Tech-Savvy Ghanaians!

Technology is not reserved only for the wealthy, industrialized nations. We can now use technology to aid developing countries in battling poverty as well as coping with rapid globalization. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN-Ghana), is setting up ten Information and Communication Technology (ITC) learning centers in each of the ten regions in Ghana. This MTN ITC Learning Centers Project is a US$670,000 project, with $70,000 funded by UNDP. ITC education will serve multiple purposes, from developing the economy and enhancing the quality of education, to encouraging entrepreneurship and creating employment opportunities. In addition, the UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Daouda Toure, said the UNDP would continue to help Ghana in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and middle-income status by 2015.

The UN Embraces the Digital Age: Text Messaging for Change

The UN embraces the Digital Age: Text Messaging for Change

Pop!Tech, the global technology conference, was held last week, unveiling new projects designed to effect global change through technology. This conference displayed ways in which technology developed in countries of abundance could be used to ease the burdens in countries of scarce resources. One of these innovations is as simple as making text messaging more accessible to organizations working in developing countries. Ken Banks demonstrated FrontlineSMS, free software designed to harness the power of text messaging. Humanitarian groups and NGO’s can download this free software and use it to send information to people working in the field, so necessary information is never far away. The UN is using this technology to send security alerts in Afghanistan, while MercyCorps is using this software to send market prices to farmers and power a healthcare network in Malawi.

Looking at aid on google

Google and many UN humanitarian aid agencies have now teamed up so that you can use Google Earth to look up the locations of aid distribution around the world. The UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) has now posted maps that show the refugee camps located in primarily Darfur, Iraq and Colombia.

This partnership is a tool to show Americans and the world the actual work that the United Nations is performing. It brings the work of humanitarian aid home.

This project is a continuance of a number of programs, in partnership with Google, that operate as tools to connect developed countries with the stories of people in developing countries and with the work that international organizations are performing. Such other projects include UNICEF's initiative to share children's stories on www.ourstories.org, a website where children from developing countries can record their journey and share it with the world.

To learn more about this:

Read the original news article:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=24966&Cr=child&Cr1=

Searching for tech solutions to world problems

The UN Development Program (UNDP) has partnered with The Tech Museum to search for innovative technologies that can help solve some of the worlds most pressing problems.

The Tech Awards were inspired by the State of the Future report put out by the Millennium Project (which is affiliated with the United Nations through the World Federation of United Nations Associations).

Past award recipients include:

• An Indian doctor who engineers ingenious, low-cost technology to provide prosthetic limbs for amputees
• A Chilean company that has developed a system using seaweed to keep salmon farms from polluting the oceans
• A British firm that developed a quick, easy to use test for infectious diseases such as Chlamydia, hepatitis B, and Trachoma
• An American business that has developed renewable energy production capabilities for rural areas

Learn more and nominate someone you know at http://www.techawards.org/

Human development, just one click away

UNDP is moving with the times, especially when it comes to technology. Last week, the UN, Google and Cisco launched a new resource designed to track the progress of the Millennium Development Goals.

But MDG Monitor is far more interactive and user friendly than the wealth of information that already exists online. In the place of complex reports, this brand new resource offers users the opportunity to track progress on any of the MDGs in any given region of the world. Indicators ranging from health to education to socioeconomic factors are readily interactive and available.

Next time you're surfing the net, take a moment and visit MDG Monitor. Pick any country in the developing world and immediately find out what challenges they face, where progress has been made and what still needs to be done. Human development with just one click.

The UN on TV

Continuing on the theme of UN information and media, I wanted to draw attention to the UN’s Multimedia website. On it you’ll find links to:

• News Center
• UN Radio
• UN Television
• UN Photos

Few people know these excellent resources exist, so start spreading the word!