Interview with Hilde Eugelink from IICD

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Hilde shared her views on the web2.0 conference currently underway in Rome from the 24th to the 27th September 2007.

What is your name, What organisation do you work for and what have you learnt so far from this workshop?

My name is Hilde Eugelink and I work for the International Institute of Communication and Development(IICD) based in the Hague. We are here in Rome and IICD is one of the organisers of the Web2.0 for development conference in Rome. I am part of the organisation, we prepared the whole conference with the use of Web2.0 tools so if you ask me what did I learn about Web2.0 tools during this conference, I will have to say that I learnt much more before the conference because I actually used all these tools. One of the great things of being able to use Web2.0 tools like Skype, blogs, Vlogs Unyte, Wikis and the rest is that it is much more efficient but on the other hand, their use is still quite challenging because of the social and cultural barriers. Nevertheless, they are collaborative networking tools .

What advise do you have for people towards the use of Web2.0 tools for Development?

Using Web2.0 tools, should you do it or not? I think you should because being able to use these kinds of tools really help you to network and collaborate, however, these new tools need to be adapted. You really need to be careful in using these tools in very different situations. I will advise people to first play around the tools and not shifting aside existing communication tools and I think that is what I have for people on th use of th tools.

Interview with Karen Hackshaw, participant from CTA

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Karen shared her experience on what she has learnt from the opening session on the web 2.0 for development conference currently underway in Rome, Italy from the 24th to the 27th of September 2007

What is your name and which organisation are you coming from?

My name is Karen Hackshaw and I work with CTA

What have you learnt so far from this first session on Web2.0 Conference currently underway in Rome?

This session was quite interesting to me because yesturday, we had a good build-up of what we are doing today so today was very helpful because I think I have learnt more of the cultural, some of the more economical and more social issues that go into web2.0 and that combined with the technical session we had yesturday

What expectations do you have by the end of today's programme?

As I am seating down, I am just thinking about the ways I can actually change the banch of Ideas so I think after this, I would want to seat down and look at my various programmes and how I can actually make them more effective and fit into the dynamism of the web2.0 culture.Also think about a new and effctive way or fashion of getting through what we do.

Interview with Gabby Awumey, a farmer and a beneficiary of tradenet.biz facility

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Mr Awumey shared his experience and benefits as a farmer from the tradenet.biz facility at the opening of the Hohoe Agribusiness Information Point in Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana on the 7th of November 2006.

On the 7th of November, 2007 the Daily Graphic published a story referring to a large glut of Maize of roughly 500,00 maxi bags lying in stock at the Afram Plains without buyers and even if there were buyers, they would buy at very low prices leaving the farmer poorer. Situations like this are not limited to the Afram Plains or to the Hohoe District alone: it is a common phenomenon all over Africa and would continue as long as buyers and sellers do not have accurate and timely Information on what is available, where, at what prices and who to contact.

About 3 years ago, USAID made available $11m to IFDC and challenged them to improve Agricultural market informaation systems that will help increase trade in Agricultural products. As a follow-up to this, an electronic trading platform was developed and about $1m was used to equip producer and trader associations in Computers and Internet connectivity. The project spent thousands of Dollars to do series of targeted training for producer and trader associations, members as well as MOFA staff to learn new skills in the use of the Computer. Several thousands of people belonging to producer and trader associations in West Africa benefited from training opportunities in the use of the Computer and Internet.

Today, they are not only capable of using the Computer and browsing the Internet but are also able to send and receive emails from their business partners and are using their cellular phones to enquire about prices and find buyers. The Hohoe District Agri-Business Information Point(ABIP) is one of the 150 being set up in the west African sub-region to revolutionalise the way we use the Computer and our Cellular phones. The ABIP will be used for training, browsing and a centre where people can walk in and register their cellular phones to receive or send Information on trade opportunities, alerts, prices and contacts.

