IDRC - MENA Workshop & ICTD Conference

– Doha Qatar April 16-21, 2009

I had drafted up this trip report a while ago but have been so busy with another conference paper, that I pushed it aside. I also found that several comments had already chatted a bit about the ICTD conference, however, I didn't see much written on the Young Researchers Workshop nor a pre-conference event hosted by IDRC for Middle East and North African researchers. So here it goes!

The IDRC team arrived in full force to learn about the Middle East and experience the extraordinary enthusiasm of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) researchers while at the same time update themselves on the latest upcoming research that the world has to offer in ICTD.

Day One was a pre-conference workshop titled, "MENA Research Capacity Building Workshop." The objective of the workshop was to strengthen ICT4D research capacities in North Africa and the Middle East.



The Doha Seef Hotel venue was a large room that was divided off to make the room not feel massive, but unfortunately the room size did not make for ideal acoustics especially when attempting to work with a large multi-lingual group.

Delegates were invited from all parts of the region including Morocco, Algeria, and Oman. After introductions and review of the expectations, the delegation broke out in to a World Café style of facilitation.

In small groups that rotated during the session, the crucial questions of “What is ICT4D, how do you interpret the ‘D’ and what makes a successful ICT4D project” were asked. In the discussions, the delegates who had not really explored this area became engaged and did creative critical thinking about how their areas of study could attempt to transform the area of ICT4D. One response to the meaning of ICT4D: “when it contributes to a more humane and sustainable world for more people.” Within the discussions, I found the delegates emphasize the meaning ICT4D as transformative change in the lives of ordinary people.

The researchers from "Strengthening ICT Research Capacity in Asia (SIRCA)" presented their ongoing work including some of the projects that they are going to be funding within their grant competition.

(Photo: Dalia sells her proposal at the ‘Souk’)

In the afternoon, the MENA participants engaged in the “Proposal Souk” where they posted up their proposal and the rest of the audience would come by and listen to their proposal’s “sales pitch”. This great engaging activity got people on their feet after a long day of workshop. The end of Day 1 was left with high energy and prepared the delegates with open ears and eyes for the conference.


(Photos: ICTD conference – lunch hour ‘pow-wow’)

During the ICTD conference, the facilitators for the workshop planned debriefing sessions at lunch hour to discuss and analyzed the different papers being presented. This lunch time gathering brought the workshop participants together like a team and helped to build that trust and discussion which would follow for the next days after the conference and into the workshop conclusion.



ICTD2009 Proceedings Online:
http://www.qatar.cmu.edu/~yonina/ICTD2009Proceedings.pdf (warning 35mb)

The first conference was hosted in UC Berkeley and then it was followed with Bangalore.
The event boasted in presenting the best scholarly work on the use of ICTs for development, both in technical and social science areas. There were over 250 submissions to the conference and all papers underwent a double-blind peer-review process. One of the paper reviewers indicated uncertainty of the transparency of the review process. Also, the reviewer was unsure as to who decides the criteria for the review process. Some of the delegates felt that the conference had a bias towards American chosen presentations. There were 19 oral presentations, and 27 others for poster presentation to a more than 300 person audience. Several IDRC partners were presenting such as a demonstration booth hosted by e-Fez (Asmae and Driss).

Pam Zahonogo, RIA! Researcher from Burkina Faso, presented the RIA! poster and paper, Mobile Telephony Access and Usage in Africa, which has received some conference coverage from Eric Hersman’s popular website, White African. Beyond the conference, a quick search has found RIA! Recent household survey work being utilized and reference by numerous authors.

Young Researchers Workshop


One of the first workshops was the Young Researchers Workshop. The workshop drew in an exciting atmosphere of young up-and-coming PhD researchers working in all parts of the world. In their call for papers, the committee selected 12 papers (I posted them online here) to be presented at the workshop. Senior researchers were then part of a committee that gave feedback to the presentation. As it was one of the first workshops of the conference and the other workshop was postponed to a later time, the room was packed with audience members of over 70 persons. Each delegate had approximately five minutes to talk about the challenges of young researchers in the field of ICTD.

The presenters had backgrounds ranging from computer science, geography, social science and development. It was clear however, that some presenters did not necessarily feel these disciplines quite fit into the research work that they were engaged in. A majority of the discussion included cross-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary definitions of ICTD. Those under the discipline of Computer science were trying to re-align their actual discipline objectives – how to get the discipline to evaluate not just the computer programming aspect but also to evaluate the other external and internal factors of a research project in order for that computer program application within development to succeed! Some of the delegates included those from the University of Washington, who were working on with OpenMRS and D-Tree international, and Commcare, to the Royal Holloway University of London who were working on participatory model tools to conduct field research. Among the papers, 10 out of the 12 presentations were about work conducted in Africa. (The other two were in China and Albania.) Another disturbing reflection comes from Tim Unwin’s (one of the Senior Researcher Judges) blog reflection on the workshop: “the much academic discourse plays to the tunes of conductors who are not necessarily particularly interested in the needs of the poorest and most marginalized"

I feel that part of the reflection may have come from my paper (as well as others) to how we cannot remain in the status quo of the current engagement of women (and other marginalized groups) in ICT4D work. For a little taste of the Young Researchers Workshop, watch Paulo Brunello’s work.


