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Today I met with

and I was glad to hear the interest in Open Source in Afghanistan among students and recent IT graduates is increasing. Afghanistan still has a high degree of illiteracy. The IT literacy is therefore even more limited, but even among the small IT community the sense for the advantages of free and open source software and its business opportunities is very strong.

Numerous companies that offer local webservices based on open source software as well as NGO projects like OLPC Afghanistan by Mike Dawson have recently appeared everywhere in Kabul. Young IT professionals form the basis for this development.  They have been educated by partners in Germany like the TU Berlin and elsewhere. 2007/2008 I was a lecturer in the Afghanistan project of the TU Berlin and I was inspired by my hard working students from Kabul and Herat and their ideas to put their knowledge into business practice. 

2008-02-19  one of the first meeting of NICTAA, Name    Omar Mansoor Ansari Contact Email    oansari@nictaa.af Contact Phone    +93.20.21.03.91.9

The National ICT Association of Afghanistan (NICTAA) is facilitating the formation of Linux Afghanistan—a community and association of the Linux/FOSS professionals and users in the country. The main objective of this meeting is to discuss various issues around the Linux Afghanistan formation and launch with the society professionals and institutions, recruit membership and form an interim Board of Directors for the association. (Afghanistan Advocacy Group Seminar Linux, http://www.iosn.net/south-asia/countries/afghanistan/events/meeting-on-linux-afghanistan/)

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• Exchange ideas, views and experiences among members on the development and application of ICT
• Educate the public on ICT issues and capabilities
• Advise on an up to date and progressive curriculum development
• Bridging the digital gape (divide)
• Inspire Afghan youth to taking productive and creative approaches to contribute to the redevelopment of Afghanistan
• Support and guide young entrepreneurs to guarantee their sustainable future both for their and the country’s progress
• Promote gender balance in ICT
• Promote ICT as an enabler in every walk of life
• Promote Software development and localization
• Advocate and promote intellectual and copyright laws
• Promote sustainable development and application of efficient, adequate, and cost-effective ICT networks and services throughout Afghanistan
• Ensure that ICT and ICT sector is given a key consideration in the national strategies and economic documents
• Coordinate & create, if necessary, strategies in/for the ICT sector
• Coordinate gradual and effective implementation of national strategies in the ICT sector
• Encourage research, innovation and creativity contributing to local and worldwide ICT development
• Coordinate national and international developmental issues
• Ensure coordination among ICT players, producers and consumers in Afghanistan
• Promote more direct investment in the ICT sector
• Prepare research on ICT issues for the public, government, or internal use

Links

* http://www.iosn.net/south-asia/countries/afghanistan/events/meeting-on-l...