Interview with Andrea Ebert from Microsoft

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Following the Workshop held on the INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - ISO/IEC DIS29500 OOXML at African Regent Hotel on the 14th of August, 2007 the Ghana Standards Board as a follow up organised a stakeholder workshop on 27th of August 2007 at the KOFI ANNAN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN ICT to further discuss and ballot on Ghana's position on the standard.Andrea Ebert from Microsoft participated and shared his views with you.

What is Open Standards all about?

Open Standards is one form to achieve the broader goal of interoperability. Interoperability is the technique to connect data, systems and humans together helping to achieve collaboration. Open Standards is one way of doing that. There are other options available like community and services so Standards and Open Standars is one important thing we can use to achieve interoperability.

What does the Government and the people of Ghana stand to benefit from participating in this process of Standard setting?

You need to distinguish between Governement involvement and the standardisation process. Standardisation by itself is an appreciation and specification for the future and the development of specifications is the responsibility of a standard body or a technical committee. Governments separately and independently have the option to use or not to use certain specifications in a way. So there is definately independency between Government involvement but it is more a Country's or standard body's objective to achieve a common agreement on how a standard should be agreed upon and implemented.

What is your advice to the Government on the issue of Standard Setting?

It is hard for me especially from the private industrty to give advice to the Governement but listening to the debate today as an observer, it is a very important role to play in the transformation it society into what is called a knowledg based society, so Government's contribution to this debate is a significant one and it will look forward to solving upcoming challenges and the journey the Governeement and its partners in this Country have on the way to a knowledge-based society.

Interview with Ebenezer Malcolm, the Project Manager of GTP

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Malcolm shared his expectations and some skills acquired so far from the ten days wireless training taking place in Winneba from the 1st to the 10th of August 2007

What is your name and what organisation are you coming from?

My name is Ebenezer Malcolm, the project manager of the Global Teenager Project, Ghana.

What do you have to share as some of the skills acquired so far from the wireless training workshop?

We have been taken through a lot of issues such as introduction to wireless networking, how to configure computers in terms of forming an enclave of hot spots. We also learnt alot about creating or building local Antennas where you can develop your own Antenna in case you don't have the proprietory type and I feel that these things have really helped us to uderstand the nitty-gritty of wireless networking.

What are some of your expectations at the end of the ten days training and how will you impact some of the knowledge gained to others?

My expectation at this workshop is that, I will go back to the office at the end of the ten days training to impact the knowledge I have acquired over here to my colleagues and it will become like training of trainers type of workshop. In addition to that, we will also go back to the various Schools where we have School Computers and also try to build the capacity of the teachers that are working in these Computer Laboratories so that they can also know how to set-up simple wireless network. In addition to that also take them through how to solve some of the troubles when they ensue especially when the Computers are not working very well in terms of having Internet access.

I feel these are some of the expectations I will take back.

Interview with Stephen John Agbenyo

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Stephen is the network Coordinator for Nothern Information Network for Schools who is a participant at the wireless training workshop taking place in Winneba from the 1st to 10th August 2007. Stephen shared his taught about the workshop.

What is your name and what organisation are you coming from?

My name is Agbenyo John Stephen.I am with NINS short for Northern Information Network for Schools.We are based in Savelugu in the North.Saveligu is just about 26 kilometers drive from Tamale, the regional Capital.

What have you learnt so far from the training workshop?

So far the training has been wonderful. We've undergone basic introduction into wireless technology.We also learnt about Wireless networking,we learnt about setting wireless network, network securities, currently we are on configuring wireless networks.

How will you use the knowledge gained from the training workshop to impact positively on your organisation and beyond?

Like I mentioned earlier, NINS is in Savelugu.We do not have any internet access around except Tamale and so if I want to check my mails, I need to go to Tamale.With this training, it will be of help getting connections from Tamale to Savelugu and it will be easier and also, since NINS is about Schools, it will even be a cheaper means of having access in Schools in Savelugu and around