- SOPAC, Fiji Project leader Siaosi Sovaleni, awarded US$10,000 to produce an Internet Educational Booklet for Pacific Islands Kids
- USP, Project leader Marko Schutz, awarded US$3,000 to run a competition to localise Firefox to the native language of the user.
The Marovo Lagoon Learning Network is a pilot project to study the deployement of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) laptops and educational curriculum in the Pacific Islands.
"As part of a series of proposed regional pilots to test models and assumptions prior to a full-scale roll-out, trials are being run in the Marovo Lagoon area of Solomon Islands. The trials are implemented by the Distance Learning Centres Project (DLCP) in collaboration with other regional organisations, as part of a wider initiative known as the Marovo Learning Network, with the following objectives:
- To demonstrate how VSAT access can be extended to surrounding areas through terrestrial wireless coverage
- To extend the impacts of the distance learning centres to technical and vocational education and training (TVET)
- To demonstrate the OLPC laptops in a rural village setting and measure their impacts
To provide connectivity, a wireless link is being established between Bekabeka DLC and Batuna Rural Training Centre (RTC). The geography is suitable for wireless networking with villages scattered around the lagoon-side with good lines of sight.
A number of organisations are collaborating with DLCP, Batuna RTC and the Marovo community in this project.
- SPC
- 2020 Communication Trust (New Zealand)
- University of Queensland (UQ), Marine Science Department
- USP
- Conservation International
- American Museum of Natural History"
Batuna is central in Marovo Lagoon and is a social and economic hub. Besides the large RTC, there is a secondary school and the main clinic for the Lagoon. Connecting Batuna RTC and then linking to the clinic, providing public access and so on, would be expected to create many positive development outcomes. Marovo Lagoon is a globally unique environment with diverse natural and cultural assets that make it the premier tourist destination regionally and recognised as a potential World Heritage site globally." (from http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OLPC_Solomon_Islands)
_ISOC Press Release in full__
RESTON, VA, USA AND GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, 19 December 2007 – Getting much-needed computer equipment to communities in the Solomon Islands, Tanzania, and tsunami-hit Sri Lanka; extending Internet connectivity to remote areas of Tunisia; building educational capacity in the Congo; and raising awareness of Internet governance issues in Italy – these diverse activities are made possible by the Internet Society's most recent round of project grants.
The Internet Society (ISOC) holds two grant rounds each year and dedicated US$200,000 to support the projects of ISOC chapters and members in 2007.
ISOC established its "Internet Project Funding Initiative" in 2005 to encourage projects which advance ISOC's mission to "promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world". With the six new grants announced today, ISOC has now funded 42 projects in 31 countries.
ISOC's goal with these grants is to develop the Internet environment around the world, by helping ISOC chapters and members establish creative programs that meet the needs of their local communities.
To be eligible for funding, projects must support development and operation of the Internet, or advance research and education related to the Internet and internetworking.
Each successful project will receive up to US$10,000 from ISOC, which can account for no more than 50 percent of the total project budget. This strategy requires proponents to secure other funding sources, which encourages active partnerships, community involvement, and socially relevant projects.
ISOC's truly global reach is reflected in the successful projects from the most recent funding round, which will create diverse activities in Democratic Republic of Congo, Italy, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Tunisia.
Details of the Internet Project Funding Initiative are available on the ISOC web site (http://www.isoc.org/isoc/chapters/projects/).
Projects funded in 2007 (second round)
The following projects were successful in the second round of funding for 2007.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Creation of Internet content for NGOs promoting human rights in Democratic Republic of Congo
- Democratic Republic of Congo Chapter of the Internet Society: Gabriel Bombambo Boseko,
Italy: Sensitization of the Italian speaking community on the Internet Governance Forum from Athens towards Delhi
- Internet Society Italy: Stefano Trumpy,
Solomon Islands: Marovo Lagoon Learning Network
- The Pacific Islands Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC): David Leeming,
Sri Lanka: The Smart Computer Laboratory
- Dr Kasun De Zoysa (ISOC Global member),
Tanzania: Operation Tech Start
- Operation Tech Start (ISOC Global member), Holly Rich,
Tunisia: SolarNetOne? in Tunisia
- Internet Society Tunisia: Khaled Koubaa,
About ISOC
The Internet Society (www.isoc.org) is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.
About ISOC Chapters
Internet Society Chapters are groups organised by ISOC members on a volunteer basis and officially recognised by ISOC. Chapters bring together people who reside in a particular geographic region (such as a city, country, or larger area), or who share an interest in a specific Internet related subject.
The role of Chapters is to help ISOC achieve its mission at both local and regional levels and to infuse ISOC with local and regional perspectives on developments and issues that affect the evolution of the Internet.
About PICISOC
PICISOC is an active chapter of Internet Society (ISOC), covering 22 Pacific island states and territories with a membership of over 500 individuals across the region. PICISOC organises every year PacINET, the premium Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) conference in the Pacific Islands. PacINET 2008 will be held in Cook Islands in September with support from the office of the Prime Minister and many organisations and companies in the Pacific Islands.
For further details
www.picisoc.org
or
Mark Thalhimer
Director of Communications and Public Relations, Internet Society
E-mail:
