Sharing Knowledge, Exchanging Solutions and Community Information Updates through Blogs and Social Networks: Case Study from India

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Sharing Knowledge, Exchanging Solutions and
Community Information Updates through Blogs and
Social Networks Case Study from India

• ANUP KUMAR DAS
• Centre for Studies in Science Policy, Jawaharlal
  Nehru University, India
• Email anupdas2072_at_hotmail.com

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Outline

• Introduction
• National Knowledge Commission
• National Knowledge Portals
• Bharat Nirman Scheme
• Information Sharing
• Exchanging Solutions
• Solution Exchange Communities Addressing UNMDGs
• How It Works?
• Community Radio in India
• Digital Storytelling
• Digital Storytelling in progress
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• Collaborative Intervention Programmes for
  Socio-economic Development
• Incremental increase in Access to Information and
  Knowledge through telecentres
• Community Multimedia Centres
• Common Service Centres
• Village Knowledge Centres
• Community Information Centres
• Facilitating Lifelong Learning through
• Community Learning Centres
• Improving Information Infrastructure across the
  country through
• Bharat Nirman (Rural Infrastructure Development)
• PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas)

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National Knowledge Commission

• Focuses on the expansion, inclusion and
  excellence in five key areas of the knowledge
  paradigm
• Working Group on each topical issue in a key area
  
• access to knowledge
• Literacy
• Libraries
• Knowledge networks
• Information portals
• knowledge concepts
• School education
• Vocational education
• Higher education
• Professional education
• Lifelong learning (distance and open education)

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National Knowledge Commission

• Working Group on each topical issue in a key area
  
• creation of knowledge
• Intellectual property rights
• Innovation
• Development of science and technology
• knowledge applications
• Agriculture
• Traditional Knowledge
• Small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
• development of better knowledge services
• E-Governance

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National Knowledge Portals

• NKC recommended creation of National Knowledge
  Portals for key sectors, such as,
• Water
• Energy
• Environment
• Education
• Food
• Health
• Agriculture
• Employment
• Citizen Rights

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National Knowledge Portals

• Each National Knowledge Portal will contain
• Case Studies
• Best Practices
• Blog
• Wiki
• Discussion Forum
• E-Learning Modules
• Resource Maps and Statistics
• Information on Government Role and Projects
• Organization Database/ Directory
• Coordinated by a Civil Society Organization that
  works in the specific area

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India Water Portal
http//indiawaterportal.org
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India Water Portal Blog
http//indiawaterportal.org/blog
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www.indiaenergyportal.org
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Bharat Nirman Scheme

• Six Goals by year 2009
• Goal 1 Electricity
• Goal 2 Roads
• Goal 3 - Drinking Water
• Goal 4 Telephone
• Goal 5 Irrigation
• Goal 6 Housing
• Complements the idea of Provision of Urban
  Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA)

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Impact of Bharat Nirman Scheme on Society

• Better Connectivity in Rural Areas
• Bridging Digital Divide
• Bridging Urban-Rural Divide
• Enhancement of Quality Life in Rural Areas
• Enhancement of Economic Activities in Rural Areas
  
• Better Delivery of Social Goods and Services
• Higher Participation in Literacy, Education and
  Lifelong Learning

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Sharing InformationExchanging Solutions

• Several Discussion Groups exist for development
  sector that share Information/ Knowledge and
  Exchange Solutions
• UN Country team in India launched Solution
  Exchange - a knowledge-sharing platform to
  achieve the development objectives of India's
  Five Year Plans and UN-MDGs
• Email-based Discussion Forum facilitating
• E-Discussions
• E-Consultation
• Queries and Responses
• Community of Practice
• Participants Development Practitioners, Social
  Workers, Policy Makers
• Solutions generated leading to Sectoral
  Innovations, Experimentation, Interventions and
  Policy Making

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Solution Exchange Communities Addressing UNMDGs
AIDS
Decentralization
Education
Environment Water
Food and Nutrition Security
Gender
Health - Maternal and Child Health
Poverty - Work and Employment
Poverty Microfinance
ICT for Development
Disaster Management
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www.solutionexchange-un.net.in
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How It Works?
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Solution Exchange India
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Community Radio in India

• Airwaves for community based FM broadcasting
  opened up in the last year
• Civil society organizations, agriculture
  extension centres and educational institutions
  are eligible for licenses
• UN and other international/national development
  agencies advocated in formulation of community
  radio policy in India
• Localized radio contents, covering issues related
  to socio-economic development, literacy,
  education, social inclusion/ empowerment
• Government estimates 4000 CR stations by the end
  of a year 2008
• Community radio networks established and blogs
  developed for information and content sharing,
  exchanging solutions

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www.communityradionetwork.org
http//cr-india.blogspot.com
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Digital Storytelling

• Creation of audio-visual contents by the members
  of the community
• Localized contents on rights based issues
• Narratives are in a Local Language
• Spreading awareness and information
• Members of community raise issues and share their
  personal experiences, in ways that improve all
  our lives
• Community Multimedia Centres facilitate Creation
  and Dissemination of Digital Stories
• Web 2.0 applications, such as, Video Blogs,
  Wikimedia, social networks are used extensively
  to share these audio-visual documentaries and to
  make accessible worldwide
• Example Finding a voice (www.findingavoice.org)

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Digital Storytellingin Progress
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www.findingavoice.org
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Conclusion

• Web 2.0 applications ensure participatory
  development communication
• Availability of ICT infrastructure and tools
  ensures peoples empowerment and social inclusion
• Government-led public information portals are
  also adopting web 2.0 applications for more
  actions and interactions
• A number of Indian language applications are
  available in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
  domain, addressing content localization issues
• More web 2.0 applications in FOSS domain would be
  needed for community participation and social
  inclusion
• Capacity building and community leadership
  development on web 2.0 applications should be
  planned alongside the ICT infrastructure
  development across the country, to ensure proper
  utilization of these new resources

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Thank You Any Question ?
I am grateful to GTZ for their generous travel
support