reiter@aifh.ed.ac.uk (06/05/91)
[I am posting this for Mikko Korpela, who has limited USENET access - Ehud]
BASIC INFORMATION ON THE I.F.I.P. WORKING GROUP 9.4
"SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF COMPUTERS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES"
International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) is a
multinational federation of organisations concerned with
information processing. Currently it has 45 members representing
63 countries. One of its main objectives is to bring together
computer professionals to stimulate research, development and the
application of information processing in science and human
activity.
IFIP has eleven technical committees to which various member
countries nominate the members. The technical committees cover
a broad range of computing themes like information systems,
education, and communication. Each TC has one or more working
groups affiliated to it.
The objective of a working group is to bring together a group
of computing professionals interested in a specific area of work.
Each WG is expected to act as a forum of exchange of ideas by
organising conferences and publishing monographs.
TC 9, 'Computers and Society', incorporates the working
groups 9.1 Computers and Work, 9.2 Social Accountability,
9.3 Home Oriented Informatics and Telematics, and 9.5 Social
Implications of Artificial Intelligence. The TC 9 working group
WG 9.4, 'Social Implications of Computers in Developing
Countries', was formalized in September 1989.
The starting point for WG 9.4 was a scientific conference in
New Delhi, India, in November 1988. The proceedings of the
meeting were published by Elsevier Science Publishers in 1990 as
'S.C. Bhatnagar and N. Bj%rn-Andersen (eds.): Information
Technology in Developing Countries'.
The next conference will be held in Nairobi in March 1992.
Another major scientific event for the Working Group will be the
12th IFIP World Computer Congress in Madrid, Spain,
7-11 September 1992. WG 9.4 will organize one session within the
track 'Diminishing the Vulnerability of the Information Society'.
WG 9.4 invites researchers and practitioners of developing
and industrialized countries to join its activities. As the WG
is still in its making, one of the first tasks will be to
establish a strong membership on all continents, and to organize
interaction amongst the members.
The aims and scope of the Working Group are reprinted below.
For more information, please get in touch with the officials at
the addresses below. Requests for membership should be sent to
the secretary.
Chairman:
Prof. S.C. Bhatnagar
Indian Institute of Management
Vastrapur, Ahmedabad 380 056, India
Tel. +91-272-407241
Fax +91-272-467396
Internet: root@iimahd.ernet.in
Ag. secretary:
Mr. Mikko Korpela
University of Kuopio, Computing Centre
PL 1627, SF-70211 Kuopio, Finland
Tel. +358-71-162811
Fax +358-71-225566
Internet: korpela@uku.fi
Bitnet: korpela@finkuo
AIMS
1) To collect, exchange and disseminate experiences of
developing countries;
2) To develop a consciousness amongst professionals, policy
makers and public on social implications of computers in
developing nations;
3) To develop criteria, methods, and guidelines for design and
implementation of culturally adapted information systems;
4) To create a greater interest in professionals from
industrialized countries to focus on issues of special
relevance to developing countries through joint activities
with other Technical Committees.
SCOPE
1) National computerization policy issues;
2) Culturally adapted computer technology and information
systems;
3) Role of transnational corporations, regional and
international cooperation and self-sufficiency in
informatics;
4) Social awareness of computers and computer literacy.
--
Ehud Reiter
(e.reiter@edinburgh.ac.uk)