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BASF promotes digital inclusion in Brazil |
07/03 |
When BASF AG decided to change all its computers in a worldwide agreement with Dell Computer, the company in Brazil took this opportunity transforming the replaced equipments in an innovative social project in order to increase the digital inclusion in the country. For this mission, BASF has chosen as partner a non-profit and non-governmental organization called CDI - the Committee for Democracy in Information Technology.
Since 1995, CDI has been developing a pioneering initiative to promote social inclusion, by using information technology as a citizens rights and developing tool.
CDI implements educational programs in Brazil and abroad through its Information Technology and Citizens Rights Schools, mobilizing excluded segments of society and helping to transform their reality. Mastering the new technologies should not only give access to better work and income opportunities, but also to new information sources and social spheres.
CDI's primary activity is to create Schools of Information Technology and Civil Rights (EICs), which provide youth of low-income communities access to information technology. The courses offered at the EICs also help students to raise awareness about their own reality. The students are encouraged to think critically about their community problems and to exercise notions of Civil Rights.
The model-concept adopted for BASF and CDI partnership is based on sustainability. This social project offers the communities’ capacity building for the educators, help to develop methodologies, specific curriculum for different social groups, and lends computers, printers, software and handouts to support the educators’ work. Besides constantly monitoring their technical and pedagogical development also provides administrative support.
The EICs have to be financially self-sustainable (through monthly fees) or financed (funded by partner institutions), and they have to be managed by the community that has implemented it.
The self-sustainable EICs need to set a symbolic monthly fee that not only has the pedagogical function of valuing their work, but also allows them to maintain and pay their educators. The students, who cannot pay even the symbolic monthly fee, are not prevented from studying but they help some other way, by contributing to the school chores.
In 2002, BASF donated to CDI 339 computers, 298 printers and 917 several informatics equipments. As a result, 26 new EICs are being implemented during 2003 in communities located in cities where the company has activities.
BASF did a new contribution in June of 2003: 219 notebooks and 329 several informatics equipments. In 2002, BASF’s donation was the biggest contribution to CDI and the company was awarded in a ceremony held on Sao Paulo Industries Federation (FIESP) on July 30, 2003.
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| Photo: Rui Goerck, vice-president of coatings in South America receives the award from Rodrigo Baggio, CDI president, in the ceremony held on FIESP. |
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