Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Global Digital Opportunity Initiative - Global

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Launched in early 2002, the two-year Global Digital Opportunity Initiative (GDOI) is an effort to provide 12 developing nations with the expertise and resources needed to create e-solutions to problems. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Markle Foundation will collaborate with public and private institutions to develop a comprehensive approach to national information and communication technology (ICT) for development strategies. The goal is to use ICTs to improve healthcare and education, address social equity issues, reduce poverty, and create enhanced economic opportunity. Bolivia, Tanzania, and Mozambique have secured the first three spots; 45 countries are vying for the remaining nine.
Communication Strategies
GDOI's central strategy is partnership. Collaborators include UN groups, foundations, governmental, educational, business, and nonprofit organisations working together to provide technological resources and expertise. Each member of the International Partners Group is committed to providing resources and expertise on a pro-bono basis to at least three countries. One programme focus will be building broad national and strategic partnerships among the various stakeholders.

The programme will begin with an extensive assessment of each nation's needs. The countries that are applying for help are making specific requests about what they need from the GDOI. After the assessment is conducted, a scalable infrastructure plan will be designed and implemented. (The plan needs to be scalable because this is a seed programme to help countries get started.) GDOI will focus on creating plans and programmes covering policy, human capacity, enterprise, applications, content, and infrastructure. Later, it is expected that other governments and companies will visit each country to provide additional help and funding. The programme will be closely monitored.
Development Issues
Technology, Partnership.
Key Points
The GDOI grew out of a study conducted by the Group of Eight (G-8) nations, and builds from the strategic framework developed by the Digital Opportunity Initiative for the 2001 Summit. The initiative is premised upon recognition of the growing interdependence of nations, and of the need to include developing countries as full participants in the increasingly networked economy.
Partners

UNDP and the Markle Foundation, in partnership with: International organisations: International Chamber of Commerce, International Telecommunications Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Non-profit organisations: African Connection (South Africa), Bridges (South Africa), Global Internet Policy Initiative, Harvard Center for International Development, InterAction, International Development Research Centre (Canada), OneWorld International (UK), World Resources Institute, University of California Berkeley-Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society, World Resources Institute. Private sector organisations: AOL-Time Warner, Cisco Systems, CommerceNet, GeoPartners Ventures, Global Information Infrastructure Commission, Grameen Bank (Bangladesh), Hewlett-Packard, Millennium Tech Ventures, Morrison & Foerster LLP, N-Logue (India), PicoPeta Simputers (India), STMicroelectronics (Italy), Sun Microsystems, TAG International (Egypt), White & Case.

Sources

GDOI site.