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<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=4>Community Radio prospects in empowering rural
communities: </FONT><FONT size=4><FONT color=#0000ff>Realizing Digital
Nation<BR></FONT></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT color=#ff0000 size=4><STRONG>eASiA 2011, Dhaka, Bangladesh, December
1-3, 2011<BR><BR></STRONG></FONT>eAsia 2011, with the slogan<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>Realizing Digital
Nation</STRONG>, is the annual international Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) for development event with the objective of reinforcing
technology and knowledge-centric growth and needs of Asia vis-à-vis Bangladesh,
through capitalisation of market economy and boosting human development. This
event commemorates the 40th birth anniversary of Bangladesh and celebrates the
progress of Digital Bangladesh agenda of the government. Digital Bangladesh by
2021 vision is a 21st-century globalized-world form of a vision of equitable
prosperity portrayed by the founding father of the nation 40 years ago. Since
then, Bangladesh has made significant progress in human development index and
ranks third in the world.<BR><BR>Digital Bangladesh vision proposes to
mainstream ICTs as a pro-poor tool to eradicate poverty, establish good
governance, ensure social equity through quality education, healthcare and law
enforcement for all, and prepare the citizens for climate change. This is the
first time in the history of Bangladesh that the vision of poverty reduction and
human development by utilizing ICTs was backed by strong political will from the
very top and enthusiastic support from common citizens at the bottom.<BR><BR>The
conference will provide a unique opportunity for all stakeholders for nation
building to come closer and share a level-playing ground through active
conferencing and networking. Spanning over three days, the event will comprise
unique thematically inter-related conferences in line with the four key themes
of Digital Bangladesh vision:<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><STRONG>Building Capacity, Connecting
People, Serving Citizens<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN></STRONG>and<STRONG><SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN>Driving Economy</STRONG>. Indeed, these
are the four key ingredients to building a Digital Nation.<BR><BR>The 5th annual
eAsia 2011 conference and exhibition will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh on
December 1-3, 2011. The event will be inaugurated by Sheikh Hasina, Hon’ble
Prime Minister of the Government of the Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh, and
co-organized by Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS), India
and Bangladesh Computer Council, ICT Division, Ministry of Science and ICT,
Bangladesh and supported by the Access to Information (A2I) Programme, Prime
Minister’s Office, Bangladesh, Bangladesh Association of Software and
Information Services (BASIS), Bangladesh Computer Samity (BCS), Internet Service
Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), Association of Mobile
Telecommunication Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) and Bangladesh Association of
Call Centre Operators (BACCO).<BR><BR>The conference will consist of a number of
plenary and technical sessions, focused workshops, seminars, discussion round
tables, debates and a full-fledged exhibition, providing excellent opportunity
for showcasing projects, programmes and initiatives of government and private
sector agencies/corporations, as also for demonstrating innovative ICT products,
solutions and applications for various domains covered under the scope of the
event. The speakers and attendees will include policy-makers, senior government
officials, industry leaders, international development agencies, civil society,
academia, and investors. eASIA 2011 will thus be a unique networking and
learning opportunity for one and all.<BR>The five themes of the eAsia 2011
conference are:<BR><BR></DIV>
<UL>
<LI><A style="COLOR: rgb(6,6,244); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.e-asia.org/2011/building_capacity/Default.aspx">Building
capacity</A>
<LI><A style="COLOR: rgb(6,6,244); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.e-asia.org/2011/connecting_people/Default.aspx">Connecting
people</A>
<LI><A style="COLOR: rgb(6,6,244); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.e-asia.org/2011/Serving_citizens/Default.aspx">Serving
citizens</A>
<LI><A style="COLOR: rgb(6,6,244); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.e-asia.org/2011/driving_economy/Default.aspx">Driving
economy</A>
