3) Strategy Summary:
The Comite para a Democratizacao da Informatica (CDI) is a non-governmental organization with the main mission to promote social inclusion of people living in less privileged communities using acquisition of computer technology skills to build up (empowering) and exercise citizenship (advocacy) through a network of self- sustainable community schools. The CDI prioritizes communities with epidemiological, education and employment rates below the national average and minority groups (indians, HIV-positive, prisoners, elderly, street children and with special needs The CDI-Ce was founded in September 2000 and supported the implementation and regular working of 42 Schools, 31 of them in Fortaleza (capital city of the State) and 11 in the countryside. Its main mission is to empower people in social exclusion situation with basic computer skills and at the same time helping them to acquire notions of citizenship to be able to individually or collectively demand and fight for their rights and accomplish their duties to families and communities. Through hard work with short and long-term social and economic impact the CDI-Ce has been able to establish partnership and formal connections with State and private organizations to guarantee financial and human support. Volunteer work (educationalists, social workers and management people) and donations (goods and services) are also other important sources of support (the Organization already has a well-structured scheme to motivate and attracted volunteers and supporters

4) How the Strategy Works:
Development with Citizenship is a paradigm that prioritizes support to education as an instrument for consciousness improvement and qualification aimed to (re) insert people in disadvantageous situation or/and vulnerable in the market job and the social and economic life of their community The programme of digital inclusion undertaken by the CDI- Ce has had a positive impact not only in Brazil but also in other developing countries where it is being developed. Consequently, we did not consider other preferences within the communities to minimize people's inequalities and exclusion. We advertise the characteristics of our programme through the media and other means (folders and participation in fairs, exhibitions and meetings) and wait for the communities to contact us showing interest to participate in the programme. We go to the community to explain the programme, the basic physical infra structure and personnel needed (candidates are not expected to have any formal qualification such as teaching certificates- only some expertise in basic computer softwares- but they need to have a compromise with the community, be engaged and determined to give the best of them to the school). After the room has been organized properly (according to our specification) we provide basic trainings to personnel on computer skills and Freire's education guidelines (coordinator, educators and volunteers), manuals, texts, 5 computers and 2 printers in good state (we also provide maintenance to these equipments). A formal contract of rights and duties is then signed by the community leader or representative and our general coordinator. Periodically we visit the new school to give support and make sure they are following the basic orientation that is the main important characteristic of our schools: not only develop learners' skills in some computer softwares but mainly to develop their sense of citizenship and the feeling of belonging to the community. Once a month the school representatives have to attend a meeting (we have separate meetings involving coordinators, educators and volunteers) to share experiences, prepare new learning materials and be up-dated with information related to the programme. We also keep an on-line journal that is up- dated once a week. Together with other initiatives of the community the school certainly will play a very important role to empower people making them able to advocate a better quality of life and organize themselves to take responsible and successful actions.

5) Key Strategy Elements:

i. Mobilizing Citizen Support:
The Comite para a Democratizacao da Informatica (CDI) is a non-governmental organization with the main mission to promote social inclusion of people living in less privileged communities using acquisition of computer technology skills to build up (empowering) and exercise citizenship (advocacy) through a network of self- sustainable community schools. The CDI prioritizes communities with epidemiological, education and employment rates below the national average and minority groups (indians, HIV-positive, prisoners, elderly, street children and with special needs). The CDI-Ce was founded in September 2000 and supported the implementation and regular working of 42 Schools, 31 of them in Fortaleza (capital city of the State) and 11 in the countryside. Its main mission is to empower people in social exclusion situation with basic computer skills and at the same time helping them to acquire notions of citizenship to be able to individually or collectively demand and fight for their rights and accomplish their duties to families and communities. Through hard work with short and long-term social and economic impact the CDI-Ce has been able to establish partnership and formal connections with State and private organizations to guarantee financial and human support. Volunteer work (educationalists, social workers and management people) and donations (goods and services) are also other important sources of support (the Organization already has a well-structured scheme to motivate and attracted volunteers and supporters).

