INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA UNECA. The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN’s five regional commissions. ECA’s mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development. ECA’s dual role as a regional arm of the UN, and a part of the regional institutional landscape in Africa, positions it well to make unique contributions to member States’ efforts to address their development challenges. Its strength derives from its role as the only UN agency mandated to operate at the regional and subregional levels to harness resources and bring them to bear on Africa’s priorities. ECA’s work programme now focuses on achieving results in two related and mutually supportive areas: Promoting Regional Integration in support of the African Union vision and priorities. ECA’s support to the implementation of AUC’s regional integration agenda focuses on undertaking research and policy analysis on regional integration issues, strengthening capacity and providing technical assistance to institutions driving the regional integration agenda, including strengthening and supporting the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and working on a range of trans-boundary initiatives and activities in sectors vital to the regional integration agenda. Meeting Africa’s special needs and emerging global challenges. ECA recognizes the importance of focusing attention on Africa’s special needs, particularly within the context of achieving the MDGs. In this regard, ECA places emphasis on supporting efforts to eradicate poverty, placing African countries on the path of growth and sustainable development, reversing the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process, and accelerating the empowerment of women. It aims to provide significant technical support to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and also to promote peer learning and knowledge sharing in a range of development areas.

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL CULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC ORGANISATION UNESCO. Education is one of UNESCO’s principal fields of activities. Since its creation in 1945, the Organization has worked to improve education worldwide believing it to be key to social and economic development. The Organization aims to help build a sustainable world with just societies that value knowledge, promote peace, celebrate diversity and defend human rights, achieved by providing Education for All (EFA). Its close links with education ministries and other partners in 193 countries place UNESCO in a key position to press for action and change.

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT USAID. The United States has a long history of extending a helping hand to those people overseas struggling to make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving to live in a free and democratic country. It is this caring that stands as a hallmark of the United States around the world — and shows the world our true character as a nation. U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose of furthering America’s foreign policy interests in expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of the citizens of the developing world. Spending less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget, USAID works around the world to achieve these goals. USAID’s history goes back to the Marshall Plan reconstruction of Europe after World War Two and the Truman Administration’s Point Four Program. In 1961, the Foreign Assistance Act was signed into law and USAID was created by executive order. Since that time, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms. USAID is an independent federal government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Our Work supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting: economic growth, agriculture and trade; global health; and, democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance.

THE WORLD BANK. Education is universally recognized as one of the most fundamental building blocks for human development and poverty reduction. When given the opportunity to achieve their own goals, people are empowered to contribute fully to the development of their communities, societies, and economies. Education remains one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty and inequality and helps lay a foundation for sustained economic growth. For this reason, it is at the center of the World Bank’s mission of poverty reduction. The Bank helps countries integrate education into national economic strategies and develop holistic and balanced education systems that produce results. The aim is to help countries achieve universal primary education, and quality learning for all while investing in the skills and knowledge necessary for their growth and competitiveness. The Bank began lending for education in 1963 and today is the world’s largest source of external financing to the developing world for education. For the past five years, the Bank has averaged about US$2 billion per year in loans, credits, and grants to support education (double that of the previous five years). In FY 2009, new lending to education totaled US$3.4 billion—a sharp increase over the previous five fiscal years. Of total education lending, US$1.6 billion was for International Development Association (IDA) credits and/or grants, and US$1.8 billion was for International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loans. New IDA education lending (and grants) represented 48 percent of total education lending this past fiscal year and was nearly four times that of IDA lending in FY00. Pakistan received the largest amount of IDA funds in FY09, with two new operations, totaling about US$650 million, working to ensure that children in the country’s Punjab and Sindh provinces receive access to quality schooling and the essential resources they need to learn. Apart from lending activities, the Bank serves as a knowledge bank for data, research findings, and best practices in policy design and implementation. Generating and sharing this knowledge through media, training activities, and technical advice is a key Bank priority. The Bank continues to take a lead role in many countries in terms of education policy advice, sector analysis, and aid coordination. It is a major player in various international education partnerships such as the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI). The Bank’s particular comparative advantage is promoting education’s links to economic growth.

