Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!uunet!bionet!com.qz.se!P2269
From: P2269@com.qz.se ("ENG-LEONG FOO ", MIRCEN-STOCKHOLM)
Newsgroups: bionet.technology.conversion
Subject: Symposium "The Potentials of Independent Initiatives"
Message-ID: <8907061617.AA26413@net.bio.net>
Date: 6 Jul 89 13:07:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@NET.BIO.NET
Lines: 68

From: Eng-leong Foo, UNEP/UNESCO/ICRO Microbiological
Resources Center (MIRCEN)

        One of the people who asked me to elaborate on my
poster presentation was Enzo Puliatti (@CDP: enzop). (S)he (
?) is the regional officer for UNDP's Latin American Bureau,
Division for the Regional Programme and is interested in
networking among NGOs and academic organizations, non-
commercial data-communications and alternative, low-cost
solution for networking in latin
american countries.

        The poster session on June 2nd was an informal one,
i.e. it permitted informal interactions with interested
persons at the display site. So I am unable to send you (
Enzo) the abstract. In brief, the poster display had 3
sections, the tool, applications and our experiences. The
Tool informed people of the basic equipment a user needs as
well as how the networking of computer mainframes can
facilitate electronic messaging and particularly useful for
a group of geographically dispersed people who need to
communicate regularly. The "Applications" part includes -
private messaging, bulletin boards, task forces, computer
seminars, computer workshops, electronic extensions and
distant education.

        MIRCEN has 6 years of experience in all these
applications except for the last item; so the 3rd and major
section of the poster elaborated our experiences.
Noteworthly and as it is not done elsewhere by others (yet),
is our experience in organizing electronic extensions of
face-to-face symposia. This allows a participant to
communicate and interact with the face-to-face participants
who are gathered at a symposium site. The online
participants will have access to the program and abstracts.
This application is particularly relevant (to developing
countries) as it permits greater participation by scientists
and junior researchers, for a unit cost; and especially when
travel funds are more difficult to obtain nowadays. MIRCEN
has arranged 8 such electronic extensions in the field of
bioconversion, biogas and AIDS.
        From Latin America, Chile participated via BITNET
during the 1st AIDS Computer Conference last year while
Brazil, Guyana and Argentina participated in one of the 6
Biogas Computer Conferences organized between 1984 and 1987.
Amongst many others, IDRC, NAS (National Academy of Science,
U.S.) participated in 1983 International Computer Conference
on the Bioconversion of Lignocellulosics to Food, Fodder and
Fuel.

        Biological nitrogen fixation is now an area of
interest for electronic networking too. A joint proposal for
Rhizobium came out from the MIRCEN Directors Meeting last
year in Hong Kong and I am now trying to get funding to
establish BNFnet for this 5-year project. (Any suggestions ?
)
        10 of the 22 MIRCENs in Brazil, Argentina, U.S.,
Japan, Eqypt, Kenya, Senegal, deal with bnf. In Latin
America, there are 3 MIRCEN centers (Guatemala, Tucuman,
Porto Alegro) and a MIRCEN in the Caribbean. The Brazilian
MIRCEN e.g. is a Rhizobium center and plays an important and
a key role in BNF networking for Brazil and Latin America.
BNFnet intends to have a bboard for info exchange and
interactions with all Rhizobium MIRCENs as well as any
interest institutes, NGOs or commercial establishments that
deal with bnf. "Bioconversion" and "Anaerobic Digestion
MIRCEN" have in fact the same intentions and operating
workplan for networking and communication.