Nigerian NGO and five others to receive $3million Grant

15 Sep 2011 20:10 Africa/Lagos

The Co-Creation Hub of Nigeria, Association for Democratic Reforms (India), Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente (Chile), Mideast Youth (Bahrain), Centre UA (Ukraine), and Open Knowledge Foundation (UK) have been selected for the Omidyar Network’s $3million grant for advancing government transparency and accountability.

The following is the detailed news release.

Omidyar Network Supports Technology-Centered Organizations Seeking to Empower Citizens Across Six Countries
Announcement coincides with establishment of global hub for Government Transparency in London

PR Newswire

LONDON and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 15, 2011

LONDON and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Omidyar Network announced today its intent to grant up to $3M to six leading organizations focused on advancing government transparency and accountability. The organizations are: Association for Democratic Reforms (India), Co-Creation Hub (Nigeria), Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente (Chile), Mideast Youth (Bahrain), Centre UA (Ukraine), and Open Knowledge Foundation (UK).

Through its Government Transparency initiative, Omidyar Network invests in organizations that use technology and media platforms to provide access to information and tools necessary for citizens to participate in the governing process and hold governments to account. Over the last two years, the firm has invested over $40M in transparency efforts across the globe, including organizations such as mySociety in the United Kingdom, Ushahidi in Kenya, Janaagraha in India and the Sunlight Foundation in the United States.

Omidyar Network intends to provide an operating grant of up to $750k to Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organization that seeks to improve governance and strengthen India's democracy through electoral and political reforms. ADR discloses the backgrounds of parliament and state assembly candidates so that voters have the knowledge to make informed decisions. The nonprofit also works for greater transparency and accountability in elections and in political parties, and on raising awareness on changes needed in the electoral and political system. For more information: www.adrindia.org.

The Co-Creation Hub in Lagos, Nigeria will receive up to $200k in support of creating a shared work space where stakeholders from multiple walks of Nigerian life come together to collaboratively create tech-based solutions that address social challenges facing Nigerian society. It will be Nigeria's first multi-functional, multi-purpose space dedicated to the creation of social technology ventures. The Hub will accommodate 50-60 tech start-ups at one time and will provide pre-incubation services including: advice, training, mentorship and access to funding through a network of local and international partners. The Hub will also serve as a place for stakeholders to meet, brainstorm, share ideas and collaborate through partnership events, meet-ups, focus groups, hackathons, competitions and talks by guest speakers. For more information: http://www.cchubnigeria.com/

Omidyar Network intends to support Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente with a grant up to $500k over three years. The Chilean nonprofit creates technology platforms, including websites and mobile applications, to provide citizens access to easy-to-use, graphical information about their government. Citizens can learn about what issues will be debated in parliament, access the profiles and voting records of elected officials and learn about the demographic make up of the legislature. Future plans include creating online tools to learn about money's influence in politics and government, as well as expansion to other Latin America countries. For more information: http://www.votainteligente.cl/

Mideast Youth will receive a grant up to $600k to expand its multi-media content and further develop CrowdVoice, a white-label platform used to build communities around social topics, such as human rights, religious freedom, tolerance, and free speech. Mideast Youth provides a unique platform in the Middle East for the discussion of issues affecting young people, and in the past two years has developed a number of websites to bring attention to marginalized groups in the region. The core sites provide a forum for discussion around a range of cultural and rights issues and are updated daily by more than 300 regular citizen journalists who contribute to the sites. For more information: www.mideastyouth.com.

Omidyar Network will grant Centre UA $335k over two years in support of its initiative, New Citizen. New Citizen is a coalition of more than 50 Ukrainian civil society organizations seeking to secure a greater voice for citizen participation in the political process and holding government to account. Omidyar Network support will enable the coalition to build out its technology platforms, enable education and outreach and expand the program with the Ukraine. For more information: http://newcitizen.org.ua.