InfoDev infoDev is a global development financing program among international development agencies, coordinated and served by an expert Secretariat housed in the Global ICT Department (GICT) of the World Bank, one of its key donors and founders. It acts as a neutral convener of dialogue, and as a coordinator of joint action among bilateral and multilateral donors-supporting global sharing of information on ICT for development (ICT4D), and helping to reduce duplication of efforts and investments. infoDev also forms partnerships with public and private-sector organizations who are innovators in the field of ICT4D. infoDev is developing an integrated curriculum of briefing sheets, handbooks, toolkits, case studies, best practice and lessons learned, and is sponsoring related training activities focusing on the appropriate use of ICTs in education to help developing countries meet the internationally-supported Millennium Development Goals.

ORGANISATIONS & ASSOCIATIONS

ILI INTERNATIONAL LITERACY INSTITUTE - University of Pennsilvania & Unesco initiative (Director: Daniel A. Wagner).The International Literacy Institute (ILI) was officially established in 1994 by UNESCO and the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. The mission of the ILI is to provide leadership in research, development, and training in the broad field of international literacy and development, with an emphasis on developing countries. The ILI organizes regional and international conferences, disseminates the ILI newsletter, Literacy Innovations, and is involved in a number of significant research, development, training, and networking activities around the world.

ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE. La Francophonie est le dispositif institutionnel qui organise les relations politiques et de coopération entre les États et gouvernements de l’OIF, ayant en partage l’usage de la langue française et le respect des valeurs universelles. Le dispositif institutionnel de la Francophonie comprend des instances politiques décisionnelles dont la plus haute est le Sommet des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement qui se réunit tous les deux ans, et le Secrétaire général de la Francophonie, clé de voûte de ce système. Depuis 2003, le Secrétaire général de la Francophonie est Abdou Diouf, ancien Président de la République du Sénégal. La coopération multilatérale francophone est mise en œuvre par l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie et quatre opérateurs spécialisés. L’OIF a été fondée en 1970 sur la base du Traité de Niamey (Niger). Elle mène des actions politiques et de coopération multilatérale pour donner corps à une solidarité active au bénéfice des populations de ses Etats et gouvernements membres. Elle agit dans le respect de la diversité culturelle et linguistique et au service de la promotion de la langue française, de la paix et du développement durable. La Francophonie dispose d’un organe consultatif, l’Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF). Les quatre opérateurs spécialisés sont : l’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), la chaîne internationale de télévision TV5, l’Association internationale des maires francophones (AIMF) et l’Université Senghor.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION/EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER. IDD is a division of Education Development Center (EDC), an international, nonprofit organization with more than 325 projects dedicated to enhancing learning, promoting health, and fostering a deeper understanding of the world. EDC was created 50 years ago to improve math and science teaching and learning in the US, and first worked in Africa in 1962 on the Africa Primary Science and Math Programs. Today, EDC continues to integrate research, policy and practice, informed by the best U.S. and international thinking. We are teachers, professional development experts, health and social science professionals, researchers, scientists, and management and technology specialists, dedicated to hands-on learning that makes a difference in the lives of our fellow learners, teachers, and leaders.

IDD designs fresh approaches and innovative tools to improve teaching and learning worldwide for both in- and out-of-school populations of all ages. Our work combines local resources and expertise with the latest research to achieve concrete results. We partner with governments and local communities, international donors, churches, and international corporations. But it is the learners who are at the center of our programs. From rural Haiti to urban Indonesia, our projects promote listening, action, reflection, group interaction and even play. We work at the pre-school, primary, and secondary levels; with adults and out-of-school learners; and with local and national governments. We build local, human capacity, ensuring that our partners own and can sustain the programs well beyond the life of any one project. Whether we are developing ESL radio lessons for primary school children in remote Pakistani villages, producing unbiased news programming for conflict-torn South Sudan, writing an HIV/AIDS curriculum in Zambia, or empowering young entrepreneurs in Macedonia, EDC is committed to in-country partnerships, deep respect for local knowledge and culture, and collaborative decision-making.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION. IDD is a division of Education Development Center (EDC), an international, nonprofit organization with more than 325 projects dedicated to enhancing learning, promoting health, and fostering a deeper understanding of the world. EDC was created 50 years ago to improve math and science teaching and learning in the US, and first worked in Africa in 1962 on the Africa Primary Science and Math Programs. Today, EDC continues to integrate research, policy and practice, informed by the best U.S. and international thinking. We are teachers, professional development experts, health and social science professionals, researchers, scientists, and management and technology specialists, dedicated to hands-on learning that makes a difference in the lives of our fellow learners, teachers, and leaders.

