Committee for Democracy in Information Technology More than just computers—knowledge

1. Committee for Democracy in Information Technology More than just computers—knowledge that transforms communities. Founded in 1995 – Rio de Janeiro/Brazil

2. 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.

3. EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC* EIC CDI Regional Office CDI Regional Office CDI Regional Office CDI Regional Office CDI Regional Office CDI Regional Office CDI Regional Office CDI Regional Office EIC EIC EIC EIC CDIHeadquarters EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC EIC The CDI Network EIC EIC EIC EIC * EIC is the Portuguese acronym for “Information Technology & Civic Engagemente School”, which is the designation for al CDI Schools

4. CDI in the World • 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 •1

5. How we operate + + + CDI Regional Office Partner organization Computer Donation (in commodatum) Installation of Open Source & Proprietary Software • Community-based, Prison-based, Corporate, Rural land settlements • Legally constituted Recycling & Refurbishing Selection of the community that will become a partner • Staff & Structure • Education specialists • Social Workers • IT • Administrative • Communication $$$ SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS • Physical space • Educators from communities • School Coordinator • School management: activities, PR strategy, sustainability. Ongoing capacity-building Creation of a Network of CDI Schools Continuous Monitoring & Evaluation

6. symbolic fees charged from students services: Cybercafes, printing services... local partnerships sustainable = Information Technology & Civic Engagement Schools (known by the Portuguese acronym EIC) self-managed “political-pedagogic proposal” Activities and hours of operation PR Strategy Planning and Monitoring Education for social change Tecnology as a means for intervening and transforming local reality

8. Interesting highlights Vision:the three pillars of creating and empowering an active, informed and engaged citizenry Participative Citizenry Goal Three Pillars Catalysts Professional inclusion Digital inclusion Social inclusion

9. FACTORY OF HOPE DIAGRAM ASSESSMENT OF EQUIPMENT CONDITIONS DONATION DISMANTLE REUSABLE DISCARD NON-REUSABLE NON-REUSABLE ASSESSMENT OF COMPONENT CONDITIONS CLASS-ROOM WARE-HOUSE REUSABLE COMPONENTS STOCKROOM REFURBISHING & ASSEMBLY RENOVATION & FINAL TOUCH UPS PACKAGING DONATION TO CDI SCHOOLS & GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

10. 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.

11. PROJECT IMPACTS • SOCIAL; • ECONOMIC; • TECHNOLOGIC; • ENVIRONMENTAL; • COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT;

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. FACTORY OF HOPE – OTHER PROJECTS AND PRODUCTS

15. CDI-MG Edsmar Carvalho Resende edsmar@sucesumg.org.br + 55 31 3280-3313 or 3312