[gu-l] (06/15/02) UN ICT Task Force Meeting - Africa
Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D.
utsumi@columbia.edu
Sat, 15 Jun 2002 14:58:39 -0400
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<<June 15, 2002>>
Archived distributions can be retrieved by clicking =B3Correspondence=B2 in our
home page at <http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/>.
For those after 2/27/01, see or bookmark:
<http://www.friends-partners.org/pipermail/gu-l/> and click on =B3Date,=B2 for
example. The most recent archives are the bottom line.
Dr. Pekka Tarjanne <united.nations@ddn-africa.org>
Mr. Yoshio Utsumi <yoshio.utsumi@itu.int>
P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor <tapio.varis@uta.fi>
HE Dr. Isaac C. Lamba <iclamba@yahoo.com>
Dr. Larry T. Gell <lgell@iaed.org>
Charles U. Eke <bychief@yahoo.com>
Dr. Joyce Wigwe <wigwej@yahoo.com>
Olugbemiro Jegede, Ph.D <jegede@ouhk.edu.hk>
Manny C. Aniebonam, Ph.D. <maniebon@gwu.edu>
Dear Dr. Tarjanne:
(1) I sincerely thank you for your cordial invitation to your roundtable
discussion =B3The Digital Bridge to Africa=B2 at the UN Headquarters in
Manhattan on July 12th.
I registered to attend this mtg at the web site indicated.
(2) It has been some time since Tapio Varis (your friend) and I met you at
the ITU headquarters in Geneva in January of 1999 when you were passing the
director-generalship to Mr. Yoshio Utsumi (my long-time acquaintance).
When I will meet you on 7/12th, I will brief you on our progresses since
then on establishing Global University System (GUS) with our many colleague=
s
around the world, -- particularly our recent activities in many countries i=
n
Africa.
I look forward to meeting with you there.
Dear Dr. Lamba:
(3) It was my great pleasure to have met you again on 6/13th at your office
=8B thanks to the initial introduction by Larry Gell.
I greatly appreciated to hear of your strong interest in our GUS project, -=
-
particularly on the establishment of GUS/Malawi.
After your phone conversation with the Vice Chancellor of the University of
Malawi next week, pls let me know our next mtg to discuss on the realizatio=
n
of my fact-finding and assessment trip to Malawi.
BTW, you (or your deputy, Mr. Amurani Phiri) may be interested in attending
this roundtable discussion at the UN on 7/12th.
Dear Charles:
(4) I hope you arrived Nigeria safely on 6/12th, and are now making
substantial progress on liaising many parties, people and universities ther=
e
for my fact-finding trip in the near future to establish GUS/Nigeria.
Pls make sure to visit Dr. Joyce Wigwe, Olu Jegede and many others about
whom you indicated me prior to your departure.
Pls register this UN roundtable discussion to attend it after you come back
on 6/24th =8B as indicated, this registration has to be done before July 5th.
Dear Manny:
(5) You may also be interested in attending this roundtable discussion.
Pls solicit the interest of members of your NIGERIAN IT PROFESSIONALS IN th=
e
AMERICAS (NITPA).
BTW, how was your NITPA mtg on 6/8th? -- sorry I could not attend it.
Dear E-Colleagues for Other African Countries:
(6) Pls try to attend this mtg as much as possible so that, at least, we ca=
n
meet together for our future dialogue via email.
Best, Tak
On 6/13/02 8:03 PM, "United Nations" <united.nations@ddn-africa.org> wrote:
>=20
> UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES
> INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
> TASK FORCE
> SECRETARIAT
> Room DC1-1454, One UN Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10017
> Telephone: (212) 963-5796 Fax: (212) 963-1712
> Website address: www.unicttaskforce.org
>=20
> Dear Takeshi Utsumi,
>=20
> The United Nations Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) Task
> Force, in partnership with United Nations Development Fund for Women
> (UNIFEM), Digital Partners Institute and Gruppo CERFE, would like to invi=
te
> you to a roundtable discussion, The Digital Bridge to Africa, United
> Nations, 12th July 2002, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. www.ddn-africa.org
>=20
> The goal of this invitation-only meeting is to bring together prominent
> individuals from the Africa Diaspora, as well as leaders from technology
> corporations, foundations, and non-profits interested in advancing Africa=
,
> in order to develop a network that harnesses the knowledge, experiences a=
nd
> resources of the group in service to Africa. The envisioned Digital
> Diaspora Network for Africa, with your help, can become an effective forc=
e
> for positive and sustainable change.
>=20
> Inspired by the success of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) in organizing th=
e
> Indian Diaspora into a powerful network in service to its members as well=
as
> the social concerns of India, the daylong meeting will explore the
> possibilities for a similar network for Africa.
>=20
> A particular focus will be how best to engage the opportunities presented=
by
> ICT and the global digital economy to increase wealth while decreasing
> social inequities. The potential is great, yet there is much to be done
> before it can be fulfilled.
>=20
> Please join me at the United Nations on July 12th to share your experienc=
e
> and guidance in launching this important initiative.
