[UgaBYTES] FW: Digital Inclusion Forum in Maputo

[Ndaula Sulah]

Dear Polly,

Thanks for sharing the results into this summary. It gives a very far
picture of the report, for people who would finally read it. And the
recommendations were noble.

Best Regards,
---
Sulah



On 8/4/09, Michael Gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
> [mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Polly Gaster
> Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 4:57 AM
> To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Digital Inclusion Forum in Maputo
>
> Dear all
>
> Various list members have expressed an interest in the Forums being
> organised by SANGONet as part of its Thetha regional research project
> (called Tlhangano in Mozambique, by the way). So we want to give you a quick
> report on the Mozambique Forum, which as you know from SANGONet took place
> on 30 June. SANGONet also circulated the address for downloading our report,
> so maybe some of you have already had a look - and I won't repeat what's in
> it!
>
> http://www.caicc.org.mz/images/stories/documentos/finalmozambiquereport_port
> ugues_100709.pdf
>
> http://www.caicc.org.mz/images/stories/documentos/finalmozambiquereport10jul
> y2009_english.pdf
>
> We chose as the main theme for our report on ICT4D in Mozambique the
> challenge of digital inclusion, as a way of highlighting the needs of
> ordinary citizens and particularly people living in the rural areas (70% of
> the population). So our report discussed the advances in ICTs, state of
> implementation of government policies, etc, from this point of view - we
> didn't want to do a big survey because that's already been done. Our main
> findings from the research were that there have been important advances in
> implementing the ICT Policy, but so far the tendency has been very
> technology-oriented and top-down rather than citizen-centred - starting from
> defining people's needs. Of course establishing the infrastructure is a
> precondition for inclusion, but it is definitely not the solution. So we
> made various recommendations, as you will see in the report.
>
> The Forum therefore made a special effort to bring together different
> sectors, and in particular civil society organisations, to sit in the same
> room and discuss some of these questions. Around 80 people altogether
> attended at some time during the day, including half a dozen ministries and
> various public institutions and companies (such as telecomms, the
> regulator, agricultural research and others). Civil society was represented
> by 5 rural telecentres/community multimedia centres as well as organisations
> such as the Community Radio Forum, the Women's Forum, the National Union of
> Peasants, Association of Visually Handicapped (who shamed us by saying that
> they had been to our new university central library and there was no
> provision at all for their needs!) and national education and development
> NGOs. Private IT companies, public and private universities and journalists
> were also there.
>
> The Forum was opened by the Vice-Rector of Eduardo Mondlane University, and
> the Minister of Science and Technology came to give a keynote speech and
> stayed for some of the discussion. We had formal presentations summarising
> the report, and from our regional research coordinator Tina James to give is
> some insights into the situation in the Southern African region. As a way of
> helping open up the plenary debate we asked 4 "commenters" to give their
> personal opinions on the report and the issues in general - 2 from
> government and 2 from civil society. This tactic definitely helped to
> provide a good environment in which people were at ease to speak up and
> express their opinions.
>
> We ended up with a series of recommendations, some confirming the proposals
> in the report and others adding to and improving them.
>
> Perhaps some of the most relevant ones for list members are the following:
> - Revisit the ICT Policy, but first carry out analysis and evaluation of
> what's been done;
> - Strategies for changing attitudes;
> - Involving the private sector in digital inclusion plans;
> - Need to be truly inclusive of all citizens;
> - Content in local languages;
> - Government transparency in its relations with the private sector;
> - create a group to study and propose measures for the migration to digital
> radio (by 2015);
>
> Most important, create a working or lobby group to try to ensure inclusion
> of digital inclusion/ICT4D in the next Government Poverty Reduction Plan or
> 5-year Programme. We have elections in October and then there will be a new
> round of planning, so it is a good opportunity.
>
> This is already too long so will stop here. Hope you find it useful.
>
> polly
>
>
>
>
> ----
>
> Polly Gaster
> TICs para Desenvolvimento/ICT4D
> Centro de Informatica da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (CIUEM) Campus
> Universitario, Maputo, Mozambique
> e-mail: polly.gaster at uem.mz
> cel: +258-82-3264540
> tel/fax: +258-21-485779
> Skype: polly_gaster
>
>
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-- 
Executive Director
UgaBYTES Initiative
Tel: +256414370163
Mob: +256712314969
Skype: sulah.ndaula
Yahoo: ndaulasula
Email: ndaulasula@
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