showing the latest
available data and indicators for the mobile sector. It also
introduces an analytical tool for examining the relevant performance
indicators for each countrys mobile sector, so that policy-makers
can assess their capacities relative to other countries.
Download the IC4D 2012 infographic here(Source: infoDev)
The key to a
successful use of eHealth is that it should lead to a lasting and
substantial improvement of performance. Experience teaches that a
participatory design approach is required when using Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) and when designing health solutions.
This creates a momentum for change. However, health facilities are
often complex organizations and we learned that to create continuous
and lasting change, explicit attention is required to the on-going
process of organizational change. The momentum for change should be
transformed in a pathway. IICD and its partners in Tanzania developed
a practical and integrated approach that scaffolds health management
information systems, telemedicine and e-learning in one integrated
approach called the eHealth package, which has relevance worldwide.
The eHealth package is applied in the
Lake Zone in Tanzania. It is embedded in a district approach to
ensure a more conducive institutional and financial setting.
Organizational and institutional issues proved to be key obstacles in
applying ICT in health. Therefore the district approach is closely
related to the national eHealth strategy. The strength of the eHealth
package compared to other eHealth solutions is the integration of all
aspects; technical, medical, financial, learning, behavioural change
etc. in a flexible road map of best practices for eHealth
implementation at a health facility.
(Source: IICD)See the Full Report
University (CU) has launched an electronic bookstore on iOS and
expected to release up to 1000 items in stock by the end of the year.
The eBook Store not
only provides e-books to students and readers but will also be a
gateway of writers and professors knowledge for readers in terms
of digital media and multimedia, Assoc Dr Danuja Kunpanitchakit, a
vice president of CU said.
The CUs e-Bookstore
application will be based on iOS to empower students in accessing
knowledge and curricula via mobile devices such as tablets, according
to her.
The CU is the oldest
university in Thailand, located in the heart of Bangkok. It plans to
transform itself into a digital university within four years.
Establishing the CU-eBook Store, the first of its kind, is a part of
the initial transition to provide e-books and e-curricula to students
and mobile users, she added.
According to Kriengsak
Hongsawek, a computer manager of the CU Book Centre, the e-Book Store
currently offers about 500 items for download, of which 200 are free.
The rest can be purchased at a saving of 20-30 per cent.
The university also aimed to partner
with leading publishing houses to offer up to 1,000 items by
The app for Android
users will be ready in a couple weeks. The Quick Response (QR) code
technology is being deployed to make e-learning experience more
convenient and easily accessible, he inserted.
An injection of a
handful of notebooks and tablets, two smart boards and eight laptops should
meet the challenge teachers face in working with children with special needs.
The possibilities are innumerable. It is not only that simple education games
will engage the children and help them to learn better. Rather, a smartboard
would also serve the purpose of painting with ones own hands and make the
children realize that they will be able to make things happen when they touch
the smartboard screen or go from icon to icon.
The goal of the project
is to help 125 children of the Rokana Basic School in Kitwe to learn more
effectively by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) such as
smartboards and tablets. The programme also includes the training of 40
teachers in how to use ICT with special needs children as well as the training
of approximately 200 teachers in the use of smart boards.
Rokana Basic School
in Kitwe stands out in Zambia. It is one of a handful of schools with a Special
Needs Unit for children with learning disabilities. Its principal, Mr Mwansa,
has a long-cherished dream: to furnish one room in the Special Needs Unit with
equipment that would open up a whole new (virtual) world for these children. At
the end of 2011, Rokana Basic School teamed up with around 20 other local
schools in the area through the Mpelembe Basic Schools partnership. Through
this partnership, teachers from Mpelembe Secondary school, showed teachers from
several local basic schools how they can use ICT to liven up their lessons. For
example, through videos, interactive computer games, and Power Point
presentations. Joining the partnership has also brought Mr Mwansa one step
closer to realizing his dream.
