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and Senegal. The same initiative is also supported under the
umbrella of the International Programme for the Development of
Communication (IPDC) where 13 CMCs are to be launched by
the end of the year.
Local content
While indigenous people account for four per cent of the world’s
population spread throughout 70 countries, they often live on
the fringes of society in isolated rural communities and margin-
alized urban settings. Immensely proud of their cultural identity,
they often lack the essential communication skills and technolo-
gies needed to communicate and preserve ICT for future
generations.
ICT for Intercultural Dialogue: Developing Communication
Capacities of Indigenous Peoples (ICT4ID) involves 11 indige-
nous communities in five pilot projects in Africa and Latin
America. Launched by UNESCO in the 2004-2005 biennium,
the project aims not only to improve access to new media for
these communities, but also give international exposure to the
media content produced by the groups themselves.
Many of the projects developed so far centre on audio-visual
training and trace the history of the communities along with their
future dreams and aspirations. One example, in the north-western
tropical lands of Bolivia, centres on a script writing and training
programme for different local indigenous communities (the Lecos,
Tsimanes, Esse Ejjas, Mosetenezs, Tacanas, Quechuas and
Aymaras). As well as producing documentaries and fiction films,
the programme also contributes to training activities and program-
ming for a local television station in Alto Beni.
Student Maria Morales, of the Tajlihui-Larecaja community,
said the project represented a great personal step. She said: “As
a woman, it has been very significant to get trained in audiovisual
editing. What has impressed me most is that I have been able to
propose the idea of a documentary to my community.”
For Esteban Espejo, of the Piedras blancas–Rurrenabaque
community, the project’s impact has extended well beyond those
directly involved: “The training centre in Sapecho is a strategic
place since it has become a school for all of us. It means a great
step forward for the region as it is run by local people who care
about subjects like culture and social issues and try to improve
the wellbeing of their community.”
UNESCO and software breakout
From worldwide libraries and documentation centres to science
labs and administrative offices, UNESCO has been a pioneer in
supporting the development of advanced multilingual software
distributed free of charge. Starting with the development of a
generalized information storage and retrieval system for biblio-
graphic information in the 1980s, activities have now expanded
with the launch of UNESCO’s free and open software portal in
2001.
2
These programmes and training materials are available in many
languages, with a focus on allowing Member States to access new
technology while being active partners in its development. This
is particularly important for those who cannot afford to buy
commercial software.
Of all the software tools developed by UNESCO, the most
popular has been the CDS/ISIS software for creating, updating
and searching textual databases and IDAMS software for analysing
numerical data.
3
The Independent University of Bangladesh’s Chittagong
Campus is just one example of many institutions around the
world which make use of this software to develop and maintain
an automated cataloguing system. The CDS/ISIS software for
Windows (WINISIS) is provided free of charge by UNESCO and
is regularly updated. The university adapts the software to its
needs, and has now incorporated it into a web-based tool to
access library databases all over the world.
ICT for the poor