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Committee for Democracy in Information Technology More than just computers—knowledge that transforms communities. Founded in 1995 – Rio de Janeiro/Brazil
Committee for Democracy in Information
Technology
More than just computers—knowledge that transforms communities.
Founded in 1995 – Rio de Janeiro/Brazil
CDI Mission
To promote the social inclusion of underprivileged populations by using digital inclusion, ICT education and technology to fight poverty, stimulate entrepreneurship, strengthen communities, and empower poor youth and adults to transform their realities.
CDIHeadquarters
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CDI Regional
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CDI Regional
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CDI Regional
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CDI Regional
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EICEICEICEICEICEICEICEIC EICEICEICEIC
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EIC*EIC*EIC*EIC*
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The CDI Network
* EIC is the Portuguese acronym for “Information Technology & Civic Engagemente School”, which is the designation for al CDI Schools
CDI in the World
•1
• 26 Regional CDI Offices in 18 Brazilian states
• 7 International CDI Offices in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, USA, Mexico and Uruguay.
• 849 CDI Schools (EICs, or “Information Technology & Civic Engagement Schools”)
• 70,000 people benefitted per year• More than 7,500 installed computers
How we operateS
PO
NS
OR
S A
ND
SU
PP
OR
TE
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Recycling & Refurbishing
Staff & Structure• Education specialists• Social Workers• IT • Administrative• Communication
CDI Regional Office
Partner organization
• Physical space• Educators from communities• School Coordinator• School management: activities, PR strategy, sustainability.
• Community-based, Prison-based, Corporate, Rural land settlements• Legally constituted
Selection of the community that will become a partner
Ongoing capacity-building
Creation of a Network of CDI SchoolsContinuous Monitoring & Evaluation
Computer Donation (in commodatum)
++ +
Installation of Open Source & Proprietary Software
= Information Technology & Civic Engagement Schools (known by the Portuguese acronym EIC)
sustainable
self-managed “political-pedagogic proposal”
symbolic fees charged from students services: Cybercafes, printing services... local partnerships
Activities and hours of operation PR Strategy Planning and Monitoring
Education for social change Tecnology as a means for intervening and transforming local reality
Interesting highlights
Vision: the three pillars of creating and empowering an active, informed and engaged citizenry
Digital inclusion
ParticipativeCitizenry
Three Pillars
Professionalinclusion
Socialinclusion
GoalGoal
CatalystsCatalysts
DONATIONDONATIONDONATIONDONATION DISMANTLEDISMANTLE
ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT OF OF
EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT CONDITIONSCONDITIONS
ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT OF OF
EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT CONDITIONSCONDITIONS
NON-REUSABLEDISCARDDISCARDDISCARDDISCARD
REUSABLE
WARE-HOUSEWARE-HOUSE
CLASS-ROOM
CLASS-ROOM
ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT OF OF
COMPONENT COMPONENT CONDITIONSCONDITIONS
ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT OF OF
COMPONENT COMPONENT CONDITIONSCONDITIONS
NON-REUSABLE
REUSABLECOMPONENTS STOCKROOM
COMPONENTS STOCKROOM
REFURBISHING &ASSEMBLY
REFURBISHING &ASSEMBLY
RENOVATION & FINAL
TOUCH UPS
RENOVATION & FINAL
TOUCH UPSPACKAGINGPACKAGING
DONATION TO CDI SCHOOLS & DONATION TO CDI SCHOOLS & GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY-GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY-
BASED ORGANIZATIONSBASED ORGANIZATIONS
DONATION TO CDI SCHOOLS & DONATION TO CDI SCHOOLS & GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY-GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY-
BASED ORGANIZATIONSBASED ORGANIZATIONS
FACTORY OF HOPE DIAGRAM
MAIN CHALLENGES:
Criterias and target-beneficiary for the project;
Financial hardships on the part of project participants;
Entrepreneurial innovations;
Learning to share knowledge and experiences;
Publicizing the project and attracting new partners and sponsors
MAIN BENEFITS:
New forms of generating revenue and stimulating action;
Creation of new educational materials;
Strengthening the CDI identity of Brazil’s pioneer NGO in the field of digital inclusion.
PROJECT IMPACTS
• SOCIAL;
• ECONOMIC;
• TECHNOLOGIC;
• ENVIRONMENTAL;
• COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT;
FACTORY OF HOPE – RESULTS
500 used computers were refurbished and left in perfect conditions for further use in CDI Schools and other organizations
120 underprivileged youth trained until December of 2006
50 CDI Schools received reconditioned computers from the Factory of Hope in 2006
Youth from 20 CDI Schools in the Greater Belo Horizonte region we trained
2 former students were later hired as interns by CDI Minas Gerais
3 youth-led microenterprises were created by former students (i.e. Chip7.com and Brasil Tec);
60% of former students have found some form of generating income for themselves and their families;
Media exposure of the equivalent of 20 times the initial project investment.
Recommendations
Involvement of the entire staff in the pilot stage in order to plan the best possible strategy;
Significant emphasis during the planning phase of any new initiative;
Learn from other areas (such as logistics, for example) and apply that knowledge and concepts;
Work collaboratively in networks with other NGOs;
Dynamic management in order to respond quickly to demands and challenges;
Creativity;
Communication and publicizing results is essential to success;
Feedback from project beneficiaries is a invaluable tool in order to assess and improve program;
Work towards fostering critical thinking and stimulating civic action/participation;
Consolidation of results and processes for future replication;
Develop and produce knowledge that can become assets of the organization;
Develop social entrepreneurship projects that can fight economic and social exclusion;
Be aware of business markets trends that can affect the project;
Leverage resources, people, dreams.
FACTORY OF HOPE – OTHER PROJECTS AND PRODUCTS