The Open Knowledge Foundation of the United Kingdom will receive a grant of up to $750k over three years. The U.K. nonprofit builds tools and communities to promote open access to information that can be used, reused and redistributed freely. The Open Knowledge Foundation works to increase knowledge about open data, designs innovative visualization tools that enable citizens to access and better interpret data, and builds dataset catalogues to demonstrate to both citizens and government alike the benefits of making data open, free and accessible. Grant proceeds will be used to: expand Open Knowledge Foundation's key financial transparency project, openspending.org; sustain and build working groups on open data; and establish chapters in additional countries. For more information: http://okfn.org.

In a separate announcement, Omidyar Network Investment Partner Steven King stated the philanthropic investment firm this week opened a global office in the Shoreditch area of London. The office will serve as the philanthropic investment firm's headquarters for its work in Europe as well as serve as the global hub for its Government Transparency initiative. He also announced Omidyar Network will begin to expand the geographic focus of its Government Transparency practice to include: Poland, Turkey and Ukraine in Europe; Brazil and Mexico in Latin America; Egypt in the Middle East; and Indonesia and the Philippines in Southeast Asia. The initiative will continue to focus efforts in the United States, India, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom. [See press release: Omidyar Network Expands European Presence with Opening of London Office].

About Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed nearly $450 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, entrepreneurship, property rights, transparency and accountability, consumer Internet and mobile. To learn more about Omidyar Network, please visit www.omidyar.com.

SOURCE Omidyar Network

CONTACT: Greg Pershall of Omidyar Network, +1-360-607-8901, gpershall@omidyar.com

Web Site: http://www.omidyar.com


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Co-Creation Hub Nigeria to get $245, 000 grant

19 Jul 2011 15:04 Africa/Lagos


Omidyar Network and The Indigo Trust to Fund New Social Innovation Center in Nigeria

PR Newswire

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and LONDON, July 19, 2011

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and LONDON, July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Omidyar Network and The Indigo Trust announced today their support and intent to fund the Co-Creation Hub in Lagos, Nigeria. The Hub is a non-profit, social enterprise centered around a shared work space where stakeholders from multiple walks of Nigerian life come together to collaboratively create tech-based solutions that address social challenges facing Nigerian society. It will be Nigeria's first multi-functional, multi-purpose space dedicated to the creation of social technology ventures. Omidyar Network will grant up to US$200,000, and The Indigo Trust has provided a grant of US$45,000.

The Hub will accommodate 50-60 tech start-ups at one time and will provide pre-incubation services including: advice, training, mentorship and access to funding through a network of local and international partners. The Hub will also serve as a place for stakeholders to meet, brainstorm, share ideas and collaborate through partnership events, meet-ups, focus groups, hackathons, competitions and talks by guest speakers.

The Hub founders, 'Bosun Tijani and Femi Longe, saw first-hand the impact of focused social innovation efforts through their leadership in the Social Innovation Camp Nigeria and Tech in Governance camp that took place this year in Nigeria. The camps yielded a number of technology initiatives focusing on issues such as government accountability, health information and crime tracking and reporting. Their goals for The Hub include helping to stimulate the creation of more than two dozen social ventures over the next two years. The Hub will open its doors in August this year.

"The Co-Creation Hub promises to foster the development of technology-driven social enterprises that will address many of Nigeria's most pressing problems," said Stephen King, Omidyar Network investment partner. "The Hub will provide the environment, stimulation and connections to capital and expertise necessary to help Nigerian entrepreneurs launch their social missions to improve the lives of millions of Nigerians."

The grant represents Omidyar Network's latest investment in innovative uses of technology for development and support of entrepreneurship in Africa. It follows the recent creation of the Africa Transparency and Technology Initiative and support of the African Leadership Academy and the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship.

"We are delighted to support a venture which will create an enabling environment for African-led innovation, contextualized to local needs," said Francesca Perrin, founder and director of The Indigo Trust. "The Hub will bring together developers, innovators and business professionals, creating the right conditions to stimulate innovation and generate technology-led solutions that improve governance and support development objectives across Nigeria. We're excited about the potential of Hubs. It seems natural to us that people should come together to share technical, human and social bandwidth."

