Middle East

First, I would like to express my sorrow for what you are going through. You both feel hurt. I am sorry for your families in pain. My condolences and thoughts are with you.

I have been engaged reading the stories, looking at the heart-breaking images, reading the discussions in online fora, news media and blogs. Some people justify war in the name of honor, faith or national pride and interests. I respect their position. However, in my core, I cannot justify war.

I believe that life is our utmost precious right and our source of joy. The life of a Lebanese or an Israeli girl could be the life of my children. For me, every girl counts. Every life is sacred. I cannot justify the stabbing of any single life.

In the previous times of history, signed by the lack of understanding and means of communications, many were the myths, many the misunderstandings, many the misconceptions, many the fears of the unknown. War was a human reaction to secure the life of the closest ones.

Last week, there were many criticisms about Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, and other technology companies’ submission to the Chinese government’s request to censor the information on the Internet. It has become a public concern that these companies are doing business there at the peril of human rights.

Electronic Governance, in simplest terms, it refers to those governance processes in which Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are playing an active role in delivering governance related products and services.

Digital Governance Initiative is a virtual network of over 2800 E-governance policymakers and practitioners from developing countries. The Initiative identifies and propagates innovative e-governance models which are suited for developing countries. The models are based on strategic application of knowledge and information technologies to create an e-governance system which is citizen specific and addressess a particular development concern, viz: lack of information, corruption, bureaucracy etc.

Secured financial and in-kind support from both Cisco Systems Philanthropy/Teachers Without Borders to conduct a pilot test of a teachers’ professional development course in Iran.

The courses have been developed by Teachers Without Borders, FarsiTeachNet’s partner. The courses will be localized based on the feedback from the teachers involved in this pilot project. This training will then be made available to a wider group of the teachers via the FarsiTeachNet network.

TWB and FTN-previously Iranian Teachers’ Network (ITN) submitted a partnership proposal to Cisco Systems Philanthropy in July and got the grant in August 2005.

Based on this partnership they could create an opportunity to build a new online community of practice for Farsi Speaking Teachers. With financial and resource support from Cisco Philanthropy, the FTN may connect teachers with global “best practices” in pedagogy and subject-matter, along with information technology training. The structure and function of the partnership and this project allows the FTN to grow and sustain itself through the marketing and distribution of its intellectual property, consistent with their aspirations as an organization and their business plan.

FarsiTeachNet is an online community of practice for Farsi speaking teachers around the world.

We see teachers earning their rightful place in society, as the educators of the next generations. They have the respect of their students, the parents, and members of the community who appreciate their contributions. They are able to focus exclusively on teaching, earning a living and spending their time with students and improving their professional skills. They have a network of colleagues that provide advice and support and they interact with peers on an international basis. FTN mobilizes Farsi Speaking teachers’ energy, experience and knowledge to make a sustained change in their educational community. As a result, the citizens of these countries participate more fully in goal setting for the social agenda as better problem solvers and decision makers.

Our friend Mitra just shared with us the great news that her Digital Vision Fellowship was granted funds and will continue to grow. Here is the text of her e-mail.

SAF is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1999 by Professor Abbas Edalat at Imperial College, London. SAF provides computer facilities, internet access and educational, research and development opportunities to school children, women and wider communities in Iran and other regions.