Third Annual Conference on rural Telecentres of Nepal: Swaabhimaan 2065

Organizer: Forum for Information Technology Nepal (FIT Nepal)
Venue: Kathmandu, Nepal

Contact Information: Allen Bailochan Tuladhar
Chairperson
Forum for Information Technology Nepal
PO Box 956, Unlimited Building, Khichapokhari, Kathmandu, NEPAL
Phone: 977-1-2030399 URL: www.fitnepal.org.np
Email: [email protected]

Nepal's tenth five-year plan has sunsetted in July 2007 and Nepal is lagging behind in achieving the number of telecenters to be established in rural areas of Nepal. In order to take the Telecentre movement forward, one of the biggest hindrances has been identified by the Second National Conference on Rural Telecentres, Swaabhimaan 2063 as the lack of political will and commitment at a time where the political situation was fluid and changing.

Hence, Forum for Information Technology Nepal (FIT Nepal) proposed and made a study tour of all the senior political leaders to India to observe and study on how India is setting its priorities to use ICT for development and focus all its delivery of services to its citizens through the rural telecenters. There have been attempts since last two years to use ICT for overall development in Nepal thru telecenters as well. The two national conferences on rural telecenters of Nepal were the outcome of the attempts. But due to the frequent changes in the government, the political scenario and ongoing civil unrest and security concerns; the attempts could not serve and match with the interest of the development of rural sectors of Nepal. Now, the political scenario of Nepal has seen a big change with an elected government in place to form a Constituent Assembly and where stability for at least the next 30 months can be foreseen where the Interim three year plan of the government will be implemented. All the senior and topmost leaders are in the driver's seat of the country where everyone is committing that they will create a 'New Nepal'. It was felt that that was the right time to raise the issues of development through telecenters so that all the policy makers and leaders hear and concentrate in this issue.

The study tour was organized by FIT Nepal from May 14-19, 2007 for the 27 senior political leaders delegation led by the Honorable Minister of Environment, Science and Technology which included parliamentarians of all the largest eight political parties, secretaries and other government officials.

One of the biggest realizations that were felt during this visit is to assist the National Planning Commission in the interim three year plan with the necessary input on a detailed plan and the identification of budget and resources for the next three years of interim period. As a result, the various stakeholders of “Mission Swaabhimaan” were able to provide the inputs to create the following quantitative targets for the government of Nepal in the Interim 3 year plan:

- Construction of a building for the Government Integrated Data and Training Center (GIDTC).
- Installation of firewall, V-Sat and one server set.
- Capacity enhancement of operating 27 rural information centers.
- Basic computer training and motivation program to 2,550 government staffs for the implementation of e-government.
- Establishment of 300 rural information centers in different parts of Nepal.
- Pilot-examination of citizenship records in 20 districts and Central
- Computer Unit of the Ministry.
- Computerization of government accounting system and implementation in 300 government offices.
- Establishment of Information System Lab (IS Lab) at national level to examine quality of hardware and software.

Swaabhimaan 2065 will be linked up with many activities going on in parallel:
- Computer Association Nepal is organizing CAN Softech 2008 from June 17-20 June, 2008 where a showcase of the latest in computer software and technologies will be organized whereby participants of Swaabhimaan 2065 will also get to partake in this event.
- The Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) which is the world’s first multi-stakeholder
network promoting innovation and advancement in knowledge and information and
communications for development is also organizing its GKP-SA meeting on 18 and 19
June, 2008. So the members of GKP-SA will also be the part of Mission Swaabhimaan
and actively promote the GKP SA 2008 as a pre event activity for the Mission
Swaabhimaan conference.

For Further details please contact
Forum for Information Technology Nepal (FIT Nepal)
Unlimited Building, Opp Pashupati Plaza, PO Box 956, Khichapokhari, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-2030399
Email: [email protected]
URL: http://www.culminisconnections.com/sites/fitnepal