#MicroArticle

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Digital Divide and Lack of Opportunities in Developing Countries

In developed countries, the majority of people have access to the internet and appropriate technology. On the other hand, many people in developing countries does not have this opportunity. It’s an another reality screams for attention behind the world of modern technology. The term "digital divide" refers to the difference between those with stable internet connection and equipment and those who have extremely limited or no access.

For many developing countries, ICT – information and communication technology – has become a new source of hope, the actual possibility of overcoming existing social inequalities and divides. When we think of the digital gap in developing countries, we think of issues like corruption, service delivery delays, and a lack of public sector accountability. Many people feel that ICT can solve this problem. Access to information and communication technology is one of the most critical concerns for socioeconomic development in developing countries. In addition, ICT in developing-country schools may provide an excellent opportunity for many youngsters who do not have access to technology to learn new skills. Authorities in developing countries must identify and try to solve the problem. However, it is not so easy because there are different types of digital divides within a country, such as a gender divide, an age divide, and an income divide. It is important to pay attention to all of these differences. Furthermore, we can see ICT has turned into a strong instrument for education to utilize for teacher’s professional development, reducing the gap of many teachers and students in remote schools, and increasing every learning environment with a range of materials available internationally.

However, in order to eliminate the digital gap, the problem of affordability of various ICT services must be at the forefront of the development goals. As citizens, we should discuss the importance of this issue in the fight against poverty and other issues in our globalized society.

References from the article:

Selwyn, N. (2004). Reconsidering political and popular understandings of the digital divide. New Media and Society, 6(3), 341–362. doi:10.1177/1461444804042519

Saheb, T (2014). ICT, Education and Digital Divide in Developing Countries. General Applied and Scientific University, Tehran.

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Chose B2b Creative Blog Writing For Continuity

By John Howard

Sometimes, bringing in an outsider can shake things up in a good way. The outside party, who may be a freelancer, is often exposed to new technology and ideas and this can work for a company looking for a change. Writing from a fresh perspective can give an image new life and eventually an authority in their industry. Many companies choose b2b creative blog writing services as a way to bring a little variety to their blog presence. When most individuals decide to publish a blog, they often have great ideas but the same cannot be said for their execution. Often they are unaware of how social media can be integrated or the fundamentals of online networking. Most people who know little about digital marketing tend to take a bull by the horns approach. For instance, a b2c site will most likely consist of future sales, news articles, and perhaps a cute visual or two every week. Even if posts are made less than ten times a month, viewers often know what to expect. When writers are aware of the visiting audience, they can come up with a plan that ensures sticky content. Simple factors can be converted into listicles or microarticles that are ideal for mobile marketing plans or internal newsletters. There may be a visual with a historical impact that newer generations of workers may not be aware of. Then there are current events to consider, like the current economy or key figures. However, the online business blogger realizes that visitor engagement is measurable. They should also have the ability to see what types of content brings the highest click through rates. Reporting industry news and trends in text format is okay but creative posts often encourage audiences to stick around longer. It also helps to go with a service or individual that knows social media marketing. While a good article may be hard to turn away from, its sharability factor is what can make an online image. Placement of keywords and pertinent information goes a long way and will pay off for those looking to establish or strengthen an image. While b2b writing is not the same as having a consumer audience, it does not mean that everything should be boring. Content can be used to drum up a new business opportunity or encourage new partnerships. Visuals, fun facts and other data in the form of infographics and listicles, as well as traditional posts, can go a long way. Time management is essential when using blogs as a marketing tool. Even if it is decided that evergreen content will be a part of the plan, no one wants to lose time dealing with new writers all of the time. Having the entire package, creativity, online marketing, and writing is what companies should look for in the person who will create content for their operation. Without this combination, they might as well not have a business blog.

About the Author:

The b2b creative blog writing reveals interesting tips on how to make money online. You can find out more by visiting the related website at https://ift.tt/2IWrWlY.

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Sharing and Happiness

The term "sharing" refers to the act of giving to those in need. Sharing results in happiness. Therefore, sharing is so important that love, friendships, relationships, and human civilization are built on it, looking after each other despite our differences, and mutual assistance. Even if The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the value and urgency of sharing and caring and serving others. So that, it is essential to teach children the importance of “sharing” from their early age, as well as the importance of sharing of our tangible or intangible things with others.

