Subject: ANNOUNCE: World Bank Development Forum
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Dear GKD Members,
As a component of the redesign of its external website and the expansion
of its Internet presence, the World Bank is currently developing a
dialogue space and venue for knowledge-sharing on development issues
called the Development Forum. This initiative has been partly inspired
by the experience of the GKD List and its success in fostering focused
discussion. One of the key features of this Forum will be a series of
on-line "Development Dialogues" on specific development issues sponsored
the Bank and development partners.
The purpose of these Dialogues will be to foster public discussion and
knowledge-sharing on specific development issues, with a particular
emphasis on giving voice to people from developing countries. These
dialogues are explicitly intended as exercises in knowledge-sharing and
mutual learning that will enrich the store of shared knowledge and
understanding on a given development issue.
The length, scope and format of the dialogues will vary according to the
specific objective of each dialogue and the interests and needs of the
sponsors. Some dialogues will be tightly-focused "virtual Working
Groups" which last about one month and aim to achieve a very concrete
result (e.g. identifying and assessing recent best practices in a
specific development area so as to inform an upcoming conference or
project). Some will be slightly broader exercises in mutual learning on
a specific development challenge, such as the recent "ICT-JOBS" Working
Group. These may last for two or three months, and may, if appropriate,
include both an "expert panel" first phase (where only selected
panelists can post messages, while all other subscribers "listen in")
followed by an open-discussion second phase. Some dialogues may focus
on specific audiences (e.g. secondary school teachers) rather than, or
in addition to, specific subjects.
They will all, however, have several things in common:
1) They will all be moderated discussions.
2) They will be open to participants from around the globe, and special
efforts will be made (through our network of relationships both with
Bank field offices and with other organizations) to include voices from
developing countries.
3) They will include active involvement from the relevant substantive
communities of practice within the Bank and partner organizations, to
assure that the dialogues are substantive contributions to increasing
our common understanding of specific development issues. These partners
will provide the background materials that establish the context for the
dialogue, and will help assure that the lessons learned and the new
information shared in the dialogue become part of the knowledge base on
that subject and thereby shape our subsequent work.
4) All the dialogues will be email-based (to assure maximum
participation on the part of those with limited Internet access) but
archived to and accessible from the Web as well, so that visitors to the
Forum can access the history of a discussion even if they have not
participated from the start, and so that all participants can easily
access the background materials (the "knowledge base") on which the
discussion is building. Key background materials will also be made
available as email attachments for those without Web access.
In addition to the Development Dialogues, the Development Forum will
offer several other features, including:
* An Index of Development Discussions, which will provide information
(including sign-up information) on online dialogues on development
issues sponsored by a broad range of development partners;
* A Development Discussion Tool-Kit, which will contain information on
how to set up and facilitate online dialogues, "best practice"
information and case studies from prior experience with online
dialogues, and other information resources for development professionals
seeking to work together online;
* A "Speaker's Corner" featuring both a regularly-changing presentation
by a member of the development community (or a "point-counterpoint"
dialogue among two or three individuals) and a "My Turn" feature,
similar to a newspaper's "Op-Ed" page, with short opinion pieces;
* An extensive feedback process.
We would greatly appreciate your responses, as a GKD member, to the
following questions. Since the Development Forum will represent the
views and knowledge of a broad range of participants, we want to
incorporate outside suggestions from the very start. We will publish
on-line the results of this survey on the Development Forum website when
it is launched in early-October, as well as send the results to the
List. Thanks for your assistance and feedback. NOTE: Please email your
responses or questions to Ronald Kim at: and NOT
to the GKD Moderator (i.e., do not hit "reply"; instead you can
"forward" this message to , enter your responses,
and send the message.)
----------------------------------------------------
1. What are, in your view, the most important features of a website on
development issues?
2. What development websites do you currently visit and which are the
most valuable for your work?
3. What additional resources and/or services would you like to see
offered by development websites?
4. What listservs/online discussions on development issues, besides
GKD, have you participated in?
5. Which were the most useful and why?
6. What has been the level of your participation in these listservs?
7. What development issues would you like to see included in future
online discussions?
