Information Services for Rural Development

Project Description

1. Project Concept

1.1 Global Digital Library (GDL)

a. An information services and support network consisting of 10,000 wireless, electronic libraries in developing countries providing information for rural communities to develop the requisite technology infrastructure, financial capacity, and information culture to achieve sustainable economic development and permanently alleviate poverty.

b. A consortium consisting of donor agencies, non-governmental and faith-based organizations, educational institutions, and private corporations in developed nations providing development resources---technology, information, capital, and personnel---to rural communities in collaboration with national governments, regional churches, educational institutions, and civil society organizations in developing countries.

1.2 GDL Library Network

a. Library Server Centers: The GDL network is proposed as an aggregate of Local Area Networks (LANs) consisting of a Library Server Center (LSC) and multiple Remote Library Workstations connected to the LSC by line-of-sight, wireless technology. The LSC may consist of a public access facility of approximately 1,000 square feet, 2 Orblynx computer servers, 4 computer workstations, router and receiver for 2 Mbps satellite access, desktop publishing and document storage equipment, digital video and audio equipment for multi-media presentations, solar power equipment, and library reference materials.

b. Remote Library Workstations: Connected to an LSC by line-of-sight, wireless technology, Remote Library Workstations (RLWs) may be located at a public access facilities---libraries, schools, medical clinics, agricultural research centers, or community centers---and may consist of a computer network or stand-alone computer workstation, a router and wireless antenna, and a printer. RLWs may contain other specialized equipment according to end user specifications.

c. Regional Support Centers: The GDL network will also consist of Regional Support Centers (RSCs) providing direct services to the GDL field libraries. RSCs may be located at regional universities or vocational education centers with the capacity to provide technical support, equipment servicing, and training to a regional GDL Library Network.

1.3 GDL Information Services

a. Information Resources:

- Custom development library database focused on sustainable development.

- CDROM development library and reference materials.

- Video and audio broadcast on-demand by Remote Library Workstations

- Hyper-linked access to the international network of digital libraries

b. Communications Access:

- Institutional Resources: The GDL will provide connectivity to the Internet enabling subscribers in rural communities to access institutional resources in their country of origin and in developed nations.

2. Consortium Management / Responsibilities

2.1 Consortium Co-Developers:

a. International Coalition on Religion and Ecology (ICORE)

- Obtain endorsement the GDL by world religious leaders and international donor agencies.

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- Obtain collaboration of faith-based donor agencies in developed nations and regional churches in developing countries to support the development and operations of the GDL in rural communities.

- Obtain donor funds and develop capital campaign in collaboration faith-based organizations for GDL capital and operating costs with a target of $200 million annually, or 1% of the $22 billion US faith-based donor market, after five years.

b. EcoSage Corporation

- Provide project management services to develop the GDL consortium and network sites in developing countries, including consortium development, capital campaign management, GDL network implementation plan, and strategic placement of GDL network sites in developing countries.

- Provide project management software, library software, database management, and programming services to manage program implementation, develop and maintain library content, and oversee staff development and training, including GDL network sites.

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- Provide ICORE with content development support services, including the management of content development staff. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

c. Provide ICORE with systems integration services (telecommunications and energy), product fulfillment, and supervision of systems administration, management, installation, and maintenance.

3. Project Marketing

3.1 Faith-based Markets:

a. ICORE, with the endorsement of world religious leaders, will market digital library services directly to faith-based donor agencies in the US which collectively manage $6 billion in benevolences each year. Based on a preliminary marketing survey, ICORE estimates that direct sales to donor agencies may comprise 20% or 2,000 digital library network ground stations over a 4-years period. Direct marketing to large churches are estimated to account for an additional 20% or 2,000 ground stations for the same period.

b. ICORE, with support from EcoSage Corporation, will market parish membership and individual member subscriptions to the digital library network. Membership marketing is projected to account for an additional 40% of sales over a 5-years period. Annual membership marketing will also be the primary source of funds for ICORE administration and project management costs.

3.2 Marketing Activities and Timelines:

a. ICORE will announce the Global Digital Library project at the Millenium celebrations in New York (September 1-10). Concept documents, testimonials, and photos from the proposed demonstration project will be distributed to world religious leaders and heads of states.

b. ICORE will conduct a capital campaign feasibility study in August - September 2000, and launch the Capital campaign in October 2000, prior to the Millenium celebration on December 25, 2000.

c. ICORE will conduct a feasibility study in collaboration with national churches in developing countries in order to provide statistical social and economic impact data to support project marketing.

d. ICORE will sponsor a national conference of faith-based donor agencies in early 2001 in collaboration with world religious leaders. The conference will include international development agencies and the US philanthropic foundations.

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g. Obrlynx

- Provide "pro-bono" the initial equipment and connectivity (2-way) for project demonstration site(s) to test "proof-of-concept" in one or more geographical regions of the world. (Africa / Latin America)

a. Provide ICORE with space segment and "receive only" ground station equipment at competitive costs. Provide "send-and-receive" capacity at competitive costs upon further development of Orblynx network architecture.

b. Provide ICORE with training and technical expertise to "train-the-trainers" program staff to support systems installation, administration, management, and maintenance.

Provide program-related investment (PRI) to ICORE to support on-going demonstration project and national capital campaign.

h. Collaborate with key content providers, including national governments, international development agencies, non-governmental agencies (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), and post-secondary academic institutions to provide appropriate content for library sites.

i. Provide training in systems administration, management, and maintenance to user community through a "train-the-trainers" program in collaboration with national churches and faith-based donor agencies.