From the early childhood when we learn to communicate, we learn to share with it. It begins with our parents teaching us the important of sharing by sharing a toy with a friend in need. At first, this idea seems absurd in the mind of children or toddler. They might be think, “Why would I give this toy I’m playing with?” They will quickly realize the outcome at their young age. And the outcome is the joy they see they have brought to someone else. Sharing not only bring us joy, it teaches us the importance of caring for others. In Bangladeshi and many other cultures, it is common to share home with elders.  On the other hand, Sharing would not have to be a grand act to be appreciated. You can simply make someone feel special by simply giving a compliment, like - Thank you for your support. Sharing is truly a win-win situation. Happiness or Smile is one of the best thing you can share with others.

In Future, when you get an opportunity to share something with others or something good happens to you, do not miss that opportunity to share.  A Chinese proverb says, "If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. Go fishing if you want to be happy for a day. If you want to be happy for a year, gain wealth. Share if you want to be happy for the rest of your life.” Happiness can be achieved by serving others.

According to a report conducted in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, sharing our good news provides us with more positive feeling than just remembering it. The study also discovered that expressing a positive experience has other advantages, such as making it easy to recall, the ability to hear new positive implications of our news from someone's viewpoint, and the extra pleasure we feel when we make another person happier with our good news. (Nathaniel M. Lambert, A. Marlea Gwinn, Roy F. Baumeister (2012). A boost of positive affect: The benefits of sharing positive experiences. )

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Closure of schools and Children’s mental health

Many children in Bangladesh, particularly in Dhaka, are experiencing severe physical and mental distress because of COVID-19 restrictions that keep them at home for long periods and prevent them from socializing with other children. Though the government has made online teaching methods available to students since the closure of educational institutions in March of last year, parents and experts prefer in-person teaching because virtual classes have been causing physical and physiological stress on children for nearly a year.

"Feeling isolated can lead to poor sleep, poor cardiovascular health, lower immunity, depressive symptoms, and impaired executive function,” the American Psychological Association said in a recent study on the mental health of children, in a post-Covid world.

According to the latest National Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Survey, more than 90% of adolescents use mobile phones in Bangladesh. According to Dr SM Aman of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK, research suggests that prolonged cell phone exposure could affect children's behavior.

"The children in the study who were hyperactive or had emotional or behavioral problems, including trouble getting along with other kids, were much more likely to have mothers who used cell phones during pregnancy," he said.

A field-based study conducted by 15 international and local organizations, has shown that children are facing mental and psychological discomfort as their normal childhood is missing during the current pandemic. The study unveiled that 55% of children shared their frustration with the state of staying at home, while another study said 42% of students’ lives have become troublesome due to the pandemic’s long-term closure of schools. And, 52% were concerned about the effects of the pandemic.

According to UNESCO, 1.2 billion students worldwide have been affected by the closure of educational institutions in 144 countries. Whereas in Bangladesh, about 37 million students, including 17 million in primary education, are out of in-person education and discontinuation of academic activities.

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yher: Women Changemakers

Every day, every minute, every second, we respect our courageous ‘Muktijoddhas’ – freedom fighters of 1971 – because of whom we have this independent land as proud Bangladeshis.

In this MicroArticle, I would like to add my respect to the 21st Century Muktijoddha’s working to eradicate poverty, support communities in need, create an environment to ensure social freedom, economic stability, and environmental sustainability for Bangladesh. The leaders of today, the young impact entrepreneurs – our 21st century Muktijoddha’s – freedom fighters –fighting to build Bangladesh.

Since 2016, Build Bangladesh in partnership with ygap Australia supported more than 60 active impact entrepreneurs in Bangladesh to ensure social, economic, and financial freedom while complementing the SDGs as our 21st Century Muktijoddha’s. Over last two years, we added another 13 plus women entrepreneurs into our support network mainly through our yher programme. These 75 plus young men and women agreed to take Bangladesh forward. This is what Build Bangladesh and ygap wants, the succession plan for our country, for our private sectors to grow. The yher programme – with specific focus on the women entrepreneurs as the changemakers is a success story in many countries including Bangladesh.