<LI><A style="COLOR: rgb(6,6,244); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://www.e-asia.org/2011/breaking_barriers/Default.aspx">Breaking
barriers</A></LI></UL>
<DIV>Building capacity is about developing the nation’s capacity to build a
Digital Nation with a particular focus on the education system of the
country.<BR><BR>Connecting people is about ensuring that all citizens of the
country have access to information and services at their doorsteps through some
ICT channel or nearby common access outlet.<BR><BR>Serving citizens is about
proliferation of e-services from all service providers with due attention to
making sure the services reduce time, cost and hassle for citizens and increase
efficiency, responsiveness and transparency of the government.<BR><BR>Driving
economy is about utilizing the power of ICTs to boost the private sector,
particularly the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are the
engine for growth in a developing nation, and a special focus on establishing
the software and ITES industry for the global economy.<BR><BR>Breaking barriers
is about utilizing ICTs to transcend the barriers of time, space, hierarchy,
language and compartmentalization to enable a nation to
leapfrog.<BR></DIV></SPAN></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=Apple-style-span
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 11px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(96,87,79); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-ALIGN: justify; orphans: 2; widows: 2; webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><STRONG>Connecting
People</STRONG><BR>The objective of this theme is to find sustainable
connectivity channels to ensure the benefits of a Digital Nation reach the
marginalized and the disadvantaged. Innovative shared access outlets like
telecentres, awareness and capacity development of local communities to access
public e-services, and establishing two-way channels to promote participation of
grassroots in policy discourse are key focus areas. The so-called ‘old ICTs’
such as TV and radio are being utilized the world over for capacity building of
different stakeholders and disseminating vital livelihood information at the
right time at the right place. The new ICTs such as community radio, mobile
phone and internet are allowing more personal communication channels to deliver
information as well as services.<BR>This theme will gather policy makers and
practitioners, private sector and government organizations, civil society and
academicians to share best practices in telecentre movement in different
countries, technologies and regulations for ensuring last mile broadband access
to the otherwise left-out citizens, strategies for including the marginalized in
the decision making process. Case studies and lessons learnt from different
parts of Asia will provide insight for participants to take action for their own
nations. The exhibition will showcase emerging technologies and techniques to
connect people and communities.<BR>Key conference topics:<BR><BR>
<UL>
<LI>Telecom infrastructure
<UL>
<LI>National Broadband Network to connect all citizens
<LI>Affordable Technology trends for rural connectivity<SPAN
class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><BR></LI></UL>
<LI>TV and Radio
<UL>
<LI>Not forgetting the old ICT: Use of TV & Radio in delivering
information and services
<LI>Community Radio prospects in empowering rural
communities<BR><BR></LI></UL>
<LI>Value-added Service (VAS) on mobile
<UL>
<LI>Transforming rural lives
<LI>Transforming urban lives<BR><BR></LI></UL>
<LI>e-Participation
<LI>Telecentres/Community Access Points
<UL>
<LI>Financial and social sustainability
<LI>Policy support for community access points
<LI>Capacity building for telecentre operators and managers
<LI>PPP for telencentres
<LI>Comparison of LGIs, NGOs, schools and post offices as telecentre
hosts<BR><BR></LI></UL>
<LI>Appropriate telecommunications regulation for developing nations
<UL>
<LI>USO funds
<LI>Beauty contest versus auctioning
<LI>PPP for government fibre</LI></UL></LI></UL></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana size=2>For more information: <A
href="http://www.e-asia.org/2011/Default.aspx"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>http://www.e-asia.org/2011/Default.aspx</FONT></A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><BR> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>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 Bangladesh<BR>Phone: +88-02-9130750,
+88-02-9138501, Cell: +88 01711881647 <BR>Fax: 88-02-9138501-105, E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ceo@bnnrc.net">ceo@bnnrc.net</A>, <A
href="mailto:bnnrcbd@gmail.com">bnnrcbd@gmail.com</A> <BR><A
href="http://www.bnnrc.net">www.bnnrc.net</A><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>