>=20
> Sincerely,
>=20
> Pekka Tarjanne
> Executive Coordinator of the Task Force Secretariat
> UN ICT Task Force
>=20
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Please register by Friday, July 5, 2002 by registering at www.ddn-africa.=
org
>=20
> If you have a colleague that would like to attend, please direct them to =
the
> web-site to apply.
>=20
> More information about the meeting, including directions, hotels and
> Thursday evening activities, can be found at www.ddn-africa.org
>=20
> For more information about the hosts:
> www.unicttaskforce.org
> www.unifem.undp.org
> www.digitalpartners.org
> www.gruppo-cerfe.org/English/home.htm
>=20
>=20
> Digital Bridge to Africa
> The Digital Diaspora Network for Africa
> 12th July 2002, 9am to 6pm, United Nations
>=20
> Skyrocketing demand for information and communications technology personn=
el
> makes top scientists and technologists globally mobile. When they come f=
rom
> developing countries, their global dispersal creates diaspora that can
> become valuable networks of finance, business contacts and skill transfer
> for their home country. - UNDP Human Development Report 2001
>=20
> The Challenge
> Given the speed with which Information Communication Technologies (ICT) a=
re
> developing and the breadth of their socio-economic impact, it is imperati=
ve
> to insure that Africa is not excluded from the technological revolution. =
The
> use of ICT has been integrated into virtually every aspect of commerce,
> education, governance and civic activity in developed countries and has
> become a critical factor in creating wealth worldwide. Yet in Africa, IC=
T
> has barely taken a foothold. Computer illiteracy and the lack of access =
to
> ICT are widely recognized as an increasingly powerful obstacle to the
> economic, civic and political development of Africa.
>=20
> The Opportunity
> As highlighted by the UNDP Human Development Report, many Africans in the
> U.S., and many others who feel committed to the development of Africa hav=
e
> important skills and wealth in terms of human and material resources that
> could effectively address Africa's challenge. Nevertheless, few avenues
> exist to apply these resources to the benefit of Sub-Saharan Africa.
> Furthermore, many potential ICT entrepreneurs in Africa could benefit fro=
m
> increased opportunities to meet and work with their counterparts living
> outside of Africa.
>=20
> Brought together with the growing number of organizations, corporations,
> foundations and academics promoting the application of ICT to assist
> Africa's development, members of the African diaspora would provide a ric=
h
> source of ideas, skills and support for promoting digital opportunity in
> Africa. The one-day conference, Digital Bridge to Africa, will bring
> leaders from this community together to consider what could be accomplish=
ed
> together and how to effectively engage in service to Africa. Such a netwo=
rk
> would allow members to advance their own interests through collaboration =
and
> exchanging ideas, while meeting the broader goal of supporting ICT-enhanc=
ed
> development activities in their home countries.
>=20
> The Goal
> The goal of the Digital Bridge to Africa is to foster a leadership moveme=
nt,
> similar to one launched by the Indian diaspora-community, in which
> market-development acumen and activities of high-tech and other successfu=
l
> entrepreneurs are joined with the poverty-alleviation acumen and activiti=
es
> of social entrepreneurs, foundations, and development institutions.
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
> Digital Bridge to Africa
> www.ddn-africa.org
> The Digital Diaspora Network for Africa
> July 12th 2002, United Nations
> Draft Agenda
> 9:00 - 9:15 Coffee
>=20
> 9:15 - 9:20 Welcome - Noeleen Heyzer - Executive Director, UNIFEM
>=20
> 9:20 - 9:30 The Opportunity Technology Offers in Advancing Africa - Pa=
trick
> Hayford - Director for African Affairs, Executive Office of the Secretary
> General, UN - Zephirin Diabre - Associate Administrator, UNDP*
>=20
> 9:30 - 9:45 The Role of Diaspora Networks in Supporting ICT for
> Development - John Sarpong, CEO Africast, LLC
>=20
> 9:45 - 10:15 Leading Sustainable Change through Technology -
> Rebecca Enonchong, CEO Appstech *
>=20
> 10:15 - 10:45 The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE) - Kanwal Rekhi -Founder TiE=
and
> Vijay Vashee - President TiE Seattle Chapter and Digital Partners Board
> Member
>=20
> 10:45 - 12:00 Hosts Present 15 min. overview of organization and role =
in
> DDNA
> ICT Task Force - Pekka Tarjanne, Executive Coordinator
> UNIFEM - Laketch Dirasse - Chief, Africa Section
> Digital Partners - Akhtar Badshah - Executive Director
> CERFE - Alfonso Alfonsi - Vice President
>=20
> 12:00 - 12:15 Break Out Groups Announced and Formed - Lunch during bre=
akout
> session
> 8-10 people in a group organized along the topics of: ICT and
> Entrepreneurship, Gender and E-education.
>=20
> The groups will have the opportunity to meet and learn about organization=
s
> tackling social problems in Africa, offer advice on how ICTs can be utili=
zed
> to add efficiency, scalability, effectiveness, etc. Individuals will als=
o
> discuss the forming of a Diaspora network to support ICT and development
> activities, and donating time and resources.
>=20
> 3:45 - 4:30 Summary
> Groups will present summary of identified needs of the various
> organizations, recommendations to address these issues and resources need=
ed
> to implement.
