Cresta Hotel, Lusaka, Zambia, 7 - 19 June 2008

In the last decade, international and regional policies have addressed the opportunities and importance of ICT interventions in rural areas in developing countries in general and in Africa specifically in order to sustain economic development. In this context, telecentres or community information centre initiatives set up in a cost-effective way, are recognized as “key instruments” improving shared access to and use of information by the poorest in rural areas in development countries. These centres were set up as pilots with different methodologies and services: often seen as information kiosks with a mix of ICT tools such as radio, photocopier, telephone, fax and Internet connection, they sometimes focus on a specific service such as telemedicine or money transfer. They are thus not only a medium of communication but also a development enabler.

The workshop is a joint venture by CTA, InfoBridge Foundation, Zambia Association for Advanced ICT, IDRC and IICD. The organizers have conceived and designed the event as a breeding ground for new partnerships and collaborations. The workshop will serve as a platform for sharing experiences among participants and will take stock of the results and impacts of the Telecentre experiences to provide a framework for upscaling in a learning mode. Some 40-50 participants will be invited including Telecentre managers, from selected African countries, Telecentre and ICT4D specialists and key strategic partners from organizations supporting Telecentre initiatives in Africa and elsewhere in the developing countries.

For more information see the workshop website.