Biography of Speakers
Monday, December 2, 2002 9:00 AM-9:30 AM Opening Kayoko Shibata Knowledge Management Analyst, Gender and Development Group, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, World Bank Before joining the World Bank, Ms. Shibata was a Corporate Information Specialist at a major corporation in Japan. She holds an MA, International Educational Development with a specialization in Instructional Technology from Columbia University, New York; an MFA in Photography from Southern Methodis t University, Dallas, Texas; and a BA from Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan. She is a member of the ITU Task Force on Gender Issues. Karen Mason Director, Gender and Development Group, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, World Bank Karen Oppenheim Mason, Ph.D., is the World Bank’s Director of Gender and Development. Prior to joining the World Bank in 1999, Ms. Mason was Director of the Program on Population at the East-West Center and an affiliated Graduate Faculty Member in Sociology at the University of Hawaii. Mr. Pierre Gagne Executive Director of Executive Secretariats of World Summit on the Information Society Mr. Pierre Gagné was appointed Executive Director of the Executive Secretariat of the World Summit on the Information Society in May 2002. His primary responsibility is to lead the preparations for and organization of a Heads of State Summit on the Information Society. The Summit will be held in two phases: December 2003 in Switzerland and 2005 in Tunisia. Mr. Gagné joined the ITU in April 1997. In addition to serving as Chief of the Policies, Strategies and Finance Department in the Telecommunication Development Bureau, he was also Administrator for the Special TELECOM Development Programme, which aims to use income generated from TELECOM activities for specific telecommunications projects in the developing world. The programme is predicated on the need to attract various financial and in-kind contributions from partners outside the ITU to implement these projects.
Before joining the ITU, Mr. Gagné served for 25 years in the Department of Industry (formerly the Department of Communications) of the Canadian Government. In his capacity as Director of the International Telecommunicatio ns Policy and Coordination Branch, he was responsible for the Canadian Government’s multilateral and bilateral relations in the area of telecommunications. In addition to heading a number of Canadian delegations to various international telecommunication conferences from 1989 to 1997, he served as the Canadian Representative on the ITU Council from 1990 to 1997 and chaired group of international experts responsible for the restructuring of Inmarsat. Mr. Gagné is a graduate of Laurentian University and the University of Ottawa in Canada. He speaks French and English. Motoo Kusakbe Vice President, Resource Mobilization and Cofinancing, World Bank Before joining the World Bank in 1997, Mr. Kusakabe held key senior positions at the Japanese Ministry of Finance in International Finance and Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 9:45 AM-11:15 AM Session I. Deepa Narayan Senior Adviser, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, World Bank Ms. Deepa Narayan has over 20 years development experience in Asia and Africa and has worked for NGOs, national governments and the UN system. She is the lead author and team leader for the Voices of the Poor initiative. Oxford University Press has published the research findings in a three-part World Bank book series. She leads the development of an empowerment framework for the World Bank, and is also the author of the publication Empowerment and Poverty Reduction: A Sourcebook (July 2002). Gisele Yitamben ASAFE, Cameroon With over 15 years of intensive work in the field of development, Mrs. Yitamben has led numerous studies and task forces on democratisation, leadership and women’s human rights. She also led a study and training visit of African women entrepreneurs to Asia and proposed a strategy for grassroots women to be trained in technology as follow- up activities in building the capacities of African women. Currently, she is a member of the Global Digital Initiative Task Force initiated by the World Economic Forum, the Global Advisory Committee on ICT: Empowering Women in Africa through Strategic Partnerships with African Entrepreneurs in the Diaspora, set up by UNIFEM (2002) and also member of the National Committee on Higher Education in Cameroon 2002
Lina Abirafeh Country Director for Women for Women International, Afghanistan