>=20
> 4:30-6:00 Next Steps - Akhtar Badshah, Awo Quaison-Sackey and John Sar=
pong
> Moderate
> Structure and leadership for DDNA will be determined by the group at larg=
e.
> Next steps agreed upon and assigned.
>=20
> Speakers' Biographies
> Akhtar A. Badshah is the Executive Director of Digital Partners, a Seattl=
e,
> Washington-based nonprofit organization. Before joining Digital Partners
> Akhtar was a Senior Vice President for Strategic Planning for Nonprofits =
and
> Government Agencies at Nimbal - an Internet strategy firm - where he was
> responsible for building partnerships with and developing services for th=
eir
> nonprofit and government clients. He has served as a consultant for such
> organization as The Asia Society, Rockefeller Foundation, UNDP, USAID, Wo=
rld
> Resources Institute, World Bank-EDI, and others in the US, Asia, and the
> Middle East and is an internationally recognized author, particularly in =
the
> field of urban planning and development.
> Rebecca Enonchong is the CEO and founder of AppsTech, a leading provider =
of
> e-business applications solutions to corporations and governments worldwi=
de.
> A native of Cameroon, Ms. Enonchong is the founder and Chairman of the
> Africa Technology Forum, was recently selected by the World Economic Foru=
m
> as one of the Global Leaders for Tomorrow and received Enterprise Africa'=
s
> prestigious 2001 African Entrepreneurship Award. Ms. Enonchong is also a
> member of a Global Advisory Committee constituted to guide UNIFEM's
> initiative "Bridging the Gender Digital Divide in Africa through Strategi=
c
> Partnerships with African Entrepreneurs in the Diaspora".
> Kanwal Rekhi is the co-founder of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE), a
> not-for-profit organization that promotes Entrepreneurship among the Indu=
s
> people, and a private investor actively serving on the boards of many
> private and public companies. He has been involved with over 20 start-ups=
in
> the Silicon Valley, including Exodus Communications, CyberMedia, Versata,
> Placeware, Apptivity, Zietnet, and Ambit Design among others. Kanwal was
> named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' in 1987 by Arthur-Young/Venture Magazine=
.
> Prior to retirement, Kanwal was EVP and a board member of Novell. Kanwal =
is
> also on the board of Community Foundation of the Silicon Valley.
> John Sarpong serves both as the CEO of Africast, LLC and President of
> Southline Industries. He founded Southline in 1996 to provide aerospace
> technical design and certification services for air transport and special
> mission military aircraft projects. In August 1999, Mr. Sarpong founded
> Africast, LLC and has since built it into a leading IT, media and financi=
al
> services provider to the Global Africa marketplace: the businesses and
> consumers of several African countries and expatriate Africans in North
> America. The Africast foundation is involved in setting up SchoolWeb
> computer labs in rural schools in Ghana which otherwise cannot have acces=
s
> to the internet for learning.
> Dr. Pekka Tarjanne is the Executive Coordinator of the ICT Task Force and
> served as Special Advisor for ICT to the Secretary-General of the United
> Nations. Dr. Tarjanne was the ITU Secretary-General for two terms during
> which time he moved the organization towards greater involvement with
> emerging telecommunications technologies while strengthening its focus on
> the needs of developing countries. Before joining the ITU, Dr. Tarjanne w=
as
> the Director-General of Posts and Telecommunications in his native Finlan=
d,
> the Minister of Transport and Communications, and also served as Presiden=
t
> of the Finnish Liberal Party.
> Vijay Vashee was recently General Manager of the Information Technology
> Group at Microsoft Corporation. Since 1982, Mr. Vashee played key roles a=
t
> Microsoft in both the product and information technology groups. He was a
> key player in several technology and company acquisitions, resulting in t=
he
> creation of Microsoft Project and Microsoft PowerPoint. Mr. Vashee is the
> Chairman of TiE, Seattle Chapter and sits on Digital Partners' Board of
> Directors. Mr. Vashee has a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering f=
rom
> IIT Bombay, a Masters in Engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA
> from the University of Chicago.
List of Distribution
Dr. Pekka Tarjanne
Trustee Member of Global University System (GUS)
Former Director General, International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
Executive Coordinator of the Task Force
Information and Communication Technologies Task Force
Secretariat, Room DC1-1454
United Nations
One UN Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10017
212 963-5796
Fax: (212) 963-1712
united.nations@ddn-africa.org
www.unicttaskforce.org
Mr. Yoshio Utsumi
Director General
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
Place des Nations
CH-1211 Geneva 20
Switzerland
+41-22-73051-15
Fax: +41-22-73051-37
yoshio.utsumi@itu.int
P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor
Acting President, Global University System
Chairman, GLOSAS/Finland
Unesco Chair on global eLearning
Professor and Chair of Media Education
Media Culture and Communication Education
Hypermedia laboratory
University of Tampere
P.O.Box 607
FIN-33101 Tampere
FINLAND
Tel: +358-3-215 6111
Tel: +358-3-614-5247--office in Hameenlinna
Tel: +358-3-215 6243--mass media lab in Tampere
GSM: +358-50-567-9833
Fax: +358-3-215 7503
tapio.varis@uta.fi
tapio.varis@helsinki.fi
http://www.uta.fi/~titava
HE Dr. Isaac C. Lamba
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Republic of Malawi
Permanent Mission of Malawi to the United Nations
600 Third Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10016
Tel (212) 949-0180
Fax: (212) 599-5021
iclamba@yahoo.com
iclamba2@aol.com
UNMalawi@aol.com
Dr. Larry T. Gell
Director-General
International Headquarters
International Agency for Economic Development (IAED)
United Nations Plaza
P. O. Box 2260-GCS
New York, NY 10017
212-687-1775
Cel: 1-646-621-6161
Fax: 212-697-2363
lgell@iaed.org
http://www.iaed.org
Charles U. Eke
Founder / CEO
Infotex Systems, Inc.
