http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/322595
First of all, we would like to thank you for your constant support and encouragement to carry out the activities of Nepal Rural Information Technology Development Society (NRIDS). The enthusiastic group of youths assures to bring Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Revolution in Nepal provided your care and love for NRIDS and our country Nepal.

Nepal Rural Information Technology Development Society (NRIDS) was established in 2004 with the objective of bringing ICT awareness and services to people living in rural areas throughout Nepal. The fact that Nepal has failed to embrace the Information Revolution over the last ten years means that as a country we have fallen further behind the developed world, rather than gaining ground. Everyone would agree that Nepalese people who are involved in agriculture, education, construction, and tourism can benefit greatly from access to the Internet and e-commerce, just as residents of other countries have. We would like to be an agent to help open eyes, to show how businesses can prosper, and student’s education can flourish. The problem is that much hard work is needed to provide computer access and training to rural areas of Nepal, and, as it stands, very little is being done to rectify the Information shortage.

This work began with the endorsement of Engineering students and local communities of Syangja, the members of NRIDS. The team has been formulating a blueprint to convert Syangja into the model district for an ICT Revolution in Nepal. The blueprint is based around the establishment of Community Information Centers (CIC) in villages where there is currently an extreme shortage of Information. A CIC with the involvement and support of local business people, teachers, serviceman, and young people, have been established in different villages. With the go of time, this movement has been extended in Mayatari, Karendada, Bagalthok, Helu, Lampata, Bayatari, PragatiNagar, Rajesthal, Badkhola, ThuloPandera, PokhariChaur, Dahathum, Sirsekot, Methabhurum, and Agrikharka, in Syangja, Kaskikot and Astam in Kaski, Rampur , Laxmipur in Dang and Lamtun in Parbat. In coming days, we will extend it to other rural parts of Nepal.

NRIDS is under a process to form ICT Task Force of youth living inside and outside Nepal. Currently, there are 50 ICT Engineers and IT Professionals involved in the ICT Task Force to carry out the various research activities for the ICT Revolution in Nepal. More than 150 intellectual domain experts are also involved with the NRIDS. There are more than 500 people from different parts of Nepal who are actively working to aware and empower their communities with ICTs. All these activities are being carried out voluntarily by the members of NRIDS. We are simply requesting you to be a part of this mission to revolute Nepal through ICTs by joining hands with us. Our working method is totally different from the traditional approach where finance and fund is the primary requirement. We believe in a network and the common goal of all of us to see Nepal as one of the developed country. Thus, we work with belief of `By the community for the community and with the community`. We empower the rural communities to practice ICTs in their lives, to make it as tool to expand their business by effective communication. We simply introduce them to the Internet then their journey starts in world of Networks. Let us imagine the farmers selling their product by the use of e-commerce, performs online conference with the different customers through Internet. This imagination is beyond our reach. But, the fact never to be forgotten is that `Dreams come true for those who work while they Dream`. The members of NRIDS are in the workflow and call you to generate the workflow to revolute Nepal through ICTs. The one and only alternative for development of Nepal is through implementation of ICTs.

We call all the Nepalese to be a part of this mission by talking about ICTs, providing voluntary support in any rural areas of Nepal and writing suggestion to NRIDS. NRIDS is not asking for money and donations but for joining hands to connect rural Nepal to the Global Village. If all of us have a common concept that ICT is the best alternative for the development of Nepal, it would be the great pleasure and big achievement. NRIDS is requesting just for 5 minutes of your valuable time in a day for ICTs possibilities and implementations in your country ‘Nepal’.

Let’s try to establish one CIC; where computers and Internet facilities are available, in your own village. We will provide the free consultancy and initiation startup. Let’s connect all the CICs of villages to a central portal and make a good environment for the rural community to share and learn the best practices around the world.

For your kind information,
NRIDS represents Nepal for UNESCAP, Asia-Pacific Regional Knowledge Network of Telecentres.
NRIDS represented Nepal on ‘The First Tech Day in Asia’ (October 31, 2007) organized by HUMANINET, ADRA NEPAL and Caritas at Hotel Himalayan, Kathmandu, Nepal.


