Overview
IREX announces a new, bimonthly speaker series that will bring a unique, locally-focused perspective to international development policy dialogue in Washington, DC. The “Technology Serving Civil Society” [8] series will host practitioners with grassroots experience using technology in innovative ways to increase the effectiveness of community and civil society initiatives throughout the developing world.
Agenda: Utilizing Access to Information
During its first year, the series will focus specifically on the extensive ways civil society can make use of access to information to improve the lives of disadvantaged groups, influence decision-makers, and demand accountability from government. Guest speakers–leaders of organizations working on development efforts at the community level–will share firsthand experience of how accessible technology is being used in innovative ways in diverse settings.
International Virtual Participation
Events hosted at the IREX Washington, DC office will be simultaneously transmitted to dozens of IREX-administered telecenters throughout Eurasia. Virtual participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and submit comments in real-time, ensuring that those closest to these issues are directly involved in the discussions.
Objective
Through this series, IREX aims to explore and promote cutting-edge techniques that local leaders around the world are applying in the field, and stimulate a discussion about new applications for these technologies within the development community in Washington, DC.
The series will focus on how technology can:
* bring the voices of marginalized groups into public dialogue
* help community groups assist the government in improving transparency and efficiency
* be used to encourage dialogue and debate in conflict-prone areas
* contribute to an environment in which local businesses and small enterprises grow
Participation Details
All events in this series will be hosted at IREX’s Washington DC headquarters at 2121 K Street NW, Suite 700.
First Speaker: Mark Surman, Managing Director of Telecentre.org
When: April 10, 10:00 am
Where: IREX, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC
RSVP: techseries@irex.org [9] by April 6
Second Speaker: Mátyás Gáspár, President of the European Union of Telecottage Associations (EUTA) and the Global Telecentre Alliance (GTA)
When: June 5, 10:00am-11:30am
Where: IREX, 2121 K Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC
RSVP: techseries@irex.org [9] by May 29
IREX is an international nonprofit organization working in more than 50 countries in the fields of education, media and civil society development. IREX currently administers several programs in Eurasia that work at applying technology to civil society needs. Funded by the US government, the Internet Access and Training Program [10] operates 80 telecenters throughout the former Soviet Union. Global Connections and Exchange links teachers and students from Central Asia with their peers in the United States. The Regional Library Information Center program administers public telecenters at libraries throughout Azerbaijan and links community users for online events.
This speaker series is funded by the People Technology Foundation USA and contributions from Friends of IREX.
For more information about this series, please contact Ari Katz at akatz@irex.org [11].