117 Watchung Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07060
Tel: (908) 753-0030 X 11
cel: 908.884.1045
cel: 908.884.7333
Fax: (908) 753-7306
Fax: (908) 754-5042
bychief@yahoo.com
ceke@infotexsystems.com
http://www.lnfotexsystems.com
Or
20-24 Branford Pl.
Newark, NJ 07102
Tel: (973) 621-7006
Fax: (973) 621-7011
Dr. Joyce Wigwe
Special Assistant to Mr. President
Nigerian Government
09-3141189
08033109970
wigwej@yahoo.com
Olugbemiro Jegede, Ph.D
National Co-ordinator
National Open & Distance Learning Programmes
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)
c/o, The Federal Ministry of Education
Federal Secretariat
Shehu Shagari Way
Abuja, Nigeria
234-9-523-2800
Fax: 234-9-523-7010 or 234-9-523-7839
jegede@ouhk.edu.hk
jegede@oliv1.ouhk.edu.hk
Manny C. Aniebonam, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Information Systems
Department of Management Science
School of Business and Public Management
The George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-3760
FAX 202-994-4930
maniebon@gwu.edu
http://www.nitpa.org/
**********************************************************************
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA *
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) *
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education *
* Founder of CAADE *
* (Consortium for Affordable and Accessible Distance Education) *
* President Emeritus and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of *
* Global University System (GUS) *
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-3998, U.S.A. *
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Fax: 718-939-0656 (day time only--prefer email) *
* Email: utsumi@columbia.edu; Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676 *
* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/ *
**********************************************************************
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<TITLE>(06/15/02) UN ICT Task Force Meeting - Africa</TITLE>
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<BODY>
<FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"><<June 15, 2002>><BR>
Archived distributions can be retrieved by clicking “Correspondence&#=
8221; in our<BR>
home page at <http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/>.<BR>
For those after 2/27/01, see or bookmark:<BR>
<http://www.friends-partners.org/pipermail/gu-l/> and click on “=
;Date,” for<BR>
example. The most recent archives are the bottom line.<BR>
<BR>
Dr. Pekka Tarjanne <united.nations@ddn-africa.org><BR>
<BR>
Mr. Yoshio Utsumi <yoshio.utsumi@itu.int><BR>
<BR>
P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor <tapio.varis@uta.fi><BR>
<BR>
HE Dr. Isaac C. Lamba <iclamba@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
Dr. Larry T. Gell <lgell@iaed.org><BR>
<BR>
Charles U. Eke <bychief@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
Dr. Joyce Wigwe <wigwej@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
Olugbemiro Jegede, Ph.D <jegede@ouhk.edu.hk><BR>
<BR>
Manny C. Aniebonam, Ph.D. <maniebon@gwu.edu><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<B><U>Dear Dr. Tarjanne:<BR>
</U></B><BR>
(1) I sincerely thank you for your cordial invitation to your roundtable di=
scussion “The Digital Bridge to Africa” at the UN Headquarters i=
n Manhattan on July 12th.<BR>
<BR>
I registered to attend this mtg at the web site indicated.<BR>
<BR>
(2) It has been some time since Tapio Varis (your friend) and I met you at =
the ITU headquarters in Geneva in January of 1999 when you were passing the =
director-generalship to Mr. Yoshio Utsumi (my long-time acquaintance).<BR>
<BR>
When I will meet you on 7/12th, I will brief you on our progresses since th=
en on establishing Global University System (GUS) with our many colleagues a=
round the world, -- particularly our recent activities in many countries in =
Africa.<BR>
<BR>
I look forward to meeting with you there.<BR>
<BR>
<B><U>Dear Dr. Lamba:<BR>
</U></B><BR>
(3) It was my great pleasure to have met you again on 6/13th at your office=
— thanks to the initial introduction by Larry Gell.<BR>
<BR>
I greatly appreciated to hear of your strong interest in our GUS project, -=
- particularly on the establishment of GUS/Malawi.<BR>
<BR>
After your phone conversation with the Vice Chancellor of the University of=
Malawi next week, pls let me know our next mtg to discuss on the realizatio=
n of my fact-finding and assessment trip to Malawi.<BR>
<BR>
BTW, you (or your deputy, Mr. Amurani Phiri) may be interested in attending=
this roundtable discussion at the UN on 7/12th.<BR>
<BR>
<B><U>Dear Charles:<BR>
</U></B><BR>
(4) I hope you arrived Nigeria safely on 6/12th, and are now making substan=
