UNITeS news and updates from 2002
UN Volunteers use Internet to boost business in
Ecuador - December 2002
United Nations Volunteers (UNV) are harnessing the Internet to help start
new businesses, ranging from canning and freezing fish to artisans joining
forces to market wooden crafts, in a new initiative in Esmeraldas Province
in north-west Ecuador.
- December 2002
The United Nations Information Technology Service (UNITeS), a volunteer
initiative to help bridge the digital divide, today received a Global
Junior Challenge 2002 award for its University Volunteer Network.
This network places and supports university students in developing countries
to support capacity-building activities in the use of information and
communication technologies (ICT) for human development.
- November 2002
On Nov. 26, the UN General Assembly called on governments, with the support
of the media, civil society and the private sector, to observe 5 December,
International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development,
and to include activities focused on follow-up to the achievements of
the International Year of Volunteers 2001 in its public awareness-raising
campaign. In addition, a representative recognized the Internet as a key
tool for allowing volunteers to expand their networks and enhance their
exchange of knowledge and information.
- November 2002
Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, urged leaders in
Silicon Valley to continue engaging in public-private
collaborations that benefit the many needs of poor communities and underdeveloped
nations. He urged the ICT industry to share more
of its innovations with the developing world, and cited the UNITeS initiative
as an avenue for their involvement.
- November 2002
Volunteer managers already have phones and email to work with offsite
volunteers. What is the advantage of using Instant Messaging (IM) with
these volunteers as well? UNITeS has created this resource, based on feedback
from various online discussion groups, from our own staff experiences,
and other resources, to help illustrate the advantages for using IM to
work with volunteers.
- October
2002
This press release highlights the activities of ICT volunteers that are
part of the UNITeS initiative in Uzbekistan. These volunteers are helping
people at local organizations learn basic computer and Internet skills,
create web sites and databases, and repair computers. In just five months,
46 have contributed to assignments hosted by 18 organizations in Uzbekistan.
- October 2002
Many organizations focused on HIV/AIDS education, prevention and treatment
have tapped the Internet to enhance opportunities for learning, collaboration
and technical support. UNITeS is seeking stories and information from
organizations of any size, in any country, serving high poverty areas,
which have used ICT-computers, software, hardware, cell phones, etc. in
some way to support their activities focused on HIV/AIDS education, prevention
and treatment.
- October 2002
The UN Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force is
"intended to lend a truly global dimension to the multitude of efforts
to bridge the global digital divide, foster digital opportunity and thus
firmly put ICT at the service of development for all." UNITeS is taking
an active role in the UN ICT Task Force, co-chairing a sub-committee on
Human Resource Development and Capacity Building with UNESCO and participating
in a sub-committee regarding health with the World Health Organization.
- July 2002
The first preparatory meeting for the U.N. World Summit on the Information
Society wrapped up last week in Geneva with participants agreeing to cooperate
on extending the benefits of technology to people around the world.
- June 2002
UNITeS has been selected as a finalist in the for the second year in a row. The Stockholm Challenge is
a non-profit initiative of the City of Stockholm, Sweden, and a unique
awards program for pioneering ICT projects world wide. The Stockholm Challenge
focuses on the positive effects of today's information society, and the
benefit information and communication technology can bring people and
society.
- June 2002
The U.N. General Assembly held a two-day session in June on information
technology and development, agreeing on the need to bridge the "digital
divide" between rich and poor countries but differing on who should lead
and primarily fund efforts.
UNITeS and UNV represented at CTC National Conference - June 2002
UNITeS and UNV were pleased to be a part of the CTC National Conference
in Austin, Texas in June, to present both on volunteers in ICT projects
and international digital divide projects and strategies. PowerPoint presentation
was made originally at the Community Technology Center's national conference
June 2002 in Austin, Texas. The PowerPoint presentation regarding ICT
volunteers (link to presentation) details why volunteers are an essential
part of the sustainability and success of ICT projects, particularly those
with a CTC component, and offers suggestions for better involving volunteers
in these projects. ()
- May 2002
UNITeS was involving online volunteers through former NET AID, today's ,
an online volunteering service managed by UN Volunteers staff. As of the
end of May 2002, more than 20 online volunteers have provided support
to both UNITeS staff and ICT volunteers onsite in developing countries
through the NetAid OV service.
- March 2002
TechSoup invited a member of the UNITeS team to co-host their online event,
"Volunteers and Technology," in March, to explore the effective recruitment
and involvement of BOTH tech volunteers (information communications technology
volunteers, or ICT) and online volunteers.
- January 2002
Supporting 65 ITC volunteers in more than a dozen developing countries,
co-hosting a live web cast that featured the inventor of the World Wide
Web, exciting new partnerships, the launch of our online Knowledge Base
-- UNITeS had a lot going on in 2001!
