Funredes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FUNREDES (acronym in Spanish for Fundación-Redes-y-Desarrollo, or Networks-and-Development-Foundation) is a non-governmental organization based in the Dominican Republic and dedicated to the dissemination of New Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) in the developing countries, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean.

It does so in collaboration with international organizations, NGOs, the State, administrations, and public or private institutions, with the objective of contributing to regional development and integration.

Since the early 1990s, FUNREDES's position has been that "Internet for Development" is not about plugging and playing, chatting and surfing, getting information abroad, converging to one language, one culture and one market. On the contrary, it's more about empowering persons and communities, collaborating and social networking, producing local content, facilitating diversity of languages, cultures and opinions.

Its goal is communication above technology not the contrary.

According to its web site, its mission is "to promote and facilitate the use of Newer Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) in developing countries, and especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, together with international organizations, NGOs, governments, public and private interested institutions, etc., with the purpose of contributing to the regional development and integration."