Ms. Abirafeh is charged with establishing the organization’s presence in Afghanistan and building capacity of the local staff to eventually assume leadership of the office. Lina will be in Kabul for one year to accomplish this task. Ms. Abirafeh has worked with women’s issues in a variety of organizations, from Catholic Relief Services in Morocco to Grameen Bank in Bangladesh to the World Bank and the International Human Rights Law Group in Washington DC. Her previous position was Communications Associate at the World Bank for the Development Gateway portal working on ICT and development issues. Lina spent four years with the Bank and still maintains strong links with the institution. LMs. Abirafeh received her MA in International Relations and Development from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Robert Hawkins Senior Operation Officer, ICT for Education Program, World Bank Institute Before moving to WBI, Mr. Hawkins spent four years working for the World Bank in the Africa region, promoting ICT connectivity, policy, and capacity building. Prior to coming to the Bank, Mr. Hawkins worked at the White House on NAFTA legislation and for the United States Information Age ncy in Seville, Spain. Robert also was a teacher in Madrid, Spain for a number of years. He received his MA from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), with a concentration in economics and Latin American studies and his BA from the University of Notre Dame. Irene M. Wong Executive Director and CEO, eBay Foundation Ms. Wong is the Executive Director and CEO of eBay Foundation, a charitable foundation created by eBay, Inc., the world’s online marketplace. eBay Foundation invests in non-profit and nongovernmental organizations whose programs focus on technology, microenterprise, entrepreneurship and education to improve people’s lives. Prior to joining the staff of eBay Foundation, Ms. Wong was Community Foundation Silicon Valley’s (CFSV) first Director of Corporate Services, where she managed charitable giving activities for over 15 companies including 3Com, Microsoft and Adobe Systems, and helped to establish charitable foundations for Juniper Networks and BEA Systems. At CFSV, she also oversaw the Foundation’s technology grants program and international grants. Irene has also served as a program officer for
MetLife Foundation in New York City and as a management associate in the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Office of International Business. Irene holds a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and an M.P.A. from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University
11:30 AM-2:30 PM, Session II.
Mary McNeil Senior Operations Officer, Environment and Sustainable Development, World Bank Institute Ms. McNeil is Co-Manager of the CESI program, and Senior Operations Officer in the World Bank Institute's Knowledge Networks and Distance division (WBIKL), where she manages the Civic Association Outreach and Training Program. Ms. McNeil has been with the World Bank Group since 1986. Before joining WBI in 1997, she was Public Affairs Specialist and Chief of Publications for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she worked to coordinate the Corporation's relations with the NGO community. Prior to IFC, she worked in the World Bank's Vice Presidency for Sustainable Development, where she managed information dissemination and capacity building programs in the urban and water and sanitation sectors. In 1992 she launched The Urban Age, a quarterly journal on urban affairs. She has contributed to Bank economic and sector work on public sector reform (in the Caribbean) and to operational work (on urban environmental management in West Africa and China). Before joining the Bank, she was a journalist for Congressional Quarterly, where she authored a book on environment and health. Ms. McNeil has a Masters degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.
Vivek Chaudhrey Program Administrator, infoDep Jomiben Jayrambhai Rajgor Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), India Ms. Jomiben Jayrambhai Rajgor is an artisan, staying in Madhutra village, which falls under Patan District. She is an active member of SEWA’s executive committee. She is also in charge of the Community Learning Center. Dhara Patel Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), India Ms. Dhara Patel has been working at SEWA as an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) coordinator for the past two years. She oversees the use of computers in ICT training and capacity building in 11 districts of Gujarat. She also develops,
evaluates, and monitors the software development of SEWA’s various ICT initiatives.
