KariaNet start-up workshop
KariaNet Start-up workshop
Agadir, Morocco, March 30 - April 1, 2011
Despite of new knowledge sharing web-based and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) tools flourishing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) over the recent years, there is still a pronounced gap between research results and the knowledge seekers. Thus, agriculture and rural development research results undergone by different institutes and agencies in MENA are not sufficiently echoed on the level of small-scale farmers and vulnerable rural poor. In addition, the indigenous knowledge that the rural people have inherited and practiced over time is not in the hand of the researchers and knowledge providers to be able to fortify their findings with empirical knowledge and successful practices.
Given this reality, KariaNet, a joint regional project between the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), was designed to consolidate the effort in knowledge management in order to optimise the efficiency of rural development projects. The major actors involved are from ten countries in MENA: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Sudan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen. KariaNet seeks to mainstream knowledge management (KM) and knowledge sharing (KS) in policy formulation and development practices. In addition, KariaNet intends to encourage farmers, researchers, policy makers and development practitioners to use web-based and other tools to ensure equity in knowledge access.
KariaNet start-up workshop aims at bringing together hand-picked regional actors from researchers, development practitioners, farmers’ organisations, governmental bodies and media representatives to plan for an implementation road map for knowledge management institutionalisation. It will be also an opportunity to harvest new ideas in knowledge management for rural development by creating an inclusive platform for different players and stakeholders involved in food security and rural enterprise development.
The workshop expects to answer the following questions:
- What is the current status of knowledge management practices and policies in agriculture and rural development in the region?
- Who are the main stakeholders involved in enhancing knowledge sharing and knowledge management?
- What national and regional institutions can play a role in knowledge management mainstreaming?
- How to integrate knowledge management practices at country and regional levels?
- How to sustain KariaNet network in order to support country and regional needs?
