ICTs to link generations and communities25 September 2012 On 21st September 2012, delegates from European and African countries met at the occasion of two roundtables to discuss the meaningful use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). During the first roundtable, titled ‘The Knowledge Volunteers, Partnership for Lifelong Learning’, participants looked at how volunteers can help link generations in the field of technology. After an introduction by Intel, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and speakers from Geneva, the event focused on specific examples of inter-generational collaboration and learning as it is developed in Romania, Italy, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, the UK and the Czech Republic. Conclusion: there is no age limit to start learning how to use a computer! But also, youngsters, who often have grown up using technology can be of great help to the elderly generation. The partnership is not only useful in the area of technology but also for the understanding of citizens of different ages, more generally speaking. Speakers of the second roundtable -- which focused on the use of ICTs for Africa -- presented specific results stemming from technology use in rural areas of Senegal, Mali and Uganda, more specifically in the fields of agriculture and health. Speakers, both physically present at the International Conference Center of Geneva and others calling in from Senegal, Uganda, Canada (Mali) and Italy, shared their experiences and good practices. At the heart of the discussion was the inclusion of oral communities through a multimedia approach, tackling issues such as organic farming, health problems due to the unprotected use of pesticides and more. Also discussed were WSIS+10 and the stocktaking work done by ITU. The roundtable ended with a discussion about the ingredients needed to build successful partnerships for development-related ICT projects. The events were organized by ICVolunteers, an international non-profit organization, with the support of partners from the Lifelong Learning project and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). For more information, see http://tkv.mondodigitale.org and www.e-tic.net Posted: 2012-9-25 Updated: 2013-5-01 |