At a ceremony held in Colombia last night, APC announced the winners of the 2003 Betinho Prize – three remarkable information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives that are improving the lives of people and communities in Latin America.
The Betinho Prize winners in 2003 are:
-ICTs as Tools of Sustainable Development in the Cotahuasi Basin, Peru
-Indigenous Information Network (Red de Información Indígena), México
-Tiflolibros – First Electronic Library for the Visually Impaired Spanish-Speakers, Argentina
Each receives a prize of $2,500 USD.
Two Brazilian networks received honourable mentions:
-Cyberela Network – Digital Inclusion of Women
-Rede Jovem de Cidadania (Young Citizenship Network)
This was the first time that the prize was offered exclusively in Latin America and the Caribbean and over 140 projects applied. The stories from the twelve winners and finalists have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese and English so that more people can find out about these outstanding ICT initiatives.
The Betinho Prize in 2003 was open to civil society organisations, community-based groups, networks, and social movements anywhere in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Betinho Prize 2003 is supported by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas (ICA) based at IDRC. www.idrc.ca and www.icamericas.net.
PHOTO: The team at Tiflolibros – First Electronic Library for the Visually Impaired Spanish-Speakers (Courtesy Tiflolibros)
