NEWS FROM BRASIL JULY 2001 BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY WITH INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES TELECENTROS BRASIL AND REGENCY FOUNDATION Low-income communities face many problems including amongst others - poor education, poor health care, and few economic opportunities. Information and communication technology (ICT) tools can help with these issues but an inadequate basic communication infrastructure with high Internet connectivity costs and a lack of knowledge of the strategic uses of ICTs prevent many communities from using ICTs effectively. Telecenters can provide access to ICTs for community development, develop products and services in response to the specific needs of communities, and train community facilitators in the use of ICTs for social change. OBJECTIVES Fostering of community networks - For social impact - online and offline - to help communities make use of ICTs to improve their living conditions, to identify resources to address social problems within the community, and promote interaction between low-income peoples with similar problems and needs. Training - Training community facilitators and promoters - how to manage a telecenter effectively, how to reach self-sustainability, how to access and share relevant materials and information resources, and how to foster co-operation. Dissemination of public domain information material - Information empowerment - to facilitate the provision of information about Government programs relating to education, health and social services, and about groups active for the rights of the poor. Basic job skills - To develop, collaborate and establish partnerships on the production of learning tools and information resources according to demand- to include Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Computer Use and Applications; Principles of Business Administration and Management; Auto- mechanics, Building Construction, Principles of Electronics, Plumbing, Reception, Restaurant Service and Management, Elements of e-commerce. Job creation - Increasing employment possibilities - to establish partnerships with business and professional associations to enhance job opportunities following course completion. To design an online database of job opportunities and applicants. Entrepreneurship - Entrepreneurship is a driving force for innovation and growth in the economy. In these times of rapid technological change and mounting global competition, it is essential to nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship that underlies the competitiveness, success, and prosperity of society. Partnerships - Working through strategic partnerships, it is possible to leverage the expertise and experience of others. Through an alliance network, different people and organizations can work together to address common interests and concerns. Sharing experiences and resources - Community information management - to document experiences and information to help assess the project�s socioeconomic and cultural impact. To identify lessons from experience and best practices for future projects. ACTIVITIES Telecentros Brasil began operations in Brasil in January 2001. 1 R&D Sustainable Community Telecenter has been implanted in the Eastern Zone of the city of Sao Paulo with the objective of jointly developing with the community an original, replicable and sustainable ICT model to improve the livelihoods of low-income communities in Brasil NB The Eastern Zone of Sao Paulo houses approximately 3.7 million inhabitants, making it the most populous part of the city. But in spite of the fact that 37% of the inhabitants of Sao Paulo live in this Zone, only 23% of business establishments and only 15% of the jobs exist in this part of the city. Depending upon community needs and requirements of communities each Telecenter will bee equipped with 13 new PCs (1 Server of 700 MHZ and 128K of RAM and 12 PCs of 550 MHZ and 64K of RAM), 2 new Inkjet Printers, 1 new Fax Machine and 1 new scanner together with new computer desks and associated furniture. First Step - IT Development - Internet Access - chat lines - email facility - 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. Basic, Intermediate and Advanced IT Courses to be taught through facilitators during free access or during specific classroom activities - according to demand. Second Step - Entrepreneurship Development - in partnership with those entities specializing in the subject -Business Course Development and Implementation, Business Start Ups, Cooperatives, Credit Availability for Small Scale Enterprises, Local Business Online Network Development and E- Business, Computer Maintenance, Typing and Web Design. Third Step - Professional Development - in partnership with those entities specializing in the subject - Administration, Auto-Mechanics, Cooking, Construction, Costume Design, Electrical Maintenance, Hairdressing, Plumbing, Secretarial Services and Tele-Marketing. Cultural Development - Music, Theatre, Dance and the Arts. Fourth Step - Community Services Development - Training in the Use of the Internet for Social Development - to include an electronic catalogue of local suppliers, data collection service for government, online job opportunities database, community home page design, community medical records database, a web design service for local micro and small business, and an online remittance payment transfer scheme. NB The community entity understands that the sustainable community telecenter is a tool for digital inclusion. Telecentros Brasil personnel in conjunction with local Universities, business and professional associations advise and assist TCS Administrators. The latter will be responsible for the success of each telecenter�s sustainable operation. A Telecentre Operating Guide, Instructors Guide, Maintenance Guide and Value Added Services Reference Guide is being developed in conjunction with various communities. Telecentros Brasil is designing and developing an Internet Portal (see http://www.telecentros.org.br) which carries information on Education for all ages, online Business and Professional Courses, Health Care Education and Guidance, Public Services, Human Rights, Citizenship, the Environment, Help Groups etc. In addition, partnerships are being established to implant Telecentros Amazonas, Telecentros Bahia, Telecentros Bras�lia, Telecentros Paran�, Telecentros Rio Grande do Sul and Telecentros Santa Catarina; each of the participating states setting up associations to implement and manage the work of the telecenter. Meanwhile, Telecentros Brasil is now opening additional telecenters in Brasil and is seeking to raise $US235,088 to develop training material relating to the use of ICTs for social change specifically for telecenter operators and users, provide a telecenter technical support and maintenance program, undertake collective evaluation and the exchanging of telecenter experiences to better assess the contribution of telecenters to the socio-economic, and cultural process of the region, develop e-business, e-learning and skills training resources in partnership with the communities, create an online database of job opportunities and applicants, and develop specific services in response to the needs of individual communities. For more information please contact: Humberto Moreira, Executive Director, Telecentros Brasil Rua Cardeal Arcoverde 1745 CJ 66B Pinheiros - Sao Paulo-SP CEP 05407-002 Tel 11 3816 6070 Fax 11 3815 3861 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.telecentros.org.br REGENCY FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED in 1990 in the United Kingdom, Regency Foundation, is a not-for- profit organization working in association with UN agencies (www.regency.org) disseminating information in developing countries and emerging market economies. Regency recently produced a major publication entitled Telecommunications in Action - in conjunction with the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) - to raise awareness of the practical applications and benefits of information and communication technologies(ICTs), and to encourage the implementation of ICT related projects. This was followed by the Telecommunications in Action Congress Program, a series of live and video conferences in which senior representatives from Government, United Nations agencies, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, NGOs and the private sector, examined and shared experiences concerning practical ICT solutions in many fields including agriculture, commerce, education, energy, environment, governance, health, manufacturing, social welfare, tourism and transportation. Beginning in 2001 Regency Foundation has turned much of its energies to putting the more practical applications and proven experiences of modern information and communications applications into action, in the service of low income communities. Hence the founding of Telecentros Brasil. ------------ ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. 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