GKP recalls commitment to bridge digital divide
Last few years we are looking for the best info-tech for the benefits of rural people. Indeed still the technology is so expensive for them because we have no well off IT infrastructure and making technological services on vernacular language is also challenging task.
Jamilur Reza Choudhury, former adviser of caretaker government and vice chancellor of BRAC university, observed these when he was giving speech as chef guest of the GKP South Asia Regional Meeting at the BRAC Inn.
Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) is an international multi-stakeholder network committed to harnessing the power of Knowledge and utilising Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for sustainable and equitable development.
With over 100 members, the GKP Network reaches across sectors and continents, to share their experience, ideas and solutions to unleash the potential of knowledge and ICT to improve lives, reduce poverty and empower people. GKP is actively involved in programmes that address development opportunities and challenges within four strategic themes – Access to Knowledge, Education, Poverty Reduction and Resource Mobilisation. GKP is governed by an elected Executive Committee and is supported by a Secretariat based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“Once I saw radio warning system was informing coastal people about thunderstorm by calling ‘Ghurni johore’, but they are not familiar with the difficult word. They use to say thunderstorm ‘tuhan’.” The renowned aducationist said.
He again said, “First time in the country my university made a faculty called Development Informatics that will deal with info-tech based social development. I am now so happy because GKP now focusing on the South Asia. This event in Dhaka is bearing importance before the extravaganza GK3 gathering in Malaysia in coming December.”
2,000 global visionaries, innovators, practitioners and policy makers, will convene in Kuala Lumpur to engage on the theme “Emerging People, Emerging Markets, Emerging Technologies.” Delivered in a framework of expert panels and workshops, GK3 is designed to ensure maximum action, interaction and reaction among participants. Attending leaders, change agents and solutions providers will exchange and debate future realities from the perspective of the knowledge.
The GK3 theme is a dynamic focus on the interplay, interface and interweaving of issues related to Knowledge for Development (K4D) and Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) within the context of the evolving societies, economies and technologies worldwide.
AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication, ” My organisation firmly sands for free flow of information. We never favour info-tech ownership within the hands of a few rich people as well as aggression of the corporate world. In the era of globalisation we should think globally, but our thinking must go at all levels.”
Dr. Toufic Ahmed Choudhury, Chairman of D.net, mentioned, “We are trying to solve gap between rich and poor by the best use of ICTs in the country. We are building info-tech based network to disseminate knowledge among the poor and SMEs of the country.”
Source: http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=50357
Category: Knowledge for Development, South Asia