About The Indigo Trust:

The Indigo Trust is a grant making foundation that funds technology-driven projects to bring about social change, largely in African countries. The Trust focuses mainly on innovation, transparency and citizen empowerment. The Indigo Trust makes grants to African projects or programmes, or to organisations which operate at least partly in African countries. We believe that access to information for all empowers people to change their own lives and communities. Fran Perrin founded the trust that she now runs with her husband William. The Indigo Trust is one of the 18 Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts (SFCT). The Trusts work and fund autonomously across many different sectors and geographic regions but share offices and administration. For more information see The Trust's blog: http://indigotrust.wordpress.com

About Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $448 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, entrepreneurship, property rights, government transparency, consumer Internet and mobile. To learn more about Omidyar Network, please visit www.omidyar.com.

SOURCE Omidyar Network

CONTACT: Greg Pershall of Omidyar Network, +1-360-607-8901; or Dr Loren Treisman of The Indigo Trust, +44 (0) 20 7410 0330

Web Site: http://www.omidyar.com



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19 Jul 2011

15:04 Omidyar Network and The Indigo Trust to Fund New Social Innovation Center in Nigeria

14:55 Omidyar Network Commits $5 Million to Government Accountability in Africa

13:32 Omidyar Network and The Indigo Trust to Fund New Social Innovation Center in Nigeria

13:27 Omidyar Network Commits $5 Million to Government Accountability in Africa

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Sahara Reporters and three other NGOs share $5M Grants

Sahara Reporters and three other NGOs share $5M Grants

The daring citizen news website Sahara Reporters of Nigeria is among the four media organizations chosen to receive the first Omidyar Network grants in support of Investigative and Citizen Journalism in the Developing World.

Stephen King, investment partner and Omidyar Network's global practice head for Government Transparency, made the announcement yesterday at the World Press Freedom Day conference in Washington D.C.

According to a press release, particular emphasis of the Omidyar Network Government Transparency initiative is to focus on organizations that seek a free, open and vibrant media as well as investigative and citizen journalism organizations that provide citizens access to credible information that increases citizen engagement and participation in civil affairs.

King also announced the first organizations to receive support through the expanded initiative. Nearly $5M in grants and a program related investment will go to four non-profits: African Media Initiative, up to $1.7M over two years; the Sahara Reporters project, up to $450k over three years; Media Development Loan Fund, $2M; and Committee to Protect Journalists, $800k.

Through its Government Transparency initiative, Omidyar Network invests in nonprofit and for-profit organizations that use technology and media platforms to provide access to information and tools necessary for citizens to participate in the governing process and hold governments to account. Today's announcement underscores Omidyar Network's recognition of the crucial role journalism plays in achieving those ends.

"Omidyar Network believes a healthy government – one that is responsive to its citizens -- requires a healthy, robust fourth estate. By focusing additional efforts on fostering investigative and citizen journalism, we believe we will be catalyzing transparency efforts that will positively affect millions of people," said King. "True to the tenets of our Government Transparency initiative, we'll pay particular attention to innovative organizations utilizing technology platforms to scale their impact with a recognition that effective technologies will vary by country and region. In some geographies, the technology will take the form of an online platform, mobile in others, and broadcast in yet others."

The African Media Initiative is a non-profit, pan-Africa program that seeks to strengthen the continent's media sector though advocacy, investments, technology and training. The initiative is led by private media owners operating in Africa who believe a strong media is required for social development, economic growth and empowered citizens. For more information, please visit: http://www.africanmediainitiative.org

Sahara Reporters is a citizen media website that encourages citizen journalists to publish evidence of ongoing corruption, abuses of human rights and government malfeasance in Nigeria. It is one of the principal sources of independent investigative journalism and breaking news on Nigeria's government. For more information about Sahara Reporters, please visit: http://www.saharareporters.com.

