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Community Grants ProgrammePast AwardsThe Internet Society here presents the recipients of awards from its Community Grants Programme. The goal is to enhance the Internet environment around the world. This program initiative is intended to help ISOC Chapters and Members establish creative local programs in support of ensuring the "Internet is for Everyone." The project leaders will be making periodic reports on their progress that will all be made available on the ISOC website. November 2007 AwardsDemocratic Republic of Congo: Creation of Internet content for NGOs promoting human rights in Democratic Republic of Congo
This project will deliver basic Internet training to up to 600 people in disadvantaged areas. It will also build local capacity by providing a smaller group with sufficient intensive training to be able to carry on training local people themselves. An additional goal of the local education and capacity building will be to spur the establishment of a new local ISOC club. Italy: Sensitization of the Italian speaking community on the Internet Governance Forum from Athens towards Delhi
The project aims to educate and raise awareness among the Italian speaking community of the most relevant issues addressed by the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The project organizers will produce a publication on the legal aspects of Internet governance, participate in an Italian government “Dialogue Forum on Internet Rights”, organize a national event to report on the second IGF, and establish an online forum. Their hope is that these activities will increase the active involvement of the Italian Internet community in the IGF and other processes. Solomon Islands: Marovo Lagoon Learning Network
The organizers of this project plan to develop models for the wide-scale deployment of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) program in the Solomon Islands and other Pacific island nations. They will do this by using OLPCs to establish an "integrated ICT community" in a remote area with poor infrastructure, under ecological threat from unsustainable resource usage, and lacking access to ecological management training material. Report (PDF: 345KB) Sri Lanka: The Smart Computer Laboratory
This project will establish a model educational computer laboratory in tsunami affected area of Sri Lanka. Using second hand parts and free, open source software, the project organizers will build computers each capable of hosting four terminals, in effect creating multiple computer terminals for approximately US$100 each. The Smart Computer Laboratory will feature local language software and wireless Internet support and will provide training and educational opportunities for local students. Additional software developed as part of this project will also be made available under an open source license to allow the model to be adopted elsewhere. Tanzania: Operation Tech Start
The project organizer plans to use ICTs to assess the educational and economic potential in a struggling community to identify areas for investments in technology; cost effective technologies to spread knowledge and information; training needs; and best practices for computer literacy education classes. This will be done by setting up a wireless lab equipped with 15 computers at a local health centre, where students will learn through hands-on exercises. The project will also examine the potential impacts of a range of other technologies on the local economy. Please visit http://operationtechstart.org for more information. Interim Report (PDF: 25KB) Tunisia: SolarNetOne in Tunisia
This project will use innovative equipment and techniques to increase Internet accessibility in non-urban Tunisian regions. The project organizers will use a "connected mobile vehicle" (CMV) to bring access to previously unconnected areas. The CMV will carry equipment developed on the SolarNetOne platform – an international, collaborative project to apply open source software and solar technologies to extend Internet connectivity to areas beyond the power grid. |
