Applications for WSA close on 20 March

Applications are currently called for the pre-selection of nominees to the World Summit Award 2013, the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) says. The award attempts to appreciate at an international level the ICT content and software developed to make the lives of people more comfortable.

ICTA is hosting the WSA award event scheduled to be held in Colombo this October. An exhibition, Awards Gala and a Conference under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa with participation of representatives from about 164 countries are on the cards.

Nominations for the pre-selection are invited from content practitioners/innovators in the following categories for products or applications launched after 1 January 2011: (1)e-Government and Institutions (2) e-Health and Environment, (3)e-Learning and Education, (4)e-Entertainment and Games, (5) e-Culture and Heritage, (6)e-Science and Technology, (7) e-Business and Commerce and (8)e-Inclusion and Participation

In a reminder to applicants to ICTA’s e-Swabhimani applicants ICTA says that all applications submitted for the e-Swabhimani 2011 or 2012 need not be resubmitted. However such applications could be re-submitted if substantial improvements have been made to these products since submission.

For further details and application forms applicants are requested to visit www.eswabhimani.lk/wsa. Duly completed application forms are required to be emailed to [email protected] before 12 noon on 20 March 2013, ICTA adds.

The World Summit Award (WSA) is a global initiative for selecting and promoting the world’s best e-content and applications and thereby contributing towards bridging the Digital Divide and narrowing the Content Gap. WSA works to strengthen entrepreneurship within content industries and to bring about economic and cultural development through the creative use of ICTs. It offers a worldwide platform for all who value the creative use of ICTs and who are committed to making today’s information society more inclusive.

WSA is based on a unique mechanism of a global contest supported by national selections of best practice and a sequence of content-focused national and international events, content conferences and promotional exhibitions.

WSA was initiated by Austria in 2003 in the framework of the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and is organised by a global partner network, coordinated by the International Center for New Media. WSA partners come from governments, private sector and civil society in over 160 UN member states.WSA implements the UN agenda for the development of the Information Society and supports specifically the UN Millennium Development Goals of ending poverty, hunger and disease, providing education for all, saving the environment and giving a fair share to women through the use of ICTs.

The WSA Winners’ celebrations and the gala bring WSA winners together with international leaders, innovators, creators, designers, entrepreneurs and activists involved in the international e-Content and ICT industries.

The gala attracts high-level guests from all over the world, including Heads of States and government representatives, executives from UN agencies and private sector leaders. These will personally hand over the award trophies to the winners of the Global e-Content contest.