tial progress on liaising many parties, people and universities there for my=
fact-finding trip in the near future to establish GUS/Nigeria.<BR>
<BR>
Pls make sure to visit Dr. Joyce Wigwe, Olu Jegede and many others about wh=
om you indicated me prior to your departure.<BR>
<BR>
Pls register this UN roundtable discussion to attend it after you come back=
on 6/24th — as indicated, this registration has to be done before Jul=
y 5th.<BR>
<BR>
<B><U>Dear Manny:<BR>
</U></B><BR>
(5) You may also be interested in attending this roundtable discussion.<BR>
<BR>
Pls solicit the interest of members of your NIGERIAN IT PROFESSIONALS IN th=
e AMERICAS (NITPA).<BR>
<BR>
BTW, how was your NITPA mtg on 6/8th? -- sorry I could not attend it.<BR>
<BR>
<B><U>Dear E-Colleagues for Other African Countries:<BR>
</U></B><BR>
(6) Pls try to attend this mtg as much as possible so that, at least, we ca=
n meet together for our future dialogue via email.<BR>
<BR>
Best, Tak<BR>
<BR>
<HR ALIGN=3DCENTER SIZE=3D"3" WIDTH=3D"95%"><BR>
On 6/13/02 8:03 PM, "United Nations" <united.nations@ddn-afric=
a.org> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
<FONT COLOR=3D"#000098">> <BR>
> UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES<BR>
> INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES<BR>
> TASK FORCE<BR>
> SECRETARIAT<BR>
> Room DC1-1454, One UN Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10017<BR>
> Telephone: (212) 963-5796 Fax: (212) 963-1712<BR>
> Website address: www.unicttaskforce.org<BR>
> <BR>
> Dear Takeshi Utsumi,<BR>
> <BR>
> The United Nations Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) T=
ask<BR>
> Force, in partnership with United Nations Development Fund for Women<B=
R>
> (UNIFEM), Digital Partners Institute and Gruppo CERFE, would like to i=
nvite<BR>
> you to a roundtable discussion, The Digital Bridge to Africa, United<B=
R>
> Nations, 12th July 2002, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. www.ddn-africa.org<BR>
> <BR>
> The goal of this invitation-only meeting is to bring together prominen=
t<BR>
> individuals from the Africa Diaspora, as well as leaders from technolo=
gy<BR>
> corporations, foundations, and non-profits interested in advancing Afr=
ica,<BR>
> in order to develop a network that harnesses the knowledge, experience=
s and<BR>
> resources of the group in service to Africa. The envisioned Digi=
tal<BR>
> Diaspora Network for Africa, with your help, can become an effective f=
orce<BR>
> for positive and sustainable change.<BR>
> <BR>
> Inspired by the success of the Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) in organizing=
the<BR>
> Indian Diaspora into a powerful network in service to its members as w=
ell as<BR>
> the social concerns of India, the daylong meeting will explore the<BR>
> possibilities for a similar network for Africa.<BR>
> <BR>
> A particular focus will be how best to engage the opportunities presen=
ted by<BR>
> ICT and the global digital economy to increase wealth while decreasing=
<BR>
> social inequities. The potential is great, yet there is much to be don=
e<BR>
> before it can be fulfilled.<BR>
> <BR>
> Please join me at the United Nations on July 12th to share your experi=
ence<BR>
> and guidance in launching this important initiative.<BR>
> <BR>
> Sincerely,<BR>
> <BR>
> Pekka Tarjanne<BR>
> Executive Coordinator of the Task Force Secretariat<BR>
> UN ICT Task Force<BR>
> <BR>
> ______________________________________________________________________=
__<BR>
> Please register by Friday, July 5, 2002 by registering at www.ddn-afri=
ca.org<BR>
> <BR>
> If you have a colleague that would like to attend, please direct them =
to the<BR>
> web-site to apply.<BR>
> <BR>
> More information about the meeting, including directions, hotels and<B=
R>
> Thursday evening activities, can be found at www.ddn-africa.org<BR>
> <BR>
> For more information about the hosts:<BR>
> www.unicttaskforce.org<BR>
> www.unifem.undp.org<BR>
> www.digitalpartners.org<BR>
> www.gruppo-cerfe.org/English/home.htm<BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> Digital Bridge to Africa<BR>
> The Digital Diaspora Network for Africa<BR>
> 12th July 2002, 9am to 6pm, United Nations<BR>
> <BR>
> Skyrocketing demand for information and communications technology pers=
onnel<BR>
> makes top scientists and technologists globally mobile. When the=
y come from<BR>
> developing countries, their global dispersal creates diaspora that can=
<BR>
> become valuable networks of finance, business contacts and skill trans=
fer<BR>
> for their home country. - UNDP Human Development Report 2001<BR>
> <BR>
> The Challenge<BR>
