BPN 1556 WSA Mobile on the fast track (1)

I am in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A few weeks ago I was looking at the racetrack during Formula 1 races, now I have a hotelroom on the racetracks. But no cars. This is a dreamplace, when you look at the buildings and ornaments, but you need to have a gold card! Here is my first photo-impression (You can enlarge the photographs by clicking on them; go back with the escape key).

This is the crown prince visiting the UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) Conference and the World Summit Conference for Mobile Media exhibition.

This is the entrance to the Grand Prix Formula 1 race track and the track itself (below being cleaned every day, even if there are not any races).













The bedroom in the hotel is spacious; I guess 5 by 15 meters with a view on the race track. The wet dock is like a fish bowl.

This the Yas Hotel. It is a cubile with a free form around it full of lights, which change every second by colour.



This video is a view from my hotel room into the marina and watch the racetrack!

I received a comment from my friend Nick Clarke on the word 'dreamplace': Nick schreef: Jak, this is not the time for democratic European states to be seduced or corrupted by Sheikdoms.The wealth they produce fuels terrorism. I am very surprised by your last 2 posts. A 'dreamplace' - is a outrageous observation in a country that has no human rights and is one of the most lucrative sources of Taliban funds. Sleep in a bed funded to kill European Service Women and Men - killed in part by the Country you comment as 'dreamplace'. Jak I thought you were wise. Nick

Okay Nick, I guess that you mean my last post and not the last two ( an e-reader is not controversial). I did not use the word dream palace and I specified the word 'dreamplace' now in terms of buildings and ornaments.

BPN 1556

BPN 1103 WSA to become a UN GAID flagship initiative

The global digital media competition World Summit Award is about to forge a new alliance with the United Nations in the framework of the Global Alliance for ICT & Development (GAID) of the United Nations. After a meeting in New York at the UN Headquarters, Mr Sarbuland Kahn, the Executive Coordinator of GAID, announced verbally that WSA is going to become the flagship initiative of GAID in recognition of the global reach of WSA and its unique standing in the area of e-content. This decision will be set out in writing at the GAID Annual Meeting and Global Forum on 18-20 May 2008 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mr Sarbuland Khan said:“GAID places particular importance to initiatives such as the WSA, and welcomes the development of appropriate tools and training content, an essential ingredient of localknowledge sharing, in order to enable communities to find resources most relevant to their needs.
WSA will launch a Flagship Initiative on e-Content within GAID with the objective of creating a meaningful dialogue - involving grass-roots and civil society organizations,
governments, the private sector and other stakeholders - in order to advance consensus and help decision-makers to bring about the appropriate regulatory environment
enabling local content production, dissemination and usage for the benefit of the communities.”

WSA creates and sustains a global network and platform which provides global recognition of the individual achievements of local e-Content producers, establishes insight into what is quality in terms of e-Content and innovative applications, focuses on value add for users, and stimulates entrepreneurship and creativity in the creative industries. WSA directly empowers individuals as entrepreneurs and specifically supports the UN Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty and using ICT for the betterment of Society.

Aims:
• Make rich local e-Content issues part of the ICT4D agenda
• Facilitate local e-Content industry economic development
• Bridge the digital divide in e-Content
• Narrow the content gap

Blog Post Number: 1103

Tags: digital divide