Historically from the late 19th century the legal position of women gradually improved but, would you believe that a country like Switzerland introduced voting rights for women only in 1971! The First World War gave women their big opportunity to move into previously male dominated occupations. As the men were at war, women were driving trams, working in the offices, banks, shops and ammunitions factories. The principle that women were perfectly capable of doing a wide range of jobs were established by then. Next, the second world war brought millions of women into labor force. The widespread adoption of labor-saving technology in the home from the start of the 1950s, as for example, refrigerators, cookers, washing machines had an impact for more women to take up paid external jobs. From 1970s women started moving into the labour forces in ever increasing numbers globally.

Female employment in Bangladesh has seen a 35% increase, reaching 18.1 million between 2008 and 2017. Higher growth in female employment was fuelled by the industrial sector, especially the apparel industry and services sector. But the agriculture sector still employs the highest number of women, employing 10.9 million workers.

The prospect to bring more women into the workplace is huge, where half of the population is women! And women entrepreneurs can play instrumental role to bring this plan into reality! These Yher ‘graduates’ as the women changemakers are determined to drive this agenda!

We strongly believe, they have the capacity and determination to do it and they will achieve it! Their strengths and ammunitions are:

Passion and dedication to eradicate gender inequality; Spirit to touch people’s heart through ethical business; dream to support the environment; and unconditional love for Bangladesh.

These are our new leaders; the women change makers.

Title: yher: Women Changemakers

Contributor/s: Farhadur Reza

Contact: farhad.reza@impress.bz

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Post Covid-19 Architecture

This MicroArticle is to reflect the Post COVID-19 Architecture in Bangladesh supported by evidence-based changes in Architecture over last few centuries. It is not the first time in history that cities and buildings will be reimagined in response to an increased understanding of events that affects the whole of civilization at once. The question is how this Pandemic will influence Architect’s perception when designing new apartments, residences, or even larger public spaces, like schools, universities, airports, hotels, hospitals, gyms, stadiums, shopping centers and offices?

After the Industrial Revolution, architecture and planning had to cater for the huge rural-urban migration in the early 1800s. The post-world war architecture in Europe reflects the challenges adopted by Architects followed by the impacts in design since September 11, 2001 attack in New York. Even before that, Haussmann's renovation of Paris was a vast public works program between 1853 and 1870, while London re-planned its infrastructure in the wake of the city’s 1954 cholera epidemic.

Similarly, to face the regular natural disaster and/or health challenges, Bangladesh has proved itself as a competent country to take appropriate actions. Loss of lives since 1969, due to disaster, has been hugely reduced, the number of climate refugees has gone down, prevented outbreaks of deadly diseases like malaria, shelter to prevent people from floods and natural disasters is now considered as one of the best solution for mankind (Nobel Prize winning Grameen housing).

As Architects, it is worth to be ready by incorporating few possible ‘COVID-19 impacts’ on Architecture well ahead. There has never been a greater challenge for Bangladeshi Architects to be innovative and creative to complement the reforms in social, economic, and environmental arenas. Because, what Architects have, is a set of skills to think outside the square, how to nurture the creative cells in their brain, how to use creativity, innovation to support human beings and to bring good to all societies. They are trained to ensure the health of urban environment and accountable to develop preventive measures and ‘vaccines’ for the urban systems to cope with uncertainties for today and tomorrow.

Title: Post Covid-19 Architecture

Contributor/s: Farhadur Reza

Contact: farhad.reza@impress.bz

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Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

The food for thought for this MicroArticle is a rhyme that I am confident all of you are familiar. We all interpreted it in our own way when we were growing up:

“Twinkle Twinkle little star how I wonder what you are,

Up above the sky so high, like a diamond in the sky”

This was all about unreachability, untouchable, unattainable – comparison with a very precious object – Diamond.

Now, it is 21st century – time to think differently, see differently, interpret differently:

Little star is our next generation

Up above the sky so high – is the unreachable part of our society with need – basic need – health housing, nutrition, education and employment.

Like a diamond in the sky – this is the huge untapped potential among the new generation impact entrepreneurs just waiting to be nurtured.

You can do it! You can bring a better world for everyone – the Impact Entrepreneurs of the 21st Century.

Think it twice now:

“Twinkle Twinkle little star how I wonder what you are,

Up above the sky so high, like a diamond in the sky”

Contributor/s: Farhadur Reza

Contact: farhad.reza@impress.bz