IDD designs fresh approaches and innovative tools to improve teaching and learning worldwide for both in- and out-of-school populations of all ages. Our work combines local resources and expertise with the latest research to achieve concrete results. We partner with governments and local communities, international donors, churches, and international corporations. But it is the learners who are at the center of our programs. From rural Haiti to urban Indonesia, our projects promote listening, action, reflection, group interaction and even play. We work at the pre-school, primary, and secondary levels; with adults and out-of-school learners; and with local and national governments. We build local, human capacity, ensuring that our partners own and can sustain the programs well beyond the life of any one project. Whether we are developing ESL radio lessons for primary school children in remote Pakistani villages, producing unbiased news programming for conflict-torn South Sudan, writing an HIV/AIDS curriculum in Zambia, or empowering young entrepreneurs in Macedonia, EDC is committed to in-country partnerships, deep respect for local knowledge and culture, and collaborative decision-making.

LETTERA 27. Lettera27 is a non-profit foundation, born in July 2006. Its mission is to support the right to literacy, education, and the access to knowledge and information.
lettera27 is the 27th letter of the alphabet, the missing letter, the letter yet to be, the hybrid sign, the empty box, the link between oral and written words, the connection to the future, the intersection of analogic and digital.

OXFAM International. Oxfam International is a confederation of 14 like-minded organizations working together and with partners and allies around the world to bring about lasting change.
We work directly with communities and we seek to influence the powerful to ensure that poor people can improve their lives and livelihoods and have a say in decisions that affect them.

Health and education for all: Oxfam works with teachers and children in schools, but we also work with communities to support them in demanding their right to education. Getting education for all means influencing decision-makers and achieving long-term change.
Oxfam is an active member of the Global Campaign for Education and we work with others from the local to global level to call for more funding for education, and to get more girls into school. We are also calling on world leaders to deliver aid to train two million new teachers for poor countries - a move that would help a whole generation learn the skills they need to beat poverty.

Prominent organisations promoting ICT in the education sector in Africa

(a selection; source: World Bank Infodev, Survey of ICT and education in Africa, 2007):

African Development Bank. The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s mission is to help reduce poverty, improve living conditions for Africans and mobilize resources for Africa’s economic and social development.

African virtual university. The African Virtual University (AVU) is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization whose aim is to significantly increase access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.
As an African organization, the AVU has a mandate to increase access for tertiary education and trainning using Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) methodologies.
The AVU headquarters is situated in Nairobi, Kenya and a regional office is based in Dakar, Senegal in West Africa.

AMD. Working with partners across the globe, AMD is bringing technology to the people who need it the most with the 50×15 initiative. In South Africa, the benefits of the ambitious and wide-reaching effort conceived by AMD CEO Hector Ruiz can be seen on the campus of the Diepsloot Combined School. UCOMS, AMD’s African distributor for the company’s Personal Internet Communicator (PIC), recently installed 38 PICs at Diepsloot, a school in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The PIC is a new category of affordable consumer devices designed to provide managed Internet access for people in global, high-growth markets to enhance communications, entertainment and education opportunities. The devices were installed on July 11th, replacing obsolete non-internet enabled PCs. The installation effort illustrated the efficiency and versatility of AMD’s modular PIC devices. Total install time was a little over one hour with five installers, only two of whom had any technical experience. UCOMS installed the PICs while children were on break — they returned to school on July 20th — demonstrating the ease with which AMD’s new technology can be introduced within a new environment. For AMD, the Diepsloot experience is a significant example of the effectiveness of the 50×15 initiative. AMD has created a video documentation record of the total installation process, and will be monitoring usage of the PICs at the school on an ongoing basis. AMD plans to leverage this learning with its involvement with both the NEPAD e-schools initiative, as well as with other school programs worldwide.

