ASEAN Rural Connectivity Conference for Education and Development was held this week at Hanoi. The conference was attended by representatives from ASEAN, business, governments, NGOs and also IT experts. The representatives discussed ways and ideas to implement communication technology (ICT) to provide education and health service to rural areas in the ASEAN countries. Phil Lane Jr., who was a guest speaker, said that already many rural communities in Southeast Asia have joined online networks, and are using the communication technology.
The conference lasted three days, during which experts and representatives discussed the various problem faced, while establishing IT infrastructure for rural and underprivileged areas. Representatives from IT giants, like Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, and Avaya, presented solutions to the problems, and also discussed some case studies.
Presenter Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr. of the Four Worlds International Institute said that it is not only important to take initiatives in the development of IT structure in rural areas, but it is equally important to ensure that local people are involved in the effort. The people belonging to the rural or underprivileged communities should be consulted, in order to understand their requirements and needs.
Chief Lane, in his presentation, emphasized the need for “Deep Social Networking” (DSN). This kind of social networking helps connect people with similar interests and serves a meaningful purpose. An example of such a network is online farming community, where farmers can discuss the price of crops and materials. They can also learn new techniques of farming, by communication with farmers of different regions. Chief Lane also appreciated Vietnamese people for their enthusiasm for ICT and social networking.
Cell phones, Internet cafes and community centers can also play an important role in this kind of online service, even when there is no concrete IT infrastructure. Since the last two years, Chief Lane has been working in the region, educating the NGOs on how to develop and maintain such online communities.
DSN workshops help communities that are interested in online communication, to develop online tools and networks, but in a positive manner and for productive purpose. These workshops also focus on online safety.
Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity includes “People-to-people connectivity,” as one of its three key elements.