D2 Overview

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Digital Democracy
Working with local partners to connect people
through new technologies that encourage
education, communication and participation.

Monday, January 26, 2009 1

Test Case:
Burma
Population: 60 million
Those in Exile: 4 million
Less than 1% mobile phone
market penetration
KEY INDICATORS
worst best

GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2000 international $) ........ 1,446 3.50
Life expectancy at birth (years) ............................................. 61 4.19
Literacy rate (% of people age 15+) ..................................... 90 6.00
Human development index (out of 177)............................... 130 3.52
Rule of law (out of 208) ...................................................... 202 1.87
Voice and accountability (out of 208) .................................. 208 0.69
Digital opportunity index (out of 180) .................................. 176 1.36
Internet users (% of population) ........................................... 0.1 3.07
KHRG
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Source (by indicator): IMF 2006; World Bank 2006a, 2006a; UNDP 2006; World Bank 2006c, 2006c; ITU 2006, 2004
OpenNet Initiative, Internet Filtering in Burma in 2005: A Country Study,
2
at http://opennet.net/studies/burma/.

Our Research
Overcoming Obstacles,
Creating Opportunities

Youth Perspectives from the Thai-Burma Border

www.newwordsmedia.com

Youth Perspectives from the Thai-Burma Border
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Key ﬁnding
Young Burmese with access to the internet were
more likely to identify themselves as activists D
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Burma and its Borders
In Burma the cost of a “normal”
GSM sim card is 2.5 million
kyat.
This equals approximately
$2000 on the black market
conversion rate.
At the ofﬁcial rate this is
approximately $393,400.
A new pre-paid sim costs Dollars Local Currency

between $20-$50 US dollars. 4.18 250
Bangladesh
7.77 300
India (Delhi)
6.84 200
Thailand

Use restricted to 1 month D
14.6 100
China (Yunnan)

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50
Burma


Bangladesh:
Mobile possibilities

- Large populations in
refugee camps - stateless
population
- Extensive mobile
penetration along border
allows for reporting and
monitoring


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India: Challenges and opportunities
- Relative freedom
of expression
- Tech support in
Delhi
- Isolation along
border


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China:
Land of the Free?
- Borders Kachin and Shan States in Burma
- Ruili: largest Chinese city on border
- Contact with outside world via China and
Chinese technology
- Relatively more internet freedom

“I think, to me, the China
web is totally free.”
- Burmese male activist, 26
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Thailand: Increased Opportunities
In Thailand, internet access
is frequent. There, we found
a correlation between
access to internet and self-
identiﬁcation as an activist
Since then, internet access
has grown, including
affordable and reliable
GPRS on mobiles

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Solutions
“I came to study here, I
can use computer, I can
use email, and I also learn
something from internet, I
also know more
experience.”
– Male Student, age 23
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/whiteafrican/2736565604/

1. Education 2. Inter-ethnic dialogue
3. Communication technology
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Virtual Community Center

Similar to traditional community centers, VCC is a place for community
groups to come together.
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Virtual Community Center
Community groups can:
Have an easy web presence
ommunity Community Learn about each others work
Group Group Easily partner
Receive support
Host discussions
Overcome distance
Overcome different languages
Secure Sharing:
Citizen Citizen Citizen Messages
Data
Pictures
Phone Computer Computer Videos
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Open Source

Virtual Community Center - Mobile
A network for map-based micro-blogging,
which will be used by individuals and
organizations along Burma's borders.

Handheld Human Rights: Engage
human rights groups to communicate
with one another and incorporate their
data into the VCC.

Crowdsourcing the Constitution:
Conduct ﬁlm interviews with political
leaders and engage citizens to respond
to and debate key issues through the
VCC.

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Virtual Community Center - Mobile

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http://www.developmentseed.org/

Project Einstein
“Because Einstein was a refugee but could still do great things”

Digital Pen Pals - Photography-based participatory education
program linking American students with refugee youth overseas.

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Project Einstein: Digital Pen Pals
Peace
Culture
Let’s Discuss: Happiness
History

USA Bangladesh
Ideas
Pictures
Let’s Exchange: Lessons
Culture

Resettled Refugees Photo Books
Youth in
with American youth
Let’s Create: Slideshows refugee camps
in US schools
Videos

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Cultural Landscape
An interactive map where people can describe the
past, present and future of their communities

•Po Po
•Shan
•30 years old
•This is me as a
girl in Myanmar
during 2004. I
sold masks to
survive.

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http://www.developmentseed.org/


Problem Solution
Regional instability Cross-border communication
World’s longest running civil Networking among
war traditionally divided groups
Rampant use of child soldiers Providing 21st century
education
Over 3.5 million internally
displaced persons and Connecting refugees with
refugees their resettled communities
Severe censorship Freedom of information

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Digital Democracy
Working with local partners to connect people
through new technologies that encourage
education, communication and participation.

Mark Belinsky - MBelinsky@dtwo.org - +1-347-439-8431
Emily Jacobi - EJacobi@dtwo.org - +1-347-328-3110
DTWO.ORG

“Concepts such as truth, justice and compassion cannot be dismissed as trite
when these are often the only bulwarks which stand against ruthless power.”
-Aung San Suu Kyi
Nobel Peace Prize 1991


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