8. What additional features would you like to see on the Development
Forum?
From owner-gkd@tristram.edc.org Fri Aug 14 10:02:34 1998
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From: Kurvanas@aol.com
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 01:00:06 EDT
To: gkd@tristram.edc.org
Subject: Telecenters and Libraries and the Y2K Problem
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To All GKD List Members,
What will be the impact of the Y2K Problem upon repositories of knowledge,
such as global telecenters and libraries?
The Library of Alexandria once housed all of ancient man's knowledge
(excepting some Indian, Chinese and Mesoamerican civilizations) as gathered by
Alexander. After his death, during the invasions and wars that dissolved his
empire, it was burned and all extant copies of this knowledge lost to time.
Other than the Catholic burning of the Mayan libraries, this stands as the
single greatest loss of human thought.
Wherein lies protection from Y2K, and how do we retain all these libraries and
centers?
Thomas Fortenberry
Editor in Chief of Mind Fire (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/7380gy-list-archive/html)
Coeditor of Phic-shun (http://www.kakuta.com/phic-shun/Olympus/7380gy-list-archive/html)
Contributing Editor of Maelstrom (http://www.geocities.com/~readmaelstrom/7380gy-list-archive/html)
Third Party Productions (http://www.kakuta.com/thirdpartyelstrom/7380gy-list-archive/html)
Generation e (http://cybergrrlz.com/cg-generation-e.htm380gy-list-archive/html)
homepage (http://www.kakuta.com/thomaseration-e.htm380gy-list-archive/html)
Dear GKD List Members:
As our previous message described, the Development Forum currently being
developed by the World Bank will offer a dialogue space for
knowledge-sharing on international development issues. It will include
such additional features as an Index of Development Discussions, a
relatively extensive listing of online discussions (summaries that include
subscription information) focused on development topics from gender to
sustainable development. They are mainly listservs though several are
web-based. Because the Index is intended to call attention to substantive
multidirectional discussions, we have excluded listservs that provide only
news updates to its members or are merely bulletin boards.
The Index is now viewable on the GKD website and we invite your comments
and suggestions, which you can send to us by email or through the feedback
form available on the website. If you are familiar with some of the
discussions, we welcome your comments regarding the accuracy of the Index.
If you know of discussions that are not listed, we will appreciate your
making us aware of them. Our goal is to assemble, with your help, what is
currently unavailable: an index that will serve as a central point of
reference for anyone interested in online discussions about international
development topics.
Thanks again for your help and continuing support. We look forward to your
input.
Kerry McNamara
EDINP
The World Bank
kmcnamara1@worldbank.org
From owner-gkd@tristram.edc.org Sat Aug 15 09:42:41 1998
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Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 15:53:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Global Knowledge Dev. Moderator"
To: gkd@tristram.edc.org
Subject: GKD List Summary 6/14 - 6/27
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GKD List Summary 6/14 - 6/27
This message attempts to summarize briefly the major discussion points
made on the GKD list. Inevitably, many valuable points will not be
captured here, and new List members are encouraged to obtain past List
archives. Currently, they can be obtained from the GKP WWW site
<http://www.globalknowledge.org/tion-e.htm380gy-list-archive/html> in HyperMail format, which groups
messages by thread (subject) and also allows full-text searches of all the
List messages. For those without WWW access, the digest version (a plain
text compilation of each week's messages) can be retrieved via anonymous
FTP from tristram.edc.org. The path is pub/gkd/digest.
ICT AND ACCESS
A list member contributed a paper on the impact of information technology
on science communication in developing countries. Technology tends to
exacerbate inequalities and will further marginalize scientists on the
periphery. The member predicted that the transition to electronic
publishing from print will widen the gap between the developed countries
and the developing countries due to a lack of infrastructure. The author
advocated early introduction of satellite-based high bandwith Internet
access to tertiary educational institutions and research laboratories at
low cost and differential pricing for information (journal subscription
and access to databases) to developing countries.
