Mile 19 Community
3rd Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meeting
Tuesday July 29 to Friday August 1, 2008
Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
Programme, Special Events, Exhibits and Poster Displays
- Where will the Meeting be held?
- What is the difference between programme, special events, exhibits and poster displays?
- What will the language of communication be?
- Who can attend the Mile 19 Community Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meeting?
- Why is it necessary to attend the Meeting?
- How is the Meeting funded?
- What media and ICTs arrangements have been made?
Registration
- Where can I register for the Meeting?
- What if I need to cancel my registration?
- Can I register by phone/fax/email/on-line?
- When do I receive my registration confirmation?
Accommodation, Airline and Travel
- Can I arrive earlier and take up accommodation for the Meeting?
- Can the Organizing Committee make travel arrangements for me?
- Where can I find more information about accommodation and travel for the Meeting?
Miscellaneous
- I would like to make a presentation and/or exhibit in your next Meeting. How do I go about it?
- What has been done to make the Meeting more accessible?
- What about mosquitoes and other health risks?
- I would like additional information. Where can I get it?
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Where will the meeting be held?
As it involves the whole community, and attracting a national and international audience, the event takes place in the Mile 19 Community Centre. The capacity of the centre has been increased substantially with adequately ventilated tents that have been built to withstand all weathers. Other events (the exhibits, syndicate meetings and some networking programmes) will also be hosted in various homes and compounds, the community Government School premises and playgrounds.
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What is the difference between programme, special events, etc.?
Programmes are general descriptions of what is planned. These include the overall Meeting schedule and other sub-programmes such as special events, exhibits, poster displays and evening arrangements that have detail structures which, for clarity and convenience, have been specified separately.
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What will the language of communication be?
Pidgin or broken English, English and Bakossi will be the major languages of communication at the Meeting. Other languages may include French, Ngi, Orocko and Ibo. Translation and interpretation arrangements can be made if need be. Call (237) 7766-2395 or email mile19@eitdr.org.
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The Mile 19 Community Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meeting is for Change Makers, all those desiring to improve political and economic development in their communities and world. That means, everybody.
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Why is it necessary to attend the Meeting?
Given the apparent growth of pessimism in national and international development, it is refreshing to see and interact with a community that is putting its political and economic development act together, forging its future with available resources and succeeding remarkably.
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Contributions from the Mile 19 Community provide core funding for the Meeting. The community, through its council organizing committee, elaborates a budget for the Meeting which is debated and approved. Community members then raise the needed funds, monitor and evaluate its use by the council organizing committee. Every contribution counts. You can support the Meeting here.
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What media and ICTs arrangements have been made?
The Meeting is programmed to use information communication technologies (ICTs) as much as possible. This is of great interest to the whole community. All participants unable to get seats in the community centre will be able to see and follow the Meeting proceedings, live, on television sets in closed circuit around the centre, in some homes and compounds, the community Government School premises and playgrounds. Some Meeting highlights will be broadcast to the national and international audience and pod cast via the Internet. This website will be updated with papers and presentations from the Meeting.
The community perceives enormous opportunities in the use of ICTs, especially the multi-media capabilities that computers can provide, in their homes, the community school, and community council administration. The community council is also elaborating a number development projects with important ICT components to be undertaken within the next three years. These include education initiatives for all, the building and equipping of school classrooms, a community hall and health centre, cable television and satellite Internet connection.
In these regards, the community council and several households in the community are keen to spend their own money on ICTs, and proposals from the most appropriately innovative and affordable ICT ideas or products and services in the marketplace from around the world would be very welcome.
If you have ICT ideas or products and services you would like to present at the Mile 19 Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meeting, use the registration form to request your exhibits/poster display/ booth space. If for some reason you are unable to attend but would like to have your ICT ideas or products and services presented at the Meeting, call (237) 7766-2395 and/or email mile19@eitdr.org.
If you would like to attend the Meeting as Press, call (237) 7766-2395 and/or email mile19@eitdr.org
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Where can I register for the Meeting?
You can register online, here, using this link. Registration is absolutely free of charge. A printable registration form is also available here.
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What if I need to cancel my registration?
