The VIII Infopoverty World Conference “Low Cost-Smart Technologies to Fight Poverty and Save the Planet” will be held on April 16,17 and 18, 2008 at the UN Headquarters in New York, at the Politecnico in Milan, and in other seats connected by videoconference.

It is high time that all stakeholders actively participate in enhancing the crucial role that the ICTs can have in achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals and that private entities understand the product needs of final users in developing countries.  Products must be tailor-made to fit the special needs of the the peoples living in disadvantaged conditions such as lack of electricity and safe water, low literacy rates, and differing cultural expectations.

Through these efforts, developing countries could become the avant-garde of the Digital Revolution at the highest possible technological level.

The Conference aims to advance the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and, in particular, supports programmes for alleviating poverty through information and communication technologies and empowering women and indigenous people to take a more active role.

The Conference is organized by the Observatory for Cultural and Audiovisual Communication (OCCAM) with the support of the Secretariat of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development, under the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and of the European Parliament, Infopoverty Institute – University of Oklahoma, and the Politecnico di Milano.

Infopoverty World Conference 2008 syntetic agenda
Wednesday April 16 UN Headquarters, New York 15.00-18.00, Room 5 Preliminary Sessions Telemedicine E-learning Workshop: Faith-Led Initiatives and Best Practices Workshop: Indigenous people
Milan	Thursday April 17 UN Headquarters, New York	Other Seats
10.00 local time Politecnico di Milano Innovation and development to fight poverty and open new market opportunities: which role for italy?
	9.15 Room 5 Opening Plenary Session	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Politecnico di Milano Report from the morning session	10.00 Room 5 Plenary Session 1 New model for sustainable development	UN Seat  in Iraq Baghdad   Beijing, China
	11.30 Room 5 Plenary Session 2 Best practice : from pilot syndromE to scale up   11.30 Lunch Break	ICT Village Sambaina, Madagascar
	15.00-18.00 Room 5 Continuation of Plenary Session 2
Friday April 18
Milan	UN Headquarters, New York	Other Seats
14.30  local time Università Cattolica New technologies linked to renewable energies : an instrument to fight poverty?
3.30 p.m. Report from European Session	8.30 am  Room 5 Plenary Session 3 A common target through converging policies   10.45 Papal Address   12.30 Room 5 Plenary Session 5 Final Round Table e declaration	Brussels, European Commission   UNESCO, Paris
	15.00 Room 5 Follow up Session Interactive focused Dialogue and implementing action

 

VIII Infopoverty World Conference : Low Cost - Smart Technologies to Fight Poverty and Save the Planet

Agenda of the Conference