A cyber article was posted on the way that the Internet has created a "New
Reality". 'Although we have talked about "mass media" and "mass
communications" for the past half century, the Internet takes us to a
level that's qualitatively different from even television in that it
superdemocratizes communcation'. Some of the far-reaching implications of
this New Reality are the fact that the Internet is beyond control and that
it has leveled every playing field in that every individual has the
potential for becoming a publisher, operating a business or communicating
worldwide.
The results of a survey among Internet users in Nepal was posted.
Although the response to the survey was very low, and thus the results
cannot be generalized, one of the remarkable findings was that the
respondents were not concerned with the lack of information from the
South on the superhighway and thought the sheer increase of users from
the South would make this imbalance dissapear.
ICT AND GOVERNANCE
A list member pointed out that two abstracts on ICT and governance are
available on the web:
"Information Communication Technologies in the Governance in Africa:
Exploring the Development Potentials of the Information Revolution for
the Promotion of Sustainable Livelihoods", by Kofi Anani
<http://www.ulbobo.com/gdep/abstract/abs-012.htmlist-archive/html>
and
"Science and Technology Meeting People's Needs", by Senyo John Afele
<http://www.ulbobo.com/gdep/abstract/abs-036.htmlist-archive/html>
ICT AND DEVELOPMENT
A member continued the discussion on the importance for rural phone users
having access to telephone directories and the local production of
telephone directories. Local production of telephone directories offers
better possibilities for local advertising by local enterprises. Local
telephone directories are also more appropriate since in many developing
countries number are not derived from the billing system but from a blend
of the knowledge of the customer and account information held by competing
phone companies. Another member suggested that rural and small town phone
books could be produced with desktop publishing and simple programs on
PCs.
In response to the concerns that placing telephones in rural areas won't
really support development goals it was argued that the effectiveness of
ICTs is related to the need to invest in changes in the attitude of people
particularly in poor nations. The argument is that learning might lead to
new attitudes for better development.
A member sent a cyber-article on 'High Tech and the Poor' in Wired News
that addressed the virtual discussion forum on the impact of ICT on
jobs, organized by EDC, ILO and World Bank. Such discussion lists have
"the potential to really revolutionize [the relationship between
funding agencies and the grassroots groups]."
A case study was posted about Quipunet, a grassroots networking initiative
in Peru that distributes information about disasters. Apart from
information sharing various virtual seminars with lessons-learned about
earthquakes such as the one in Kobe (Japan) were organized. Participants
shared for example building codes and urban protection strategies as part
of a network of small offices, schools and community buildings with just a
single computer but that relay information in regions by telephone, fax,
diskette or simply people.
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES
More information was provided on the BayGen wind-up radio. Apparently,
they can be purchased for as little as $22 US. The US based Radio Free
Berkeley has developed low power broadcasting devices but has been in
court battles with the Federal Communications Commission.
A member sent an article on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines
for building browsers that provide more complete navigational and
presentational information, particularly for visually impaired users. The
released guidelines fall under five categories: presentation
adjustability; orientation; navigation and control; visibility of
accessibility features; and compatibility. Browsers are not the only
factor in accessibility. In addition to the browser guidelines the W3C has
issued guidelines for page authors and is working on accessibility
guidelines for the developers of Web authoring tools.
The Trend Monitor Bulletin reports that "the perception of the most
knowledgeable people is increasingly that Y2K is 'systemic'". This view of
the increasing scope of the problem is coupled with a growing number of
reports of delays in Y2K compliance programs in government and businesses.
