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Please RSVP Now: What is the Future of ICT in Myanmar?

By Wayan Vota on July 20, 2014

myanmar-mobile-phone

Myanmar is rushing headlong into the future. Technology restrictions are ending, mobile operators are rolling out services, and 60 million Burmese are about to go online for the first time ever. Myanmar could even be the first smartphone-only country, with its population leapfrogging landlines and feature phones.

  • What is the social and cultural impact when a country goes online virtually overnight?
  • What will Burmese find, or not, on the Internet of today? Or tomorrow?
  • Who will benefit, or not, when all the citizens of Myanmar have a digital voice?

There are many more questions to ask about the role of ICT and development in Myanmar and its impact on government, civil society, business, and most crucially, the Burmese themselves, when mobile phone usage jumps from less than 10% to more than 70%, and Internet access is ubiquitous.

RSVP-Now

Please RSVP now to join FHI 360 and a select group of 50 thought leaders in Yangon at the intersection of technology and development for a morning-long deep dive into questions such as:

  • Where can new technologies increase agricultural outputs and improve value chains to benefit farmers and consumers?
  • Who and how will we teach the needed digital literacy and ICT skills to youth so they can compete for domestic and international employment opportunities?
  • How can politicians and the electorate leverage online resources to understand community needs and direct government actions?
  • Which mHealth solutions are the most relevant for rural and urban frontline health workers across the country?
  • What is the role of Facebook, Twitter and other online communities in facilitating peace and reconciliation between disparate groups?
  • How quickly and affordably will broadband expand into the rural and previously underserved geographies?

We’ll be building on themes that came out of a Technology Salon in Washington, DC and we’ll focus on how we can support Myanmar’s transition into an Internet-connected society. Please RSVP now to join our guides in this discussion:

They will help us navigate the opportunities and challenges in a country of contrasts, where the world’s largest Barcamp took place amidst the lowest Internet penetration in Southern Asia. Our aim is to emerge from this session with:

  1. Defined goals and next steps for development actors and technologists;
  2. Clear opportunities to partner with civil society, the private sector, and government, and;
  3. An intimate knowledge of the people and institutions leading technology and development efforts in Myanmar.

The session will be lively, interactive, in-person, and lead to new approaches and initiatives in accelerating the social and economic advancement of Myanmar.

What is the Future of ICT in Myanmar?
FHI 360 Workshop
9:00am – 12:00pm
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Yangon, Myanmar
RSVP is required for attendance.

We’ll have hot coffee and catered breakfast to start the session and seating is limited, so please RSVP now to be confirmed for attendance: once we reach our 50-person capacity there will be a waiting list.

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Written by
Wayan Vota co-founded ICTworks. He also co-founded Technology Salon, MERL Tech, ICTforAg, ICT4Djobs, ICT4Drinks, JadedAid, Kurante, OLPC News and a few other things. Opinions expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of his employer, any of its entities, or any ICTWorks sponsor.
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One Comment to “Please RSVP Now: What is the Future of ICT in Myanmar?”

  1. Win Toe says:

    I would like to learn.