----- Original Message -----
From: Partha <partha@bytesforall.org>
To: <communityinformatics@vancouvercommunity.net>
Cc: <apc.forum@lists.apc.org>
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 12:21 AM
Subject: [CI] People's Summit for People's SAARC (Day 1)
> Shahzad Ahmad, of Bytes for All, Pakistan is joining SAARC People's Summit
> in Dhaka and is representing Bytes for All to report the events directly
> from the spot. This summit is a parallel event to SAARC Head of the States
> Summit that was supposed to happen on the 5th and the 6th February. But it
> was later postponed but the People's Summit is going on with participation
> from activists, practitioners, researchers, writers, feminists,
> technologists etc. People's Summit hopes to bring about people's concern
> and voices on issues such as,
>
> - Governance, Peace and Militarization
> - Livelihood, Labor, Gender and Social Justice
> - Poverty, Trade and Globalization
> - Trafficking and Human Security
> - Mitigation and reduction of disaster and natural catastrophe
>
> Hope you'd find this interesting. Happy reading!
>
> Partha/B4All
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
>
> People's Summit for People's SAARC (Day 1)
> Reported by Shahzad Ahmad in Dhaka
>
> I am in Dhaka attending People's Summit for People's SAARC representing
> Bytesforall at the BRAC Centre. It is a very interesting event attended by
> 200+ people from all the South Asian countries. Dominated by development
> activists, practitioners, researchers, writers, feminists, technologists
and
> representatives from grassroots, people have come with a long wish list
and
> with an amazing belief that as if all the governments in the region are
> dieing to listen from them and things would change as soon as the final
> declaration is received by governments. Sense of great commitment
however,
> is dominant, and people want to change the current state of sorry affairs.
> Very loud and vocal summit is going through with very thought provoking
> discourse, agreements, disagreements, anger, consensus building, advocacy,
> realization, revelation and revolution... all in the air.
>
> Traveling to Dhaka from Islamabad as expected was very interesting as
well.
> In one day, coming back from duty travel, immediately heading to
Bangladesh
> High Commission, being interviewed for visa, answering and reassuring them
> that I won't slip in Dhaka, firming up the flight schedule was all
eventful.
> Biman Air, as I was told would never fail to get late. In my case, it was
> only 7 hours, which I conveniently spent at the Karachi Airport ;))
>
> Another realization occurred, when I went to a nearby mosque for Juma
> prayers and Imam shaheb announced especially that all worshippers should
> switch
> off the mobile phones before prayers. I had not realized earlier that
mobile
> phones are so very much spread in masses. However, we now see, almost
> everybody is carrying a mobile in Pakistan, from taxiwala to a mohallah
shop
> keeper and sabziwala to a young student in college. I was wondering that
> what's the use, other than downloading ring tones, Hindi/English songs,
SMS
> to friends, and stay in touch with "loved ones". Probably someone need to
do
> a serious effort on identifying useful, relevant content, communicable
> through mobile phones to various interest groups in the society. There may
> be a "market" for such content. This is a missing link in Pakistan at
least.
>
> Dhaka is on "Bandh (Strike)" Call for two days. Strike call seems very
> responsive as
> vehicles are not plying and shops are closed but the People's SAARC goes
on.
>
> As I mentioned before, People have come with a wish list and set of
demands
> from governments in South Asia. The summit started with keynote speeches
by
> eminent scholars in plenary but the afternoon was scheduled for thematic
> commissions for group work to help formulate a joint declaration from the
> People's SAARC. The thematic groups are:
>
> - Governance, Peace and Militarization
> - Livelihood, Labor, Gender and Social Justice
> - Poverty, Trade and Globalization
> - Trafficking and Human Security
> - Mitigation and reduction of disaster and natural catastrophe
>
> Though, it is not a technology focused event, but we now know that ICTs
are
> cross-cutting. I had the opportunity to work with the thematic commission
on
> Disaster Mitigation. Various aspects of ICT use in the region came under
> discussion ranging from early warning system's information dissemination
to
> role of community radios, community networking to ICTs assisted awareness
> campaigns, on various aspects of disaster mitigation and disaster
reduction.
> The group unanimously recommended to declare the mainstreaming use of ICTs
> in disaster mitigation and disaster reduction policies and practices.
> Similar recommendations has also come from the other two groups on
> Governance and Livelihood.
>
> More later.
>
> Best wishes and regards.
>
> Shahzad Ahmad
> in Dhaka