PCF5:Livelihoods - Opening session: introduction to open and eLearning for livelihoods

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Title of session

Livelihoods Opening Session: Introduction to open and elearning for livelihoods

Session details

• Date: 14 July 2008
• Time: 11:30
• Room: Drama Studio, Level 1
• Report author:: Md. Shafiqul Alam, Bangladesh Open University

Session papers

• Mr. Zamal Biswas, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh, The role of Microcredit in helping women to access learning for livelihood development
• Dr. Dyno Keatinge, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, Food crisis: next steps needed? [co-authors: K. Weinberger, R-Y. Yang and V. Balaji]
• Dr. Monty Jones, World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC), Agricultural research and learning for food security in Africa
• Mr. Shivani Jain, Centre for Environment Education, India, Experiencing technology-mediated distance education (TechMODE) for strengthing young professionals training in education for sustainable development (639)

Key issues that arose in the session to be taken forward to theme and president reports and their relationship to the core theme of 'access to learning for development':

• How Grameen Bank micro-credit programme be integrated to ODL for poverty alleviation in Bangladesh & other Commonwealth countries as well.

• How do African Policy makers change the policy (governance) for better & easiest way of implementation of ODL programmes using ICT for increased agricultural production towards better livelihoods.

• How do we ensure the supply of knowledge and subsequently transfer the knowledge (supply) to stakeholders for capacity development through ODL.

Points for future action (Policy, recommendations, commitments etc.)

• COL, Bangladesh Open University & Grameen Bank may take stride to move forward to integrate micro-credit progromme & distance education for better livelihoods.

• COL should take the initiative to create awareness programmes (workshops & roundtable for politicians, policy makers) towards using ICT for better agricultural production in African sub-continent. Organizations like FARA, AVRDC can take lead roles in this regard.

• Develop appropriate knowledge based content module to enhance capacity of inter mediatory groups and set mechanisms/strategies to transfer knowledge to the grass-root levels for better livelihoods.