Title: Public library in Chile links farmers to knowledge with ICT
Pages: 2 pp.
Publisher: EIFL’s Public Library Innovation Programme (PLIP)
Date (published): 28/07/2011
Date (accessed): 09/11/2011
Type of information: Impact Case Study
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"EIFL’s Public Library Innovation Programme (PLIP) supports libraries to implement community development projects. In May 2010 PLIP supported with a grant the ‘Communicating Farmers’ service of the Panguipulli Public Library in Chile. Already after one year, the project booked remarkable results.

Farmers were not coming to the library
The Roads to the rural areas around Panguipulli (Chile) are poor and the climate is harsh. As a result, farming communities have lived in isolation with limited access to information about modern farming methods. Farmers were not coming to the library, and Panguipulli Public Library wanted to reach out to them. They saw a solution in ICT, including the Internet, radio and mobile phones.

Mobile laboratory with ICT travelling the Andes
With EIFL-PLIP support, the library equipped a mobile laboratory with ICT and travelled to the peaks and valleys of the Andes mountains to reach remote farming communities.

The library trained 201 farmers, mostly women, in online research and social networking skills. They also connected farmers to an online market, increased the library’s stocks of books and journals on agriculture, and hosted lectures on farming methods.

The library, working with partner agencies, also reached the farmers through local radio. Fifteen programmes on different farming topics were broadcast on a community radio station. In addition, the new service is testing the effectiveness of using mobile phones to reach farmers with news and information.

Strong platform to serve farmers
Future support for the project will come from the Municipality of Panguipulli, local government agriculture support agencies and non-governmental organizations. Panguipulli Public Library has built a strong platform to serve farmers.
via e-agriculture"

Title: From the web to the phone. Information system sends RSS feeds to Chilean farmers via SMS
Author: Meghan Cagley
Source: ICT Update, Issue 53
Publisher: Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (ACP-EU)
Date (published): February 2010
Date (accessed): 26/02/2010
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
In Chile, the Mobile Information Project takes advantage of the growing ubiquity of mobile phones to deliver agricultural information from the web directly to farmers.

Title: Announcing the Technology for Transparency Network
Author: David Sasaki
Source: Global Voices Online
Date (published): 19/01/2010
Date (accessed): 20/01/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
Internet technologies give governments an unprecedented ability to monitor our communication, internet activity, and even the microphones on our cell phones. The Internet, however, also empowers citizens with new tools and tactics to hold their elected officials accountable, increase transparency in government, and promote broader and more diverse civic engagement.

Rising Voices, the outreach and citizen media training initiative of Global Voices Online, has launched a new interactive website and global network of researchers to map online technology projects that aim to promote transparency, political accountability, and civic engagement in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, and Central & Eastern Europe. Over the next three months eight researchers and eight research reviewers will document at least 32 case studies of the most innovative technology for transparency projects outside of North America and Western Europe.