Association for the development of education in Africa ADEA.The Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) is first and foremost a forum for policy dialogue. Created in 1988, it was initially set up as a framework for better coordination among development agencies.

Twenty years after it was founded, ADEA has come to represent a genuine partnership between African education and training ministries in sub-Saharan Africa and their technical and external partners. It has also developed into a network of policy-makers, educators and researchers, and, based on its capacity to foster policy dialogue, a catalyst for educational reform. It is recognized today as being a major actor in the processes of dialogue, sharing and learning for qualitative change in education aimed at promoting Africa’s development.
This status serves ADEA’s mission to act as a catalyst for promising policies and practices through the pooling of ideas, experience, lessons learned and knowledge.
One of the principles underlying ADEA’s philosophy is that the responsibility of education rests with the governments of Africa. This is why ADEA is concerned with fostering a process that empowers African ministries of education and makes development agencies more responsive to the concept of national ownership. ADEA’s activities focus on strengthening policy dialogue between governments and agencies, between governments, and between development agencies. Its activities also focus on enhancing institutional and technical capacities within Africa by establishing networks for the sharing of information and the dissemination of successful strategies and innovations. Within this context, ADEA fosters regional, sub-regional and cross-country exchanges as well as partnerships with civil society institutions.

Commonweath of learning. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. COL is helping developing nations improve access to quality education and training. The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of more than 50 independent sovereign states, which provide support to each other, and work together toward international goals. The Commonwealth is described as a “family” of nations, originally linked together in the British Empire, and now building on their common heritage in language, culture and education, which enables them to work together in an atmosphere of greater trust and understanding than generally prevails among nations. Bringing together some 1.7 billion people of many faiths, races, languages, traditions and levels of economic development, the Commonwealth represents almost one-third of the world’s population.

DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DFID). Imfundo. Imfundo is a unique initiative, providing partners with a rare opportunity to help transform the education sector in Africa. The provision of quality education for young people in Africa is one of the most important tasks for all of us in the international community. Working together with African governments and teachers, we can help to provide relevant and high quality training and knowledge for future generations. But this requires considerable investment and commitment. Imfundo is specifically designed to help make available such resources to African countries. Imfundo’s unique contribution is the way in which our ResourceBank combines the skills and contributions of a wide range of different partners to help African governments achieve the international development targets of gender equality and universal primary education. Working together, we are able to achieve far more than we could alone. With DFID funding, the hardware, software and management expertise of the private sector, the research skills of universities, and the local expertise and involvement of civil society organisations, we can help to create innovative and sustainable solutions. Our KnowledgeBank is designed to share information about the use of ICT for enhancing education across Africa. We are keen to build it up to provide a wealth of material of relevance not only to government officials, but also to teachers and practitioners throughout Africa. Please use the discussion forum, or e-mail Jason Monty direct, to suggest additional features that we should incorporate in the site. I very much want the KnowledgeBank to provide useful material for all those involved in using ICT to help transform the provision of appropriate learning in Africa. Please explore our site. I hope you find it user-friendly, and that it will encourage you to be involved in helping us to achieve our objectives. Together, we can use ICT to help make a real difference to learning and teaching across Africa.

GEEKCORPS. IESC Geekcorps is an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes stability and prosperity in the developing world through information and communication technology (ICT). Geekcorps’ international technology experts teach communities how to be digitally independent by expanding private enterprise with innovative, appropriate, and affordable information and communication technologies.
To increase the capacity of small and medium-sized business, local government, and supporting organizations to be more profitable and efficient using technology, Geekcorps draws on a database of more than 3,500 technical experts willing to share their talents and experience in developing nations.
These long-term professional staff, qualified short-term consultants, and dedicated international technical volunteers implement large-scale, multi-faceted, country-level business development programs using ICT, while transferring the technical skills required to achieve long-term stability.
International technical volunteers are the Geekcorps difference, offering a significant focus on the transfer of skills - a task that is often not possible with consulting agreements where specialists focus only on deliverables, not capacity building or sustainability. Volunteers also offer hundreds of hours of quantifiable in-kind services, both in-country and post-assignment, and un-quantifiable support, access, and passion that only emotionally invested experts can deliver.

