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Overview:
OneVillage Foundation USA/OneVillage.Biz is working
with the Brussels-EU Chapter of the Club of Rome
(Cor-BCH)
to organize and prepare for the UNESCO Club or
Rome sponsored Digital
World Conference. This conference will focus
on the role of information technologies (ICT)
in enhancing education, promoting sustainability
and bridging the income divide. The conference
will bring people together from all continents:
leaders and decision-makers from governments,
international organizations, companies and civil
society; especially from developing countries
with large digital divides, high degrees of illiteracy
and insufficient physical and human infrastructure
for dealing with these situations.
Given the increasingly complexity of human societies
in the modern world, digital technologies has
become increasingly important to secure the skills
needed to compete in the global economy. Increasing
access to information is key to reducing illiteracy
and therefore a necessary step to poverty alleviation.
Existing and new communication tools if applied
properly and effectively to constitute an appropriate
and well thought our application of technology
can enable a 'leapfrogging' process
bringing access to information and knowledge to
millions of individuals who otherwise would have
not had that opportunity, and doing so at a lower
cost than is usually the case in affluent regions.
Conference Methodology:
The Digital World Conference in Spring
of 2005 in Europe will serve as a follow up event
to WSIS 2004 and a precursor event to the November
World
Summit on Information Society (WSIS) November.
The conclusions and recommendations issued by
the Digital World Conference will be an input
to the World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS).
1. Identifying prerequisites and success factors
for capacity-building using ICT
2. Collecting and disseminating testimonies and
case studies from around the world on how to make
quantum leap in development by using ICT
3. Hearing from ICT companies to on how they can
ensure the technology is appropriate to the development
environment and their solutions to meet the needs
in emerging markets
The
Global Development Learning Network (GDLN)
is a program funded by the World Bank to provide
for distance learning technologies and methods
to facilitate interactive, cost-effective learning
and knowledge-sharing for sustainable development
and poverty reduction. The GDLN network will be
used during the conference to not only broadcast
conference events all over the world but to create
an interactive environment encouraging the participation
of those who cannot attend the conference directly.
Innovative ICT projects like the GDLN are playing
a vital, pioneering role in the development of
new systems of global governance by:
1. Establishing a discussion platform to share
experiences worldwide
2. Presenting this Conference to a worldwide audience
3. Operating unconstrained by geographical and
financial barriers
4. Enabling experts and a diverse global audiences
to share experiences and to dialogue
Participants will communicate "live"
though the GDLN' exchanging experiences, testimonies,
success stories and lessons in the use of ICT
by "grass roots" individuals and local
communities.
Value OVB/OVF Adds to Conference:
While digital technologies offer great
promise in better harnessing human potential.
Such a vision into order for it to become reality
must be backed by a concerted effort that involves
the careful selection and the integration of technologies
so that they properly interface with the local
built environment as well as the culture. We believe
that ICTs used properly used will help move towards
realized the UN
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Towards this end, OVB is developing an integrated
ICT consulting services program to help underserved
communities in rural and remote areas obtain quality
internet access through satellite and wireless
as well as existing conventional technologies.
What will make technology truly empowering to
otherwise marginalized people is the way in which
it is applied so that it integrates with other
necessary social and built environment infrastructure
to create not only sustainable development but
local self-determination.
Points of Collaboration between OVF/OVB
and Brussels Chapter of the Club of Rome:
1. OVF/OVB USA has been working and will
continue to work with the CoR in designing, planning
and promoting the conference
2. Joy Tang and Mark Roest have been named to
the GDLN Network & Regional Committees
3. OVF-Ghana will be included as one of the participants
at the GDLN hub in Accra
OVF/OVB Goals:
The design of the conference emphasizes the fact
that conferences are only one part of the development
of an effective and concerted global strategy
for change in the 21st century. ICT has a vital
role to play in ensuring that conference participants
stay connected and highly networked to ensure
effectiveness towards achieving our goals, which
include:
1. Developing the human capacities necessary for
building inclusive knowledge societies that empower
people
2. Facilitating local entrepreneurship
3. Focusing on capacity building through education
4. Encouraging non-formal education, such as skills
development programs Particular attention will
be paid to those groups in rural and remote areas
and accessible with satellite technologies
5. Developing innovative and compelling ways to
raise awareness among global opinion leaders and
the general public about the need for a concerted
effort in bridging the knowledge divide
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Downloadable Documents
about the conference
Complete
documentation of the conference
Conference
content structure
Conference
layout
Brussels-EU Chapter of the Club of Rome (CoR-BCH)
Flye
Related Sites
Brussels-EU Chapter of the Club of Rome (Cor-BCH)
Club
of Rome
UNESCO
Latest News
After some difficulty Dr. Raoul Weiler was able
to register the Digital World Conference presentation
at the WSF in
Porte Alegre in January 26-31, 2005. Go here
for more.
OVF Working with Sergio Lub of Living Directory
to Promote Digital World Conference. We recently
formed an OVF "Affinity Group" within
the directory to promote the conference as well
as our larger mission and goals. Go here
for more on how you can help. |