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Digital Dividend Digest vol. 43
May 20, 2004
CONTENTS
1. "Eradicating Poverty through Profit"
Conference Announced
2. NEWS RELEASE: New Analysis Bolsters Poor as Source of Innovation
3. New in the Digital Dividend
Clearinghouse: Gramateller Smart ATM, Talking Head Land
Rights and Tracking, Boat-Based Agricultural Education
4. Special Opportunities:
Intel Public Affairs International Contribution, Hewlett-Packard
Equipment Grants
1. "Eradicating
Poverty through Profit" Conference Announced
WRI is organizing a major new conference entitled "Eradicating
Poverty through Profit: Making Business Work for the Poor,"
December 12-14, 2004, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.
In partnership with several large public and private sector
organizations, the conference will explore private sector
solutions to poverty with keynote addresses and other presentations,
panel discussions, live "laboratories," sector or
interest-specific workshops, and exhibits.
Four broad themes will guide the discussions:
Pro-Poor Business Activities
Can pro-poor business activities catalyze broad-based economic
development and transform how globalization impacts the poor?
Experience to Date: What Works?
What are the real experiences from the field that indicate
that "doing well and doing good" are compatible—in
financial services, consumer goods, agriculture, information
and communications technologies, natural resources and other
sectors?
Barriers and Challenges: How to Succeed
These sessions will analyze real business problems from real
companies, as well as preview new market research and executive
education tools designed for low-income market activities.
Finding New Solutions: Tomorrow's Best
Practices
As more companies and organizations engage in this area, new
issues will arise, new questions will be asked, new partnerships
will be formed, new policies will be implemented, and new
solutions will emerge. What do visionary leaders in the private
and public sectors foresee? What are the developments "just
over the horizon?"
For more information and to register visit: http://povertyprofit.wri.org
2. NEWS RELEASE:New Analysis Bolsters Poor as Source of Innovation
WRI and Foreign Policy magazine hosted a joint press conference
this week where Dr. Allen Hammond of Digital Dividends unveiled
new research supporting the controversial hypothesis that
global poverty can be reduced by turning to the world's 4
billion poor people as consumers and partners of multinational
corporations. See the press release and media kit here.
3 . New in the Digital
Dividend Clearinghouse: Gramateller Smart ATM, Talking
Head Land Rights and Tracking, Boat-Based Agricultural Education
Ten new projects have been entered since the last
Digest. Among the highlights:
Gramateller Smart ATM
Magnetic stripe cards and PIN numbers will soon be replaced
by smart cards and fingerprint identification technology at
ICICI bank’s many rural Indian ATMs. ICICI plans to
install the Gramateller INDI automatic teller machine at the
Internet kiosks and e-Choupals it has already set up throughout
the country. Not only is the Gramateller more robust than
a traditional ATM, it costs twenty times less than its predecessor,
a cost saving that may usher in a new era of financial services
access in rural India.
Talking Head Land Rights and Tracking
Researchers from the Geomatics Department of the University
of Cape Town are using video, GPS, and handheld computers
to help disenfranchised South Africans protect their land
rights. First, landowners are videotaped in front of their
homes to produce a "talking head" land title certificate,
which is then referenced using GPS technology. In the second
component, handheld computers running CyberTracker software
collect socio-economic data, which is added to the title.
Boat-Based Agricultural Education
Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha (SSS), a Bangladeshi NGO, developed
a sustainable agriculture education module using multimedia
and information technologies to teach farmers how to protect
the environment and increase productivity at the same time.
Unfortunately, project leaders soon realized that their target
audience is accessible only via boat. In response, SSS launched
its boat-based agricultural education program, incorporating
new age IT systems with proven transportation technology to
improve farmers' lives.
3. Special Opportunities: Intel
Public Affairs International Contribution, Hewlett-Packard
Equipment Grants
Intel
Public Affairs International Contribution
The Intel Corporation makes grants to eligible organizations
in the communities where the company has a major presence.
The company focuses primarily on education, through grants
for programs that advance science, math and technology learning.
Environmental programs are also strongly considered, with
particular emphasis on technological components. Intel will
support additional programs that improve the quality of life
in its site communities. These requests will be evaluated
on the basis of the services offered and the program's impact
on the community. Cost-effectiveness of the program, its ability
to be effectively measured and replicated, and the potential
for Intel employee involvement are also significant factors.
Countries eligible for Intel grants include China, Costa Rica,
India, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Hewlett-Packard Equipment Grants:
Through their philanthropy and education program, Hewlett-Packard
provides grants of equipment to eligible organizations. Detailed
proposals are required for consideration within the grant
program. In addition, applicants must have other sources of
funding; HP will not be the sole source of funding to ensure
project independence.
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