Join us on November 19 at 6 pm for the Commonwealth Club’s Virtual Gala. Raise your glass to Good Health, as we celebrate the leadership of women in science and medicine. Visit

Join us on November 19 at 6 pm for the Commonwealth Club’s Virtual Gala. Raise your glass to Good Health, as we celebrate the leadership of women in science and medicine. Visit commonwealthclub.org/2021gala to learn more or Text Club2021 to 41444 to register and donate today! Many nations have a national poet, whose poetry helps carve out their own unique cultural niche in human civilization. Italy has enjoyed many literary geniuses for over two millennia, but still looks to one man the most: Dante. Like major poets in other cultures, Dante’s influence on the Italian language can hardly be overstated. The Divine Comedy was the first major work of literature to leave Latin behind in favor of Italian, and it remains the world standard of poetic excellence. Dante’s fertile imagination also inspired artists, writers and theologians, making him almost as influential about the afterlife as he is linguistically. Join Humanities West in person at The Commonwealth Club, or via livestream, to celebrate the 700th Anniversary of Dante’s death—which ironically occurred not that many months after he completed his speculations about post-death possibilities—with a two-hour, three-lecture Dante feast: • Timothy Hampton on "Dante After Dante: the Forms of Memory." Though there were many "in the know" about the achievement of Dante's great poem during his lifetime, his vast influence on Italian poetry and world literature was uneven in the centuries following his death. In some areas of artistic creation—for example, in the painting of Botticelli—Dante was powerfully present. In other areas (poetry, philosophy, literary criticism) his influence was definite, but diffuse and oblique. This lecture will speak about the ways in which Dante's work did and didn't shape Italian and European culture in the early modern period. • Kip Cranna on "Dante at the Opera: From the Divine Comedy to a Comic Puccini Delight." In "The Inferno," part one of The Divine Comedy, Dante introduces the condemned sinner Gianni Schicchi, consigned to the Eighth Circle of Hell along with others guilty of fraud. His crime: impersonating the deceased Buoso Donati to falsify Buoso's will for his own benefit. Dante personally knew the Donatis (he was married to one), and therein lies an intriguing tale of medieval Florentine society. The story of this fraudulent will and the legend surrounding it became the inspiration for the famed composer Giacomo Puccini's only comic opera. After outlining the Dante-Puccini connection, San Francisco Opera's Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna will present brief video highlights from the opera Gianni Schicchi, including the ever-popular aria "O mio babbino caro." • Marisa Galvez on "Dante Before Dante Become Dante." In retrospect it almost seems like Dante invented Italian literary culture, but he arrived on the Italian literary scene as a love poet—an admirer of courtly love and the troubadour traditions which had begun a century earlier in Occitania, and had spread to Italy, Spain and then most of Europe. Dante defined the troubadour lyrics as rhetorical, musical and poetical fiction — which is also a good description of The Divine Comedy. OCTOBER 22, 2021 SPEAKERS Kip Cranna Dramaturg Emeritus, San Francisco Opera Marisa Galvez Professor of French and Italian, and by Courtesy, of German Studies and Comparative Literature; Faculty Director, Structured Liberal Education, Stanford University Timothy Hampton Aldo Scaglione and Marie M. Burns Distinguished Professor of French and Comparative Literature; Director, Doreen B. Townsend Center for the Humanities, University of California, Berkeley George Hammond —Moderator 💯SUBSCRIBE for more VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/user/commonwealthclub 📆 UPCOMING EVENTS: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events 🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/membership 💰 DONATE NOW: https://support.commonwealthclub.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 📺➕📻 Watch & Listen https://www.commonwealthclub.org/watch-listen CWC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommonwealthclub/ CWC Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cwclub/ CWC Twitter https://twitter.com/cwclub The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 400 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy. Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Hillary Clinton in 2010. Along the way, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton have all given landmark speeches at the Club.

