The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Technology for human betterment

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Thursday, Feb 18, 2010
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Technology for human betterment

Special Correspondent

Humanitarian technology meet to discuss role of technology in solving societal issues.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is organising an international conference here with theme, ‘Humanitarian technology challenges for the 21st Century' on February 20 and 21.

The conference, to be held at Hotel Udaya Samudra, Kovalam, will have three sub-themes namely, ‘Technologies for sustainable development;' ‘Technologies for disaster management;' and ‘Technologies for education.' Over the two days, experts from both the social sector and engineering fraternity will make presentations on these three sub-themes.

The programme closes with a panel discussion which examines the deliberations of the conference, and proposes a follow-up mechanism. These will be made part of the outcome document, the Trivandrum Declaration.

According to a press note issued by IEEE, natural disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake have clearly demonstrated the need to use technology for addressing the humanitarian response to them. In addition, a number of issues confronting the world today like global warming and climate change, poverty, lack of education, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, civil strife, lack of drinking water and basic infrastructure, human-rights violations, sea-level rise, terrorism, and extreme weather, require technological solutions. However, there has been scant interaction so far between the engineering and technology fraternity and other stakeholders such as civil society organisations, governments and communities.

The Trivandrum Conference, organised by IEEE and its different initiatives like IEEE Foundation, IEEE Region 10, Humanitarian Technology Challenge (HTC) and Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD), seeks to bring the engineering fraternity together with all other stakeholders on a single platform. It is aimed at initiating an ongoing multi-stakeholder process that will influence the humanitarian agenda of IEEE. The conference is hosted by the IEEE Kerala Section, and is supported by the Kerala State IT Mission.

Senior IEEE office-bearers including Richard Gowen, president, IEEE Foundation, are expected to participate in the meet. M.P. Vasimalai, executive director of Dhan Foundation, one the largest NGOs in India and also one of the founders of the International Network of Alternative Financial Institutions (INAFI), will deliver the keynote address.

Prominent NGOs, IT companies, academic institutions, officers from the State and Central governments and UN functionaries will also take part in the deliberations.

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