> Given the speed with which Information Communication Technologies (ICT=
) are<BR>
> developing and the breadth of their socio-economic impact, it is imper=
ative<BR>
> to insure that Africa is not excluded from the technological revolutio=
n. The<BR>
> use of ICT has been integrated into virtually every aspect of commerce=
,<BR>
> education, governance and civic activity in developed countries and ha=
s<BR>
> become a critical factor in creating wealth worldwide. Yet in Af=
rica, ICT<BR>
> has barely taken a foothold. Computer illiteracy and the lack of=
access to<BR>
> ICT are widely recognized as an increasingly powerful obstacle to the<=
BR>
> economic, civic and political development of Africa.<BR>
> <BR>
> The Opportunity<BR>
> As highlighted by the UNDP Human Development Report, many Africans in =
the<BR>
> U.S., and many others who feel committed to the development of Africa =
have<BR>
> important skills and wealth in terms of human and material resources t=
hat<BR>
> could effectively address Africa's challenge. Nevertheless, few avenue=
s<BR>
> exist to apply these resources to the benefit of Sub-Saharan Africa.<B=
R>
> Furthermore, many potential ICT entrepreneurs in Africa could benefit =
from<BR>
> increased opportunities to meet and work with their counterparts livin=
g<BR>
> outside of Africa.<BR>
> <BR>
> Brought together with the growing number of organizations, corporation=
s,<BR>
> foundations and academics promoting the application of ICT to assist<B=
R>
> Africa's development, members of the African diaspora would provide a =
rich<BR>
> source of ideas, skills and support for promoting digital opportunity =
in<BR>
> Africa. The one-day conference, Digital Bridge to Africa, will b=
ring<BR>
> leaders from this community together to consider what could be accompl=
ished<BR>
> together and how to effectively engage in service to Africa. Such a ne=
twork<BR>
> would allow members to advance their own interests through collaborati=
on and<BR>
> exchanging ideas, while meeting the broader goal of supporting ICT-enh=
anced<BR>
> development activities in their home countries.<BR>
> <BR>
> The Goal<BR>
> The goal of the Digital Bridge to Africa is to foster a leadership mov=
ement,<BR>
> similar to one launched by the Indian diaspora-community, in which<BR>
> market-development acumen and activities of high-tech and other succes=
sful<BR>
> entrepreneurs are joined with the poverty-alleviation acumen and activ=
ities<BR>
> of social entrepreneurs, foundations, and development institutions.<BR=
>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> <BR>
> Digital Bridge to Africa<BR>
> www.ddn-africa.org<BR>
> The Digital Diaspora Network for Africa<BR>
> July 12th 2002, United Nations<BR>
> Draft Agenda<BR>
> 9:00 - 9:15 Coffee<BR>
> <BR>
> 9:15 - 9:20 Welcome - Noeleen Heyzer - Executive Dir=
ector, UNIFEM<BR>
> <BR>
> 9:20 - 9:30 The Opportunity Technology Offers in Adv=
ancing Africa - Patrick<BR>
> Hayford - Director for African Affairs, Executive Office of the Secret=
ary<BR>
> General, UN - Zephirin Diabre - Associate Administrator, UNDP*<BR>
> <BR>
> 9:30 - 9:45 The Role of Diaspora Networks in Support=
ing ICT for<BR>
> Development - John Sarpong, CEO Africast, LLC<BR>
> <BR>
> 9:45 - 10:15 Leading Sustainable Change through Tech=
nology -<BR>
> Rebecca Enonchong, CEO Appstech *<BR>
> <BR>
> 10:15 - 10:45 The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE) - Kanwal =
Rekhi -Founder TiE and<BR>
> Vijay Vashee - President TiE Seattle Chapter and Digital Partners Boar=
d<BR>
> Member<BR>
> <BR>
> 10:45 - 12:00 Hosts Present 15 min. overview of orga=
nization and role in<BR>
> DDNA<BR>
> ICT Task Force - Pekka Tarjanne, Executive Coordinator<BR>
> UNIFEM - Laketch Dirasse - Chief, Africa Section<BR>
> Digital Partners - Akhtar Badshah - Executive Director<BR>
> CERFE - Alfonso Alfonsi - Vice President<BR>
> <BR>
> 12:00 - 12:15 Break Out Groups Announced and Formed =
- Lunch during breakout<BR>
> session<BR>
> 8-10 people in a group organized along the topics of: ICT and<BR>
> Entrepreneurship, Gender and E-education.<BR>
> <BR>
> The groups will have the opportunity to meet and learn about organizat=
ions<BR>
> tackling social problems in Africa, offer advice on how ICTs can be ut=
ilized<BR>
> to add efficiency, scalability, effectiveness, etc. Individuals =
will also<BR>
> discuss the forming of a Diaspora network to support ICT and developme=
nt<BR>
> activities, and donating time and resources.<BR>
> <BR>
> 3:45 - 4:30 Summary<BR>
> Groups will present summary of identified needs of the various<BR>
> organizations, recommendations to address these issues and resources n=
eeded<BR>
> to implement.<BR>
> <BR>
> 4:30-6:00 Next Steps - Akhtar Badshah, Awo Quaison-S=
