Project of Pakistan Social Association 
 

1) The concept.

The usage and deployment of ICTs assist in creating benefits in all aspects of daily life and entail skilled personnel to employ newly developed ICT applications. ICTs also contribute to sustainable production and consumption patterns, as well as reduce traditional barriers, providing an opportunity for all to access local and global markets in a more equitable manner.

The new markets structures have necessitated a new set of skills which assist in the development and use of ICT services. ICT applications are now user-friendly, accessible to all, affordable, adapted to local needs in languages and cultures, and support sustainable development.

To this effect, local authorities play a major role in not only the provision of ICT services but also delivering the requisite training to empower professionals to use ICT services for the benefit of their populations. This new usage of ICT Services has made unmatched progress in rural areas and in Pakistan we can make very fast progress and make up the past slow progress. WE must catch up with world progress by implementing "E-Village" in all parts of Pakistan 

2) Mission Statement

Extend the benefits of Information Technology and Telecome (ICT) to the door steps of rural population of Pakistan for uplifting their social, educational, health care and economic infrastructure through use of available resources and information 

3) Aims and Objectives of E-Village.

A.     Minimizing Digital Divide in Pakistan .

B.     Empowerment of local communities.

C.     Establishment of a "E-community Center " in every village having pooled resources.

D.    Provide a technology base Complaint Reporting Service ( E-Shikayat )

E.     Provide joint platform to farmers to discuss problems of their INTERESTS(e-Mushawara)

F.      Using Internet and telecom to provide daily life services in villages like:-

v      Increase farmer’s productivity by informing him best world practices to grow more from same land.

v      Provide education to rural population in current trades and skills

v      Provide job matching services to rural population

v      Provide latest healthcare information and services (tele-Medicine)

v      Enhance farmer’s decision making power to sell his products on better rates

v      Facilitates collaboration between public/private organizations presently working to provide services to farmers

v      Provide quick inbound/outbound very cheap email system in each village of Pakistan

v      Establish social links between urban and rural population of Pakistan

v      Less procurement cost for buyer for high quality goods and farmer gets better price (win-win situation)

v      Through e-real estate services bring foreign investors close to buying facilities

v      Promote best practices among farmers and thus enhancing their productivity

v      Crop information services.

v      Local and foreign market information like demand, world production, volume, process. Farmer can make more informed decision well in advance not under pressure

v      Re-engineer traditional supply chain by introducing price transparency and competition

v      Obtain direct access to larger rural consumer base

-         Pooled purchasing gets wholesale price for farmer

-         Major companies take part in pilot project to sell services and goods to the rural community via e-village

-         Sell everything from micro credit to tractor via e-village. Rural market of Pakistan 

v            Opportunities

 - Fast increasing teledensity.

 - Encouraging PC Growth rate.

 - Internet usage and growth of Internet-cafes even in remotes towns.

 - World class technical manpower having required skill sets in ICT

 - Pakistani professionals in ICT living abroad

 - Government commitment and available funds

 - International focus on using Knowledge of ICT for development (UN top priority Agenda)

v            Challenges.

-  Due to fast population growth rate there is an urgent need to use some fast track strategy for development.

 - Extension of economic activities and benefits of development every where in Pakistan including remote villages.

 - Understand and utilize the fastly developed models of best practices of knowledge based economics in other developing countries.

 -  Localization…..Web Contents in Local languages

 -  Enabling environments.

 -  Partnerships and human networking.

v            Paradigm Shift in Development of Societies.

Ø                   During world summit on the Information Society (WSIS) under UN in TUNIS in November 2005 role of ICTs has been recognized not only as a medium of communication, but also as a development enabler and as a tool for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals and objectives such as:

-         Education for all

-         Equal opportunities for health care

-         Minimize Digital Divide and Gender Divide

-         Equal opportunities for all and any where to participate in economic      

-         Growth of a country.

-         Intellectual Property Rights

-         Internet Governance

-         E-learning

-         E-Commerce

-         E-Governance

v            Some International Initiatives.

-         UN initiative to give development funds to only those countries who would use ICTs for development (WSIS)

-         Internet Governance

-         Focus on development of internet tools and services in Local languages.

-         Huge Investments in fast networks still continuing….. Internet 2, Web 2.0 etc

-         Projects like Smart-Village Egypt, tele-centers, digital villages Africa etc.

-         IT Investment moving to networked villages only.

-         Special focus as Information Security and IPR

-         Knowledge based economies ( Now Jobs would travel NOT humans )

v            Current Scenario in Pakistan

-         Large population (over 45%) is employed in agriculture sector of Pakistan so in order to meet the increasing demands of food stuff and to produce more for our economic progress it is of vital importance that while taking advantage of our local knowledge base we must use world proven best practices to build the capacity of their rular areas and use of ICT for social and economic development of societies. Production from agriculture in Pakistan is vulnerable to number of factors. Some of these could be controlled by timely information.

-         Easy to use communication systems like SMS messages and push driven internet based information systems can be used to provide this timely information. Our Uneducated farmers are locked in unproductive cycle. This encouges middle men to exploit the formers and thus the grower earn less and being discouraged does not work hard and invest more (even with incentives from soft Government loans).