(Source: AKVO)
According to a study by the
Research Center for Womens Action (CIPAF), about 80 per cent of teachers in
the Dominican Republic believe that boys excel in mathematics while girls do better
in languages. But the facts speak to a different reality: We compared these
results with real data and found out that it was not true: girls have had
better grades in math, says Magaly Pineda, Executive Director of CIPAF.
stereotypes, promoting interest in mathematics among girls, and eventually
reducing the gender digital divide in the Dominican Republic is the objective
of the project Gender and ICTs: Equality and Equity in E-Dominican, organized
by the CIPAF and supported by the UN Womens Fund for Gender Equality.
represent 61 per cent of the university population in the Dominican Republic,
and yet, barely 11 per cent of these students are studying for careers in
science and technology. The figures on household trends also show a gap in the
opportunities that men and women have to access digital technology: only 38 per
cent of households headed by women have access to Information and Communication
Technologies (ICTs).
digital divide remains difficult to close. While more women are entering
universities, women are generally still absent from key areas of the economy. The
ICT sector is the fastest growing in the country, but women represent only 33
per cent of the labor market and most of them in support tasks, says Magaly
address this reality, math clubs such as E-girls and Super math have been
created under the umbrella of the Gender and ICTs project. The aim is to
promote science subjects amongst girls in public schools. The initiative
includes mentoring and career guidance campaigns to speed up the entry of more
women into the Technological Institute of the Americas (ITLA) and in technology
initiative Gender and ICTs is part of the Plan for Equal Opportunities for
Women in the Information Society, created by the National Commission for
Information Society and Knowledge. This Plan is the first of its kind and will
integrate a gender perspective into the broader Dominican National Strategy for
the Information Society (E-Dominican), and will contribute to reducing the gap
between men and women in access to information and communication technologies.
(Source: UNWomen)
© Copyright 2017, International Telecommunication Union
The information presented within this blog comes from various organizations around the world. ITU encourages users to seek more detailed information from the original source through the links provided.
Links to third-party websites are provided for the convenience of all users. The ITU is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content on these third-party websites. ITU does not offer any guarantee in that regard nor does ITU endorse the third-party organizations, their sites or content.


text:
TURBO boost your passport by venturing to these recently minted destinations as outlined by Lonely Planet.
Following Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution in 1989, the Czech Republic and Slovakia finally sealed their Velvet Divorce in 1993.
Less than 20 years on, Prague neighbourhoods like elegant Vinohrady and energetic Zizkov are buzzing, and a country full of emerging microbreweries proves there's more to Czech beer than Pilsner Urquell or Budvar.
Add virtue to these delicious liquid vices by cycling and hiking through the idiosyncratic landscapes of Bohemian Switzerland or the Cesky raj region.
Away from bustling Prague, discover quieter provincial gems like Olomouc, Telc and Loket, all still retaining the essence of Bohemian and Moravian culture.
Explore the Czech Republic's rapidly expanding beer scene at Prague's Czech Beer Festival or the Olomouc Beer Fest.
The 21st-century's newest nation finally achieved independence in 2002, 27 strife-torn and tragic years after initially declaring independence from Indonesia in 1975.
Look forward to basic roads and infrastructure, but be rewarded with an intensely warm welcome from the locals.
The easygoing capital Dili is a hub for thirsty UN and NGO staff looking for new drinking buddies, and across on sleepy Atauro Island, a fledgling ecotourism scene supports hiking and diving.
Explore East Timor's Portuguese heritage amid the faded colonial architecture of Baucau, and check travel advisories on the country's security situation before leaving home.
A 30-day travel permit (US$30) is issued to most nationalities on arrival at Dili airport. See the Immigration Department of Timor-Leste for the latest.
How far would you go for a really, really good coffee? What if it was a superb macchiato served in an art deco cafe in an exotic country in the Horn of Africa?