Started by Ethan Zuckerman in 1999, Geekcorps became a division of the International Executive Service Corps in 2001. Geekcorps effort to create the capacity of developing nations to maximize the benefits of modern telecommunications is supported by the United States Agency for International Development, generous Geekcorps partners, and individuals.

GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT LEARNING NETWORK (GDLN). Coordinated by the World Bank, the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) is a partnership of over 120 recognized global institutions (Affiliates) in over 80 countries that collaborates in the design of customized learning solutions for individuals and organizations working in development. Affiliates are as diverse as the Asian Institute of Management, the Ethiopian Civil Service College, the Islamic Development Bank, and Pontifícia Universidad Católica of Peru. Collectively, Affiliates put on 1000+ learning sessions a year that range from training courses and informal brainstorming sessions to multi-country dialogues and virtual conferences. GDLN learning specialists in these organizations collaborate in designing customized learning solutions for clients. With increasing links to in-country networks, GDLN’s reach now extends to more than 500 access points around the world. GDLN is present in most major cities and in many secondary cities. We offer direct access to local, regional and international development experts, provide tailored learning programs, knowledge or technical assistance programs, and state of the art facilities for multi-point videoconferencing and internet-based learning. Our services fall into four broad categories: program and session design, session management and coordination, learning product development, and promotion and marketing services.

GLOBAL E-SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVE (GeSCI). At GeSCI we envision a world where every person has equitable access to knowledge, and the ability and capacity to create and share knowledge for society’s overall development. Our mission is to advise, support and work with Ministries of Education (MoEs) in the developing world to make informed strategic choices and decisions about ICT in Education.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES NETWORK (iEARN). iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is the world’s largest non-profit global network that enables teachers and youth to use the Internet and other technologies to collaborate on projects that enhance learning and make a difference in the world. All projects in iEARN are designed by teachers and students, and provide powerful examples of how technology can make a difference in teaching and learning. As part of iEARN’s mission to improve the quality of life on the planet, all projects involve a final “product” or exhibition of the learning that has taken place as part of the collaboration. These have included magazines, creative writing anthologies, websites, reports to government officials, arts exhibits, performances, and many more examples of youth taking action as part of what they are learning in the classroom.

iEARN Africa:

