A little about what I used to work on with Georgia Tech in Liberia. This is a copy of our official project summary.

Georgia Institute of Technology

Sam Nunn School of International Affairs

Project Summary, Republic of Liberia

The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, and other units, at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) have engaged in a variety of collaborative research programs in the Republic of Liberia. Situated in Atlanta, Georgia Tech is one of the leading research universities in the USA and the Sam Nunn School is the only program of international affairs situated at a major science and technology research university in the US. The Georgia Institute of Technology is committed to bringing about positive change in the world through the use of science and technology.

Tech’s research activities have focused on information and communication technologies (ICT’s) studying the overall sector, the role of ICT’s in post-conflict reconstruction, national ICT policy formulation, ICT training among vulnerable populations, and capacity building within the educational sector.

Current projects include:

• TRC Website. We have partnered with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Liberia to explore the use of new media in post-conflict national healing and reconciliation. Using the latest in web 2.0 technologies and a collaborative user centered design process, we have developed and maintain the current TRC website (www.trcofliberia.org). With this site, Liberia’s TRC is the first ever to allow formal statements to be submitted online. In addition the site supports discussion fora, facilities for people to upload their own media, news and information sources, and memorial areas. The site includes regular updates, press releases, and reports and videos from public hearings and events.
• GTV: Stories for Reconciliation. We are developing, in collaboration with the TRC, a mobile video story-telling system that will allow all Liberians, from both urban and rural areas, to share their stories across the nation and to browse and view the stories of others. It will also allow Liberians to view official videos and information from the TRC including testimonies from public hearings. The video system is situated within a specially outfitted car and uses a unique computer system that allows people to view and record videos with simple push-button commands.
• GTVPhone: Stories for Reconciliation. Working on the same premise as the GTV system above, GTVPhone leverages the ubiquity of GSM mobile telephony in Liberia as a means to further encourage national dialogue. GTVPhone is an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system that hosts phone based discussion forums, and disseminates information on the work of the TRC and other groups in Liberia.
• National Policy Inputs. Georgia Tech has actively contributed inputs and ideas to the Government of Liberia in the development of the national ICT policy and telecommunications act. In addition we have worked with the Liberian Telecommunications Authority (LTA) on the development of their plans and capacity building efforts. Drawing from Tech’s considerable experience with ICT policy work across Africa and elsewhere, we have attempted to provide collaborative and informed inputs that represent global best practices but are also sensitive to the Liberian context.
• ICT Training For Vulnerable Populations. Partnering with a local NGO, the Center for Women’s and Children’s Empowerment (CEWCE), we have established a new computer training laboratory and provided ICT literacy programs aimed primarily at women, ex-combatant, and displaced peoples. We are exploring ways to tailor the course curriculum to best respond to these learner’s needs and background. In addition we are looking to expand the program to other sites as well as to use the existing facility to provide training for a broader set of learners.
• University Education. We are exploring collaborations with Liberian universities aimed at developing the use of ICTs in education, curriculum innovations, and the creation of workshops for faculty and administration on the use of computers for both academic and administrative tasks.
• ICT Sector Studies. We have conducted a number of surveys studying the overall ICT sector in Liberia and in particular the use of mobile phones among various communities. These studies have pointed to the importance of ICT’s in the nation’s post-conflict development.

These research projects have received generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, Microsoft, The Soros Foundation Network, and others.

For further information please contact:

Michael L. Best, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Sam Nunn School of International Affairs & School of Interactive Computing Georgia Institute of Technology 781 Marietta Street Atlanta, GA 30332 USA mikeb@cc.gatech.edu +1-404-894-029

John Etherton Project Manager, Liberia Sam Nunn School of International Affairs Georgia Institute of Technology 3rd Street Sinkor Monrovia, Liberia john.etherton@gatech.edu +231-(0)6-975-868