[AAGW3] The 3rd Africa Agriculture GIS Week | ILRI-Addis Campus, Ethiopia | 12-14 March 2013

[Jawoo]

Dear Colleagues,

Following so-successful Africa Agriculture GIS Week (AAGW) events in 2008 and 2009, we're busily organizing the AAGW3 event in Addis in 12-14 March. Please help us spread the word to your spatial colleagues, especially those located in/around Ethiopia. We were told the geospatial community in Ethiopia is so awesome; we are very much looking forward to interacting with them at the event. 

Thanks!

Jawoo

(Interim) Global Coordinator, CGIAR-CSI (http://cgiar-csi.org)

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INVITATION TO THE 3RD AFRICA AGRICULTURE GIS WEEK

We cordially invite all of you to join us at the 3rd Africa Agriculture GIS Week (AAGW; http://africaagriculturegisweek.org), March 12-14 at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AAGW is an annual* week-long event that invites spatial scientists in international agricultural research institutes around the world as well as Africa-based institutes and universities for showcasing their work and exchanging knowledge and data with Africa-based researchers and developers. The event has a root in the annual meeting of the CGIAR Consortium for Spatial Information (CGIAR-CSI), where spatial geeks/researchers across CGIAR centers meet up and update each other with new datasets and research findings. Since 2008, the meeting has been expanded to invite broader audiences and speakers outside of CGIAR.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of AAGW are: 1) to share experiences in using GIS/RS for agricultural research and development, 2) to encourage sharing and learning from each others’ good practices, 3) to provide staff from different organizations with the opportunity to create networks for future collaboration, and 4) to provide an environment to develop ideas on new initiatives (and - importantly - to have fun with your spatial colleagues!).

PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

Detail program will be posted at http://africaagriculturegisweek.org soon; lunch and coffee/tea breaks will be provided.

• Tuesday, 12 March: Science Day 1: Keynote, 12 oral presentations in 3 sessions, poster presentations / 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
  
• Wednesday, 13 March: Science Day 2: 15 oral presentations in 4 sessions, poster presentations / 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
  
• Thursday, 14 March: Training Day by Esri / 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  

REGISTRATION

Space is limited; register now and reserve your seat at http://cgiarcsi-aagw3.eventbrite.com (free; hurry!)

CALL FOR PRESENTATION

Submit your synopsis at http://aagw.cgiar-csi.org/2013-addis/call-for-presentation, and we will follow up with you to find the right session for your presentation. A small prize will be awarded to the best presentation in the following categories:

1. First time presenters (including students and young professionals)
   
2. Most innovative idea
3. Most engaging presentation
4. Overall best!

SIDE EVENTS

Before and after the AAGW’s main program, there will be side events around CGIAR-related topics/business for folks from CGIAR. These are invitation-only events (sorry, it’s not so often that we get together!), but if you’d really like to participate and learn what’s going on, send your request to us (http://aagw.cgiar-csi.org/2013-addis/contact-us) and we'll follow up with you.

• Monday, 11 March 9 am -12 pm: CGIAR-CSI Business Meeting
  
• Monday, 11 March 1 – 4 pm: CGIAR Open Access Data Policy
  
• Friday, 15 March 9 am – 12 pm: CGIAR Spatial Data Strategy
  
• Friday, 15 March 1 – 4 pm: Mapping Project Activities

WHERECAMP AFRICA

The grand finale of AAGW is, of course, the WhereCamp Africa, an un-conference for geogeographers, mobile location experts and social cartographers, and all kinds of folks interested in *place*, to be held at the IceAddis (http://www.iceaddis.com) on Saturday, 16 March. Follow https://twitter.com/wherecampafrica for update. 

LOGISTICS

We will provide logistics assistance to international travelers, including the invitation letter, facilitating visa, airport pickup, and reservation at the ILRI Hostel. Contact us for details: http://aagw.cgiar-csi.org/2013-addis/contact-us.

SPONSORS

Interested in sponsoring AAGW? Welcome! Please contact us via http://aagw.cgiar-csi.org/2013-addis/contact-us and we will follow up immediately.

QUESTION? CONTACT:

• Programming: Jawoo Koo (IFPRI/DC)
  
• Logistics: Ivy Romero (IFPRI/DC) and Addis Tigabu (IFPRI/Addis)

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*Not quire annual between 2009 and 2013, okay, but we will try to keep it that way in 2014, 2015, ...

[Jawoo]

Dear all,

AAGW3 is now just a month away! For those of you joining us in Addis (great!), hope your travel planning is well under way. Let us know (http://aagw.cgiar-csi.org/2013-addis/contact-us) if you need any help on the logistics arrangement. FYI, the list of institutes that will be represented at the event includes (as of 12 Feb) CGIAR Consortium, Bioversity International, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICRISAT, IFPRI, ILRI, IRRI, IWMI, ICRAF, aWhere, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, University of Bonn, ITC, Purdue University, SpatialDev, Esri, ISS-Ethiopia, AVRDC, RCMRD, and The Nature Conservancy - and the list keeps growing.

Attached is a conference flyer in case you'd like to have one handy to share in your network; feel free to distribute.

Cheers!

Jawoo