2 February 2015, Khartoum -- FAO takes part in the first National Knowledge share Fair in Sudan organized by The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MoAI). The Fair is an exciting and “out-of-the-box” opportunity  to share knowledge, discuss, learn and explore creative and innovative experience and influence future development activities in the agriculture sector. The four days event is organized in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It will be taking place at the Police Club, Khartoum, during 2-5 February 2015.

A knowledge share fair is a buzzing, interactive and collaborative workspace, with lively discussions and practical demonstrations that include the application of knowledge sharing tools and methods. There are facilitated sessions to learn how others have improved the effectiveness and quality of their work, and opportunities for networking, allowing people to connect and link ideas as well as exchanging opinions in a natural way and relaxed setting. A share fair is not a goal in itself, but the beginning of a process. It will create new partnerships; new exchanges between people that would like to work together, in a different way.

The Fair is organized as a first time event in Sudan to demonstrate how active and strategic participation, knowledge, experience sharing improves the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of any work, thereby setting the example and encouraging participation to existing and future other knowledge sharing and coordination platforms. As well, it will bring together around 200 professionals from the agriculture sector in Sudan, including extension MoAI departments from federal and state levels, agricultural research corporations, UN organizations, international and national NGOs, public and private sector organizations and institutions and other civil society actors involved in rural an agricultural development projects.

Creating new ideas to share info and knowledge

The fair will provide the participants with an interactive forum to share and learn from a wealth of experiences and practices, network for future collaborations and develop new ideas to enhance ways information and knowledge is shared across institutions and organizations.

FAO is providing technical and financial support to the Sudanese government for the preparation, organization and facilitation of the workshop.

FAO has longstanding technical experience of knowledge sharing methodologies and tools in Sudan. Under the FAO Sudan Institutional Capacity Program Food Security Information for Action (SIFSIA), FAO has worked hand in hand with the government of Sudan to establish functioning food security and nutrition information systems which involve, through highly participatory mechanisms, lower-level governance structures and major non-state actors.

Currently FAO is assisting the government of Sudan in engaging into a south- south knowledge network cooperation as well as in the design and development of a National Agricultural Investment Programme (NAIP). The Programme is expected to lay the foundations for a strategy to develop the agriculture sector that leads to informed decision/ policy making. Both projects will be be presented at the Fair.