Algeria iEARN works with a limited number of schools and youth organizations, in Algiers and Guerrara. They are active in Arabic and French-language projects.Botswana iEARN works with the Ministry of Education to involve students and teachers in Botswana in global networking projects. They are leaders in health education projects, as well as in cross-cultural, environmental and literary projects. The Ministry writes: “The Ministry of Education respects the ideals of IEARN and values the contribution the organization makes to education in terms of teachers professional development and the unique global experience that our teachers and students gain from engaging in telecollaborative work under IEARN.” Burkina Faso iEARN works to involve students and teachers in Burkina Faso in global networking projects. The program is based in the capital of Ouagadougou. They are active in French-language projects. Cameroon iEARN works with a small number of schools in the Douala and Yaounde areas. iEARN-Cameroon is a registered NGO. They are involved in French-language and environmental projects. Congo, Democratic Republic of iEARN-Congo works with the Initiatives Jeunes in Kinshasa-Limete to enable young people in the Congo to interact worldwide. They are active in French-language projects. Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) iEARN works with a limited number of schools, in Abidjan. They are active in French-language projects. Egypt iEARN Egypt is an officially registered NGO under the name of “Egyptian Educational Resources Association (E-Era)”. We serve almost 85 public and experimental schools in all over Egypt. Our partners include the Ministry of Education in Egypt, RITSEC, Integrated Care Society, and many others. iEARN Egypt has hosted the First iEARN BRIDGE Regional Conference in 2003 and will be hosting the 2007 iEARN International Conference. Ethiopia iEARN is working with a number of schools in Ethiopia in partnership with SchoolNet Ethiopia. iEARN-Ethiopia coordinates the YES (Youth Exchange and Study) program, recruiting and selecting high school students to spend an exchange year in the USA. Gambia iEARN works with the Ministry of Education in Gambia to involve teachers in about 20 schools in collaborative project work. Schools are both in the Banjul area as well as in other cities. Community youth programs are also active in iEARN project work. Ghana iEARN is part of SchoolNet Ghana and is expanding educational networking and professional development in most parts of the country. iEARN-Ghana involves a total of 250 schools in Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Tema and other areas. Kenya iEARN works with schools in Kenya, collaborates with the Ministry of Education and other NGOs to link up students in schools, youth organizations and through local community centers. Students are interested in environmental and development projects. iEARN is working with the authorities in Nairobi to expand and strengthen its networking with additional schools. Liberia iEARN-Liberia is a registered NGO and is working with the Ministry of Youth and Sport through the Federation of Liberia youth (FLY) in developing sustainable empowerment skills training for underprivileged youth in Liberia. iEARN-Liberia is also working with a network of school on the Global Teenager Project and iEARN project work for students. iEARN-Liberia undertakes teacher training workshops and supports teachers to participate in iEARN online Professional Development Courses. Mali iEARN-Mali is working with the SchoolNet Mali and the African Teachers Network to expand global project-based learning in Mali. iEARN-Mali coordinates the YES (Youth Exchange and Study) program, recruiting and selecting high school students to spend a year in the USA. Mauritania iEARN is working with a small number of schools to expand educational telecommunications project work in Mauritania. Approximately 10 schools are involved in this initiative. Morocco iEARN-Morocco is a registered NGO and is working with a network of schools throughout the country. Project work is in Arabic, French and English. iEARN-Morocco Coordinator Mourad Benali is a member of Africa SchoolNet and has published articles on iEARN project work and ICTs in his country. IEARN-Morocco undertakes teacher training workshops and facilitates exchanges of students and teachers. Mozambique iEARN is working with the WorLD Program to expand educational telecommunications project work in Mozambique. Approximately 10 schools are involved, working in Portuguese with students in Portugal, Brazil and other countries. Namibia iEARN is working with SchoolNet Namibia to expand educational telecommunications project work in Namibia. Introduction of computers and internet into over 200 schools since 2000 led SchoolNet to become actively involved in policy-making at the national level in Namibia. Nigeria IEARN’s vision in Nigeria is to stimulate and nurture a population of new leadership who are principle-driven and service-oriented. A population of people who have the capacity of providing fresh insight to multiple challenges of community organizing, environment, poverty and health. IEARN-NIGERIA has created SchoolNet Nigeria, in collaboration with the Educational Tax Fund and Ministry of Education. iEARN-Nigeria is presently working with hundreds of schools & related institutions in projects that help build character and personal leadership in children, adolescents and youth. IEARN-NIGERIA is leading a national drive for training trainers, professional development of teachers/ educators and curriculum development (for ICTs in secondary education) thus preparing the country for true education in the 21st century. Rwanda Schools and youth organizations in Rwanda, primarily in Kigali, Gisenyi and Ruhengeri, are working on projects dealing with technology, civic education and enhancement of girls’ education. Senegal iEARN in Senegal is managed by a team of educators, who work closely with the Ministry of Education and other partners. Approximately 20 schools are active participants, working in environmental and other projects. iEARN-Senegal hosted the 2005 iEARN International Conference in Dakar July 17-24, 2005. See iEARN Meetings for conference information. iEARN-Senegal coordinates the YES (Youth Exchange and Study) program and recruits and prepares high school students to spend an exchange year in the USA. Sierra Leone iEARN-Sierra Leone is a registered NGO that works with schools and other NGOs to provide ICT access and training, as well as skills in music and video production, to young people in Freetown and provincial cities. In January 2008 leadership of iEARN-Sierra Leone changed to a new team having many years of experience. From December 2007, former contact Andrew Greene is no longer associated with iEARN-Sierra Leone. Ms Jane Peters is the new Contact Person and leads an enthusiastic renewed team. Students engage in on-line projects on environmental and other issues. Computers are located in a telecenter in Freetown. iEARN-Sierra Leone has enabled students who have been impacted by its devastating civil war to be involved in projects. To contact iEARN-Sierra Leone: jane4music @ hotmail.com Somalia iEARN is working with a small number of schools to bring educational technology (ICT) to Somali education. South Africa iEARN partners with SchoolNet South Africa, which was formed from the regional networks active in the country since 1995. In July 2001, iEARN-South Africa hosted the iEARN International Conference as part of the Africa Connects Conference in Cape Town. Over 1,600 educators and students from 69 countries came together to share how they are using ICT in their classrooms. Sudan iEARN is working with a small number of schools to bring educational technology (ICT) to Sudanese education. Tanzania iEARN is working with a number schools, youth community organizations and refugee groups in Tanzania, particularly in the areas around Arusha and Dar es Salaam. Togo iEARN is working with schools in Togo through a partnership with educators in universities and youth organizations. Tunisia iEARN is working with the Ministry of Education to expand school networking in Tunisia as part of the BRIDGE and CIVICS Projects. These projects are sponsored by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State. Uganda iEARN-Uganda is part of SchoolNet Uganda. A total of over 40 schools and youth organizations in Kampala and other areas are actively involved in iEARN projects. School linkage expansion in Uganda has involved piloting wireless technologies in rural areas. Zambia iEARN in Zambia was initiated by the Rescue Mission organization based in Lusaka and now involves schools in the capital. Zimbabwe iEARN is working with the WorLD Program in Zimbabwe to involve a pilot group of 60 schools in global project work. Most schools are clustered around community Tele-Centers.