WEB SITES
Acacia ICT Initiative (IDRC):
http://www.idrc.ca/acaciap/abstract/abs-036.htmlist-archive/html
Benton Foundation's Communications Policy and Practice project:
http://www.benton.orgaciap/abstract/abs-036.htmlist-archive/html
Congress of South African Trade Unions:
http://www.cosatu.org.zaap/abstract/abs-036.htmlist-archive/html
Education Development Center:
http://www.edc.orgorg.zaap/abstract/abs-036.htmlist-archive/html
European Social Policy Forum 98:
http://europa.eu.int/chatforum98act/abs-036.htmlist-archive/html
Fry's Electronics Wind-up Radios
http://www.megtech-software.com/fryloc.htm6.htmlist-archive/html
Global Reproductive Health Forum:
http://www.hsph.hard.edu/Organizations/healthnetist-archive/html
International Labour Organisation (ILO):
http://www.ilo.orgrd.edu/Organizations/healthnetist-archive/html
On-Line Learning Series of Courses:
http://www.networx.on.ca/~jwalker/course.htmhnetist-archive/html
Pacific Development Directory:
http://www.converge.org.nz/drc/er/course.htmhnetist-archive/html
Radio Free Berkeley:
http://www.freeradio.orgnz/drc/er/course.htmhnetist-archive/html
Trend Monitor:
http://www.trendmon.demon.co.uker/course.htmhnetist-archive/html
World Bank
http://www.worldbank.orgn.co.uker/course.htmhnetist-archive/html
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C):
http://www.w3.organk.orgn.co.uker/course.htmhnetist-archive/html
BOOKS
Alan Weisman, "Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World"
see <http://www.chelseagreen.com/Gaviotas/contents.htmst-archive/html>
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Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 15:44:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Global Knowledge Dev. Moderator"
To: gkd@tristram.edc.org
Subject: GKD List Summary 6/28 - 7/11
Sender: owner-gkd@tristram.edc.org
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: gkd@tristram.edc.org
Status: R
GKD List Summary 6/28 - 7/11
This message attempts to summarize briefly the major discussion points
made on the GKD list. Inevitably, many valuable points will not be
captured here, and new List members are encouraged to obtain past List
archives. Currently, they can be obtained from the GKP WWW site
<http://www.globalknowledge.org/iotas/contents.htmst-archive/html> in a HyperMail format, which groups
messages by thread (subject) and also allows full-text searches of all the
List messages. For those without WWW access, the digest version (a plain
text compilation of each week's messages) can be retrieved via anonymous
FTP from tristram.edc.org. The path is pub/gkd/digest.
ICT AND ACCESS
A member posted an article on how critical ICT skills have become in the
labor market in the United States. Nowadays even waiters, telephone
operators and truck drivers need some degree of technological proficiency.
The educational system does not prepare everyone for the labor market
though: while many affluent, suburban youths benefit from comprehensive
computer training classes or often have PCs at home, many poor urban and
rural children neither receive classes nor have computers. The article
underlined the importance of initiatives such as the Clinton
administration's E-rate program that wires low-income schools to bridge
this gap. Other list members pointed to community and school projects
throughout North America that train students in computer literacy or offer
access to the Internet. Examples are the Neighborhood Networks Consortium
and Seattle Community Network. Computer donation programs can provide
underprivileged schools and students with the necessary equipment too.
Example's are the Industry's Canada Computers for Schools Project and the
THEME Project and the Netday Program for California's schools, that allows
companies to donate equipment less than 2 years old to a K-12 school for
substantial tax write offs. A number of list members emphasize that the
upgrading of donated computers is crucial since most 486 or lower
computers are not able to run standard word processing programs or
Internet applications.
A member submitted an article on the Internet in the Arab world. The
typical Arab Internet user is male (96%), well educated (60% holds a
university degree) and uses the Net as often at home as at work. Most
Arabic users use the Internet to communicate by e-mail; 64% uses for
finding information and only 42% for fun or entertainment. Although most
users browsed the Web with Sindbad (Netscape enabled for Arabic), the
study showed that 40% of the sample could not read Arabic with their
browsers and thus Arabic sites may not be getting as many visitors as
should, probably due to a lack of knowledge of how to configure the
browsers and the system software.
ICT AND GOVERNANCE
A member raised the question how the World Bank is going to the use the
GKD forum in it's policy process. A World Bank representative responded by
saying that the GKD list is a part of a larger effort by the World Bank to
not only share what it knows with it's clients, partners and other
development stakeholders, but also learn from others and thus make the
development process more participatory. Paradoxically this new approach to
knowledge sharing takes a lot from those within the Bank that are involved
in the internal knowledge management so that they have not been able to
participate very visibly in the discussion. The success of the GKD list
has been a key factor leading to the World Bank's commitment to use
external dialogue tools as part of its Internet presence. The GKD has had
a definite impact on the way many people at the Bank think about outreach
and dialogue with external audiences in a way that will affect their
future behaviour.
