I’ve been in Prato, Italy since Wednesday for the CIRN Prato conference which is built around Community Informatics. 
Picture of Nicolo Tadini (Prato’s Premier Philanthropist)
I’m definitely looking forward to next year’s Prato conference. For more details on this year’s installment, go here .
I had the pleasure of attending the Ganesh Festival in Paris held every year, corresponding to the early September full moon. Called Ganesha Chaturthi, it is organised by the Sri Manikar Vinayakar Alayam temple based in the “Quartier Indien” (Paris’ South Asian enclave).
Whilst in takes on an entirely different aspect in India, particularly in Mumbai where it is celebrated over ten days and it includes the immersion of the Ganesh idols in water, it is no means any less enthusiastically celebrated by the Indian Diaspora, and well attended by other communities including the French, as seen from the photographs.
Arguably, these festivals do more to foster ethnic harmony between culture and help build an understanding of the ‘other’; providing a context in which to engage in fruitful communication in a festival-like atmosphere and providing ample opportunity for the Indian culture to be ’sampled’ (and by this I refer to its various foods). It also allows the ethnic Diaspora to put on a show for the other communities.
Its been more than a while since I’ve posted to my blog but in talking to an acquaintance earlier in the day who mentioned that she had been to my blog, I was reminded that people do track others and make judgements based on virtual presence. I vow to redouble my efforts beginning with a travel writing article on Turkey that I’ve been meaning to put together for sometime now.
The Concept :
This picture was obtained from a hyperlink posted on Twitter by Ken Banks at Kiwanja.net and I think exemplifies the heart of how development is best carried out. Putting aside differences in multistakeholder partnerships, easier said than done admittedly, and painful as the process may be for parties involved, is best for the individuals and community at the locus of the development process. Development projects are likely to be far more effective, efficient and timely in comparison to the case where differences, political, cultural or those over funding, arise between partners. Keep the beneficiaries in mind and all else should flow.
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My presentation at the Sustainable Living Festival focussed on the interplay between Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and 
Sustainable development, particularly Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy, drew on personal experience and research. In the text that follows, the terms Sustainable Development, Sustainable Agriculture, and Renewable Energy have been shortened to SD, SA, and RE respectively. For a full list of websites that have been looked up in the course of research, look at my delicious list
Major Points of Discussion
* Fundamental underpinnings of SD
- Poverty Reduction
- Sustainable modes of food and energy production
* Why focus on the developing world ?
* The Importance of Knowledge
* The Importance of NGOs
* Specific examples of where ICTs can play a significant role
* Creating bidirectional flows of information
Drilling down into some key ideas
Fundamental underpinnings of SD
- Poverty Reduction
- Lowered Costs & Higher Revenues for farmers
- Productive uses of RE for individuals and communities
- Sustainable modes of food production
- agricultural techniques and practices that do not stress the environment
- Sustainable modes of Energy production
why the developing world ?
* increasing food and energy demands
* greatest inequities in development
* knowledge vaccuum
The Importance of Knowledge
Knowledge and SA
* As the term implies, “knowledge intensive” agriculture / RE implementation is dependent on knowledge.
* Knowledge, contextualized and specific to the local environment, is a fundamental prerequisite for SD.
Some examples of where information flows can be off immense assistance are
* in technologies that enhance productivity, conserve natural resources.
* dissemination of production systems that limit the depletion of land, water and biological resources caused by agricultural intensification, and of environment-friendly technologies
* these include integrated management systems (e.g. organic agriculture, integrated pest management, zero tillage, agro- forestry), and technologies that guarantee food safety.
Let’s have a look at the broad brushstrokes of the stakeholder ecosystem that must be positively affected by the knowledge sharing before real improvements in the use of SA (and this can be applied equally to RE although individual elements may vary and certainly the experience from country to country may vary widely)
* Policy makers need to have a thorough understanding of the implications of their actions.
* Agricultural scientists need to understand and be able to apply ecological principles in the design and development of agricultural technologies.
* Agricultural educators, including extension agents, need to be conversant in the most appropriate technologies and be able to disseminate and impart these in the most convincing manner.
* Ultimately, farmers need to be able to evaluate, adopt and adapt new technologies that will best meet their individual changing circumstances without compromising the natural resource base.
Knowledge and RE
* RE in rural areas of developing countries has made significant inroads for household lighting and entertainment.
* Although electricity certainly provides improvements in the quality of life through these household applications, it is the “productive uses“ of electricity that can increase incomes and provide development benefits to rural areas.
* As incomes increase, rural populations are better able to afford greater levels of energy service, which can allow even greater use of RE.
* The major emerging productive uses of RE are for agriculture, small industry, commercial services, and social services like drinking water, education, and health care.
The Importance of NGOs
* 20% of total development aid in developed countries is administered by international NGOs
* best placed to form public – private partnerships
* community engagement and building local capacity is essential to long term sustainability of SA and RE projects
* experience with social enterprises to serve the unmet need
Example of where ICTs can play a significant role
a. eLearning
b. Database
c. GIS
d. Access to enablers
e. Hybrid ICTs
a > eLearning :
- challenges in taking info across
Advantages of this approach for developing countries include,
- eLearning matches the needs of non-traditional students
- increases the educational facilities available to traditional students
- provides companies with cost-efficient yet effective training options
- gives students and researchers in developing nations an invaluable means of gaining a first world education tempered by third world experience
APTRC (Asia-Pacific Regional Technology Centre) offers courses in
- Digital Literacy for Agricultural Professionals
- English for Agriculture
- Safe and Effective Use of Agrochemical
- Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- IPM for Cotton
- IPM for Irrigated Rice
- IPM for Vegetables
Solar Energy e-Learning Laboratory (Solar e-lab)
* The Solar Energy e-Learning Laboratory (Solar e-lab) allows remotely located students/users to conduct real world experiments in the field of solar energy over the Internet in an interactive and independent way.