An addictive combination of sleepy African vibes and an Italian colonial past also showcases cubist, expressionist and futurist architecture in the Eritrean capital of Asmara.
In nearby Massawa, centuries-old Islamic buildings linger in narrow, labyrinthine streets, and the port is the departure point to diving amid Red Sea corals in the Dahlak Archipelago.
At the time of writing Eritrea was at war with Ethiopia and some travel restrictions were in place - check travel advisories carefully.
Visas are required by all visitors and should be obtained in advance from an Eritrean embassy or consulate before entering Asmara.
In a region crammed with dramatic castles, Slovakia's Spis Castle trumps most with an audacious hilltop location and craggy towers and gloomy dungeons straight from a Hammer horror flick.
Visit in summer for a full program of events including concerts and mock battles.
Following Slovakia's independence in 1993, Bratislava seems in no hurry to become a bustling Central European metropolis, and the cool cafes and bars of the Slovakian capital's beautifully preserved old town are still largely tourist free - take that Prague!
Look forward also to being continuously surprised by the funky street art lurking around every corner.
Get active in the High Tatras National Park before dissolving your weary limbs into Piestany's healing spa waters.
How many jellyfish is just enough? How about 10 million, especially when you're swimming with them in Palau's renowned Jellyfish Lake? (Don't worry, the local species have evolved with an absence of stingers).
With a population of just 20,000, one of the world's newest countries is also one of the smallest.
The tiny island nation of Palau showcases some of the Pacific's best diving opportunities with more than 60 vertical drop-offs punctuating locations like Blue Corner, Shark City and Turtle Cove.
In 2001, the Palau Shark Sanctuary was established to further protect Palau's sharks from the Asian shark-fin industry.
As Palau only achieved independence from United States trusteeship in 1994, you'll need to come equipped with US dollars.
Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia from 1990, Serbia has been less open to travellers than neighbouring Croatia or nearby Slovenia.
Now Belgrade's gritty cityscape and Europe's most energetic nightlife scene are attracting a vanguard of curious expat residents and intrepid visitors.
It's probably your best chance to experience what Prague was like following the fall of communism in 1989.
Other essential musical thrills include the annual Exit Festival - recent acts have included the Chemical Brothers, Patti Smith and Kraftwerk - and the wildly frantic Guca Festival, drawing 600,000 visitors annually for the best in manic Roma (gypsy) trumpet playing.
Check out the Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club for the latest expat-informed lowdown on the Serbian capital.
For centuries Sarajevo was on the fault line of religion, culture and history, and in today's capital of Bosnia & Hercegovina, mosques, churches and synagogues all huddle beside each other and the Neretva River.
The city has emerged from the dark days of the siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1996 as an inclusive and collaborative centre for the arts.
The annual summer festival Nights of Bascarsija showcases music, art and dance in Sarajevo's compact Ottoman quarter, and the Sarajevo Film Festival is one of Europe's most important.
Poignant memories of the Balkan Wars include Mostar's reconstructed bridge.
Bosnia & Hercegovina is an emerging adventure-tourism destination, with excellent whitewater rafting on the Una and Neretva rivers.
Was the inaccurate depiction of Kazakhstan by Borat a few years ago a blessing or a curse?
The film certainly lifted brand awareness for the Central Asian republic made independent from Moscow in December 1991, but the planet's ninth-largest country remains a mystery to most.
Fuelled by revenues from copious oil and gas reserves, Almaty and Astana have emerged as modern-day boomtowns from the Central Asian steppe, but Kazakhs' nomadic roots are still celebrated with one of the world's more...er...interesting cuisines.
How does beshbarmak (an offal stew) and horsemeat sausage washed down with a shot of vodka sound?
Celebrate the coming of spring with dancing, Kazakh food and equestrian events at the festival of Nauryz in late March.
The denouement of the inevitable dissolution of Yugoslavia came in June 2006 when the citizens of tiny Montenegro voted to separate from the federation of Serbia & Montenegro.
