SAARC Workshop on "Library 2.0" in Nepal

SDC is going to organize SAARC Workshop on "Library 2.0" at Kathmandu in Nepal during the period 12-16 December 2011 in collaboration with Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of Nepal (National Focal Point of SDC in Nepal).
Library 2.0 is basically application of Web 2.0 technologies/tools in the areas of library services. Now a days, these tools are being widely used by various Library & Information Centres to provide user-centric sercvices.
The course content includes Introduction to Library 2.0, Open Source Software for Library 2.0, Web Designing, Blogs, Wiki, RSS Feeds, Online Sharing of Documents etc.,Social Networking sites and Forums.
For the details, please contact: sdc@niscair.res.in

SAARC Seed Bank

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers in their weekly meeting held under the chairmanship of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has agreed to establish a SAARC Seed Bank in Sri Lanka in keeping with the agreement reached at the 17th SAARC Summit held in Maldives last week. The objectives of setting up of the Seed Bank, as agreed upon by SAARC countries, are to provide regional support to national seed security efforts, address regional seed shortages through collective actions and foster inter-country partnership. The entity will act as a Regional Seed Security reserve for the Member States. Each member country is expected to contribute one percent of their total seed requirement to the Bank as reserve. The Seed Bank will help the member countries to make available quality seeds, exchange seeds and plant genetic resources and share practices, technologies and techniques among them to produce quality seeds. Under the agreement, all member countries will have enough stocks of quality seeds, and in case of calamities, one member can borrow from the other. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has proposed the establishment of a seed bank at the 16th SAARC Summit held in Thimpu, Bhutan, in 2010.

Visit the official government news porotal of Sri Lanka...........

Koha Workshop on the occasion of SAARC Charter Day 2011 at SDC

SDC is going to organize a 5-day workshop on "Koha - Open Source Integrated Library Management Software" on 5-10 Dec. 2011 on the occasion of SAARC Charter Day (celebrated on 8th December every year).
Koha is an open source Integrated Library System (ILS), used world-wide by public, school and special libraries. The name koha comes from a Māori term for a gift or donation. Koha is the first free software library automation package. In use worldwide, its development is steered by a growing community of users collaborating to achieve their technology goals. Koha’s feature set continues to evolve and expand to meet the needs of its user base. Koha is web-based ILS, with a SQL database backend with cataloguing data stored in MARC and accessible via Z39.50. The user interface is very configurable and adaptable and has been translated into many languages. Koha has most of the features that would be expected in an ILS.
To get admission in the workshop, nominations may be sent to SDC through SAARC Secretariat via proper channel. Direct applications are not accepted at SDC. Two participants from each member state will be sponsored by SDC. For details, contact: sdc@niscair.res.in / 91-11-26863609
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Addu Declaration at the end of 17th SAARC Summit

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit - 2011 has decided to set the timeline for finalising a framework for rail and sea connectivity. The “Addu Declaration” issued at the end of the Seventeenth SAARC summit on 11th Nov. 2011 (Friday) shed some of the despondency reflected in the previous summit held in Thimphu. The eight leaders of SAARC member states at the summit decided to finalise a Regional Railways Agreement and complete the preparatory work on an Indian Ocean Cargo and Passenger Ferry Service by the end of this year.
The declaration also decided on early demonstration run of a Bangladesh- India-Nepal container train.
On the trade front, emphasis was on effective implementation of the free trade pact, paring the sensitive lists, eliminating non-tariff barriers and harmonising standards and customs procedures. With consensus eluding the SAARC on climate change, the declaration made a bland one-line reference to the issue.
Click Here for Addu Declaration.........

17th SAARC Summit Inaugurated

17^thSAARC Summit was inaugurated on 10th Nov. 2011 at the Equatorial Convention Centre, Addu City in Maldives. The Inaugural Session began with the recitation of Holy Quran.
Opening of the Seventeenth SAARC Summit was carried out by the Chairman of the Sixteenth SAARC Summit and the Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Bhutan, H.E. Lynchhen Jigmi Yoezer Thinley.

President of the Host Country, the Republic of Maldives – H.E. Mohamed Nasheed addressed the gathering; followed by the Adoption of the Agenda of the Sixteenth SAARC Summit and the Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Bhutan H.E.Lyonchhen Jigmi Yoezer Thinley. President of the Maldive, H.E. Mohamed Nasheed assumed the Chair of the Seventeenth SAARC Summit.
The gathering was addressed by the Heads of States and Governments of the SAARC Countries, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and the hosting Maldives.
Foreign Secretaries of SAARC Member States and the Heads of Observer delegations, Cabinet Ministers of the Republic of Maldives, Ministers of the Visiting delegations, Foreign/External Ministers of SAARC Member States, Vice President, the Speaker of the Parliament, the Chief Justice of the Republic of Maldives, and the Secretary General of the SAARC, H.E. Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed attended the inaugural session of the Seventeenth SAARC Summit in the Equatorial Convention Centre, Addu City; Maldives.

• Official website of 17th SAARC Summit.............
  
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SAARC Standing Committee Meeting : 2011

The Foreign Secretaries of the SAARC member countries met at the SAARC Standing Committee Meeting on 7^th Nov. 2011. The delegates deliberated on the annual report of SAARC Secretariat and the agenda for the upcoming SAARC Summit. The Standing Committee meetings held on 7^th and 8^th Nov. 2011 will be followed by the Council of Ministers meeting, which will be attended by Foreign Ministers of SAARC countries, on 9^th Nov. 2011 (Wednesday).
The SAARC Programming Committee met on 6^th Nov. 2011 and discussed on a US$2.7 million (Rf41.6 million) budget proposed by its members for the functioning of the SAARC Secretariat and ways to reduce the budget of the Secretariat and the Regional Centres.
The 17^th SAARC Summit will begin at 2pm on 10^th Nov. 2011 (Thursday) and will end at 3pm on 11^th Nov. 2011 (Friday).
Official Website of 17^th SAARC Summit.............
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SAARC Under 25 Twenty20 Cricket Tournament

H.E. President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed said that the SAARC Under 25 Cricket Tournament to be held in Fuvammulah, would showcase the best and the brightest talents of South Asian cricket. The President also conveyed his optimism that the tournament, which is to be held as part of this year’s SAARC festival, would be extremely rewarding, and encouraged the Maldivian team to aim for championship. H.E.President Nasheed said that the Cricket Ground in Fuvahmulah is being built with assistance from a number of sources, and added that this of an added advantage to the development of Cricket in Maldives.The teams are to be accommodated in Herethere Resort.
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