ii. Generating Financial and Nonfinancial Resources:
Source Years Amount (x1.00 US$) Kellogg Foundation 2000-2002 53,000 Kellogg Foundation 2002-2004 71,000 Philips 2003-2004 19,000 American Chamber of Trading (AMCHAM) 2001-2003 40,000 World Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) 2000 14,000 Microsoft 2000 820 Exxon 2002 11,000 TERRA (INTERNET provider) 2000-2004 4,800 Bom Preco Supermarket 2002 7,500 Banco do Brasil 2003 15,000 FIEC (Federation of Industries of the State of Ceara) 2001-2004 2,000 Banco do Nordeste 2000 800 Supercabo (cable system) 2001-2004 2,500 EXTRA supermarket 2002-2004 13,000 World Bank 2001 400

iii. Establishing Relationships with Strategic Partnerships:
The present project is a priority in the local agenda because it gives people in disadvantageous situation a formal qualification that makes easier for them to be (re) absorbed by the job market (it supports the first job and returning to the job market). It is important to mention that the high level of unemployment in Brazil that in February was 12.6% and in March 16.42% (according to the newspaper O Povo from 04/25/04 the highest level in the last 7 years) is one of the biggest problems the managers of the country are dealing with nowadays. The political-pedagogical project of the schools orientates that near the conclusion of their courses (120 hours) the learners assembled in small groups have to propose the use of the newly acquired skills to solve, minimize community problems or help the community to generate income. Community newspapers (using WORD), generation of income through recycling of litter (using EXCEL) and giving value to cultural expressions (using POWER POINT) are examples of activities that had been developed by some groups of students. In this sense, the present project could contribute to solve or minimize problems of local and regional interest such as generation of income, sharing of relevant information, critical analysis of decisions made by authorities and sensitization for environment protection. The programme gives systematic continued education to school educators, coordinators and volunteers and in doing so is preparing people to spread its basic theoretical and practical paradigms and inspire other groups to present and defend other educational projects to qualify people in vulnerable situation making them able to be absorbed in the market job and giving back their dignity and self- esteem. More the level of consciousness of these minorities is improved and their dignity (re) acquired (empowerment) easier will be for them to organize themselves for action to improve their quality of life (responsible citizenship and advocacy). It is important to state that one of the main messages from the central team to schools - representatives is that they have to persuade self- sustainability for their schools thorough partnership with public and private institutions. The CDI-Ce programme is being developed in the county of Fortaleza (20 schools), in 03 counties located in the boundaries of Fortaleza and in 09 counties located in the countryside some of them far from Fortaleza almost 500 Km. The new schools to be opened in a near future also will be located in Fortaleza (in some communities with serious problems such as high unemployment rate, violence and illiteracy rate) and in counties located in central areas of the state subjected to periodic draughts. All these communities have one basic thing in common: the social exclusion of a high number of their inhabitants especially those belonging to vulnerable groups. The central team of CDI-Ce systematically has offered workshops, pedagogical qualification of educators, coordinators and volunteers, besides the periodical visits programmed or on request even if we are limited by number of personnel and available time. In April 2002 we opened a computer technology laboratory in hardware to maintain equipments and repair others donated to our programme and since then it is working regularly. Also in 2002 students belonging to the Electronics Engineer Course of the University of Fortaleza dedicated one week to repair our computers. In 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 we organized exhibitions in shopping centers and presented theater groups with popular plays to commemorate the "Day of the Digital Inclusion" with an extensive campaign of advertisement in the media. The main purpose of this day was to show the work that is being developed by the CDI-Ce and its community schools and also to sensitize institutions and people to donate computers and other equipments to us We started our activities in September 2000 and till today we gave administrative/pedagogical/material support to 42 communities to implement their schools and we continue to give them pedagogical, administrative and material support in a regular basis. The main partners are the communities that are (or will be) responsible for the schools (a list of the actual communities engaged in the programme was given previously). Other organizations involved are: The Kellogg Foundation that supported the beginning of our activities till now (June 2004). A new project to implement the so-called "Digital Islands" to install INTERNET in schools was presented in May 2004 during a meeting in Recife (State of Pernambuco) and is being analyzed. Philips that gave support to the CDI-Ce from 2002 till now. A new project to help communities to open Computer and Citizenship Schools will be sent in the near future. American Chamber of Trading (AMCHAM) that supported the programme from 2001 to 2003 will be contacted to give computers, printers, scanners and fax machines to schools. Microsoft, that gives continuous support with free softwares. TERRA, INTERNET provider that is supporting some schools to be connected for free. Bom Preco Supermarkets that are always given second hand (but in good conditions) computers and printers. Fundacao Banco do Brasil (BB Foundation) that is supporting some schools. A new project to support other schools was sent to this Foundation in May 2004. Federation of Industries of the State of Ceara (FIEC) that is lending adequate rooms with audio-visual equipment/air conditioned for big meetings organized by the central team free of charges. Supercabo that is providing high speed INTERNET to the central office free of charges. EXTRA supermarkets that are giving second hand computers and printers to the schools.