In the afternoon, the remaining individuals (most of the audience disappeared to the other three sessions taking place) split up into groups and discussed some of our stories in ICTD. My favourite activity was ‘speed-dating’ where those who identified with the social science stayed in one line and then the computer scientist were in another line. Then we had 60 seconds to figure out how the social science could work with the computer science in a project together. All of the delegates wished there was more time to do this activity because only then was there creative brainstorming on how one could overcome those difficulties of a multi-disciplinary field.

That's all I really wanted to highlight from the conference, but here is Prof Heeks' comment on Bill Gates and ICTD, a short piece by Jonathan Donner and a little travel report by Stephane Boyera.

Of course, I made sure to sneak out to check out the Museum of Islamic Art (very amazing) and the souk waqif - must sees when in Doha (photos in kdiga's Flickr).

Recap on Business Plans from the Slums

“The role of business skill development in catalyzing dynamic economies and alleviating African urban poverty”
Green College, University of British Columbia

Yesterday, I returned to the old stomping ground of my university and business school, Sauder School of Business, to engage in a workshop discussing issues of social entrepreneurship and development in Africa. The workshop was a fundraiser for the Sauder Africa project Social Entrepreneurship 101. I have been following SE101 since 2007 when I first mentioned to Nancy Langton about the wonderful work of the Kimathi Information Centre and their full-spirited leader, Jose Ngunjiri. They continue to be partners in helping to train young entrepreneurs through a business planning course to this day.

I was quite unsure what to expect from the workshop besides listening to some experiences of work in Africa. My uncertainty then turned to a feeling of inspiration – I sat in this room and started to hear the thoughts of Canadians genuinely committed in the issues of development and business both at home and in Africa and beyond. The discussion was extremely engaging between the audience and speakers in trying to capture what makes a successful entrepreneur in the most dire of circumstances. Here is a little bit about the speaker’s discussions and how I related to their work.


Photo (left to right): Nancy, Dale, Stephen, Marcia, Joanna, Rob


Marcia Nozick, Executive Director of Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society - EMBERS

Marcia, who has been working in community development since 2001, became involved in EMBERS mainly because she lives in the neighborhood. At the time, she was looking for ways to get involved with the marginalized in what is known as one of the poorest area codes in Canada, the downtown eastside (DTES). EMBERS is basically a business training for those in the DTES who are ready to start their lives fresh as an entrepreneur. She mentions a great deal of support (some for nearly 4-5 years) that is provided for nearly 135 of the new businesses. EMBERS provides a tremendous amount of resources in an attempt to help the businesses succeed such as the financing 3 to 1 program. For example, if the business raises at least $600, the organization matches another $1200 in order for the business to leverage the capital and grow. Of course, these business owners overcome major barriers (some without identification, can’t open bank account, navigating business regulation forms, etc).

It is just hard for me to imagine what Africa could be like if such abundant resources were available to entrepreneurs as they are here in Vancouver. While so geographically apart, many challenges are the same in attempting to develop a business from one’s bare hands.

Dale Albertson, Executive Director of African – Canadian Continuing Education Society

ACCES is simply providing education programs in Kenya. He approached the workshop less about his organization and more about some of the literature that has helped him understand micro-enterprise, mainly quoting work from Development in Practice journal. He asks what is the motivation for creating microenterprises in disadvantaged areas? The motivation is to provide one’s basic needs and dealing with lack of security. Thus in such mindset, most entrepreneurs have no thought as to what activities they wish to pursue. Instead they copy the businesses that are common around their community. Why? The individuals are extremely risk adverse; they are not interested in starting in a venture they know nothing about. The biggest question in their minds is how to make money in the least amount of time given the limited resources. Thus, the businesses gravitate towards those industries that already exist. He also states that less than two percent are products that are differentiated from those that currently exist. His last main point was that those with a vision tended to end with better futures and those with formal training had the better visions.

