Working on a wiki: the Telecentre Knowledge Network

For the past two months I was busy working with Microsoft and telecentre. org to create the Telecentre Knowledge Network, a wiki that

discusses issues facing the global telecentre movement, presents a condensed view of the knowledge about telecentres, and offers activists a place to share the knowledge and wisdom that comes from running telecentres.

(And as telecentre.org is a Canadian entity, “telecentre” is spelled correctly—although it took some getting used to.)

The wiki works like Wikipedia, except that it is for sharing knowledge about a specific field and not the world at large.

As for my contribution, I helped

• determine how the content from Making the CONNECTION: Scaling Telecenters for Development, written by the Academy for Educational Development, the book upon which the wiki was based, would be adapted to the wiki format
• design the wiki’s architecture
• create the style manual and tutorials on using the site
• decide what features the wiki should have
• coordinate requirements with the programmer
• oversee usability testing

Please explore the Telecentre Knowledge Network and tell others about it. Wikis are only effective when people share their knowledge and experiences.

Work in international development, see exotic places, meet interesting people, and Americanize them

This cartoon reminds me of the faux-Army slogan: “Join the Army, see exotic places, meet interesting people, and kill them.” Only instead of shooting the locals, international development consultants develop private-sector partnerships, vocational skills adapted to a developing economy, and social safety nets.

Anyway, it’s a great way to spend five minutes on a Friday afternoon:

There You Go by Oren Ginzburg

Banyan Global launches new development-consulting website

Banyan Global, “a development consulting firm, founded on the principle that integrating expertise and experience from the development community and private sector will achieve a broad and lasting impact,” launched its new website this week.

I wrote and edited a significant portion of the text.

Banyan Global—a women-owned, small business—has four practice areas: Microfinance, the Health Sector, Enterprise Development, and the Financial Sector. It is headquartered in New York City, has staff in Washington, DC, and works in five continents.

And while I’m pitching other blogs…

The Private Sector Development Blog is a collaborative site by members of the World Bank Group. The site features the opinions of subject matter experts about many development-related issues.

And kudos to the World Bank for hosting a site where some of its employees can voice their own opinions (and, I assume, post on work time). Blogs like this one are a great way to create a dialogue and get input from the diverse groups working in a particular field.

Too often business websites are static, never giving readers a reason to return. Not so with a blog.

Now, if only they’d add a hyphen to that compound modifier in the title…

Congressman Kolbe wins Commitment to Development Award

From the Center for Global Development:

Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) has been selected as the recipient of the 2006 Commitment to Development Award. Sponsored by the Center for Global Development and Foreign Policy magazine, the award honors an individual or organization from the rich world that has made a significant contribution to changing attitudes and policies towards the developing world. An expert panel selects the recipient annually.

As I mentioned when I first posted about the award, I voted for Bill and Melinda Gates. Congressman Kolbe is a smarter pick though. The Gates, Bono, Presidents Clinton and Carter, and Doctors Without Borders already get accolades for their work; giving them this award wouldn’t garner any additional attention for international development efforts. Selecting a Republican Congressmen, however, might get some headlines.