GK3-Event on the future

By Shaheen Buneri 

Third Global Knowledge Conference (GK3) that held on 11th-13th December, 2007 in Kualla Lumpur <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Malaysia was a unique gathering of global visionaries, innovators, practitioners and policy makers who had come to share knowledge and build partnerships on a platform created by and for stakeholders from every sector-private companies, governments, international institutions and civil society groups.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> 

The conference was organized by Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP)-the world's first multi-stakeholders network that promotes knowledge and information and communication technologies for development.

 

Since its formation in 1997, GKP has been a major global advocacy for harnessing the power of information and communication technology (ICT) towards fulfilling the social, economic and developmental needs of communities around the world.

 

Addressing to the opening ceremony of the conference Rinalia Abdul Rahim, executive director, GKP and Chair of the GK3 working committee said that Global knowledge was a critical factor in global development and that ICT had a role in improving lives, reducing poverty and empowering people.

 

"We need to close the gap between those who have access to knowledge and information and those deprived of such access. In order to facilitate greater inclusion of all global citizens in universal efforts to address these challenges and to secure our future together", she added.

 

With the theme "Emerging people, Emerging Markets, Emerging Technologies", this year's conference focuses on the future and aims to discuss possible ways of using ICT to address growing developmental needs and concerns around the world.

 

Delivered in a framework of expert panels and workshops, GK3 was designed to ensure maximum knowledge, interaction, inspiration, reflection, learning and debate on concrete innovations, solutions and visions of the future.

 

Before the conference the GK3 organizers arranged a trip for media fellows from different countries of the world to Kaula Lampur down town and Putrajaya-the newly constructed and ultra modern capital of Malaysia. Meeting with entrepreneurs who were earlier drug addicts but now running their own small enterprises and symbolizing the strength of human will, was an enriching experience.

 

"Dancing with the stars", was another attraction of the trip in which young Malaysians danced with frenzy and excitement to the tune of rock music. All the participants including young social entrepreneurs were enthralled by the superb performance of the dancers and some of them also took snap shots of the different poses of the performers.

 

The media fellows also visited the National Press Club of Kuala Lumpur and spent an informal evening with journalists working for different media organizations in Malaysia.  A number of issues ranging from power politics, poverty, show business, and press freedom issues came under discussions with the Malaysian journalists.

 

For all the three days from 11-13 December the conference focused on diverse themes and topics related to the role of ICT for Development ranging from Emerging Markets-Is there fortune at the bottom of the pyramid and New jobs and Employment Opportunities to the Future of Internet: opportunities and risks.

 

Parallel panel discussions and workshops on citizen journalism, human rights, development, the future of innovation, knowledge transfer for development, social outsourcing, transforming publishing practices to enhance knowledge for development, building knowledge societies, empowering grassroots women for good governance and young social entrepreneurs' forum provided an exceptional opportunity for the conference participants to think, learn, plan, and share personal experiences for enhanced knowledge sharing and partnership at the global level.

 

The young Social Entrepreneurs' Forum was a special Gk3 feature. It brought 100+ selected young social entrepreneurs from all around the world to GK3. They are young people up to 30 years old who have set up innovative enterprises that have a double or triple bottom line: they generate financial returns as well as social/environmental returns.

 

The Forum focused on the four areas in which innovative young social entrepreneurs need support to enable them to harness the full potential of their ICT-enabled social business: Mentoring, Knowledge, Networking and Financing.

 

On the 2nd day of the conference BBC world Service recorded BBC world Debate-The Future of Learning: Appropriate Technology. This was a debate between those who see technology as being a means of fast-tracking development and those who would rather concentrate on fixing the "basic needs" first. The debate was part of BBC World Debates series. These debates reach weekly audiences over four time zones of more than 93 million in English. Zainab Badawi, broadcaster and trustee of BBC world Service was moderator for the programme.

 

Another attraction of GK3 was the i4d Film Festival. The festival was co-organized by the centre for science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS) and GKP. Earlier it had become clear that a lot of community-generated content that focused on the needs of the grassroots community was available in the form of videos. This content, however, was scattered. The i4d Film Festival, Beyond the Mainstream was an attempt to bring together this community of filmmakers. The film-makers were farmers, vegetable-sellers, slum dwellers, street children and other members of the community.

 

The third World Electronic Media Forum held at the GK3 brought together broadcast executives, policy makers, academics, journalists, visionaries and decision makers from around the world. They looked at fundamental changed taking place in the global information society, and discussed how these would affect the role of the electronic media as well as the dissemination of knowledge, economic and business practices, political engagement and other aspects of the society.

 

GK3 also hosted Idea Factory: "A world of entrepreneurs-20 ideas to make it happen by 2020", Stockholm Challenge-GKP Awards 2007 and AISI-GKP Media Awards 2007.

 

The GK3 was really a comprehensive package for people with thirst for learning and knowledge sharing. The GK3 Gala Dinner and Hakuna Matata: A social Entrepreneurs' night provided an unforgettable opportunity of colours, excitement and entertainment for the conference participants.

 

I would like to appreciate the conference organizers for arranging such a remarkable event and bringing together great minds of the world to think, debate, contribute and share their knowledge for a better and more prosperous future of the humanity.

 

This is high time for the international development organizations to support GKP in organizing such events of learning and knowledge sharing in other developing and underdeveloped countries of the world so that people from these countries can also find an opportunity to learn new skills and acquire knowledge to better their lives and future.