The new issue of the Knowledge Management for Development Journal (Vol. 4, issue 1, April 2008) is now available. This issue focuses on the subject of 'Knowledge sharing and knowledge management in Latin America and the Caribbean (Part 2)'. Produced by the team of Guest Editors comprising Margarita Salas, Kemly Camacho, Simone Staiger-Rivas and Camilo Villa, working with Julie Ferguson and Sarah Cummings as chief editors of the edition, this issue offers 7 new contributions on knowledge management in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Go to journal.

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (Unitar) and South Centre are pleased to announce the launch of their first joint e-Learning course on the theme of “Intellectual Property Policy and Development”. As providers of technical assistance and training to developing countries, South Centre and Unitar have decided to incorporate new information and communication technologies into their capacity development strategies. Concretely, this translates into user-friendly, flexible and accessible internet-based courses for delegates, officials and professionals in full-time work.

With the adoption of the WIPO Development Agenda, the international community and developing countries in particular will have to address various IP policy issues such as public health and patents, protection of traditional knowledge, and access to digital content. This instructor-led online course, which has been reviewed by leading academics and policy makers, will provide participants from the South and North with the necessary background knowledge to address IP policy issues in various areas such as public health, agriculture, traditional knowledge, and digital and internet content.

Please see website http://www.unitar.org/pft/ipdev for additional information and registration.

From the wiki introduction: "This wiki introduces some 'building blocks' - tools and applications - for open information, knowledge sharing and communication in development. It builds on the efforts of ICCO, Euforic and their partners. It supports further investments in these tools and approaches."

http://web2share.pbwiki.com

The annual KM4Dev meeting will be held this year from 18-21 June at the Pousada de Juventude Hostel in Almada, Portugal (just outside Lisbon).

If you intend to participate, please register as soon as possible because accommodation is limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If you require funding to participate, you will be provided with an opportunity to apply for funding (and will be given information on funding criteria and availability) as you go through the registration process. You can find the registration form here:

Registration form

Please note: Registration will be open up to 30 April, 2008! For more information:

KM4Dev Workshop - Lisbon June_2008 Information_for_participants

The EC-FAO Food Security Programme has just published an e-learning course on Collaboration and Advocacy Techniques. The course was produced in collaboration with Overseas Development Institute's (ODI) Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) Programme and Women Thrive Worldwide. The first lesson in the course, called “Techniques for improving collaborative work” is based on ODI’s publication entitled “Tools for Knowledge and Learning: A guide for development and humanitarian organisations”.

The course is available on CD and the WWW. To access this and other courses free of charge visit the EC-FAO Food Security Information for Action Programme website at: http://www.foodsecinfoaction.org

Look under the Distance Learning section for more information.

Sponsored by Katalyst and FAO. Moderated by Katalyst, a multi-donor funded market development project implemented by Swisscontact, the Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation and co-implemented by GTZ-International Services. A Global Knowledge Partnership Event.

e-agriculture.org will host a special online forum on the Role of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) starting 10 March 2008. Areas which will be explored include: The scope of Public Private Partnerships to implement e-Agriculture successfully; Understanding the major & common constraints in PPP based on past experiences and current practices; Suggestions and solutions to overcome the challenges and focus on bringing practical solutions; and the roles of stakeholders: government, private sector, and others.

See http://www.e-agriculture.org/regform.html

"The purpose of the SDC’s Knowledge Management Toolkit to define, explain, present and distinguish the different tools and methods that have proved useful in practice. A series of 20 pertinent methods existing are available for downloading in all of the SDC‘s working languages on the website (English, French, Spanish, and German). To make the transfer to daily life attractive, the methods are presented in two forms: a calendar sheet with a concise description and a credit card size short summary. For each method, a comprehensive description is provided in English only, with links to websites where you can find more information about the respective method".

Dare to Share KM Toolkit

From DW-World.de: "The internet and so called Web 2.0 applications hold great potential for the developing world and development work. Ethan Zuckerman was the keynote speaker at the recent UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Web 2 For Development conference in Rome. Here in part two of our interview with the co-founder of Global Voices, we explore using Web 2.0 tools in rural development and working with low cost web applications to share information between remote locations".

Harnessing Web 2.0 for development

Article by Mariëtte Heres on thebrokeronline.eu

"Without knowledge, providing aid is rather like taking a shot in the dark. All that can be hoped for is that it will do some good somewhere, but sustainable poverty reduction is impossible. Non-governmental organizations must know what the problems are in the various developing countries in which they operate, and they must have an idea of what interventions are possible – what will work and what will not. They must also be aware of the ambitions, experiences and knowledge systems of those who receive aid."

Aid is a Knowledge Industry

The new issue of the Knowledge Management for Development Journal (Vol. 3, issue 2, December 2007) is now available. This issue focuses on the subject of 'Knowledge sharing and knowledge management in Latin America and the Caribbean (Part I)'.