UNESCO’s Energy Forum offers free e-Learning courses
* Bio-energy for Achieving the MDGs in Asia
* RE Policy and Planning for SD
* Solar Solutions for Energy Wise Communities in Asia
b > Databases (Information Systems) :
SA Example
* Contextualized information storehouses that can queried and searched over the Internet
* Here in Australia, we have CSIRO that has extensive storehouse of information
* the developing world can learn from them, if not the specifics of information, then certainly the lessons learnt in implementing such an information system
RE Example
* There are several examples around the world, in Chile, China and Mexico, of RE projects, be it PV, Wind or Micro Hydro, that are making a real difference to communities.
* It is all the more paramount that a database of such projects be created and made accessible to NGOs / Communities and individuals around the world to tap into.
c > GIS (Geographical Information Systems) :
* Digital Mapping and then query and display information based on search queries
* Pitchandikulam Bio-resource Centre
* Envrionmental Resources Mapping
* Community planning
d > Access to ICT-based Enablers :
eChoupal
* market inputs through websites
* market efficiencies through access to timely, relevant information and inputs lead to increased productivity and lowered operating costs
IVRS: Indian Society of Agricultural Professionals
* Utilise IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) for specific information services
* Utilises mobile and landline phone technology which is widely available
e > Hybrid ICTs:
Himalayan Light Foundation (HLF) : The RE Travelling Education Centre (RE-TEC)
* By employing a comprehensive information outreach program for remote areas
* villagers can better understand their energy choices
* what government programs are in operation
* what companies and services are available and how best to take advantage of these for increased living standard.
* It does its information outreach through a portable solar powered multi-media presentation unit capable of showing VHS, PAL, VCD and other power point presentations along with the actual functioning of the RE-TEC’s solar power supply as an example of solar PV in action.
Cicada : Online Digital Training
* Peanut famers face several challenges that include the problem with white grubs wihc hare a major pest
* Being designed currently, Online Digital Training platform that uses email, video and illustrations to meet agricultural challenges
* Uses a combination of Farmer Group, Intermediary, Agricultural Expert and Fictional Farmer
Digital Green
* Digital Green is a research project that seeks to disseminate locally, relevant agricultural information to small and marginal farmers in India through digital video
* Enables learning outcomes
Web 2.0 Technologies
* Blogging, YouTube and a whole slew of others) can enable constructive communication between stakeholder ecosystems in the South and in the North to exchange experiences and information truly enabling bidrectional flows
Creating bidirectional flows of information :
* Knowledge diffusion predominantly happens from North – South but cannot underestimate the importance of South – South diffusion and indeed South – North diffusion
M S Swaminthan Research Founation : Village Knowledge Centre (VKC)
* Use of not just Computers and the Internet but also radio, CD-ROMs, etc
* Quoting from MSSRF’s website
“MSSRF uses different modern and traditional technologies such as notice boards, wired and wireless public address system, K YAN-PC (it contains PC, projector, TV tuner card, DVD player, amplified speaker and modem), WiFi based video conferencing such as 802.11 b and 802.11 g, satellite based video conferencing, offline CDs for both audio and video, community newspaper in Tamil, Marathi and Malayalam and providing answers through telephone and advisories through video.”
This end the talk but for the conclusion which I have chosen not to include here.
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Clearly, interests evolve with time, some seemingly more important than others depending on the lens through which they are viewed, as we live our lives and accumulate life experience. A brief list of some of the things I am currently enjoying learning more about or gradu
ally building skill in include,
Juggling : Doing this with clubs is not only good for coordination and dexterity but also wonderful medicine for the morning after an ill-judged previous night. Believe me you.
Japanese Architecture : The strong desire to live in a house built along traditional Japanese lines has had me learning about this for about six months now
Evoluionary Anthropology : Our species is endlessly interesting. The study of human behaviour, why we do what we do, and how much of ourselves we owe to nature and to nurture is food for thought for all time.
Travelling : I can’t think of anyone in the company that I keep that doesn’t see travel as the most engaging way in which to learn of our world
Information for Development : The intersection of technology and development, as it relates to underserved communities and across applications in agriculture, health, livelihood, information delivery and a host of others, is an abiding long term career interest
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I have taken a break from blogging for a little more than six months now but look forward to renewing my commitment to the blogosphere in my own fashion. Stay tuned…
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Reviewing the Planet Finance website, I have an idea that maybe I should make the approach to someone within the organisation, once in France, about possible ways to operationalise a project that would develop online tools that could assist better service delivery of its microfinance portfolio, vis a vis an off-the-shelf or customised social networking platform, to immigrant diaspora who required resourcing to begin small businesses.
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A school friend from PSBB and I had us a catch up, especially as he bas been recently married, and we got down to talking about the state of the US markets which was clearly affecting his way of life given that he was California-based and involved with the stock markets. Interestingly, he’s made the shift from working for an electronics packaging company to studying to be a Certified Financial Accountant which he hopes will lead to a career as an analyst involved with portfolio management; job excitement, or the lack thereof in his present career trajectory, is his major driving point to be looking at doing something different.
We spoke of the US-based genomics sequencing company Navigenics and Google’s investment in it, making it its second investment in the Genomics sector, off Muhammad Yunus and his conception of social markets, and of Clean Tech as a sector to watch out for as a longer term investment especially as it has the weight of government behind it which is slowly ramping up its investment in it globally.
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