Programme funds projects that use the Internet to impact the lives of people in underserved communities
[Washington, D.C., USA and Geneva, Switzerland, 21 December 2011] – The Internet Society today announced funding for 14 community-based Internet projects that will transform the lives of people in underserved areas of the world. This round of grants will support such local projects as: building the first website dedicated to young women survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo; providing Internet and computer education to empower artisans in Bangalore; and launching an Integrative Internet Café for visually impaired and sighted people in Addis Ababa.
The Internet Society Community Grants are awarded twice each year and this is the 14th round of awards. Recipients receive up to US$10,000 to implement their projects. The 14 projects funded in this round of grants will:
- Provide Internet access to students on the Island of March, Senegal
- Empower artisans in Bangalore through Internet and computer education
- Provide IPv6 training in 11 Ugandan Universities and implement a route server at the Uganda Internet Exchange Point
- Launch an Integrative Internet Cafe and Media Center for visually impaired people in Addis Ababa
- Establish an Internet exchange point in Palestine
- Build the first website dedicated to young women survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
- Educate local operators and technical students in Cameroon on the use and deployment of IPv6
- Upgrade and reposition the Malawi Internet Exchange (MIX)
- Create an Internet exchange point in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Deliver an IPv6 educational campaign in Hong Kong to Small and Medium Enterprises
- Assist local governments in Benin to use the Internet for greater transparency to citizens
- Develop an eLearning system in Georgia
- Provide computer training to exploited women in the Kitengela area of Kenya
- Establish the Content Creation Centre in the Fundamental Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
“These Community Grants highlight a broad range of initiatives that exemplify the remarkable impact of the Internet on people and communities around the world,” said Walda Roseman, Chief Operating Officer of the Internet Society. “We congratulate the Internet Society Chapters and members involved in these projects and we thank them for their commitment to making a profound impact in their local communities. The Internet Society is proud to offer this program as part of our mission to ensure the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.”
The next application round opens in April 2012. Additional information is available on the Community Grants Programme and these award-winning projects.
More information:
http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/grants-and-awards/grants/community-grants
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is the world’s trusted independent source of leadership for Internet policy, technology standards and future development. Based on its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society works with its members and Chapters around the world to promote the continued evolution and growth of the open Internet through dialog among companies, governments, and other organizations around the world. For more information, see: http://www.internetsociety.org