2.2 Orblynx

c. Provide "pro-bono" the initial equipment and connectivity (2-way) for project demonstration site(s) to test "proof-of-concept" in one or more geographical regions of the world. (Africa / Latin America)

d. Provide ICORE with space segment and "receive only" ground station equipment at competitive costs. Provide "send-and-receive" capacity at competitive costs upon further development of Orblynx network architecture.

e. Provide ICORE with training and technical expertise to "train-the-trainers" program staff to support systems installation, administration, management, and maintenance.

f. Provide program-related investment (PRI) to ICORE to support on-going demonstration project and national capital campaign.

4. Content Development / Timeline

4.1 EcoSage, under the general direction of ICORE, will develop library database content by aggregating existing content in collaboration with the international donor agencies and government agencies, and universities. Portals will include: the World Heath Organization, United Nations, World Bank, National Institute of Health, Volunteers in Technical Assistance, and other on-line libraries, including the African Digital Library and National Science Foundation.

4.2 Content development by EcoSage Corporation for the demonstration site will be completed prior to September 1, 2000. Subsequent content development will be completed in collaboration national governments, international development agencies, universities, and the pilot project community beginning September 2000.

4.3 Content development activities will be integrated into the ICORE marketing effort beginning October 2000 in order to optimize donor participation.

5. Project Finance

5.1 Concept Development

a. Funding for the Global Digital Library research and development is providing by ICORE and EcoSage Corporation with the support of a $50,000 grant from the New Visions Foundation.

5.2 Project Development

a. ICORE requires a program-related investment in the amount of $250,000 (August 1, 2000) to manage the demonstration project, develop project marketing, and content development.

b. ICORE requires an addition program-related investment in the amount of $750,000 (September 1, 2000) to launch the capital campaign.

c. Total ICORE program-related investment requirement: $1 million. The program-related investment (in the form of an equity loan) will be repaid at commercial interest rates from operating revenues derived from the ICORE capital campaign.

5.3 Project Sustainability

a. ICORE will seek grants from donor agencies and membership fees from individual library subscribers (donors and beneficiaries) to support the recurring operating, training, and maintenance costs of the library network.

6. Use of Terms

6.1 Strategic Marketing Partnership: A sales and marketing partnership consisting of a non-profit, public benefit organization and a for-profit entity in which a predetermined percent of sales from the for-profit entity provides a direct financial benefit to the non-profit entity. (Examples: Pre-paid telephone cards and college alumni credit card sales.) A strategic marketing partnership may also include contractual arrangement between a service or product provider and a non-profit agency to sell products direct to the consumer. (Example: Girl Scout cookies.)

6.2 Program-related Investment: A program-related investment refers to a mechanism by which a donor agency, private corporation, or individual loans funds to a non-profit organization to support the organization's mission. It is a legal arrangement and does not compromise the non-profit organization's tax-exempt status. The finance agency is entitled to a return on investment, but generally at less than commercial rates. An ROI of 2% per annum is typical of a program-related investment. However, it is not illegal or unethical for the financing agency to charge commercial rates.

7. Contact Information

Donald Conroy Allan Baer
President President
NACRE/ICORE EcoSage Corporation
Ecoact1@aol.com Aeb@solarquest.com
202.462.2591 802.685.3450

1.1 Develop "Global Digital Library" network consisting of 10,000 "deep rural" sites in developing countries to disseminate multi-media information for sustainable community development.

1.2 Network sites will initially be "receive only" with capacity to be upgraded to "send -and-receive" upon the further development of Orblynx network architecture. With "send" capacity the network sites can expand services to local communities.

1.3 Network sites will serve as "hubs" for wireless, line-of-site local area network expansion.

The GDL will utilize high-speed satellite services to connect combined with Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to pr a high-speed, satellite connectivity to the World Wide Web rural communities

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are emerging as the new vision for worldwide poverty alleviation with the promise, advanced by developed nations, that ICT development---knowledge development---will transform the societies and economies of developing countries. If this promise is to be fulfilled, developing countries must develop the requisite social infrastructure, financial capacity, and information culture to successfully implement and sustain ICT development in all sectors of their societies.

improve the capacity for all its citizens, urban and rural, to obtain information and acquire knowledge.

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content

in ten general content areas: health and environment, economic prosperity, social equity, conservation of nature, stewardship, sustainable communities, civic engagement, population, international responsibility, and education. Specific topics within the general content areas will include: disease prevention, nutrition, water quality, sanitation, agriculture, sustainable energy, appropriate technology, micro-enterprise development, soil conservation, wetland and forest preservation, population control, family planning, international relations, rural development, education for sustainability, national education standards, and adult education.

- The GDL on-site reference library will contain CDROM-based development libraries produced by educational institutions and international development agencies. Reference library titles may include: Human Development Library (160,000 pgs.), World Environmental Library (40,000 pgs.), Food and Nutrition Library (30,000 pgs.), and the Medical and Health Library (35,000 pgs.).

- Video and Audio Libraries: The GDL on-site library will contain a video and audio resources on key development issues. Additionally, the GDL consortium members will produce and broadcast video and audio content for distribution and storage at GDL Library Service Centers.

- On-Line Libraries: The GDL Development Library Database will include currently under development in major universities in developed nations and specialized digital libraries, including regional initiatives such as the Africa Digital Library.