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNICATION AND DEVELOPMENT (IICD). The IICD-supported Global Teenager Project (GTP) has launched a new virtual learning environment to support online classroom discussion on social issues with peers from all over the world. Founded in 1998, GTP offers collaborative global learning to over 10,000 students in 34 countries based on themes, or Learning Circles.

Mtandao Africa

NEPAD e-schools. NEPAD recognizes the significant development role and crosscutting impact that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can have on all aspects of national life. The development of the ICT sector is therefore identified as one of the priority areas of NEPAD aimed at defining the continent’s new and aggressive effort to accelerate Africa’s economic development and growth. The purpose of the NEPAD ICT programme is to accelerate development of ICT infrastructure and ICT skills. It is also intended to bridge digital divide in Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world . The e-Africa Commission was created in 2001 and adopted as an ICT Task Team by NEPAD in 2002. It is responsible for developing policies, strategies and projects at continental level as well as managing the structured development of the ICT sector in the context of NEPAD. Mandate of the Commission The NEPAD e-Africa Commission is mandated to develop a broad NEPAD ICT strategy and comprehensive action plan with the objective of: Accelerating the development of African inter-country, intra-country and global connectivity, and Promoting conditions for Africa to be an equal and active participant in the Global Information Society The e-Africa Commission serves as the primary advisory body to the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSIC) of NEPAD, on the development and implementation of an effective ICT Programme for Africa. It advises and assists the HSIC in all matters relating to the implementation of NEPAD ICT programmes.

OLPC One laptop per child. Mission Statement: To create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.

Schoolnet Africa. SchoolNet Africa is one of Africa’s first African-led, African-based non-government organisations (NGO) that operates across the continent in its endeavour to improve education access, quality and efficiency through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in African schools. SchoolNet Africa works mainly with learners, teachers, policymakers and practitioners through country-based schoolnet organisations across Africa. SchoolNet Africa is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa where it employs staff from different African countries to manage its programs. SchoolNet Africa’s vision is for the empowerment of all of Africa’s children and youth through access to quality education, information and knowledge on the basis of their effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). SchoolNet Africa functions as a network of networks. Its primary network is with schoolnet practitioners, education policymakers, teachers and learners through national schoolnet organisations and groups operating in the following countries:

WORLD LINKS. World Links is an innovative, award-winning, and independent not-for-profit enterprise, spun off from the World Bank, which leverages the unique potential of technology to bring opportunity and hope to disadvantaged youth around the world. A recognized leader in preparing students in developing countries and their teachers with 21st Century skills, World Links uses information and communications technology (ICT) and new approaches to learning to build skills and expand horizons. World Links’ training, combined with access to computers and the internet, results in the skills, knowledge, attitude change, and insight necessary for youth to participate and compete in global and local economies, while playing an important role in helping to eradicate poverty.
World Links’ innovative programs provide developing countries with capacity building and self-sustaining, school-based, ICT solutions that transfer skills and create measurable, exponential impact.