'Much attention has been focused on rural areas, yet the contribution post offices make to urban areas has been overlooked.  In fact, post offices in urban areas have borne the brunt of recent closures. The last post provides new evidence of the vital social and economic role of urban sub post offices.  The report says that they play a particularly valuable role in deprived urban areas, and outlines the new threats that they now face from changes to the post office network.'
This is a New Eco more...

Abstract: 'This paper examines the development, growth and potential sustainability of small business communication centres in cities in Ghana. It investigates the extent to which these enterprises are using modem communication tools to provide services and its impact on rural development. It describes the type of technologies available at these centres and demonstrates how these centres could be used to provide services to urban, rural and other underserved populations. Additionally, it draws a more...

This publication presents three case studies of successful multistakeholder partnerships devoted to the promotion of digital technologies for development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The purpose is to analyze the process through which these partnerships were created and have withstood the passing of time, in order to point out performance criteria and lessons learned leading to better practices for building and sustaining this kind of partnerships in the region.

This volume examines broadband developments and policies, and highlights challenges such as connecting users to fibre-based networks or coverage of rural areas. It also outlines emerging issues that may need policy attention as we move to next-generation networks. The findings are also relevant to emerging and developing economies designing broadband strategies.

From the summary: "In some areas, mobile phones and the internet are connecting urban farmers to their markets. Here we investigate plans for an 'e-procurement' project between Kigali and Rome.

Glocalization. ‘Glocalization’? Is that a typo? Don’t we mean ‘globalization’?.

Well, no. Glocalization, a portmanteau of ‘globalization’ and ‘localization’, is a form of decentralized cooperation and a new concept within development circles. Instead of government-to-government more...

The Major Cities of Europe IT User's Group is an independent group of representatives from cities all over Europe.

The objectives of the group are:

To effect a voluntary exchange of ideas, visions and experience between members of the Group for the purpose of improving the performance of local government by using information technology.


To represent the collective interests of members of the Group in discussions with public authorities, suppliers of information technology and other r more...

This PDF paper was written by Philip J. Vergragt (2006), Tellus Institute, Great Transition Initiative (GTI). From the abstract: "The effects of technology underlie early twenty-first century global challenges. On the one hand, since the Enlightment, technology, especially science-based technology, has offered the promise of a better world through the elimination of disease and material improvements to standards of living. On the other hand, resource extraction, emissions of dangerous material more...

This study "An Overview of The Demographics and Usage Patterns of Internet Users in Developing Countries: Yemeni Internet Population as a Case Study" was written by Helmi Noman, a graduate of Columbia University and a freelance consultant and researcher on issues related to the Internet in developing countries. Published on the UNDP country website for Yemen, the study was conducted in May/June 2002 in Yemen’s main Internet-using population cities: Sana’a, Aden, Taiz, Hodeidah, and Hadramout more...

This is a blog that is dedicated primarily to podcasting. Its aim is to gather multimedia content from around the Internet and post it in such a way as to be 'listenable' in iTunes or any other podcatcher. This blog is among the first to offer multimedia content to those willing and capable of sharing best-practices in a multimedia format. Users are encouraged to submit multimedia content (ictfordevelopment @ gmail.com) that they feel will benefit their community as a whole. All content is b more...

The Pillars of Vision 2020 are:

1. The reconstruction of the nation and its social capital;

2. The development of a credible and efficient state governed by the rule of law;

3. Human resource development in line with our objective of turning Rwanda into a prosperous knowledge-based economy;

4. Development of basic infrastructure, including urban planning;

5. Development of entrepreneurship and the private sector, and

6. Modernization of agriculture and animal husbandry.