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Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20

Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall, projects from 18 countries were presented with WSIS Prizes top honours, showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide, foster digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale. “This year's WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe's biggest challenges," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals." GeoTanaman represents a cutting-edge system built on the principles of service-oriented architecture, designed for accessibility through both web and mobile platforms. Its primary function is to acquire, manage, analyze, and present geospatial information related to Malaysia's food crops. The overarching goal of this system is a comprehensive National Crop Inventory Geospatial database characterized by organization, seamlessness, and continuous updates, aligning with the broader vision of Digital Agricultural Transformation. Commencing in 2022, GeoTanaman aims to register all food crop farmers, with farm-related data being regularly updated by farmers on the provided land use map and subsequently verified by the Department of Agriculture (DOA). Leveraging the latest information on crops, planting practices, and market demands, farmers can strategize for future planting activities, engage in market analysis, and identify potential business opportunities. By facilitating the integration of real-time data, the system serves as a catalyst for enhancing farmers' income and reduce reliance on imported foods. GeoTanaman stands as a pivotal tool in fostering a resilient and self-sufficient agricultural landscape. Project website https://geotanaman.doa.gov.my/GeoTanaman represents a cutting-edge system built on the principles of service-oriented architecture, designed for accessibility through both web and mobile platforms. Its primary function is to acquire, manage, analyze, and present geospatial information related to Malaysia's food crops. The overarching goal of this system is a comprehensive National Crop Inventory Geospatial database characterized by organization, seamlessness, and continuous updates, aligning with the broader vision of Digital Agricultural Transformation. Commencing in 2022, GeoTanaman aims to register all food crop farmers, with farm-related data being regularly updated by farmers on the provided land use map and subsequently verified by the Department of Agriculture (DOA). Leveraging the latest information on crops, planting practices, and market demands, farmers can strategize for future planting activities, engage in market analysis, and identify potential business opportunities. By facilitating the integration of real-time data, the system serves as a catalyst for enhancing farmers' income and reduce reliance on imported foods. GeoTanaman stands as a pivotal tool in fostering a resilient and self-sufficient agricultural landscape. Project website https://geotanaman.doa.gov.my/

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Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20

Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall, projects from 18 countries were presented with WSIS Prizes top honours, showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide, foster digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale. “This year's WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe's biggest challenges," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals." “NationalConnect: Empowering Governance, Education, and Sustainability through Secure Government Video Conferencing” NationalConnect, also known as Boithok developed by BNDA Team of BCC, addresses Bangladesh's need for secure, cost-effective video conferencing amidst COVID-19. With over 2500+ successful meetings and 5,000+ hours logged, it serves key government offices, universities, and ministries, contributing to Smart Bangladesh vision. The national video conference platform NationalConnect, aslo known as Boithok is a homegrown solution developed by the BNDA Team of BCC to combat the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It serves as a critical tool for ensuring the continuity of government services, offering secure and affordable remote meeting solutions to government offices, universities, schools, students, and citizens. The platform stands out with its features such as unlimited meeting duration, secured data storage within the national data center, and cost-effective subscriptions for general users. The platform's hosting within the national data center ensures that no data is stored outside of the country. This addresses concerns about security & privacy risk, and data leakage. A significant highlight of the platform is its provision of free subscriptions for schools and universities, easing the burden on educational institutions grappling with remote learning challenges during the pandemic. This initiative underscores the project's commitment to supporting education and enhancing access to digital resources for academic institutions across Bangladesh. Since its inception in January 2021, the NationlConnect has evolved through major revisions, including its latest release in January 2023, which expanded its capacity and functionalities. Despite facing stiff competition from global giants like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, NationalConnect distinguishes itself by prioritizing customization and catering to local needs. With over 2500+ successful meetings and 5,000+ hours logged, it serves key government offices, universities, and ministries, contributing to Smart Bangladesh vision. Despite capacity limitations, it has garnered adoption among select ministries and government agencies, bolstered by workshops, training sessions, and robust communication channels. Its impact transcends crisis management, fostering seamless communication and operational efficiency within Bangladesh's unique social, cultural, and economic milieu. Project website https://vc.bcc.gov.bd/

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Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20

Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall, projects from 18 countries were presented with WSIS Prizes top honours, showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide, foster digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale. “This year's WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe's biggest challenges," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals." The 'Smart Employee' App revolutionizes staff management by providing an innovative, user-friendly, and efficient solution for a myriad of services. From leave applications to permissions, colleague communication, and notification approvals, it offers a seamless experience accessible anytime, anywhere. Powered by AI (CHATGPT), Smart Employee features a Digital Assistant capable of providing accurate and timely responses to inquiries about employee information, HR laws, and policies in any language. Catering to the diverse needs of managers, employees, and outsourcing requirements, Smart Employee serves 74 Dubai government entities, engaging over 73,000 employees with an impressive 99% usage rate. Developed centrally by Digital Dubai (in-house Development), it not only streamlines operations but also achieves over 95% cost savings by eliminating individual development and operation costs across government entities. Additionally, it plays a pivotal role in advancing Dubai's paperless initiative by digitizing more than 200 requests. Beyond traditional services, Smart Employee offers unique solutions such as the 'Thank You' feature for expressing gratitude, task management tools, an Analytic Hub, official correspondences, a newsroom, health insurance services, and a grievance system. This comprehensive approach fosters a collaborative work environment, aligning with Dubai's commitment to employee development and satisfaction. The benefits of Smart Employee include: Quick Access: Instantly access a wide range of services anytime, anywhere. Paperless Convenience: Effortlessly submit various service requests without the need for paper. Integrated Services: Enjoy a unified platform for HR, Finance, Supply Chain, and more, including Medical Insurance and other services. Social Engagement: Foster a positive work culture through gamification and Thanks Cards for employee appreciation. Time and Effort Savings: Achieve a remarkable 95% time and cost savings, streamlining daily activities for enhanced efficiency Project website https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ae.gov.sdg.smartemployee

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Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20

Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall, projects from 18 countries were presented with WSIS Prizes top honours, showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide, foster digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale. “This year's WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe's biggest challenges," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals." Check Me aims to address the pressing issue of breast cancer by developing a comprehensive mobile application. This solution has three objectives: to increase awareness about breast cancer risks, promote early detection through self-checks, and provide affordable access to specialized medical care. The approach is to leverage technology's power to create an accessible and user-friendly platform. The mobile application is a one-stop resource, providing educational content, guidance for self-checks, and connections to breast cancer specialists. By combining these elements, the project empowers women to take charge of their breast health and enables early detection, which is crucial for successful treatment outcomes. The project aims to demystify breast cancer and break down societal barriers preventing women from seeking timely medical assistance by increasing awareness. By guiding self-checks, the application encourages women to regularly monitor their breast health, leading to early detection of abnormalities and potential early intervention. Furthermore, connecting women with breast cancer specialists at affordable prices ensures that all women, regardless of their income, have access to expert advice and personalized guidance. The overall impact is twofold: saving lives and improving quality of life. By facilitating early detection, the project aims to reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer. The timely diagnosis and treatment made possible through the application can increase survival rates and improve treatment outcomes. Additionally, by providing accessible information and support, the project empowers women and contributes to their overall well-being, instilling a sense of control and resilience. Through this innovative solution, we aim to create a lasting social impact by addressing the breast cancer problem in our society. Promoting awareness, early detection, and affordable access to specialized care, we strive to improve breast cancer outcomes and empower women to prioritize their health. Project website https://checkmeapp.io

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Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20

Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall, projects from 18 countries were presented with WSIS Prizes top honours, showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide, foster digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale. “This year's WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe's biggest challenges," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals." The E-Waste+ application is an innovative solution developed under the “Thais say no to E-Waste” project by AIS, with a strong commitment to environmental conservation and acting on climate change. The application aims to address the challenges of e-waste management in Thailand by providing a comprehensive platform that encourages responsible e-waste disposal and recycling.The pain points of traditional drop points for e-waste disposal can indeed hinder effective e-waste management. Two significant pain points are: 1. Lack of Track and Trace: In traditional drop points, individuals disposing of their e-waste often have no way to track and trace the journey of their discarded items. This lack of transparency creates a sense of detachment and uncertainty among users, as they remain unaware of whether their e-waste is being handled responsibly and recycled properly. 2. High Cost of Drop Points: Traditional drop points are often made from recycled paper, which can still be costly to produce and maintain. The expenses associated with creating and managing these drop points may limit their availability and outreach to potential users, hindering efforts to promote responsible e-waste disposal. The E-Waste+ application addresses these pain points through its innovative use of blockchain technology and real-time engagement. By leveraging blockchain, users can now track and trace their e-waste items from the moment of disposal at a drop point to the recycling facility. This level of transparency empowers users and creates a sense of ownership and accountability, as they can witness the positive impact of their actions on the environment. Additionally, application's use of blockchain allows for a more cost-effective solution. Unlike traditional drop points made from recycled paper, the digital nature of the E-Waste+ application reduces the need for physical infrastructure and maintenance costs. This cost efficiency enables a wider distribution of drop points and encourages greater participation from users and businesses. Project website https://sustainability.ais.co.th/storage/sustainability-report/2022/20230221-advanc-srd-2022-en.pdf