ICT AND DEVELOPMENT
The ICT-JOBS list highlighted the initiative by the Grameen Bank in
Bangladesh in providing telephones to communities. Since private companies
are unlikely to act on their own to invest in developing countries, others
will have to give incentives to the telecommunications companies to build
local infrastructure. In this way Internet access will hopefully be
available eventually. An article on Grameen Telecom and its village cell
phone initiative in Bangladesh was published in the Canadian Globe and
Mail:
<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/docs/news/19980706/GlobeFront/ucelln.html>.
The discussion on African content on the Internet was continued. A member
warned that unless users are involved in the development of content they
will ignore or reject the implementation efforts. Another member pointed
out that the African participation is indeed crucial since the content on
Internet will determine how the outside world perceives the continent.
A member posted an article on the plans of Singapore to develop a new
Internet. SingAREN, a high-speed computer network will link various
universities in Singapore to research and education communities worldwide
with advanced applications such as telemedicine, digital libraries and
distance learning.
APPROPIATE TECHNOLOGIES
In South Africa a newly formed National Appropriate Technology Information
Service (NATIS) seeks to promote the use of appropriate technology in
various fields of rural development activities in South Africa. Interested
groups are invited to participate in the finalising of the constitution
and the business plan. Enquiries: Navy Simunkonda, ECOLINK (outreach),
tel: +27 13 7512120; fax: +27 13 7513287 or Stefanie Zeiss, TRALSO, tel:
+27 47 1312581; fax: +27 47 1312853.
WEB SITES
African Information Society Initiative (AISI):
http://www.bellanet.org/partners/aisiews/19980706/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Asia Pacific Network Forum:
http://www.south-asia.com/icimod/AP.htms/19980706/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Communications Week International weekly:
http://www.totaltele.com/cwiimod/AP.htms/19980706/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Democracies Online:
http://www.e-democracy.orgwiimod/AP.htms/19980706/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) 40 th Anniversary:
http://www.un.org/depts/eca/eca4thP.htms/19980706/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Global Reproductive Health Forum:
http://www.hsph.hard.edu/Organizations/healthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Global Wireless, international newspaper for the wireless communications
industry:
http://www.globalwirelessnews.comtions/healthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Industry Canada's "Computers for Schools" program:
http://www.schoolnet.ca/cfs-ope/english/ealthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Internet World, newspaper on e-bussiness and Internet technology:
http://www.iw.comnet.ca/cfs-ope/english/ealthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Millenium Project:
http://millenium.aed.orgcfs-ope/english/ealthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Mountain Forum (Nepal):
http://www.mtnforum.orggcfs-ope/english/ealthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
National University of Singapore:
http://www.nus.sgum.orggcfs-ope/english/ealthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Netday Program for Californian Schools:
http://www.netday.orgrggcfs-ope/english/ealthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Newton's Telecommunication Dictionary:
http://www.whatis.comrggcfs-ope/english/ealthnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
On-Line Learning Series of Courses:
http://www.networx.on.ca/~jwalker/course.htmhnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
SingAREN (the new Internet in Singapore):
http://www.irdu.nus.edu.sg/srener/course.htmhnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Steering Committee of the Special Initiative on Africa (SIA):
http://www.unsia.org/du.sg/srener/course.htmhnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
THEME Project:
http://www.theme.org/du.sg/srener/course.htmhnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
Women's Net:
http://www.womensnet.org.zasrener/course.htmhnet6/GlobeFront/ucelln.html
World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology:
http://www.unesco.org/ethics/uk/connaisance/index2.htmlFront/ucelln.html
World Learning, Inc.:
http://www.worldlearning.org/uk/connaisance/index2.htmlFront/ucelln.html