Making Links 2005 – "Putting technology to work in the community
sector"' was held on 14 and 15 November 2005 at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Organizers included Information and Cultural Exchange (ICE), Community Information Strategies Austrlia (CISA), Tri Commiunity Exchange (TRICOMM) & Australian Federation of AIDS Organizations (AFAO).
The focus of the conference was for attendees viz-a-viz
participating NGOs and community workers to gain an understanding of the application of Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in community work, as well as the fundamental tools for website development. The conference was also intended to have speakers share their experiences of employing ICTs for community building and improved service delivery. Observing sector trends, speaker presentations – for more details refer to the Program Guide attached – were geared to three major sub-themes; those of Community building and social capital
stream, NGOs and IT stream, and Web development for NGOs.
Making Links drew a diverse group of people from around
Australia, including those as far afield as Darwin, and from New Zealand who were there to speak, listen, network, and learn. Our goals for attending Making Links were two fold. Primarily to learn about innovative uses of ICT for NGO service delivery and in building Social capital, in line with what we are doing at EWB Australia.
Secondly, to network with fellow ICT4D specialists from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences working on a multitude of interesting projects.
Passionate as we are about Information and Communication
Technologies for Development, it was easy to generate enthusiasm for the audience about our exciting ICT4D projects. These include the Uluru Children's Home (UCH) in Alampara, India, Digital Divide Data (DDD) in Laos, and the nation wide Connectivity For Refugees (CFR) projects.
While we are at it, we thought to draw your attention to
"Connecting Up 2006", a related conference that promises to be equally informative if Connecting Up 2005 in Adelaide was anything to go by. Keep an eye peeled on our newsletters for an update.