ackey and John Sarpong<BR>
> Moderate<BR>
> Structure and leadership for DDNA will be determined by the group at l=
arge.<BR>
> Next steps agreed upon and assigned.<BR>
> <BR>
> Speakers' Biographies<BR>
> Akhtar A. Badshah is the Executive Director of Digital Partners, a Sea=
ttle,<BR>
> Washington-based nonprofit organization. Before joining Digital Partne=
rs<BR>
> Akhtar was a Senior Vice President for Strategic Planning for Nonprofi=
ts and<BR>
> Government Agencies at Nimbal - an Internet strategy firm - where he w=
as<BR>
> responsible for building partnerships with and developing services for=
their<BR>
> nonprofit and government clients. He has served as a consultant for su=
ch<BR>
> organization as The Asia Society, Rockefeller Foundation, UNDP, USAID,=
World<BR>
> Resources Institute, World Bank-EDI, and others in the US, Asia, and t=
he<BR>
> Middle East and is an internationally recognized author, particularly =
in the<BR>
> field of urban planning and development.<BR>
> Rebecca Enonchong is the CEO and founder of AppsTech, a leading provid=
er of<BR>
> e-business applications solutions to corporations and governments worl=
dwide.<BR>
> A native of Cameroon, Ms. Enonchong is the founder and Chairman of the=
<BR>
> Africa Technology Forum, was recently selected by the World Economic F=
orum<BR>
> as one of the Global Leaders for Tomorrow and received Enterprise Afri=
ca's<BR>
> prestigious 2001 African Entrepreneurship Award. Ms. Enonchong is also=
a<BR>
> member of a Global Advisory Committee constituted to guide UNIFEM's<BR=
>
> initiative "Bridging the Gender Digital Divide in Africa through =
Strategic<BR>
> Partnerships with African Entrepreneurs in the Diaspora".<BR>
> Kanwal Rekhi is the co-founder of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE), a<BR>
> not-for-profit organization that promotes Entrepreneurship among the I=
ndus<BR>
> people, and a private investor actively serving on the boards of many<=
BR>
> private and public companies. He has been involved with over 20 start-=
ups in<BR>
> the Silicon Valley, including Exodus Communications, CyberMedia, Versa=
ta,<BR>
> Placeware, Apptivity, Zietnet, and Ambit Design among others. Kanwal w=
as<BR>
> named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' in 1987 by Arthur-Young/Venture Magaz=
ine.<BR>
> Prior to retirement, Kanwal was EVP and a board member of Novell. Kanw=
al is<BR>
> also on the board of Community Foundation of the Silicon Valley.<BR>
> John Sarpong serves both as the CEO of Africast, LLC and President of<=
BR>
> Southline Industries. He founded Southline in 1996 to provide aerospac=
e<BR>
> technical design and certification services for air transport and spec=
ial<BR>
> mission military aircraft projects. In August 1999, Mr. Sarpong founde=
d<BR>
> Africast, LLC and has since built it into a leading IT, media and fina=
ncial<BR>
> services provider to the Global Africa marketplace: the businesses and=
<BR>
> consumers of several African countries and expatriate Africans in Nort=
h<BR>
> America. The Africast foundation is involved in setting up SchoolWeb<B=
R>
> computer labs in rural schools in Ghana which otherwise cannot have ac=
cess<BR>
> to the internet for learning.<BR>
> Dr. Pekka Tarjanne is the Executive Coordinator of the ICT Task Force =
and<BR>
> served as Special Advisor for ICT to the Secretary-General of the Unit=
ed<BR>
> Nations. Dr. Tarjanne was the ITU Secretary-General for two terms duri=
ng<BR>
> which time he moved the organization towards greater involvement with<=
BR>
> emerging telecommunications technologies while strengthening its focus=
on<BR>
> the needs of developing countries. Before joining the ITU, Dr. Tarjann=
e was<BR>
> the Director-General of Posts and Telecommunications in his native Fin=
land,<BR>
> the Minister of Transport and Communications, and also served as Presi=
dent<BR>
> of the Finnish Liberal Party.<BR>
> Vijay Vashee was recently General Manager of the Information Technolog=
y<BR>
> Group at Microsoft Corporation. Since 1982, Mr. Vashee played key role=
s at<BR>
> Microsoft in both the product and information technology groups. He wa=
s a<BR>
> key player in several technology and company acquisitions, resulting i=
n the<BR>
> creation of Microsoft Project and Microsoft PowerPoint. Mr. Vashee is =
the<BR>
> Chairman of TiE, Seattle Chapter and sits on Digital Partners' Board o=
f<BR>
> Directors. Mr. Vashee has a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineerin=
g from<BR>
> IIT Bombay, a Masters in Engineering from Cornell University, and an M=
BA<BR>
> from the University of Chicago.<BR>
<HR ALIGN=3DCENTER SIZE=3D"3" WIDTH=3D"95%"></FONT></FONT>
