NICSN Research Consortium

IPAKS Update

6th GAID Steering Committee Meeting, September 24, 2008

The objective of this Community of Expertise as outlined in the proposal is:

Information and Communications Technologies and particularly services delivered by means of satellite enabled broadband networks, if available for appropriate and effective use could provide means to equalize opportunity and enable significant advancement in a variety of service areas. The intention of the “Indigenous People’s Appropriating the Knowledge Society Through Satellite Enabled Broadband Networking” (IPAKS) Community of Expertise is to provide a means for the sharing of experience and good practice in the application of ICTs in support of development by Indigenous Peoples.

It is anticipated that the output of the IPAKS Community of Expertise (CoE), if appropriate funding is identified, would include:

1. a handbook on alternative approaches to obtaining usable Internet access by Indigenous Peoples in rural and remote areas
2. a handbook on a people centred approach to satellite enabled broadband networks for support of e-health and tele-health for Indigenous Peoples in rural and remote areas
3. a cost-effective satellite enabled broadband e-platform for community based indigenous language sensitive e-learning for Indigenous Peoples in rural and remote areas
4. a cost-effective satellite enabled broadband e-platform for enabling the preservation and use of indigenous languages in an ICT enabled environment and for the development of electronic content in indigenous languages
5. a framework of good practices for the use by IP’s of satellite based broadband services in responding to the challenges of climate change and in support of locally based resource management
6. a global conference bringing together the experience and extending the network of IPs involved with Satellite Enabled Broadband Networking.