Dorothy Gordon Independent Consultant Ms. Dorothy Gordon is a development practitioner with over 20 years experience working within countries in Africa and Asia. She has had oversight responsibility for a number of community-based information initiatives in India and is a member of the Digital Partners Brains Trust. She is at present on leave from UNDP, after working as Deputy Resident Representative in India. In addition to her current work on Sector-Wide approaches she also lectures on non-profit management at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. She serves on a number of boards including that of the International Society for Third Sector Research (www.istr.org). Her academic background includes an MPhil from the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex. Chetan Sharma
Founder and CEO, Datamation Foundation, New Delhi, India
Martha Davies Founder, Electronic Commerce and Information Exchange (ECIE) Ms. Martha Davies is one of the founders and former President of Quipunet, a virtual, non-profit organization. She is also the Treasurer and one of the founders of ECIE.ORG (Electronic Commerce and Information Exchange), a non-profit organization based in Tacoma, Washington, USA. From presentations of electronic seminars, forums; helping rural schools; serving as brokers for Women Bakers (Tortas, Peru); providing odd jobs to young people of rural areas; to providing computers to rural schools, QUIPUNET and ECIE have shown how this can be done even from a distance. Vinayak Ghatate Consultant, Executive Director Office for Bangladesh/Bhutan/India, World Bank After earning an MSc from the London School of Economics, Mr. Ghatate joined the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi as a Fellow. At IIFT, he conducted several studies pertaining to Indian Foreign Trade. After four years of working at IIFT, he joined Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) SEWA Trade Facilitation Center (STFC).
2:30 PM -3:45 PM, Session III.
Samia Melhem Senior Informatics Specialist, Global ICT Department, World Bank Ms. Melhem joined the World Bank in1988 and is the Regional Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa team of the Policy Group. She is also involved in managing the Informatics components of Bank loans in several other regions and focusing on the role that Information Technology could play in development and growth. She specializes in public-sector related projects and in areas where public/private sector partnerships are essential to sector growth. She also manages the GICT technical training program. Gracia Hillman President of the WorldSpace Foundation, DC Ms. Gracia Hillman was appointed President and CEO of WorldSpace Foundation in June 1998. In this position, she is at the forefront of using satellite technology and digital radio to help bridge the information divide in developing countries for those who are disadvantaged by poverty, illiteracy, geographical isolation, limited access to radio and no access the Internet. With 30 years of nonprofit, government and political experience, Ms. Hillman has effectively managed organizations with both domestic and international programs and is highly regarded for her expertise in nonprofit management and program development. Prior to that, Ms. Hillman served as executive director of the League of Women Voters of the U.S. and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Her earlier work included directing programs to safeguard the voting rights of minority Americans and she held management positions with several departments within the Massachusetts state government system.
Douglas Armstrong President, Web-Sat, Dublin Ireland Mr. Douglas Armstrong has almost 40 years experience in electronics and high- tech businesses. In 1968 he established Armstrong Electronics, which became Ireland's first TV distributor. Armstrong Electronics introduced the first colour TV in Ireland, installed the first satellite system, and (in 1981) was the first Irish company to provide satellite TV transmission. In 1985 he founded a cable TV company, TV Sparts, which was subsequently sold to US interests. He was founder member of the Irish branch of the Royal Television Society. In 1999 he founded Web-Sat Ltd., developing the world's first two-way satellite interactive terminal (SIT) for Internet access over satellite – which has led to changes in the DVB-RCS standard. Web-Sat currently provides high-speed internet services via satellite from its Dublin
hub to businesses and single users across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, as far as Afghanistan, where customers include major non- governmental organizations. www.web-sat.com George Scharffenberger President, Volunteers for International Technical Assistance (VITA), Washington, DC
Mr. George Scharffenberger is President of Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA), a 42-year-old international not-for-profit organization specializing on empowerment of local communities through information, communications, and enterprise development. Over the past two decades George’s work has included an emphasis on organizational capacity building and on the development of informationbased networks. Prior to joining VITA, he was Vice President for New Initiatives at Pact where he designed a methodology for community information/communications assessments and led assessments in Timbuktu, Mali and in the Gobi region of Mongolia.
