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Photo Blog on National Institute for Training of Women Trainers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Social Change in Beirut, Lebanon. Convened by Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) and Collective for Research and Training on Development-Action. Facilitated by Yours Truly.

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Photo Blog on National Institute for Training of Women Trainers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Social Change in Amman, Jordan. Convened by Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) and Sisterhood Is Global Institute-Jordan (SIGI-J). Facilitated by Yours Truly.

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The pervasiveness of cell phones in the Global South is an old story that everyone has heard multiple times already. However, it is a nascent technology and its innovative uses and applications are still unfolding in many parts of the world. Here are two recent experiences from my trip to Jordan & Lebanon to add to the “cool uses of mobile technology” theme.

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On Dec 1, I landed in Amman, Jordan to facilitate the National Institute for Training of Women Trainers in Information and Communication Technology for Social Change, convened by Women’s Learning Partnership (WLP) and Sisterhood Is Global Institute-Jordan (SIGI-J).

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Overall country rank, user numbers, and gender break-down of Facebook users (as of Nov 2007)

• 42,966,780 total users
  • 15,521,660 (36.12%) male; 18,118,600 (42%) female; 9,326,520 (21.71%) unspecified.

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Who has not heard of Grameen phone ladies? In 1997, GrameenPhone (a for-profit affiliate of Grameen Bank) piloted an innovative concept called the Village Phone Program. GrameenPhone would lend money to village women under this program. Women buy a cell phone and airtime from GrameenPhone to become phone ladies. They start a service business renting out their phone and airtime to other villagers. Villagers talk to their friends and family dispersed all over the world. Villagers pay money to phone ladies. Phone ladies make a handsome profit. Phone ladies buy more airtime from GrameenPhone. GrameenPhone makes a good profit. And everyone lived happily ever after. Read More »

Afghanistan cell phone usage and industry statistics:

• Amirzai Sangin, Afghanistan’s Minister for Telecommunications, reported that cell phone service providers are signing up new users at a rapid clip. The country adds about 150,000 new subscribers every month.

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Breaking news from Bangkok’s The Nation

Ban on YouTube lifted after deal
Website to block clips offensive to Thais or that break Thai law
Published on August 31, 2007

The government yesterday lifted its ban on the YouTube website after the site’s management agreed to block any video clips deemed offensive to Thai people or those that violate Thai law. Read More »

This month’s issue of Baseline Magazine has an excellent overview of World Bank’s information and communication technology related activities, infrastructure, and budget. (Warning: Don’t blame me if your eyes pop and jaws drop at the numbers mentioned in there.)

The article spans about 12 pages, so for those of you who do not want to read it in its entirety, here is the gist: Read More »

Information & Communication Technology (ICT) data from the survey of women business owners in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Responses based on interviews with 1,228 women business owners from five countries (Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and UAE) between May-October, 2006. Read More »