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<DIV><FONT face=WST_Fren color=#000000 size=6>World Telecommunication and
Information Society Day 2011</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=WST_Fren size=6>WTISD 2011: Better life in rural
communities with ICTs</FONT></DIV></TD></TR>
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<P
style="MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana">This
year, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day highlights the
theme<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>“Better life
in rural communities with ICTs”</STRONG>, which was adopted by<A
class=b2link
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: rgb(0,75,150); FONT-FAMILY: verdana; TEXT-DECORATION: underline"
href="http://www.itu.int/council/">ITU Council</A><SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>in 2009 and follows up on the
theme for 2010: “Better city, better life with ICTs”.<BR></P>
<P
style="MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana"><STRONG>ICTs</STRONG><SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>are increasingly in demand to
meet the<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>Millennium
Development Goals</STRONG>. In the rural context,<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>ICTs provide enhanced
opportunities</STRONG><SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>to generate income and
combat poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy</STRONG>.</P>
<P
style="MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana"><BR><STRONG><IMG
style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 20px"
height=211 alt="Photo: Alain Pentucci"
src="http://www.itu.int/wtisd/2011/images/woman-baby-mobile.jpg"
width=300></STRONG>Half the world’s population resides in rural districts
and far flung communities. This half — three billion people — represent
the poorer, less educated, and more deprived cousins of our urban
citizens. Indeed, latest figures indicate that as many as 70 per cent of
the developing world’s 1.4 billion extremely poor people live in rural
areas<SUP><SPAN class=style50 style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">1</SPAN></SUP>.
They are also among the least connected to the benefits of ICTs. We cannot
allow this situation to continue.</P><BR>As the leading specialized agency
of the United Nations for information and communication technologies
(ICT),<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>ITU</STRONG><SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>looks towards its Members to
raise awareness of the role of ICTs in creating fresh opportunities for a
better life through long-term, sustainable development, not least among
the most vulnerable sections of our society.<BR><BR><BR><STRONG>ICTs and
related e-applications</STRONG><SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>are key instruments in improving
governance and rural services, such as providing community health care,
safe drinking water and sanitation, education, food and shelter; improving
maternal health and reducing child mortality; empowering women and the
more vulnerable members of society; and ensuring environmental
sustainability. As ICTs increasingly dictate lifestyles and behaviour
patterns and power the growth of trade and commerce, rural communities
must not be allowed to fall behind cities in their quest for
connectivity.<BR><BR><BR>
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<P
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align=center><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 1.4em; FONT-STYLE: italic"
color=#000066>The theme of this year’s WTISD aims to ensure
that<STRONG>ICTs will contribute to a better future for our rural
populations</STRONG></FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><STRONG><IMG
class=style64
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height=221 alt=""
src="http://www.itu.int/wtisd/2011/images/rural-cybercafe.jpg"
width=225>Broadband connectivity</STRONG><SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>is essential to establish the
information and communication highway that will feed both urban centres
and rural communities with the means to meet their development goals and
aspirations.<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A class=b2link
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: rgb(0,75,150); FONT-FAMILY: verdana; TEXT-DECORATION: underline"
href="http://www.itu.int/en/broadband/Pages/default.aspx">ITU's Build on
Broadband initiative</A><SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>is
aimed at increasing the roll out of this state-of-the-art technology. Last
September, the<A class=b2link
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; COLOR: rgb(0,75,150); FONT-FAMILY: verdana; TEXT-DECORATION: underline"
href="http://www.broadbandcommission.org/" target=_blank>ITU/UNESCO-led
Broadband Commission</A>, which includes leading proponents from around
the world, submitted its report to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ahead
of the MDG Review in New York.<BR><BR><BR>Developing a global partnership
for development and using the power of ICTs to meet the MDGs is a goal in
itself.<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>We therefore
call upon our Member States, Sector Members and Associates as well as
academia and citizens’ groups to pull together every conceivable resource
to ensure that rural communities worldwide are fully connected to
ICTs.</STRONG>Acting as catalysts, ICTs open the door to myriad solutions
in the quest for a more productive and better life in our rural
communities.<BR>
<P
style="MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana">The<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS)</STRONG>, which met in Geneva in 2003 and in
Tunis in 2005, called upon countries to consider establishing national
mechanisms to achieve universal access in underserved rural areas in order
to bridge the digital divide. ITU is committed to connecting the world and
to ensure that the benefits of ICTs reach the remotest corners as well as
the most vulnerable communities.<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><BR></P>
<P
style="MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana">The
theme of this year’s WTISD,<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>“Better life in rural
communities with ICTs”</STRONG>, aims to ensure that ICTs will contribute
to a better future for our rural populations. As a means of bringing
global attention to this theme, ITU will present the annual<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>World Telecommunication
and Information Society Award</STRONG>to eminent personalities who have
contributed to connecting rural communities to the benefits of ICT. </P>
<P
style="MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: verdana">For
more information: <A
href="http://www.itu.int/wtisd/2011/theme.html">http://www.itu.int/wtisd/2011/theme.html</A></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bazlu<BR>_________________________<BR>AHM. Bazlur
Rahman-S21BR<BR>Chief Executive Officer<BR>Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and
Communication (BNNRC)<BR>[NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN
Economic and Social Council]<BR>& <BR>Head, Community Radio Academy
<BR> <BR>House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207 <BR>Post Box: 5095,
Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh<BR> <BR>Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501<BR>Cell:
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ceo@bnnrc.net">ceo@bnnrc.net</A> <A
href="http://www.bnnrc.net">www.bnnrc.net</A></FONT></DIV>
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