Message-ID: <Pine.SOL.3.91.970320104707.2237B-100000@tristram.edc.org> Date: Thu, 20 Mar 1997 10:50:13 -0500 From: "Global Knowledge Dev. Moderator" <mailto:gkd97-mod@TRISTRAM.EDC.ORG> Subject: ANNOUNCE: Global Knowledge for Development List (GKD97) To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
The GKD97 List provides a formal channel into the Global Knowledge for Development Conference deliberations and discussions. This is an important opportunity to have your voice heard, regarding steps that are needed to bring the the benefits of the information revolution to poor people throughout the world. The development community, including multilateral donors like the World Bank and bilateral donors like USAID and CIDA, will be listening intently to the needs, suggestions, and examples introduced on the List and at the Conference. We hope to hear from you, and would greatly appreciate it if you would distribute this invitation to any other individuals or organizations who might be interested in participating. ****************************************************************INVITATION TO THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE FOR DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE INTERNET LIST DISCUSSION
PURPOSE OF THIS INTERNET LIST
The "Global Knowledge 97: Knowledge for Development in the Information Age" Conference will be held in Toronto, Canada, June 22-25, 1997. The Conference will draw an estimated 1,200 participants: senior government officials, local knowledge builders, the NGO community, business leaders, and other experts from around the globe. It will focus on three core themes:
* Understanding the information revolution and its implications for developing countries and the world's poor * Sharing strategies, experiences and tools in harnessing knowledge for development * Building new partnerships that empower the poor with information and knowledge, foster international dialogue on development, and strengthen the knowledge resources of developing countries.
The Conference will explore each of these themes along six tracks:
1. Empowering the Poor with Information and Knowledge 2. Establishing Policy and Regulatory Frameworks that Support an Information Economy 3. Harnessing Information and Knowledge: Infrastructure, Capacity-Building and Applications 4. Fostering Science and Technology in Developing Countries 5. Using Information and Knowledge to Support an Informed Public, Effective Governance, and Civic Dialogue 6. Expanding Life-Long Learning and Distance Education Opportunities
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is sponsoring this Internet List, GKD97, to facilitate broad discussion of the Conference themes at all levels of civil society. The List offers a major forum for the exchange of ideas as well as an important channel for input into the Conference itself. UNDP and the other Conference sponsors encourage those from around the world, especially those in the South, to use the List to express their own needs, experiences, and suggestions related to Conference themes.
Our hope is that the List participants will discuss:
* Proposed policies, strategies, tools, and partnerships to improve access to and use of information resources by the poor in rural and urban areas alike * Case studies, best practices, and other examples of activities that have expanded access to information and knowledge among the poor * Success stories of efforts, including public-private partnerships, to build "knowledge for development" capacity in developing countries * Research findings of relevance to the Conference discussions
HOW TO JOIN THE GKD97 LIST
Anyone who has electronic mail with Internet access can subscribe to the GKD97 List. To join please send an e-mail to the LISTSERV host:
Do *not* enter a subject. In the body of the message, type the text:
SUBSCRIBE GKD97
Do *not* put anything after GKD97. You will receive a Welcome Letter to the List.
WORLD WIDE WEB SITE FOR THE CONFERENCE
A Global Knowledge for Development WWW site <http://www.globalknowledge.org> is under construction. It will provide information about Conference-related activities, as well as archives of GKD97 messages. A message will be posted to the List when the Web site is open.
OTHER RELEVANT RESOURCES
UNDP and the World Bank each have Web sites, <http://www.undp.org> and <http://www.worldbank.org>, containing materials related to the conference themes and tracks, such as poverty, governance, and information and knowledge. The GKD97 List will post messages informing List members of other Web sites that may be of interest.
The Sustainable Development Networking Programme (SDNP) is a UNDP initiative to provide connectivity, content and capacity-building in developing countries, as well as access to information sources related to Sustainable Development. For additional information on SDNP see <http://www3.undp.org/> or send email to <mailto:sdnp@sdnhq.undp.org>
LIST ADMINISTRATOR
This List is administered and monitored by Education Development Center, a nonprofit organization. EDC is working collaboratively with the UN system and is directly supported by UNDP for the activities in this project.
The UNDP Contact Person for this project is Hans D'Orville mailto:<hans.dorville@undp.org>
The World Bank Contact Person for this project is the Conference Secretariat, Global Knowledge 97, Economic Development Institute mailto:<GlobalKnowledge@worldbank.org>
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information about GKD97, please contact:
Janice Brodman EDC mailto:<JANICEB@EDC.ORG>