By: Sidee Dlamini
To the unaware, Africa is still known as the Dark Continent; however, numerous trends continue to show how much progress has been made on the African continent. More importantly, there has been a lot of technological advancement that the majority of the world is unaware of. It is my belief that most of the issues faced by the continent will be solved through the use of technology. I envision technology being deeply implemented in government procedures such that efficiency is increased ten fold and corruption is greatly. Of course, technology isn’t the answer to all problems, but it has the capability to solve a few if not most. How might these visions be accomplished you might ask? Well, I myself am in pursuit of that answer, but for now, I would like to explore a few outstanding technologies on the African continent.
AirJaldi - Bringing affordable internet connectivity to rural India
By Priya Iyer
About AirJaldi
About AirJaldi
AirJaldi is a social enterprise currently operational mostly in North India aimed at providing affordable broadband connectivity to the remote parts of the country where internet access is a rarity. Establishing the infrastructure in the rural hilly areas of India is a tedious process owing to difficult terrains, unfavorable weather, lack of uninterrupted power, supply and transport costs and lack of awareness about Internet usage among the rural residents.
Hiil Conference: Can ODR Really Help Courts and Improve Access to Justice?
The 15th annual conference on ODR comes to The Hague, the place with the highest density of judges and courts you can find anywhere in the world. It will be held at the Peace Palace, on Monday May 23 and Tuesday May 24.
For previous editions, the most prominent practitioners, academic experts and dispute resolution entrepreneurs have met in high tech hot spots such as Haifa, Chennai, Silicon Valley, and most recently at Stanford University and New York City.
This year’s conference will be organized by HiiL Innovating Justice with the National Centre for Technology and Dispute Resolution at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
As a part of our ODR2016 programme we will be regularly posting information, ideas and highlights on global ODR developments in our blog. Click here to see the full ODR 2016 blog, and here to receive our periodical ODR2016 Newsletter.
Argentina ICTD Initiatives Review
Context
At the turn of the
millennium Argentina faced one of the worst crises in its history: roughly 25%
of its population was unemployed, and the economy had been in recession for
most of the late share of the 90’s [1].
Call it funky timing,
but it was only a couple of months before the president had to resign that the
government passed legislation that encouraged –among other major reforms– the
strategic inclusion of ICTs in the various administrative bodies of government
[2]. Later on, and not without undergoing heavy circumstances some of which remain unsolved today, the country crawled out of the hole it had fallen in and entered a period of economic bonanza, so it became a much fertile ground for ICT initiatives. Those conditions led by 2005 to the National eGovernment Plan (“Plan Nacional de Gobierno Electrónico”) [3], which empowered the Undersecretary of Public Service as the main federal government organ to lead ICT initiatives.
Development Myths and Direct Health Care through ICT4D: The Medical Concierge Group
By Chalenge Masekera
The jury still out on whether developmental work and aid money given to developing countries is useful. To address this concern, Bill Gates released his annual letter during the DAVOS World Economic Forum titled ‘3 Myths That Block Progress For The Poor’. Of particular importance are the first two ‘myths’:
Myth 1: Poor countries are doomed to stay poor.
Myth 2: Foreign Aid is a big waste
Myth 1: Poor countries are doomed to stay poor.
Myth 2: Foreign Aid is a big waste
Blogs: The Perils of Posts and Posting
By An Anonymous Blogger
Blogging came about in the 1990s and, unlike other contemporary tech crazes like Mini CDs and Tamagotchis, has continued to catch the attention and interest of new users. Beyond personal journals, blogs are used to review products, advertise cottage industries, provide organization updates, and give additional perspectives on news and political events. Because of the difficulty of censoring blogs and other social media, these forms of communications have become instrumental in expressing political dissidence in regions with limited free speech.
Blogging came about in the 1990s and, unlike other contemporary tech crazes like Mini CDs and Tamagotchis, has continued to catch the attention and interest of new users. Beyond personal journals, blogs are used to review products, advertise cottage industries, provide organization updates, and give additional perspectives on news and political events. Because of the difficulty of censoring blogs and other social media, these forms of communications have become instrumental in expressing political dissidence in regions with limited free speech.
Despite the acknowledged benefits of blogging, it is a form of communication that has significant drawbacks. As you peruse blogs and write your own, consider these warnings:
- Do not believe everything you read.
- Be very mindful of what you post.
- Be just as mindful of what you repost.
ICTs in Education and the Bottom Of Pyramid
By Ruchita Rathi
Education is the fundamental human right and there is a widespread consensus that it is the single most important investment that can lead to a greater social and financial mobility for an individual. Yet, globally there are a staggering 61 million primary-aged children out of school[1] . Progress in reducing this number has stalled for the first time since 2002 because of decreasing aids, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics and Education for All Global Monitoring Report [2]
Education is the fundamental human right and there is a widespread consensus that it is the single most important investment that can lead to a greater social and financial mobility for an individual. Yet, globally there are a staggering 61 million primary-aged children out of school[1] . Progress in reducing this number has stalled for the first time since 2002 because of decreasing aids, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics and Education for All Global Monitoring Report [2]
Making New from Old
By Antonin Milza
Information and communication technologies can be useful to help countries develop themselves. But, are the newest and the more sophisticated technologies required? Is there a link between the age of technologies and there potential utility and impact on developing societies? Is a new technology always ‘better’ than an old one to help people and societies to develop themselves?
Information and communication technologies can be useful to help countries develop themselves. But, are the newest and the more sophisticated technologies required? Is there a link between the age of technologies and there potential utility and impact on developing societies? Is a new technology always ‘better’ than an old one to help people and societies to develop themselves?
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