The key strategy here is partnership, which ICTA pursues based on its observation that no one sector in society can address the complexities of sustainable development alone. With this principle in mind, the ICTA signed a memorium of understanding (MOU) with OWSA for development of local content, development of capacity for local content generation, and exchange and provision of a problem-based Question and Answer Service for the e-Sri Lanka's VGK programme. On this programme, multi-service community information centres are being established to provide access to the Internet, mobile telephones, radio, and other information services - along with training in the use of these technologies - to the public, especially those in rural communities.

As part of the partnership programme, content on livelihood and sustainable development issues generated by the local communities in Sri Lanka in their own languages (Tamil, Sinhala, and English) will be available across the Open Knowledge Network (OKN)'s content delivery platforms from 100 VGKs in North East and South regions of Sri Lanka. OKN, a knowledge-sharing platform, is managed by OWSA in this region for OneWorld Network.

Capacity building through interpersonal channels will be a key starting point. OneWorld will develop and carry out training programmes for the operators and volunteers engaged in running the VGKs in rural and urban settings. Capacity building for local communities to use technology will then be a tool for initiating content generation and exchange. The idea will be that, sitting at the local access point, people will be able to feed content to the OKN database offline at no charge. Content feed offline then will be synchronised with the live database when the access point becomes connected to the OKN hub. Knowledge captured in this way will be processed using Xentisble mark-up language (XML) as the metadata for these web pages.

Technology.

VGKs fit into the 5-pronged e-Sri Lanka strategy of promoting affordable access to information and communication, access to and use of online public information and services by citizens and businesses, and private sector competitiveness (particularly of knowledge industries and small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs). To cite an example of the e-Sri Lanka approach, ICTA opened an eLibrary on January 1 2005. At the opening, the Prime Minister Hon. Mahinda Rajapakse noted that "The need to take information technology to the rural communities was reinforced by the recent tsunami disaster." The launching of this "nanasala dahasa" or "one thousand eLibraries" initiative on sacred ground was significant in that "Throughout history places of worship have been associated with the showing of the correct path and the imparting of wisdom....Chief incumbent of the temple, venerable Aluthwewa Soratha, applauded the e-Sri Lanka development initiative which aims to use ICT to alleviate poverty, promote growth and foster social integration and peace."