<P ALIGN=3DCENTER>
<FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"><B><U>List of Distribution
</U></B></FONT>
<P>
<FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"><FONT COLOR=3D"#000098"><BR>
</FONT>Dr. Pekka Tarjanne<BR>
Trustee Member of Global University System (GUS)<BR>
Former Director General, International Telecommunications Union (ITU)<BR>
Executive Coordinator of the Task Force<BR>
Information and Communication Technologies Task Force<BR>
Secretariat, Room DC1-1454<BR>
United Nations<BR>
One UN Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10017<BR>
212 963-5796<BR>
Fax: (212) 963-1712<BR>
united.nations@ddn-africa.org<BR>
www.unicttaskforce.org<BR>
<BR>
Mr. Yoshio Utsumi<BR>
Director General<BR>
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)<BR>
Place des Nations<BR>
CH-1211 Geneva 20<BR>
Switzerland<BR>
+41-22-73051-15<BR>
Fax: +41-22-73051-37<BR>
yoshio.utsumi@itu.int<BR>
<BR>
P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D, Professor<BR>
Acting President, Global University System<BR>
Chairman, GLOSAS/Finland<BR>
Unesco Chair on global eLearning<BR>
Professor and Chair of Media Education<BR>
Media Culture and Communication Education<BR>
Hypermedia laboratory<BR>
University of Tampere<BR>
P.O.Box 607<BR>
FIN-33101 Tampere<BR>
FINLAND<BR>
Tel: +358-3-215 6111<BR>
Tel: +358-3-614-5247--office in Hameenlinna<BR>
Tel: +358-3-215 6243--mass media lab in Tampere<BR>
GSM: +358-50-567-9833<BR>
Fax: +358-3-215 7503<BR>
tapio.varis@uta.fi<BR>
tapio.varis@helsinki.fi<BR>
http://www.uta.fi/~titava<BR>
<BR>
HE Dr. Isaac C. Lamba<BR>
Ambassador and Permanent Representative<BR>
Republic of Malawi<BR>
Permanent Mission of Malawi to the United Nations<BR>
600 Third Avenue<BR>
New York, N.Y. 10016<BR>
Tel (212) 949-0180<BR>
Fax: (212) 599-5021<BR>
iclamba@yahoo.com<BR>
iclamba2@aol.com<BR>
UNMalawi@aol.com<BR>
<BR>
Dr. Larry T. Gell<BR>
Director-General<BR>
International Headquarters<BR>
International Agency for Economic Development (IAED)<BR>
United Nations Plaza<BR>
P. O. Box 2260-GCS<BR>
New York, NY 10017<BR>
212-687-1775<BR>
Cel: 1-646-621-6161<BR>
Fax: 212-697-2363<BR>
lgell@iaed.org<BR>
http://www.iaed.org<BR>
<BR>
Charles U. Eke<BR>
Founder / CEO<BR>
Infotex Systems, Inc.<BR>
117 Watchung Avenue<BR>
Plainfield, NJ 07060<BR>
Tel: (908) 753-0030 X 11<BR>
cel: 908.884.1045<BR>
cel: 908.884.7333<BR>
Fax: (908) 753-7306<BR>
Fax: (908) 754-5042<BR>
bychief@yahoo.com<BR>
ceke@infotexsystems.com<BR>
http://www.lnfotexsystems.com<BR>
Or<BR>
20-24 Branford Pl.<BR>
Newark, NJ 07102<BR>
Tel: (973) 621-7006<BR>
Fax: (973) 621-7011<BR>
<BR>
Dr. Joyce Wigwe<BR>
Special Assistant to Mr. President<BR>
Nigerian Government<BR>
09-3141189<BR>
08033109970<BR>
wigwej@yahoo.com<BR>
<BR>
Olugbemiro Jegede, Ph.D<BR>
National Co-ordinator<BR>
National Open & Distance Learning Programmes<BR>
National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)<BR>
c/o, The Federal Ministry of Education<BR>
Federal Secretariat<BR>
Shehu Shagari Way<BR>
Abuja, Nigeria<BR>
234-9-523-2800<BR>
Fax: 234-9-523-7010 or 234-9-523-7839<BR>
jegede@ouhk.edu.hk<BR>
jegede@oliv1.ouhk.edu.hk<BR>
<BR>
Manny C. Aniebonam, Ph.D.<BR>
Assistant Professor of Information Systems<BR>
Department of Management Science<BR>
School of Business and Public Management<BR>
The George Washington University<BR>
Washington, DC 20052<BR>
202-994-3760<BR>
FAX 202-994-4930<BR>
maniebon@gwu.edu<BR>
http://www.nitpa.org/<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Courier">***********************************************=
***********************<BR>
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA  =
; &nb=
sp;*<BR>
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) *<BR>
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education *=
<BR>
* Founder of CAADE &n=
bsp; =
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; *<BR>
* (Consortium for Affordable and Accessible Distance Education)  =
; *<BR>
* President Emeritus and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of &nbs=
p; *<BR>
* Global University System (GUS) =
&nbs=
p; &n=
bsp; *<BR>
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-3998, U.S.A. &n=
bsp; *<BR>
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Fax: 718-939-0656 (day time only--prefer email) *<BR>
* Email: utsumi@columbia.edu; Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676 &=
nbsp; *<BR>
* http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/ &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; *<BR>
**********************************************************************<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"><BR>
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