Aptivate convenes event to discuss impact of ‘Moving towards mobile’ on the Development sector

LONDON - June 23, 2014 - PRLog -- Brighton, United Kingdom, June 23, 2014 – On July 8^th, Aptivate, a UK based NGO focusing on Technology, Participation and International Development, hosts its annual Apticon (http://www.aptivate.org/en/blog/2014/04/09/apticon-moving-toward-mobile-8th-july-2014/) event at the Mozilla offices in central London.  According to Aptivate’s Matt Haikin this year’s Apticon is different from the previous: “In the past, it has been a mostly internal event with a few guests and friends.  This year we decided to broaden it and invite experts from the ICT sector and various NGOs, so we can share, learn from and inspire each other.”

Aside from the 17-strong Aptivate team, participants are expected from DfID, Water Aid, ITAD, Every1Mobile, Sarvodaya Fusion, SciDev.net, Knowledge Point and other technology and/or development related organisations.

The discussions at Apticon will concentrate on the opportunities, consequences and risks of the increasing number of mobile users in developing countries, and its impact on the development sector, NGOs etc. Low cost phones connect more people with the Internet, and with new options like Mozilla’s planned $25 smart phone, the market is changing rapidly.

In line with Aptivate’s beliefs in participatory approaches, Apticon will be facilitated in a participatory Open Space format, where the participants will control and direct the flow of the discussions. Matt Haikin believes the participants will be inspired by the interactive approach: “We think people will find it interesting to get a view inside Aptivate and see how a democratic non-hierarchical workplace functions.”

Findings and results of Apticon (http://www.aptivate.org/en/blog/) will be published to Aptivate’s website (www.aptivate.org) after the event.


Note to editors

Apticon - Moving Toward Mobile - will be held at the Mozilla Offices in London (101 St Martin’s Ln Floor 3 London WC2N 4AZ, London) on July 8^th 2014.

Aptivate is a UK based Non-Governmental Organisation that provides IT services for international development. Aptivate is dedicated to developing ICT services that facilitate communication for unconnected communities, empowering ordinary people across the developing world to improve their lives.

For more information, or if you would like to attend in person, please contact:

Matt Haikin
Phone: +44 (0) 1273 766602
Email: marketing@aptivate.org
Twitter: @AptivateUK
Website: www.aptivate.org