Despite Montenegro being the smallest piece of the Balkans jigsaw, the rugged country packs in a geography textbook of natural features and spectacles.
The country's eponymous 'Black Mountains' cradle the perfect medieval town at Kotor, and the pine-scented Tara River is Europe's deepest canyon and a growing location for river rafting.
The tiny island of Sveti Stefan, irredeemably picturesque and joined to the mainland by a slender isthmus, is rapidly regaining its pre-Balkan Wars status as one of Europe's most exclusive destinations.
Passionate twitchers (birdwatchers) should pack their high-powered binoculars for Lake Skadar, one of Europe's most important bird sanctuaries.
Consider the evidence. Kosovo declared unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008, but Kosovo's closest neighbour refuses to accept the declaration.
China and Russia agree with Serbia, but almost 70 other nations including the US, Germany and the UK accept Kosovo as an independent state. Membership of the World Bank and the IMF are a given, but UN membership remains elusive due to the veto-trumping machinations of the Security Council.
The presence of the UN and NGOs keeps accommodation prices relatively high, so this is definitely one for the true country collectors out there.
In the Kosovar capital of Pristina, visit Bill Clinton Blvd, complete with a giant billboard of the former US president.
This is an extract from the new book LONELY PLANET'S BEST IN TRAVEL 2011 - the best trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the upcoming year - out now.
(c) Lonely Planet 2010. RRP: $24.99. www.lonelyplanet.com
Originally published as Top 10 countries that didn't exist 20 years ago


text:
|We are hearing from our Congressional allies that they are hearing more from those who want war in Iran than those who want peace. Please write now and ask your legislators to support diplomacy.
After over a decade of two costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have exploded our national debt and stretched our Armed Forces to their limit, we don't need another war in the Middle East.
But war hawks in Congress like Senators John McCain, Lindsay Graham and Joe Lieberman are already beating the drums of war, with Lieberman saying it "doesn't make any sense" to wait until Iran possesses nuclear weapons to take military action.
There is also concern that, despite huge opposition in the country, the Israeli government will conduct rogue strikes on Iran.
And yet, Congress is being overwhelmed by messages calling for war with Iran, and our allies need us to show that there is a broad base of support for diplomacy, not war. Congress needs to hear from us, the voice of reason, that there is time for diplomacy and no country should use military force.
The costs of a war with Iran would be catastrophic. According to a report compiled by former government officials, national security experts and retired military officers released this week, "achieving more than a temporary setback in Iran's nuclear program would require a military operation — including a land occupation — more taxing than the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined."
Experts agree that even if — and that is a big if — Iran decides to build a crude nuclear weapon, there is plenty of time to act before they could complete the task, much less make one a missile payload or build a long-range missile system.
Please write Congress today to support U.S. diplomacy and to do everything in their power to keep Israel from using military force on Iran.
Categories: Uncategorized


text:
Disability Resources
624 Eastwood Street
Bowling Green, KY 42103
Phone: 270-796-5992
Fax: 270-796-6630
Toll Free: 1-877-437-5045
Service Area: Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, and Warren counties (BRADD Region)
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 9:00am - 4:30pm
Cost: Services are free of charge to disabled persons. Information and Referral is free to all.
Service Description: Provides Independent Living skills training, peer support, advocacy, computer training program, and Information and Referral to the general public on disability-related matters. Meeting space available to not-for-profit organizations. Call for availability. Accepts donations of medical equipment in good condition.
Website: http://dri-ky.org
If your nonprofit agency or organization would like to update your information, please contact the ALIVE Center at 270-782-0082 or email us at email@example.com.
If your nonprofit agency or organization would like include your information in our directory, please complete the human service directory blank form, and return it to the ALIVE Center or email it to email@example.com.
We ask that any nonprofit, civic organization or WKU department using our meeting space, complete the form before reserving a room.
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