Masami Komiya Chief of Technical Unit, BHN Association Mr. Masami Komiya has almost 15 years experience of volunteer work in the telecommunications field. He has devised a training program of the digital switch exchange system as a member of J.O.C.V. (Japan oversees cooperate volunteer) at the Republic of Zambia and also implemented telecommunications support for refugee relief, the natural disaster, the medical support, etc. Masami Komiya also joined BHN Association as a technical expert and made communication network system for victims of various natural disasters such as Hurricane “Mitch” and an earthquake in Turkey and Taiwan. Furthermore, he made a telemedicine system for sending thyroid diagnosis date using Internet at Kazakhstan. He implemented surveillance for ICT project at Bangkok in cooperation with UNDP. Present ly, Masami Komiya is in charge of a domestic emergency training program for people who work in emergency sites and as a Communication Technological Adviser and a ICT project advisor and as a technological chief of Afghanistan. 4:00 PM -5:20 PM, Session IV. Robert Schware Lead Informatics Specialist, Global ICT Department, World Bank Ms. Robert Schware was the Task Manager of the Bank Group's Information and Communications Sector Strategy Paper. He has eighteen years of experience in public and private sector information technology applications, development of market strategies for software and information services exports, and requirements analysis and technology evaluation. Before joining the World Bank, Dr. Schware consulted for UNIDO, the UN Software Technology Institute in Macau, UNRISD, and USAID.
Subhash Bhatnager Professor, Information Technologies, India Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India Professor Subhash Bhatnagar has been teaching at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. (IIMA) since 1975. He spent the last 2 years with the World Bank in Washington DC to mainstream E-Government applications in the activities of the Bank. He has authored 15 case studies on E-Government from different countries. He has advised many developing countries on Egovernment strategies. At IIMA he has held the CMC Chair Professorship in Information Technology; been a member of the board of governors and also served as its Dean in the past. Warren Wong Partner, Hickling Corporation Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Mr. Wong is an international development consultant focusing on the non-technical or people side of Information and Communication Technologies (commonly referred to as ICTs). He is currently the International Project Director of the Thailand Canada Telecenter Project, which he will be speaking about today. The Thailand Telecenter project is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and its objective is to deliver ICT services via community telecasters in rural and remote as well as underserved and unserved areas in a financially sustainable manner. Nobuhle Chonco Community Services Department, Vodacom Cellular Network, South Africa Ms. Chonco has a BA (SW) degree from the University of Zululand and Honours in Criminology at Unisa. As a Fullbright Scholar at Michigan State University, she received a Masters in Criminal Justice and an inter-disciplinary PhD degree in Social Work, Sociology and Criminal Justice. There she joined Vodacom and obtained a MBL (Master of Business Leadership) degree in 2001. Ms. Nobuhle is currently the head of Vodacom’s Community Services Department, which strives to close the digital divide gap by deploying public cellular phones to rural areas of Africa.
Subramaniam Janakiram Infrastructure and Energy Sector Unit (ECSIE), and SASKI, World Bank Mr. Janakiram has been working in the Europe and Central Asia Region (ECA) since 1992 in the design and implementation of
rural information and knowledge systems, micro- finance, income generation, and farm privatization activities in transition economies and post conflict affected areas. Prior to joining the ECA region, between 1988 and 1992, he was coordinator for the Africa Enterprise Fund and economist for Latin America region in the International Finance Corporation. He has a MS in Water Resources Management and Agricultural Economics from Colorado State University. Nagy K. Hanna
Senior Advisor, Informatics Advisory Services (ISGIA), World Bank
Mr. Hanna is currently a senior advisor on national ICT strategies at the World Bank. Previous positions at the Bank included: lead evaluator of development effectiveness, lead corporate strategist, lead private sector development officer, lead economist and chief staff officer on information management. Internationally experienced development strategist with extensive knowledge of national and corporate competitive strategies and the use of information and communication technology to support such strategies. Since he joined the Bank in 1975, he has had over 28 years of diverse economic development experience covering East and South Asia, Middle East, and Russia and Eastern Europe. In 1990, he led a Bank-wide task force to articulate the role of knowledge in development assistance and promote mainstreaming ICT into Bank lending. He holds a PhD (1976) degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, and advanced studies at Harvard Business School.