Media Development Loan Fund is a mission-driven investment fund for independent news outlets in countries with a history of media oppression. Working in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Southeast Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the fund provides low-cost capital and technical know-how to help journalists in challenging environments build sustainable businesses around professional, responsible, quality journalism. For more information, please visit: http://www.mdlf.org.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide by defending the rights of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal. By publicly revealing abuses against the press and by acting on behalf of imprisoned and threatened journalists, CPJ effectively warns journalists and news organizations where attacks on press freedom are occurring. CPJ publishes articles and news releases; special reports; and Attacks on the Press, the most comprehensive annual survey of press freedom around the world. For more information, please visit: http://www.cpj.org.

About Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $400 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, entrepreneurship, property rights, government transparency, consumer Internet and mobile. To learn more about Omidyar Network, please visit www.omidyar.com.

SOURCE Omidyar Network

CONTACT: Greg Pershall of Omidyar Network, +1-360-607-8901

Web Site: http://www.omidyar.com/

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'Enough is Enough Nigeria' Receives $130,000 grant to Promote free and fair Election

22 Feb 2011 15:17 Africa/Lagos

'Enough is Enough Nigeria' Receives Grant from Omidyar Network to Promote Transparency Around the Presidential Elections

PR Newswire

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 22, 2011

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Omidyar Network announced today a grant of up to $130,000 to Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE Nigeria), a coalition of individuals and youth-led organizations leading a campaign aimed at enabling citizen participation in the Nigerian general elections in April.

The grant will be used in support of a non-partisan, one-stop online portal designed to aid voter registration, provide candidate information and monitor the elections. The project will utilize Twitter, Facebook and local social media tools such as Nairaland, Naijatalk and Gnaiga, as well as SMS, radio and television, to broaden its reach and citizen engagement.

"Democracy requires active participation, and the majority of Nigeria's population under 35 years of age has never voted. EiE Nigeria's platform and use of social media will help engage this significant portion of Nigeria's citizens and enable active participation and the ability to influence outcomes on issues of importance to them," said Stephen King, investment partner, Omidyar Network.

Through its Government Transparency investment area, Omidyar Network invests in organizations that use technology and media platforms to provide access to information and tools necessary for citizens to participate in the governing process and hold governments to account. Over the last two years, the firm has granted over $30M to organizations such as Ushahidi in Kenya, Janaagraha in India and the Sunlight Foundation in the United States.

"Nigeria's general elections in April are very critical to the next 50 years of Nigeria's development and are being described as a tipping point for the country. At EiE Nigeria, we are particularly excited about how this grant enables us to use technology to connect young Nigerians across the country and renew their interest in issues of leadership and governance," said 'Yemi Adamolekun, secretary to the board, EiE Nigeria.

The EiE Nigeria coalition is committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability in Nigeria through advocacy, activism and the mobilization of the youth population as responsible citizens. Approximately 70% of Nigeria's population is under the age of 35, most are disenfranchised and yet disproportionately have access to technology – mobile phones, the internet, radio and television. EiE Nigeria's call to action is promoted through a campaign called Register, Select, Vote and Protect (R.S.V.P). Citizens are urged to register to vote, educate themselves and each other about the candidates, vote, and stay engaged and active in the political process once votes are cast. For more information, please visit: www.eienigeria.org

About Omidyar Network

Omidyar Network is a philanthropic investment firm dedicated to harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. Established in 2004 by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, the organization invests in and helps scale innovative organizations to catalyze economic and social change. To date, Omidyar Network has committed more than $383 million to for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations that foster economic advancement and encourage individual participation across multiple investment areas, including microfinance, entrepreneurship, property rights, consumer Internet, mobile technology and government transparency. To learn more about Omidyar Network, please visit www.omidyar.com.

SOURCE Omidyar Network

CONTACT: Greg Pershall of Omidyar Network, +1-360-607-8901, gpershall@omidyar.com

Web Site: http://www.eienigeria.org

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