iv. Engaging and Managing Volunteers:
. How community members have been engaged. The initiative to open a new school comes entirely from the community leaders or representatives (they contact the central office with their request and we fix dates for visits and talks). We do not need to engage or to sensitize the community members since we have more applicants than our real and responsible capacity to support the extension of the programme. However, regular news in the local media (TV and newspapers), presence of our representatives in busy popular places (such as shopping centers) distributing folders and giving information on the characteristics of the programme, speeches and participation in different sorts of public and private institutions' meetings are important ways we are constantly using to sensitize (or engage) new communities. 3. How and why they have been working together in the past. Members of communities that are engaged in the programme always belong to specific groups that already have quite a long experience of working together such as groups that support physically disabled people (they are responsible for two schools), a group that supports indians (they are opening a new school in their institution), groups that support homosexuals and HIV-positive people (the programme has two groups responsible for two schools), groups that support people with especial needs such as hearing and vision handicapped people and others (street adolescents and women in risk situation). A few of these groups are supported by international non-governmental institutions and all of them have a good reputation as serious and relevant community groups that are developing their activities for quite a while (as recognized by the State government with their inclusion in the list of entities that are developing relevant social activities and could receive financial/human support - list of the Secretariat of Social Action).

v. Developing Information and Spreading the Message:
The central team of CDI-Ce systematically has offered workshops, pedagogical qualification of educators, coordinators and volunteers, besides the periodical visits programmed or on request even if we are limited by number of personnel and available time. In April 2002 we opened a computer technology laboratory in hardware to maintain equipments and repair others donated to our programme and since then it is working regularly. Also in 2002 students belonging to the Electronics Engineer Course of the University of Fortaleza dedicated one week to repair our computers. In 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 we organized exhibitions in shopping centers and presented theater groups with popular plays to commemorate the "Day of the Digital Inclusion" with an extensive campaign of advertisement in the media. The main purpose of this day was to show the work that is being developed by the CDI-Ce and its community schools and also to sensitize institutions and people to donate computers and other equipments to us

6) Increasing Self-sufficiency and Social Impact:
Two thousand years ago the Greeks stated "there is nothing new under the sun." Any project involving education and qualification of people cannot be expected to be totally innovative. What makes our project (and the projects of all other CDI offices) different is that it combines the advantages of a qualification for immediate insertion in the market job (and as such a very technical and pragmatic qualification) with awareness of duties and rights of a citizen in a community, a State, a Country and the Earth. Paulo Freire's theory of "educate to liberate people" without making them to forget and despise their culture and values and, at the same time, to empower them to take not only individual but mainly community actions (advocacy) to improve their quality of life is a very powerful proposal for developing countries such as Brazil

8) Organization Mission and Vision:
The Comite para a Democratizacao da Informatica (CDI) is a non-governmental organization with the main mission to promote social inclusion of people living in less privileged communities using acquisition of computer technology skills to build up (empowering) and exercise citizenship (advocacy) through a network of self- sustainable community schools. The CDI prioritizes communities with epidemiological, education and employment rates below the national average and minority groups (indians, HIV-positive, prisoners, elderly, street children and with special needs). The CDI-Ce was founded in September 2000 and supported the implementation and regular working of 42 Schools, 31 of them in Fortaleza (capital city of the State) and 11 in the countryside. Its main mission is to empower people in social exclusion situation with basic computer skills and at the same time helping them to acquire notions of citizenship to be able to individually or collectively demand and fight for their rights and accomplish their duties to families and communities. Through hard work with short and long-term social and economic impact the CDI-Ce has been able to establish partnership and formal connections with State and private organizations to guarantee financial and human support. Volunteer work (educationalists, social workers and management people) and donations (goods and services) are also other important sources of support (the Organization already has a well-structured scheme to motivate and attracted volunteers and supporters)

Looking Forward to the Next Three Years:
Expansion to include 80 new schools of Computer literacy and Citizenship- mostly located in central areas of the State.

Contact Information:
Maria Ester Weyne  Chedzoy
Comite para a Democratizacao da Informatica - Regional Ceara
Rua Monsenhor Bruno 397 - Meireles CEP 60.11
Brazil
Tel: (55/85) 3248 14 37
Fax: (55/85) 3248 14 95
Email: cdiceara@cdi.org.br
Website: http://www.cdiceara.org.br