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Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20

Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall, projects from 18 countries were presented with WSIS Prizes top honours, showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide, foster digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale. “This year's WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe's biggest challenges," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals." JaWAra Internet Sehat is a project to encourage young digital activists in the region to become community leaders (local champions) who will initiate and drive digital literacy education programs with a local and bottom-up approach, creating changes from the grassroots. This project was undertaken by ICT Watch and WhatsApp, with the support of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) of the Republic of Indonesia, Relawan TIK Indonesia (Indonesia ICT Volunteers) and Digital Literacy National Movement "SIBERKREASI". In their activities, the local champions provide digital literacy education to many elements of society, especially to people in villages/rural areas, children, people with disabilities, youth, and women (mothers), through local approaches that are easily accepted, such as wayang (traditional puppets) show, local cultural content, movies, games (cards/snakes and ladders), etc. This project also develops the distance learning system through https://akademi.internetsehat.id and Digital Literacy WhatsApp ChatBot at https://s.id/kakinat, so the communities can carry out self-learning for some topics, such as combating hoaxes, digital security, personal data protection, etc. The chatbot has already followed by 21,345 participants. In 2021, this program recruited 60 local youth champions (JaWAra) who successfully ran 108 digital literacy education programs in their respective areas. This program reached 29,731 people in 73 regencies/cities from 26 provinces. In 2022, we recruited another 100 local youth champions who ran 186 digital literacy programs, reaching 237,784 people. In 2023, we focused on tackling hoaxes toward the General Election of 2024. The JaWAra were involved in the education in 8 cities that covered 3,681 participants. We documented some inspirational stories of this program (2021-2022) in the book "Bunga Rampai (Multiauthor) Jawara Internet Sehat" which can be downloaded at https://jawara.internetsehat.id/buku-bunga-rampai/ Project website https://jawara.internetsehat.id/

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Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20

Winners of the WSIS Prizes, recognizing innovative technological approaches to support sustainable development, were announced on 28 May 2024 at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall, projects from 18 countries were presented with WSIS Prizes top honours, showcasing leading efforts to bridge the digital divide, foster digital inclusion, and drive socio-economic progress on a global scale. “This year's WSIS Prizes demonstrate the innovation and energy that exist to find technological solutions to some of the globe's biggest challenges," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. “These are the creative contributions that the world needs in our effort to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals." Smartpur, Nokia’s flagship CSR initiative, is a digital village ecosystem project aimed at integrating technology into the daily lives of communities living in remote villages across India. Smartpur is executed in partnership with Save the Children India and Digital Empowerment Foundation. The project intends to empower and support local entrepreneurs through digital technology. Entrepreneurs are provided with facilities to make services across the pillars of Livelihood, Health, Education, Financial Inclusion, and Governance accessible at the village level through Smartpur centers. Beneficiaries of the project leverage digital tools to access livelihood opportunities and skill-based training programs, telemedicine services, education in technology and computer literacy, financial services such as banking, and government schemes and services. The project was first implemented in 2017 with 10 Smartpur centers established in the state of Haryana. The number of centers has since grown to 350 in 2023, established in 10 states across India. Between 2017 and 2022, 40 centers have been exited sustainably. These centers continue to provide the intended services to rural communities and generate a livelihood for the entrepreneurs. The project has created large-scale social impact – it reached over million beneficiaries. Between April 2022 and March 2023 alone, the project reached over 835,100 beneficiaries. Approximately 480,000 people were supported with access and awareness on social protection schemes and services; over 26,900 people sought digital literacy training, career counselling camps and academic support; more than 297,500 people accessed financial literacy services such as conducting digital financial transactions, opening and operating banks accounts, and financial literacy; over 17,500 received telemedicine services and attended health awareness camps, and over 9,600 people were linked with livelihood opportunities, received vocational training, and trained on life skills. Project website https://smartpur.in/the-project/

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