DEC 07 - The South Asia Conference on Technologies for Poverty Reduction, held in New Delhi last month, brought together positive experiences of technology development from across the region - showing how communities who are normally excluded can benefit from technology.
Organisations, government officials and representatives from the civic society discussed issued regarding using technologies for poverty reduction. The South Asian conference focused mainly on getting the government officials and politicians to focus on promoting technologies. Often, governments due to various reasons, especially conflict in South Asia tend to not spend much on improvement of technologies. The conference mainly to bring out ideas in order to give governments the notion that technology is important for poverty alleviation.
The participation by parliamentarian from Pakistan and India further showed that the politicians needed to be serious on technology. However, presentations made by representatives from Sri Lanka and Nepal showed that although technology was in the manifesto of the political parties it was still in the bottom of the priority areas. Most regions in South Asia, are facing conflict situations that hinder them from investing in technology.
Still the benefits of technological progress continue to exclude large numbers of people in the world. There is an urgent need for new technology agendas that will ensure that technology works for all. The conference featured stories of good practices of such technologies in South Asia under the following themes:
* Irrigation and water management
* Food production technologies
* Housing technologies
* Energy
Similarly, the participants at the conference to bring change into the region regarding technology drew an agenda. The agenda mainly focused on areas which could be followed immediately and with the government and politicians getting involved. ITDG helps people to use technology in the fight against poverty. Around the world, people use technology as a pathway out of poverty. The notion that ‘Small is working’ is important. For many people in the South Asian region, improved technologies are important. Instead of just bringing ‘modern’ technologies into the lives of the people, it is necessary that it is relevant to their lives and the way they live.Posted on: 2003-12-08 04:50

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