Funding for 11 community-based projects that extend the Internet’s reach
[Washington, D.C., and Geneva, Switzerland] – The Internet Society is pleased to announce that it has awarded grants to 11 community-based initiatives that advance Internet access, leadership, education, and development. Internet Society Community Grants are awarded twice each year to Chapters and Internet Society members who receive up to US$10,000 to implement their projects.
The 11 projects funded in this round of grants will:
- Create a volunteer management system accessible over the Internet to quickly mobilize volunteers in Kenya; Davis Onsakia, Kenya, Global Member with support from the local Chapter
- Provide training to strengthen the network of Community Technology Centers (CTCs) in disadvantaged communities of Puerto Rico; Juan Carlos Vega, Puerto Rico, Global member with support from the local Chapter
- Deliver Internet connectivity to the Uganda Society of the Deaf Vocational Training Centre; Lillian Achom, Uganda, Global Member
- Empower students at ten government high schools, located around the Mount Annapurna region of Nepal, with training on basic Internet skills to enhance learning and improve academic performance; Rajendra Poudel, Nepal, Global Member
- Build on the initial phase of the Open Internet project in the Netherlands to generate a public framework for the global governance of identity management solutions. Priorities include the preservation of online privacy and multistakeholder participation; Alex Blom, Netherlands Chapter
- Offer free online education and high-quality courses in the Bengali language to rural and disadvantaged students in Bangladesh and India; Ragib Hasan, Bangladesh, Global Member with Chapter support
- Create awareness of ocean pollution to the online community by using broadband satellite Internet connection and installation of a live streaming web CAM on the Project Kaisei vessel in the Northern Pacific Ocean; Michael Snell, San Francisco Bay Chapter, USA
- Launch a community-managed enterprise in Oaxaca, Mexico that provides affordable Internet access through handsets, taking advantage of the data capabilities of the cellular base station they already own and operate and the rural wireless ISP; Peter Bloom, Mexico, Global Member
- Develop a cloud management integrated platform (Internet with SMS/MMS) for Malaysian NGOs supporting disadvantaged women; SheauChing Chong, Malaysia, Global Member
- Train 100 local community members in Aceh, Indonesia on cloud gaming technology, empowering the creative economy by using innovative educational methods, and ultimately enabling local young technopreneurs to participate in the local cloud gaming industry; Teuku Geumpana, Indonesia, Global Member
- Develop the IPv6 Crawler Analysis project in the UK to deliver tables and graphs showing the spread of IPv6 adoption, per domain name, to encourage governments to implement an IT procurement strategy and the provision of e-government services on IPv6; Olivier Crépin-Leblond, UK England Chapter
“It is inspiring to forecast the transformational impact that these 11 community-based Internet projects will have on the lives of people in underserved areas of the world,” said Walda Roseman, Chief Operating Officer of the Internet Society. “We are proud to support this excellent work by the Internet Society Chapters and members and are grateful for their commitment to making a profound impact in their local communities. The Community Grants Programme reflects the Internet Society’s mission to ensure the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world. I can’t think of a more tangible way to reinforce and extend this mission than through the creativity and collaboration exemplified in these projects.”
The next application round opens in February. Additional information is available on the Community Grants Programme and these award-winning projects.
http://www.internetsociety.org/what-we-do/grants-awards/community-grants/current-grants
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought leadership from around the world. With its principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations. Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org
Media Contact: Wende Cover, cover@isoc.org, +1-703-439-2773
