Conference to champion community use of ICT

Innovative community projects and solutions to some difficult technological challenges will be showcased at the inaugural Connecting Communities conference in Wellington this November.

The conference, organised by the Community Employment Group of the Department of Labour, will bring together government and non-government groups to look at communities can by strengthened themselves through the use of information communications technology (ICT). Several hundred community leaders, digital champions from rural, urban, Maori and Pacific organisations and central and local government representatives are expected to attend.

Steve Maharey said the conference will look at how ICT can assist communities and community organisations to work better.

“Communities play a vital role in New Zealand’s journey towards a knowledge society. The Connecting Communities conference

“Some community groups that have already embraced ICT in creative ways will be holding workshops at the conference. These include a rural community in Tuatapere which has developed a satellite guidance system for trampers and Pacific and Maori groups in Christchurch and Otara who have utilised digital story telling to help local communities promote themselves and their abilities in innovative ways.

“Other communities are providing a wide range of technological training opportunities for unemployed and underemployed people. We need to support these developments and this conference seeks to find the most effective ways to provide that support from a range of public, private and community sector partnerships,” Steve Maharey said.

The conference will be at the Wellington Town Hall on November 3 – 5th. For more information contact CEG on 04 915 4300 or visit www.connectingcommunities.govt.nz

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