From 5 to 8 October 2009 IDRC's Acacia program initiative hosted the Acacia Research and Learning Forum (ARLF) at the Méridien Président Hotel in Dakar, Senegal. This event gathered, approximately 150 Acacia-sponsored research partners for an opportunity to meet with others from the research networks and various projects across Africa that Acacia has supported during its current programmatic cycle (2006-2011).

This forum, occurring at the midpoint of Acacia’s current programmatic cycle, offered Acacia and its partners the occasion to share their research findings and learn about the role of ICTs in accelerating development in Africa. By bringing together Acacia program staff, partner organizations, and others involved in the development community, this forum offered valuable insights to guide Acacia through the remainder of its current operational mandate, and it provided an excellent opportunity for interaction between the parties involved.

There were several objectives for the forum:

1) To share, discuss, and document outcomes and lessons from different Acacia-supported projects
2) To provide capacity development and networking opportunities
3) To explore future research priorities in ICT4D in Africa

The ARLF consisted of plenary sessions that assembled all participants, as well as smaller workshops that allowed for more in-depth exploration and discussion. The forum was intended for people who are related to Acacia projects.

 

 

Please direct inquiries to: AcaciaForum2009@idrc.ca

 

 

 

Participants' Evaluation This document provides a summary of the participants’ evaluation of the Forum.

 

A facilitator's reflections on the Acacia Research and Learning Forum By Allison Hewlitt

 

Acacia Research and Learning Forum - Narrative Report By Aaron Martin and Araba Sey, with Chaitali Sinha

 

Evaluation of Acacia III: The Acacia Approach and its Most Significant Outcomes 2006-2009 By Ricardo Wilson-Grau and Jennifer Vincent

 

ARLF Video par Anna Berthold (The Africa Commons Project)