Information Symposium to address challenges presented by Myanmar’s digital revolution & democratic transition
On January 28-29th, 2016, an Information Symposium in Yangon, Myanmar will bring together hundreds of representatives from all sectors to discuss open and transparent public information in Myanmar’s transition.
The symposium, From Scarcity to Overload: Finding “Good Enough” Public Information in Myanmar’s Transition, will feature plenary panel discussions, keynote speakers, breakout discussions, and a Marketplace of Ideas to give participants the opportunity to take stock of where Myanmar stands in its information revolution. It is the first ever event that brings together all of the stakeholders working in the information society in Myanmar.
Panelists and participants will seek answers to questions such as: How do the legacies of political rule continue to impede the production of, and access to, reliable information? What are the major information challenges for the people of this country? What opportunities exist to leverage information tools, digital interventions and networks of committed colleagues to advance an inclusive democracy?
Participants at the symposium will include information providers, information users, and information distributors. There will be representatives from the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), academia and research organizations, government, and librarians and information professionals.
The symposium is being organized by the Myanmar Book Aid Preservation Foundation (MBAPF), Enlightened Research Myanmar (EMR), the University of Washington’s (UW) Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS), and the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the UW’s Information School.
Support for the symposium comes from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Microsoft, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and The Asia Foundation. The symposium is part of the larger project, Information Strategies for Societies in Transition, supported by USAID, Microsoft, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Tableau Foundation, implemented by the Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation, Enlightened Myanmar Research, and the University of Washington Jackson School and TASCHA.
For updates on the symposium, please visit http://tascha.uw.edu/projects/information-strategies-for-societies-in-transition/, or the Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/MyanmarInformationSymposium/. Inquiries can be directed to info@myanmarbook.com or melclark@uw.edu.
To learn more about the symposium, the panels, and the participants, please see the full program agenda here (PDF).
