Title: Community Informatics and Community Development: CI gave a party and CD didn’t come, CD gives a party and they didn’t invite CI — What is going on?
Author: Michael Gurstein
Source: Gurstein's Community Informatics
Date (published): 28/02/2010
Date (accessed): 01/03/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
It should be recognized that in the Developed world and various parts of the Developing world it is the “market” or market based softwares, business strategies or employment requirements that is causing countries and their component societies/cultures/communities to transition into the Digital Economy/Society–Facebook as a digital recruitment phenomenon for example, is having an enormous impact in many parts of the world. What hasn’t happened however, is that those who are pursuing alternative and perhaps more community-based strategies towards economic and social development as for example, Sarvodaya (or in the Developed World context, New Dawn) haven’t seen that it was necessary and productive to infuse ICTs and ICT based opportunities into their on-going work in the range of areas in which they are active.
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The consequence of this has I think, been to deny those with whom groups such as Sarvodaya (or New Dawn) work, the immediate opportunities that ICTs might present in communications, training, information access and use but more important to limit the effectiveness and range of capabilities which these organizations might have if they were to have effected the Digital transition themselves. A Sarvodaya (or a New Dawn) using the full-powers of ICTs to reach out to those who have need for the kind of services that they provide (and perhaps as important to create the digital platform which would allow for those connections); seeing ICTs as a constituent component of its economic activities and bringing to the use of ICTs in those activities the same sensitivity, creativity and responsiveness to the needs and talents of the poor; or using ICTs as a core element in their efforts to influence regional, national and even global policy—is truly formidable to anticipate.

Title: UNESCO-supported e-learning association launched in Middle East
Source: UNESCO
Date (published): 24/02/2010
Date (accessed): 01/03/201
Type of information: press release
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
The Middle East e-Learning Association (MEEA), established for the purpose of providing innovative open educational practices, was launched on 1 February. MEEA is supported by UNESCO, together with several other international organizations...
MEEA has an ambitious vision of achieving several activities in the region which include:
* networking and information sharing,
* strategy and policy development,
* establishment of special interest group,
* design and professional development programmes,
* establishment of awards to recognize excellence in various practices of e-learning,
* research and dissemination of research outcomes through publishing reports, newsletters, articles in journals and profession magazines and other means.