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 SUMMIT NEWSROOM 
 UN in Action

 

 

Cameroon - With UN assistance Cameroon catches up with computer technology. With assistance from the United Nations University (UNU), students in Cameroon at the University of Yaoundé have easy access to advanced computers. Traditionally, university graduates were restricted to job opportunities in the public sector. Now, with adequate equipment and training in computer science classes at the university level, students are finding employment in the private sector. They even have a chance to use their entrepreneurial and technology skills to engage in small business such as Internet cafes. (3 min 38 sec)
Ethiopia - UN in Action profiles an ITU sponsored computer-training centre in Ethiopia that assists the blind and visually impaired in Ethiopia to become more self-sufficient by using adapative technology to provide access to the information society.
Honduras - Honduran Entrepreneurs log on to development. The little village of Las Trojas is just a 20 minute drive up the hill from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. But, until now it's been a world away from modern communications technology. The only communication with the outside world was through messages given to a bus driver. Now this tiny farming community can reach beyond its borders electronically. The first telephone has arrived and 18 year-old Hilda Ponce can make her first telephone call ever. The pilot project supported by the UN International Telecommunication Union is bringing telephone and Internet service to isolated communities, thereby helping their economic and social development.
Mongolia - With UN help, Mongolia joins the e-world bandwagon. In rural Mongolia, computers are providing a link across the digital divide bringing information to the local people. In a land where the population depends on cattle for transportation, food and clothing, the mystique of the E-world is finally catching on. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has set up an information centre in the town so Mongolians can learn how to use e-mail and receive basic instruction in digital technology. As Mongolia moves to a free market economy, one priority of the government is to create new job opportunities for the younger generation. (3 min 16 sec)
Solomon Islands - Bridging the digital divide in the Solomon Islands. The Introduction of new technology to Ulawa, one of the 850 islands that make up the Solomon Islands, is bridging the gap between remote nations and the developed world. Now residents of Ulawa are able to communicate easily and quickly with relatives and associates by email instead of using the traditional postal service. PFNET, a local company, manages several email stations using basic equipment. The UN Development Programme (UNDP), supports this innovation. The World Summit on the Information Society will address the impact of the information revolution on the international community.
Tokelau - Tokelau gets the world's most modern telecommunications system. Tokelau is one of the world's most isolated communities. Composed of three small atolls with a population of 1,600, it takes twenty-eight hours to get by boat from Samoa. The atolls lack roads, airstrips even a proper harbor. But, thanks to help from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the New Zealand Government, the islanders now have one of the world's most advanced telecommunications systems. With satellite transmission and solar energy providing electricity, the world is available at the touch of a button to the inhabitants of this remote South Pacific community. (3 min 53 sec)
Uganda - On-line Volunteers help Uganda's disabled. For volunteers like 85-year-old Granny Nabbowa of People with Disabilities-Uganda (PWD), taking care of disabled children can be extremely difficult, particularly when resources are lacking. Now, however, organizations that cater to the needs of the disabled can get help globally. Assisted by the UN Volunteers, NetAid and the Internet, PWD has developed a website to tap the skills, advice and funds of on-line experts around the world. This achievement highlights the Internet's ability to forge partnerships in problem solving. (11 min 08 sec)
Venezuela - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assists decentralization process in Venezuela. The The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working with the Venezuelan Government to decentralize decision-making with the goal of improving the quality of services. The Venezuelan state of Merida has had particular success in improving the state's accountability by introducing technological improvements. Employing new technology to solve problems in developing countries will be one of the themes of the UN Millennium Summit in New York. (2 min 59 sec)

 

 

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