While I can understand the motivation reason mentioned by Dale, I also wonder whether there is some deeper disruption also taking place that keep people from having a totally new product in their community market. I wonder whether differentiating your product also brings animosity and jealousy to the community which some would rather avoid. I recall my time in Uganda when a farmer mentioned who some of them were attempting to grow a new product, apples as was demonstrated by the extension workers. The problem is that apples are expensive to grow with the cost of all the inputs compared to the other crops, so not all farmers could grow in it the area. Once a few farmers attempted to grow the apples, many would steal the apples or cause harm to the apple growers. Those growing apples had to ban together at night to protect the apples. Now I wonder if someone decided to go against a sign of solidarity (ie growing the same crops, selling the same goods, etc), do they always experience such negative reactions from their communities, thus avoid such confrontation? Such innovators have a tough barrier to overcome if this is true.

Rob Kozak – Researcher for Africa Forests Research Initiative on Conservation and Development - AFRICAD, Professor of Sustainable Business Management, UBC

Rob is a researcher who clearly wants to addresses the linkage between poverty and forestry in Africa through alternative forest tenure business models. He states that 90% of the rural poor are dependent on the forest (either for subsistence, housing, food, medicine, etc). A majority of the forest business utilizes the concession based export model where large tracts of land are sold to multi-national corporations. From such models, little wealth goes back to the communities in the forest and the communities usually have limited rights of land access. He asks the question what could these communities (particularly indigenous communities) do to formalize or legitimize a business in forestry, otherwise move out of the informal sector? He knows that direct finance and subsidies do not work so what is required are interventions with sound business principles. Since most of the small and medium size forest enterprise cannot compete with the MNCs, how can they sell to smaller niches or domestic markets? How do we enable business for these local business persons?

In his talk, he mentions attempting to assist the most marginalized in the forests of Congo, the pygmies. I had the chance to visit a group of pygmies at the edge of the Rwanda / Uganda border as well as those near Bwindi forests (best known for the endangered silverback gorillas). The pygmies have been pushed out of their homes in the forest, some for the reasons of conservation of endangered animal species. The communities were given no exit strategies to help them survive out of their usual hunter-gather societies. The people are extremely impoverished, many treated as unpaid workers on agriculture land (only fed a small meal a day), those disabled are left to beg from home to home or steal small potatoes when they can. It is actually one of the saddest situations to see and ask how they are forced to survive. Rob and his group have a huge weigh on their shoulders to attempt to gain some legitimate rights to land back to these indigenous people.

Joanna Buczkowska – Managing Director for UBC Centre for Sustainability and Social Innovation, Development Advisor for SAWA Global

Joanna mainly spoke from her work with SAWA in showcasing grassroot leaders in 50 of the poorest countries in the world. They are currently looking for innovative ways for these amazing individuals to show case their work (ie. Video) and how to mentor or connect these heroes to each other and the rest of the world. A major criteria that has helped their program to succeed is to ensure that the heroes are active partners in the dialogue of the program. I love the sprinkles of inspiration from their website and have a few names I would love to drop into that program for sure!

Stephen Nairne – Managing Director for Lundin for Africa

Stephen’s organization helps to provide social venture capital to organizations in Africa. They currently are working with eleven projects in nine countries. They attempt to scale businesses in West Africa as well as provide funds for technical assistance. He asks how to get businesses into the formal sector and become taxpayers. The process can take in some areas five to ten years. He mentions their support towards the Acumen Fund which generally invests capital in bottom of the pyramid institutions. I also like his keen interest in the growing area of mobile banking.

Overall, the event was well worth attending and look forward to hearing more about these organizations in the future.

Canada dead set on improving their development aid bucks

I’m back home in Vancouver and it has been a real treat to have time to myself. I get to finish up some reports long overdue, catch up with friends and family and catch up with Canadian news in international development. It looks like I came at the right time as the Minister of International Cooperation, Honourable Beverley J. Oda just announced the new Canadian strategy to international development – greater efficiency and greater focus.

Her speech was super straight forward and you know exactly what they want to do: 80% of resources towards 20 countries to increase food security, stimulate sustainable economic growth and secure the future of children and youth. Bam.

Other sidenotes include sending 15% of their Ottawa-based staff into the field and no more ‘tied aid’ – as in buying food aid in the local countries as opposed to using Canadian food and suppliers which costs up to 30% more! The Ministry is also adding a Democratic Promotion Agency – self-explanatory.

My thoughts – do it. The Ministry has only $2.1 billion to play with this year in aid, they are obviously responding to that terrible Senate report that on CIDA, Overcoming 40 Years of Failure, and we hope this criticism will shape them into a more effective agency.

While some of the criticism has already come through that this new strategy does not direct state its efforts towards poverty alleviation, the idea of increasing food security is absolutely directed at the poor. The workers at farms who are a majority women can help improve their livelihoods with improved inputs and technology for farming and hopefully see better healthy crops in the future.

I’m just stoked that Mozambique has remained as one of the priority countries!