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BytesForAll
FONT RELEASED
Like several other Indian language fonts, the Bengali
font is making some interesting strides in the Free Software world. Mukti Narrow,
version 0.94 has recently been released. Get it from http://savannah.nong-nu.org/files/?group=freebangfont&highlight=0.94#MuktiNarrow0.94.
Dr Anirban Mitra made this release.
ICT IN POVERTY REDUCTION
A research handbook to assess the potential role of
ICT in poverty reduction is now available as a UNESCO project publication. The
handbook, entitled ‘Ethnographic Action Research’ was produced through
the experiences of nine project sites established by UNESCO in South Asia (Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) under the project ‘Putting ICTs in
the Hands of the Poor.’
File Ethnographic Action Research.pdf 1882256 bytes
http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q10122786
The UNESCO established project sites cover a range
of poor individuals and communities in a variety of technology mixes. Working
with parallel UNESCO initiatives, nine project sites are operated in partnership
with NGOs, governments, universities, private companies, media and technology
groups as well as poor women, youth and their families.
ICT networks for Karnataka
Namma Dhwani Local ICT Network (Budikote, Kolar District,
Karnataka, India) combines a radio studio, an audio cable network that delivers
radio to local households, and a telecentre with computers, Internet connectivity
and other multimedia tools. It is run by and centred on a network of women’s
self-help groups (SHG) and linked to a government school and a local development
resource centre. Daily community radio programming addresses local information
and communication needs, drawing on a variety of multimedia resources, like
websites and CD-ROMs.
Empowering resource-poor women in Tamil Nadu to use
ICT
ICT networks in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore
cities in Tamil Nadu, India have put computers with Internet connectivity into
the homes of women’s self-help group (SHG) members. In rural, urban and
semi-urban areas, women and their SHG networks are using ICTs in familiar, empowering
spaces with content developed specifically to meet their needs. Particular attention
is given to income generating activities and the need for innovative product
development and marketing.
Learning centre in New Delhi
ICT Learning Centre for Women (Seelampur, New Delhi,
India) is an open learning centre for girls and women located at an innercity
madarsa (Islamic school) in a high-density, low-income area of New Delhi. Interactive
multimedia content is developed and used to support vocational and life-skills
training, to provide rights-based information to poor girls and women and to
build their awareness of health issues and livelihood opportunities.
Information sharing networks for rural women in West
Bengal
Nabanna—Networking Rural Women and Knowledge (Baduria,
North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India) focuses on grassroots processes
to build information-sharing networks among low-income, rural women. Networking
is done face-to-face through regular meetings as well as being Web- and print-based,
linking women and their groups from different parts of this geographically distinct
municipality. Focus areas include agriculture, environment, health, sanitation,
family planning, education, literacy and law.
India Computes! is presented by Frederick Noronha, a freelance
journalist based in Goa. He is the co-founder of BytesForAll, a voluntary unfunded
venture focusing on how IT and the Internet can benefit the common man, particularly
in South Asia.
To join the Bytesforall mailing list send a blank e-mail
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Website: www.bytesforall.org
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