[Reader-list] Towards an Open Information Society in Pakistan

[Fouad Riaz Bajwa]

Towards an Open Agenda!

Members of BytesForAll Pakistan (http://pakistanictpolicy.bytesforall.net)
are leading concrete steps towards formulating an "Open Information Society”
in Pakistan by building partnerships and organizing activities to sensitize
stakeholders on information society issues and challenges as well as impart
the relevance of Open FOSSophy at national and regional levels. This
includes events that encourage debates on ICT Policies, open content and
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) policies and practices in Pakistan.

	These steps tend to formulate a regional knowledge sharing platform
and strengthening a common understanding amongst civil society, IT
professionals and Government agencies. Involving these stakeholders will
outline the future direction towards an Open Information Society, evolving
research collaborations taking the Information Society debate out from
government circles only to stakeholders and community. 

An International Workshop

	Such a workshop is being organized by South Asia
Partnership-Pakistan and Bytesforall in collaboration with South Asia
Partnership International (SAP-I), Bellanet, Bella SAP on the theme,
“Emergence of Open Information Society in Pakistan” from March 21 – 22,
2007, at the National Secretariat of SAP-PK in Lahore, the capital of
Punjab, Pakistan. It is expected that the activity will be attended by
renowned ICT experts, social scientist and policy makers from across
Pakistan and Nepal. This workshop is aimed to build a true Information
Society in the country, which creates and discuss possibilities and scope of
Information Communication Technology among all the stakeholders on matters
of common interest. 

Initiating the Debate

	Key themes of the activity include People friendly ICT Policies,
Civil Society and Open FOSSophy. The activity will enable debate and
discussions issues such as the WSIS process, Geneva 2003 and Tunis 2005
proceedings, Civil Society's role in the WSIS Process and expected
challenges with respect to the future. How Civil Society can contribute to
people friendly ICT Policies and how important it is that open information
society is collaborative and based on multi-stakeholder partnership. Sharing
the concepts of an open FOSSophy and how the Civil Society can be involved
to effectively contribute to it in light of its similarities strengthening
the efficiency and competency of Civil Society. This would also bring into
context how FOSSophy can support collaboration in Pakistan through the
various collaborative models of Open FOSSophy and how this process should be
advanced to promote collaboration. 

Group Dynamics & Methodology

	The activity will involve both presentations and encourage group
dynamics with a great deal of interaction and involvement from its
participation enabling collaboration, knowledge creation and recording
through employing various methodologies promoting openness and inclusiveness
within the process including but not limited to Open Space Technology, World
Café, Speed Geeking, Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts and After Action Review. The
event will be attended by over 45 participants from various civil society
and organizations working in relevance to the themes of the workshop
including but not limited to members from Government agencies, NGOs,
Development Activists, Media, Academicians, IT professionals and Content
developers. 

Expected Participation 

	The activity involves participation from the South Asia Partnership
- SAP Pakistan, SAP Nepal, BytesForAll, PEMRA, PAN Localization,
International Free and Open Source Software Foundation, DAMEN, Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan, Shirkatgah, Caritas, SPO, Aurat Foundation,
ActionAid, National University, Insan Foundation, Interactive Resource
Centre, Responsible Business Initiative, CIDA, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA),
Techno-Ed, SMEDA, Industrial Information Network IIN, FiveRivers
Technologies, Buniyad, YHCR, Daily News, Associated Press of Pakistan
(APP),National ICT R&D Fund, PSEB, OSRC, Ministry of IT, Govt. of Pakistan,
PTA, Spider Magazine, P at SHA, Jamil & Jamil, HD Net, British Council, KADO.

Partners & Organizers

	A brief introduction about the organizers and partners for these
events in the region is given below.

Bytesforall 
B4A is a networked space for citizens in South Asia. It experiments,
highlights and organizes debate on the relevance of ICTs to development
activities. B4A is the most significant network of ICTs professional and
practitioners in the whole south Asia region with a reasonably significant
presence in Pakistan. Being and active member of Association for Progressive
Communications (APC), B4A is involved in various ICT4D related activities.
The most significant in Pakistan is Pakistan ICT Policy Monitors Network
(http://pakistanictpolicy.bytesforall.net/) and various research projects on
different key issues of concern in ICT4D regime in the country.

SAP International (SAP I)  
SAP is an international non-governmental organization with its Secretariat
in Kathmandu, Nepal. SAP I was created in 1995 by its constituent national
SAP organizations in six countries - including Bangladesh, India, Nepal,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Canada - that had worked together since the early
1980s. SAP I's purpose is to focus the aggregate SAP work in the region,
strengthen and support the SAP organizations, and promote regional
programming (www.sapint.org). 

BellSAP     
It was established in Nepal with the objective of promoting and facilitating
effective collaboration among development communities within South East and
South Asia. Bellsap is a joint initiation of Bellanet and the SAP system.
Bellanet is an organization committed to promoting cooperation among
development stakeholders by a strategic use of Information and Communication
Technology (ICT). (www.bellenet.org). 

South Asia Partnership Pakistan  
SAP Pakistan is a non-sectarian organization founded by a group of leading
Pakistani development and social activists in 1987. SAP-PK holds the mandate
to facilitate community groups, NGOs and other civil society networks in
embarking upon the path of self-reliant, sustainable and participatory
development and facilitate the strengthening of a vibrant and actively
mobilized civil society. SAP-PK believes that people's organizations are the
most effective instruments to address community problems and bring about a
positive change in the society. Through its pioneering capacity building,
policy dialogue and advocacy activities SAP Pakistan has built a national
leadership position among close to two thousand development NGOs and CSOs in
the country. In this position, the organization has worked with others on
public mobilization for a wide range of vital issues, including governance,
human rights, gender and peace. (http://www.sappk.org)


By Fouad Riaz Bajwa
For BytesForAll Pakistan 

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