GFDD supports Virtual Educa, 2010

GFDD coordinated the Multilateral Forum of Educati@n for Human Development, one of the major components of the international event, Virtual Educa, that took place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from June 21-25, 2010.

The four-day Assembly effectively included the main sectors associated with change: multilateral/governmental, educational, cooperative and civil society.  The program consisted of an integrated set of seminars and forums
organized by specialized institutions such as the Organization of American States, OAS; the Inter American Development Bank, IADB; The Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC); the Association of Latin American Parliamentaries; Korea Education and Research Information Service, KERIS all of them associated with Virtual Educa, thereby guaranteeing multiple perspectives. Representing the NGO sector were FUNGLODE/GFDD, Telefónica Foundation, Cisneros Foundation, Education
Academy, University of Haiti, Quisqueya University, INDOTEL, Tech de Monterrey, Open University of Catalonia, the University of the West Indies, UWI. They all presented their line of work, experiences and projections in the field of the use of the technologies in the education for human development
 
During the Forum, an Agreement of Cooperation of the Multilateral Initiative of Education for Human Development (IMEDH) was signed amongst some of the different
institutions, and witnessed by high ranking DR officials Professor Melanio Paredes and Doña Ligia Amada Melo.

The intention of the IMEDH is to carry out projects in the field of Professional and Technical training, Higher Education, Multilateral programs, Information and Communications, and Knowledge Management, among others. It was signed by Asunción Sanz for GFDD/FUNGLODE; Jose Maria Antón for Virtual Educa; Alfredo Jiménez
for Parlatino; Gustavo García Paredes for UDUAL; and Marie Levens for the OAS.

Virtual Educa, considered to be the most important Ibero-american gathering for education and technology, was held at Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), with the slogan  “A New Education for a New Era” opened with the highest elected officials of the country led by the President of the Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández, also President
of the Virtual Educa Board .  The prestigious meeting assembled more than 3,000 participants from different parts of the world. It culminated a long effort initiated five years ago in Mexico and developed during Virtual Educa Brazil, in 2008, where this event was announced by President Fernández.
Virtual Educa is a wide ranging summit in that it allows those taking part to learn in detail about what is happening around the world in terms of virtual technology
applied to education in other countries. Attention was paid to the issue of models of good practices in education and training: challenges-strengths, opportunities and links (Latin American Area for Innovation and Knowledge, among others).

Virtual Educa’s General-Secretary Jose Marie Antón and FUNGLODE’s Yamile Eusebio, national coordinator of the event and Director of GFDD’s New York office, welcomed an array of the
World’s foremost decision-makers in education and technology,  among them distinguished Dominican political leaders such as President Leonel Fernandez; the Vice President, Rafael Albuquergue, Ligia Amada Melo de Cardona, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology; Melanio Paredes, Minister of Education; Carlos Morales Troncoso, Minister of Foreign Relations. 

Joining GFDD/FUNGLODE in Virtual Educa’s montage of sponsors were
the Presidency of the Republic, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, and UASD.

Proposals have already been made to host Virtual Educa in DR again in the year 2020.
　
Associated links:

http://www.eclac.org/
http://www.virtualeduca.org/
http://www.edunet.net
http://www.riss.kr
http://www.neis.go.kr
http://www.iadb.org/topics/education/educationandtheidb/home.cfm?lang=en
http://www.mty.itesm.mxhttp://www.oas.org/en/topics/human_development.asp