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30 years of Population Headliners
By Helen Kolbe
Chief, Population Information Section, 1982-1987
| When Population Headliners was launched in April 1975 modern
information technology was in its early stages. It took a
decade for reproduction technology available at ESCAP to evolve
from mimeograph to computers and ultimately to the Internet. |
| The transition in reproduction technology
at ESCAP two decades ago from typewriters and mimeographs
(later photocopiers) to computers and camera-ready copy was
challenging initially for staff. It required new skills and
the purchase of computer equipment not previously in use at
ESCAP. In the 1970s, ESCAP had acquired a mainframe computer
for administrative use. The Population Division maintained
its mailing list on that mainframe computer. Shahid Aziz,
Rien Puhongs and Somsak Thamromdi saw to the labelling and
mailing of the Division’s publications. In 1982 Robert
Hannenberg joined the Population Division and brought with
him his own personal computer the first and only personal
computer in all of ESCAP at that time. |
Ms. Helen Kolbe |
| In 1985, with funding support from UNFPA, the Population
Division acquired a computer system, a local area network
(LAN). Most of the 22 staff members of the Population Information
Section (successor to the Clearing-House, later succeeded
by the Population Information and Communication Section of
PRUDD) quickly were trained in the operation of workstations.
Chittima Kanchanabanca was the first staff member to join
the Section with prior computer skills. Poranee Nathikanchanalab
promptly acquired expertise in word-processing software. Anuree
Kengrian quickly became expert in desktop publishing software.
John Loftus, editor, could make editorial changes in manuscripts
without having to mark and return them for complete re-typing.
Thawadi Pachariyangkun compiled each issue of Population Headliners.
Sunan Chaivibulpol typed the copy. The introduction of modern
information technology transformed the preparation and production
of Population Headliners and successively Asia-Pacific POPIN
Bulletin, Asia-Pacific Population Journal and other population
publications and papers. |
Modern information
technology also transformed the way the staff supported meetings.
In the 1970s it was not uncommon for staff to literally stay
up all night to type and photocopy reports from one day’s
meeting in order to have reports for participants at the next
day’s sessions. Final meeting reports took considerably
longer to prepare and distribute. What a difference computers
made!
The difference was evident in other ways as well. The focus
of ESCAP’s population information programme in 1975
was on forging links among population researchers and population
institutes, using Population Headliners to reach a network
of Population Correspondents. In the late 1970s and the 1980s
UNFPA funding and support made it possible to support country
programmes and introduce innovative to provide that support.
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Ms. Wanphen Sreshthaputra has served as editor of Population
Headliners since 2002. |
One of those initiatives was to help countries establish
Population Information Centres through training of staff and
funding of equipment including computers. By the end of 1987,
13 countries had established Population Information Centres
with ESCAP’s help. The Population Information Centres
acquired, repackaged and disseminated population and family
planning information in country. Ja-Kyung Yoo arranged and
conducted computer training for staff of the Centres. Some
staff were selected by their Centres for further short-term
training in other countries with UNFPA and ESCAP support.
The China Centre was the first to add in-house research to
its programme.
Through print publication beginning in the mid-1980s, and
later through online access, the Asia-Pacific POPIN Bulletin
was aimed at supporting and increasing networking among the
Centres.
Population Headliners continued to evolve and maintain links
throughout the region leading to its current mission of advocacy
and resource mobilization. Its contents have reflected the
progression of programme emphases of ESCAP, UNFPA and the
decennial Asia-Pacific Population Conferences over the past
30 years. Early priorities in the 1970s included the collection
and dissemination of general demographic data, the analysis
of country census data, research and analysis of fertility
and family planning programme data. Gender equality, reproductive
health, and HIV/AIDS received increasing emphasis in the 1980s
and 1990s as those issues gained prominence in the region
and globally.
Adoption and use of modern information technology continued
into the 1990s. During the tenure of Fred Burian as Chief
of the Population Information Section, Internet access became
available at ESCAP. Thirty years of UNFPA population programme
support and the use of modern information technology marked
significant changes in the preparation and production of population
publications at ESCAP. More recently, changes in the typeface,
front-page layout and the introduction of colour photographs
have further enhanced the attractiveness and readability of
Population Headliners. |
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