United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

Empowering Local People and Rural Development through Telecenters

Global Knowledge Management Strategy

ESCWA Background

• Bahrain• Egypt• Iraq• Jordan• Kuwait• Lebanon• Oman

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• Palestine• Qatar• Saudi Arabia• The Sudan• The Syrian Arab Republic• The United Arab Emirates• Yemen

Mission: To fulfill the economic and social goals set out in the United Nations Charter by promoting cooperation and integration between the countries in Western Asia.

Established on August 1973

Challenge•Access to Information and Communications Technology applications, resources, and services are difficult to access in disadvantaged communities, and isolated rural areas.

•Existing nodes or access centres have remained as cyber cafes.

•Very small percentage of these disadvantaged communities use these nodes as vehicle of development.

Node: Multipurpose telecenters housing a combination of television, computers, telephone, internet and sometimes books.

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Project Objectives•To enable local users using existing nodes through the implementation of a global knowledge services and networking.

•To enact the transformation of nodes into knowledge hubs, empowering communities in development.

•Creating of Global framework for linking nodes globally – creating a link for local, national, regional and global spheres of knowledge sharing.

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Knowledge Gaps•Vocational Education to promote jobs out of agriculture.

•Another focus area is on Agriculture Development.

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Strategy•Identify local needs and troublemakers.

•Establish a community knowledge base – Education, Health and Agriculture.

•Long term commitment from Government for the Program.

•Liaison with government departments and NGOs.

•Train facilitators and organizational users

•Liaison with other communication enterprises (cable operators, equipment suppliers).

•Leadership and enforcement of minimum standards and code of conduct.

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Risks and Sustainability•Medium term action plan – 2 to 3 years

•Framework and guide for regional managers to institute regional knowledge networks.

•Portal Design and Content

•Community Partnership

•Ownership – seed users and champions

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