AgriKnowledge Share Fair 2011

The second AgriKnowledge Share Fair is about to kick off next week, hosted by IFAD in Rome (from 26 to 29 September).

It's going to be packed: "this four-day event will provide a forum to learn and share knowledge, experience and innovations on emerging trends relating to agriculture, food security, price volatility, climate change, changing demographics and other rural development related issues".

Having participated in two previous Share Fairs, in Rome in 2009 and Addis Ababa last year, I know this is going to be a very exciting gathering, with 160 presenters from across the planet, discussing their experiences and innovative ways to share knowledge in the agricultural and rural development sector - see the final agenda here.


We'll be in Rome for the whole week and we have a very exciting agenda ahead. More importantly, we look forward to meeting old and new friends.

To start with, on Day 0, Monday 26 September, we'll be facilitating several modules on knowledge sharing tools and methods:

• Collaborative writing (1100-12:30, room B400)
• Microblogging (14:00-1530, room C400)
• Video production, storing and sharing (14:00-1530, room C200)
• Open space (16:00-1730, room C500)
• Dgroups (14:00 to 15:30, room B500)

From Tuesday to Thursday, we will provide support and facilitation to the following sessions:

• On 27 September, Dgroups annual members meeting (14:00 room B100);
• On 28 September, Sensemaking: The cognitive map of farms - Experiences of sharing agricultural knowledge in Southern Africa (171) (11:00, room C400);
• On 29 Septembers, Helping farmers identify fake or genuine agro-inputs using SMS (138) (14:00 room C300)

We'll be also collaborating with the #sfrome social reporting team. We will focus on sourcing and aggregating the content that is produced during the event, so we can deliver it to users into a consolidated information product. Here's the link to the aggregated Share Fair newsfeed and email alerts. You can also take a look at the Netvibes dashboard we've been playing with: it still needs some work but we think it can be useful to keep track of the different "#sfrome" conversations in one single window - feedback and comments are most welcomed!

Finally, the week climaxes - for us at least - with the KM4DEV members meeting!

Follow the event remotely, comment on media and share your reactions with us.

Share Fair news and updates

The teacher gets schooled in social media for development

Social media for whom? photo by meaduva

One of the best things about being in a training or facilitation role is the learning experience. In addition to learning new things about the subject at hand, I always learn unexpected things, for example about how people interact with technology.
For the last four weeks I've been facilitating for Euforic Services the UNITAR/FAO Innovative Collaboration for Development course, an online training programme which introduces social media concepts and tools to development professionals. The course is very hands-on, and challenges participants to use tools in a way that's appropriate to their context. I find that selecting the right tool for any context to be the trickiest part of using social media, and can really make or break a communications strategy. Many organisations are responding to this with resources to help guide people through the minefield of tools and approaches; one example is the very helpful Knowledge Sharing Toolkit (a wiki produced by various agricultural and development agencies such as the CGIAR and FAO).
The challenge of helping people choose the right tool is compounded by the fact that participants come from a range of contexts and backgrounds. Most of the participants in my section come from Africa: from Jos, Nigeria and Maseru, Lesotho to El Fasher, Sudan and Creve Cœur, Mauritius (just for example). Cultural differences have not posed a challenge, but rather been the source of interesting insights. The main barrier to overcome in our group's context is the availability of high speed internet varies, and access to a computers with a reliable connection.

...read the full story on Vanessa Meadu's blog

Social Reporting at IAALD Congress 2010

Euforic has been closely associated with IAALD for over ten years, and their blog is a great example of how small, voluntary organisations can use web 2.0 tools to create a professional and dynamic online space.

The 2010 IAALD congress was held in Montpelier and we were there to support and facilitate the event with social reporting. We also participated and covered with blogs and blips some specific sessions

• The InfoAccess marketplace, with interviews by Stephen Rudgard of FAO on CIARD, Jan Reichelt on the innovative Mendely and Nikos Palavitsinis on the EU funded Organic Edunet
• The CGIAR ICT-KM demos on web2.0 and social media for research uptake
• The open space on Social Media for Information Specialists
• The final session, including an interview with Jean-François Giovannetti, chairman of the Programme Committee for the 2010 IAALD Congress, highlighting the main points that he saw emerging from the event.

m-agriculture & CTA

We also supported the m-agriculture workshop organised by CTA, as a follow up to the Observatory held earlier in the year. A report from the Knowledge Cafe at IAALD was published on the ICT/KM blog and there are three posts on the IAALD blog featuring a range of ICT4D specialists reflecting on the impact and role of mobile devices:

• Vercon, from FAO;
• Comments on mobile devices, telecenters and Policy regulation
• Anriette Esterhysen, of APC, and Michael Riggs of FAO gave interestingly nuanced comments on the role of mobiles in the context of ICT4D developments

Michael Riggs on Mobile Devices in ICT4D from CTA on Vimeo.

Interviewed at the IAALD Congress 2010, Michael Riggs of FAO gives some background to the work of FAO, CTA, IICD and others in developing a new conceptual framework for ICT4D. He also gives a measured view of what he sees as the role and importance of mobile devices.

Anriette Esterhuysen on Mobiles Devices in ICT4D from CTA on Vimeo.

Interviewed at the IAALD Congress 2010, Anriette Esterhuysen, Executive Director of APC (Association of Progressive Communications) reflects on the characteristics of mobile devices, their impact and the need to maintain a balanced view of their potential.
For both the CTA events we helped in the planning, facilitation, social and final reporting. CTA is organising a second m-agriculture observatory later this year, probably in Southern Africa.