-         Weak communication infrastructures and Intermediary dominated markets make the rural communities isolated and due to lack of sufficient outreach formers are not encouraged to invest in new incentives to grow more and earn as per challenging economic needs and with increase due to economic pressures, our village grower is becoming victim of number of exploitations. To save him Government rescues with support prices which bring more economic pressure on Government resources. This unproductive chain is in cycle for the last SIXTY YEARS and it is now right time to come out of it on PRIORITY basis.

-         We need to have some "OUT OF BOX" solution and there must be a forum for small farmers to save them from exploitations. Project "E-VILLAG" provides a technology based forum based on best world best practices.

v            ICT as vehicle of Good Goverence. ( Agenda point of United Nations )

-         Today we are living in a connected world; we can not keep our less developed societies away from reforms and developments being made in other parts of the world in similar environments.

-         Media, internet and other high speed technologies have made this world a real global village. At one end this is an opportunity and if not utilized intelligently can also be counter productive as while its fruits are visible on media for other countries having similar environments, but not utilized in your own country bring discouragement to local population. This discontentment may lead to a serious reaction against the Governess system of the country

-         As the concept of local Governments and democracies is maturing gradually, feeling about local empowerment and specially eliminating the Gender differences is also getting matured gradually.

-         After lot of experiences the societies in general have realized that their strength lies within them self. They have further obtained the desired knowledge that technology can play an important role in bringing change in all walks of their life.

-         During the process Societies in developing countries have further realized that they need to share their best practices and success stories with regional societies and also with regional countries. All this coordination and cooperation became possible due to extensive use of Internet at gross root level in under developed countries and also high level Importance given to Information based societies for their empowerment by United Nations as an important Agenda Item

v            Implementation Strategy.

§          "E-Village" project offers a complete Social change and envisages to involve large number of partners to bring the real Change.

§          Project "E-Village" has been conceived and being implemented by Pakistan Social     Association (PSA), a Government Registered NGO since 1963 and having its functional presence in all provinces of Pakistan and AJK also.

§          PSA is implementing this project with teaming efforts of different technology stake holders, local and provincial Governments, civil society of rural areas and Internet services providers.

§          PSA has become an "Enabler Organization" for bridging the Gaps between technology provider, service providers, civil society, public organizations/departments, Universities academia, students, inventors etc for achieving the objectives of E-Village with a vision and     long term commitment.

§          Empowment of village people is the ultimate target, it can not be achieved unless     ownership of all resources under e-village project is not given to village leader ship only then they would protect computers, furniture and every resource in the "Community Center"

§          Step wise executation of "e-village" Project.

Step-1--- Identification of a Village

  - Identification of a suitable village.

  - Initially try to identify a village which in the range of a broad band connection.

Step-2 ------ E-village Rabata Committee (EVRC)

- Selection of EVRC headed by a chairman and having known trust of the village community.

  - Committee would have Five members and they should be well reputed in social services and     must have a track record of such services

  - Chairman and members of EVRC must be economically sound and willing to fill the GAPs where needed. They should be able to travel to Islamabad for coordination with E-village initiates in other parts of Pakistan.  

Step-3 ------- Preparing to take off.

  - Selection of Community Center space by EVRC

  - Training of EVRC by team of PSA Members (NGO) on the concept and long term vision of E-Village.

  - NGO would identify near by University/college and establish links between Academia and students with E-village.

Step-4 ------- Sharing the Vision of E-village

   - Members of EVRC would explain the concept of E-village to every one in the village.

   - Confusions would be explained with best practices already successful in Pakistan and in other countries.

Step-5-------- Setting up of Computer Training Center.

   -  NGO would approach the partners (PROV-GOVT or a private sector companies to provide ten Computers)

   - University would assess the training needs and encourage its students to impart this customized training.

   - NGO would work with partner companies for Internet connectivity (Preferably Broad Band)

Step-6-------  Setting up of a Tele-Medicine center.

   - If already a medical facility exist in village, tele-medical center would be established there with the help of Technology partners.

   - If no medical facility exists then NGO would work with Partners to first establish a Medical center.

Step-7------  Putting all together.

     - NGO would arrange to facilitate the installation of NADRA Service Station for payment of bills and verification of ID Card.

     - NGO would Coordinate with partners for the establish of a basic LIBRARY facility with would be converted into e-library.

Step-8  ----- Monthly Review of Progress.

     - EVRC would take all local decisions about the project in the light of VISION given by the NGO.

     - Progress would be sent to NGO regularly on monthly basis.

     - EVRC would ensure to make the project self sustained in the light of guidance from NGO.

Step-9------ Web Based services...

     - NGO is working with technology partners to provide Web based Services to E-village Project like:-

Step-10----- Way For Ward

       - All E-Villages would be linked with Web Portal services of the Project.

       - By bringing all relevant stake holders on single platform the real concept of ICT for development would be implemented.

§                      National level workshops and seminars would be made to attract other technology and resource partners to take latest technologies and support services to our villages and obtain all objectives of E-village Projects.

 For further details please contact

I  AMMAR JAFRI

Ammar@brain.net.pk

0300-8551479

II MUHAMMAD IQBAL SABIR

Coordinator Head Office Islamabad

scorpio_sincere2008@yahoo.com

Cell # 0333-5761426