Sincerely

Sudip Aryal
President
Nepal Rural Information Technology Development Society (NRIDS)
Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone: +977-01-4334086
Mobile: +977-9841470726
Email:sudiparyal@gmail.com


References:
http://www.lenversduregard.com/en-perspectives/index.php?itemid=29
(French journalists featured about NRIDS
http://kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid=126063
(Kathmandu Post-English National Daily publish about NRIDS) http://kantipuronline.com/kolnepalinews.php?nid=110397
(Published on Kantipur National daily)
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnepalinews.php?nid=126058
(Published on Kantipur National daily)
http://syangja.com
http://nridsnepal.org.np (This site is under construction)
http://nridsnepal.blogspot.com




]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:36:00 EST http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/322595 http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/282493
Source: www.ink-media.com. ]]> Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:29:00 EST http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/282493 http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/275737 New York, 1 November - The United Nations, Google and Cisco today unveiled a pioneering online site that tracks progress towards decreasing global poverty by 2015, a global campaign known as the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs. Visit the website at www.mdgmonitor.org]]> Mon, 05 Nov 2007 05:34:00 EST http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/275737 http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/268675
The agreement by the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) countries was reached at the fourth ICT working group meeting to discuss the proposed SASEC Information Highway Project in New Delhi, India on 8-9 October 2007.

The joint statement issued at the meeting reassured the four countries' commitment to promote closer cooperation for development and applications of ICT, and to improve social and economic participation through better access to appropriate support and infrastructure. The project will mark the first multi-country investment project in South Asia supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), if it is approved by ADB’s Board of Directors in December.

“The SASEC Information Highway Project will help SASEC countries more efficiently and effectively connect to each other by broadband and bring the much needed social goods to communities in South Asia – especially to often underserved rural areas,” said Mr. Kunio Senga, the Director General of ADB’s South Asia Department at the conclusion of the meeting.

The SASEC Information Highway Project consists of three key components. It will establish the SASEC regional network to integrate member countries and reduce Internet costs, particularly for the land-locked countries of Bhutan and Nepal. It will also build the SASEC village network to expand broadband wireless connectivity to rural communities and enable them to better access services such as tele-medicine, distance learning, and e-government services. In addition, it will set up the SASEC regional research and training network to facilitate the flow and integration of information, knowledge, and services among member countries through directly linking communities, businesses, and research institutes.

These networks will be established and operated through the public-private partnership with a strong focus on entrepreneurship development.

The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation was established in 2001 by Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal with ADB’s support. It aims to promote the subregion’s economic cooperation in the priority areas, including transport, tourism, and ICT.

Source: http://www.adb.org]]> Mon, 15 Oct 2007 04:42:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/268675 http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/264983
There was an agreement between NRIDS, Syangja and District Development Committee, Syangja to jointly carry out the ICT promotion activities in the whole district. Both organizations agreed to establish 10 new Community Information Centers (CICs) in the remote areas of Syangja district. Also 40% investment responsibility is taken by DDC, Syangja. However remaining 60% is to be managed by NRIDS by Lobbying with the donor agencies or by any other means. In this regard we seek relevant assistance from all the concerned donor agencies.
]]> Tue, 09 Oct 2007 04:23:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/264983 http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/261549 Starting November 12, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) will offer "Give 1 Get 1" programme in which individual donors will be able to purchase XO laptops for personal use when also buying one for a child in a developing nation. The mission of the project is to provide a means for learning, self-expression and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education. "For $399, you will be purchasing two XO laptops - one that will be sent to empower a child to learn in a developing nation, and one that will be sent to your child at home," writes OLPC project founder Nicholas Negroponte in an open letter on the new XO Giving web site.]]> Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:30:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/261549 http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/261535
The meeting, hosted by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok, seeks to help poor communities to make the most out of these e-centres, and to learn from each other’s good experiences. The number of such centres is expected to jump 10-fold in the next five years.

