Are all local communities created equal?

Representatives from UNESCO and the international education sector will come together at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Thursday July 22 to discuss international development and the centrality of education and gender equality after disaster and conflict at this year’s Aid & International Development Forum (AIDF) in Washington D.C.

According to Dr. M. J. Ebenhack, session panellist and President of AHEAD Energy: “About 1.5 billion people lack access to electricity, and around 2.5 billion people rely on traditional biomass as their primary source of energy. There is a growing consensus that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be fully met without greater access to affordable, reliable, clean energy.”

Paul Perjes, CEO of Perjes Production and Educational Products World, will be moderating the session. He will be joined by Dr. Reza Samarbasksh, Senior Education Programme Officer for UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office, and John Gillies, Vice President and Interim Director for the Global Education Center at the Academy for Educational Development (AED).

The two-day event will feature a number of workshop sessions addressing key issues outlined in the Millennium Development Goals such as climate change, combating infectious diseases, education and gender equality and logistics and procurement. Keynote speakers include Hansjoerg Strohmeyer, Chief of Policy and Development Branch for the UN OCHA, and Johnston Barkat, United Nations Ombudsman.

There will be meeting areas on the floor as many people will arrange appointments using the meetings arrangement service prior to the event, and many discussions from the workshops will continue.

As well as workshop sessions, there will also be a procurement network examining how business can best work with NGO, UN and government entities. Participants will discuss policy, the needs of the sectors, and exchange best practice at the same place that they can see, touch and experience products central to delivery.

An ‘Experiential Zone’ will demonstrate the use of equipment in a few different scenarios (i.e. post earthquake in an arid area in the summer, post flood in a tropical area in the wet season etc.). This area will have guided tours three times a day.

AIDF will hold a networking cocktail reception from 6-8pm on Thursday 22nd July and a networking breakfast sponsored by Inmarsat on Friday 23rd. Please contact AIDF if you are interested in attending.


Now in its fifth year, this event is a worthwhile opportunity for the aid, relief and development sector to network, build partnerships and address global humanitarian and development challenges, as well as showcasing goods and services to those who are responsible for delivery.

Registration is free to non-commercial organizations.

Aid & International Development Forum 2010 partners include InterAction, IPOA, World Bank Publications and RedR UK.

More information, including the workshop agenda, speaker and exhibitor lists and registration details can be found at www.aidforumonline.org

Facts & Figures
There will be over 1600 visitors and in the region of 120 exhibitors, 100 of which will be businesses, 20 of which will be NGOs, UN and Government stands
For lists of speakers, exhibitors and the workshop agenda, please use the following links:
Speakers: http://www.aidforumonline.org/event_guide/speakers/category/event_2010/
Workshop Agenda:
http://www.aidforumonline.org/event_guide/workshops/
Exhibitors: http://www.aidforumonline.org/event_guide/exhibitors/category/event_2010/

The Aid & International Development Forum (previously International Aid & Trade) has been the world's leading forum for humanitarian relief professionals to cement relationships, build partnerships, gain understanding and share experiences. Having been acquired by Henley Media Group in 2005, International Aid & Trade ran in Geneva in 2006, 2007 and 2008. In 2009 the event moved to Washington D.C., in partnership with InterAction, the largest coalition of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Aid and International Development Forum
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, D.C.
20001

Contacts
Diva Rodriguez, Content Manager. Email: diva@aidforumonline.org
Telephone +44 (0) 20 7871 0188

This release was published on openPR.