CMI seminar series and new publication: ICT 4 Statebuilding (9.11.2009)

CMI organized a series of seminars during the course of last week. The topic of the seminars was “ICT4Statebuiding” and the events took place in Oulu, Rovaniemi and Helsinki. CMI has also published a new report which provides insight into the use of ICT in state-building in the context of three African post-conflict countries: Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia.

In Uganda ICT is being used to improve the population registration system. In Rwanda ICT is being used to enable customers to pay utility bills using mobile scratch cards. These three different ICT-related studies were conducted within the framework of the Crisis Management Initiative’s Governance out of the Box initiative. In Ethiopia, ICT is utilized in the country’s Court Reform.

The key findings of the study were that the success of ICT projects depends on long-term commitment and sustainability, and the creation of an enabling environment. Drawing from existing resources, like local knowledge and investment in human capital is also important.

Using ICT in state-building projects can at best contribute to the improvement of over-all governance. With the help of ICT, transparency improves and usually leads to the better delivery of services to citizens. Creating enabling environment for the ICT and then using it effectively creates an enabling environment for the overall development of the state.

Dowload the report (pdf) here:
ICT 4 Statebuilding

The composition of the “ICT4Statebuilding"-seminars were adjusted to the interests of the cooperating partner in Oulu and Rovaniemi. CMI would like to thank the Martti Ahtisaari Institute of Global Business and Economics of the University of Oulu and University of Lapland for their excellent cooperation and support in organizing these events.

CMI’s Country Coordinator Mr. Gama Roberts held a presentation in each of the seminars on Governance out of a Box-project in Liberia. CMI’s Governance out of a Box-project supports the birth registration process in Liberia and serves as good example on supporting the strengthening of state administration in post-conflict situation with ICT tools.

The focus in the Oulu seminar was on the private sector and its opportunities in post-conflict context. The seminar was attended by Director Ari Immonen from Elektrobit and Professor Vesa Puhakka from the University of Oulu. In Rovaniemi the audience was addressed by Researcher Tiina Seppälä and Lecturer Lassi Heininen from the University of Rovaniemi. The discussions in Oulu and Rovaniemi were facilitated by Hannu Kotipelto from CMI.

The main event of the seminar series was held in Helsinki and the more specific scope of the event was the innovative use of ICT solutions in support of peace processes in post-conflict countries. Executive Director of CMI, Ms. Tuija Talvitie emphasized in her opening remarks, that to CMI, helping to construct a functioning state is one of the key processes in peace consolidation. Statebuilding is essentially about long term processes of strengthening the structures and behaviours within a society which help to drive and sustain peace and stability.

Ms. Ory Okolloh, Co-founder and Executive Director of Ushahidi, a web based portal that originally tracked the election violence in Kenya, addressed the audience from a citizen’s point of view. She encouraged the citizens and NGO’s to provide information on the current issues of the state. ICT tools like Ushahidi and Mzalendo, a blog that tracks the performance of Kenyan Parliament, are good examples on citizen activism that help to mobilize the civil society as well as increase the overall legitimacy of the state by providing openly information. In addition to Ms. Okolloh, and Mr. Roberts, the Helsinki seminar was also attended by Mr. Ilari Lindy, who is an Adviser on Information Society for Development in the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He presented the role of ICT4D in the public development cooperation of Finland.

The seminars received support from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Executive Director Tuija Talvitie's opening remarks:
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Links to partner organizations:

Link: MAIGBE
Link: University of Lapland