You can simply call (237) 7766-2395 or email mile19@eitdr.org.
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Can I register by phone/fax/email/online?
Yes.
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When do I receive my registration confirmation?
As soon as possible, but we require at least a day's notice to process accommodation requests and may not be able to guarantee accommodation for requests received after July 29, 2008.
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Can I arrive earlier and take up accommodation for the Meeting?
In principle, yes, if coming from far away. Call (237) 7766-2395 or email mile19@eitdr.org for necessary details.
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Can the Organizing Committee make travel arrangements for me?
Yes, but mostly in-country travel. Call (237) 7766-2395 or email mile19@eitdr.org for necessary details.
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Where can I find more information about travel and accommodation?
Your local travel agent can help. We will also be updating this site with more information on travel and accommodation, and other information sources including Cameroon Embassies and High Commissions abroad.
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Want to arrange making a presentation in the next Meeting?
Get in touch using this link. You can also call (237) 7766-2395 and/or email mile19@eitdr.org.
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What has been done to make the Meeting more accessible?
Here are some of the features we are putting in place to ensure the Meeting is accessible to all:
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Visibility. Two standby generators are in place to forestall possible power failures due to national grid connections. Several kerosene and battery powered lamps will also be available for use if needed.
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Sound audibility. A sound system with microphones and speakers strategically positioned in the Meeting arena will ensure adequate audibility of meeting proceedings.
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Mobility in and around Mile 19. There is a wheelchair user in Mile 19 who finds little difficulty getting from one place to another. Special efforts are also underway to ensure that wheelchair users have easy access to the main buildings hosting Meeting events.
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Accommodation. Reservations are made on a first-come first-served basis, except for some very important personalities (VIPs). We require at least a day's notice to process accommodation requests and may not be able to guarantee accommodation for requests received after July 29, 2008.
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Media and Information Communications Technologies (ICTs). All Meeting participants unable to get seats in the Community Centre will be able to see and follow the Meeting proceedings, live, on television sets in closed circuit around the Centre, in some homes and compounds, the community Government School premises and playgrounds. Some Meeting highlights will be broadcast to the national and international audience and pod cast via the Internet, even as Mile 19 is not as yet connected to the Internet. The community perceives enormous opportunities in the use of ICTs, especially the multi-media capabilities that computers can provide, in their homes, the community school, and community council administration. The community council is also elaborating a number development projects with important ICT components to be undertaken within the next three years. These include education initiatives for all, the building and equipping of school classrooms, a community hall and health centre, cable television and satellite Internet connection. If you have ICT ideas or products and services you would like to present at the Mile 19 Leadership Retreat Follow-up Meeting, use the registration form to request your exhibits/poster display/ booth space. If for some reason you are unable to attend but would like to have your ICT ideas or products and services presented at the Meeting, call (237) 7766-2395 and/or email mile19@eitdr.org.
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Other requests not mentioned. If you have other requests which we can reasonably provide, please do not hesitate to let us know. Call (237) 7766-2395 or email mile19@eitdr.org.
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What about mosquitoes and other health risks?
Caring for our health is central to our way of life. We are constantly on the lookout for threats to our health and devising strategies and programmes to eliminate the threats. We are aware, for example, that our own personal hygiene and sanitation can improve our health or endanger it. So we have set up a hygiene and sanitation sub-committee, within our community council health committee, to galvanize all in the community to work and ensure that our standards of hygiene and sanitation are improving continually. Our other special health threats include malaria, typhoid, filarisis and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV/AIDS. Voluntary civic groups have formed around each of these issue areas, and work in partnership with the community council health committee to combat the threats - by finding our more information, sensitizing the community, mobilizing involvement in prevention or treatment programmes, monitoring and evaluating achievements. In addition, rooms Meeting participants will be staying in will all have bed-nets. A high standard of hygiene is promised throughout your stay and meeting. "Come live with us, experience our way of life and hospitality" the Mile 19 people say, through their Regent.
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Where can I get more information?
Get more information from our Mile 19 Community newsletter, and from the blog of teachers and pupils of our Government Primary School. We will also be updating this site with more information on the Meeting, and other useful information sources including Cameroon Embassies and High Commissions abroad.