UNESCAP Information, Communication and Space Technology Division Director Sivasankaran Thampi stressed that the meeting aims to enhance interconnection and collaboration.

Community e-centres, also known by different names such as telecentres or community information centres, have already helped people living in remote areas to get much needed information and knowledge to improve their lives.

Farmers, for examples, find crop market information to get better prices for their produce, students learn how to use computers to tap the vast source of information available in the Internet which places them in a better position in the job market, and women are empowered by the use of technology.

The proposed regional knowledge network of e-centres aims to improve their effectiveness as a development tool and to maximize limited resources by networking with each other to share experience and products, including content such as market information and training materials.

Around 30 representatives of UN agencies, information and communication technology ministries, telecentres and telecentre associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are participating in the meeting which is part of a project on knowledge networking through access points for disadvantaged communities being implemented by the UN through its five Regional Commissions in Africa, Europe, West Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia and the Pacific.

www.un.org]]> Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:35:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/261535 http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/261533
“Many youth organizations”, said Sarbuland Khan, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development, “have come forward to tell us that they want to remain engaged in creating youth centres of excellence and global youth networks that place ICT in the service of development.”

At the three-day Global Forum on Youth and ICT for Development, which concluded yesterday at the Centre International de Conférences, young people from around the world proposed measures for addressing the impact of the ICT explosion on their lives.

Forum participants adopted a manifesto, “A Declaration to and for the Youth of the World”, stating young people’s commitment “to eradicate poverty”, to share innovative technological tools, to aid development by promoting “equal and unrestricted access”, and to “leverage our familiarity with technology to improve the lives of the impoverished”.

Information technology, speakers said, should be a tool for addressing youth unemployment and lack of political and social participation. In a changing global economy that can make young people feel displaced at the workplace and in society, information and communications technology “can offer opportunities to stay connected with the world”, one speaker said.

“After the formal opening, the young participants and youth organizations took over the management and running of the Forum,” Mr. Khan said. “Participation in the discussions and panels has been intense and energizing,” he said, on issues ranging from health to education, participation, empowerment and economics.

More than 600 participants from youth organizations, Government, the private sector, civil society and the technology community attended the Forum’s 6 plenary sessions and 28 workshops, panels and roundtables. A marketplace featured 12 events and 16 exhibits that showcased young people’s innovations in the use of technology.

Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt, told participants she was bringing a message of peace and hope from Sharm el-Sheikh, where she had convened an international youth forum on information and communications technology for peace in early September. At Sharm el-Sheikh, young people from around the world, with “contagious energy”, had exchanged ideas on ways to eliminate violence, celebrate their diversity and promote innovative strategies for enhancing security.

“Without peace, youth cannot have aspirations for the future,” Ms. Mubarak said, adding that the critical link between information and communications technology and peace offered “a window into a world of infinite possibilities”. Stressing that young people are key players in promoting peace, she called on Forum participants to join in ongoing efforts.

International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré said the serious development challenges in the world “share inequality as their common element”. Information and communications technology was an enabler of progress, and young people were well-equipped to lead progress, he said, calling on Forum participants to be innovative in finding solutions to development challenges.

For Carlo Ottaviani, President of ST Microelectronics Foundation, the Forum was “a precious occasion for youth to confront important actors, but more importantly to give us all a chance to hear their perspectives and opinions and listen to what they have to show and recommend. Their perspectives were profound, their documents remarkable, their recommendations well-documented.”

“I am proud to witness first-hand some of the most exciting ideas for the betterment of the global youth community”, said Johan Farid Khairuddin, a youth participant from Malaysia’s media company Astro All Asia Networks. “Through this forum, I look forward to turn these into action.”

The three-day gathering was co-hosted by the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development and the International Telecommunication Union, in partnership with several non-governmental organizations and United Nations bodies.

source: www.un.org]]> Sun, 30 Sep 2007 02:32:00 EDT http://www.tigblog.org/group/ICTSamaya/post/261533