Sandaleo Partners With UN To Bridge Digital Divide

Sandaleo.com partners with the United Nations to come up with initiatives geared to bridging the digital divide in Latin America and the Caribbean.

NEW YORK, NY (PRWEB) September 7, 2003 - Sandaleo, a technology consulting firm specializing in custom digital solutions based on the web, has been invited by the United Nations Information and Communications Technology Taskforce to participate in policy making sessions on bridging the digital divide in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Digital Bridge Latin America and Caribbean
United Nations Headquarters, New York

The Opportunity
The United Nations ICT Task Force, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), and Digital Partners, is expanding a new program that seeks to promote development and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals through mobilizing technological, entrepreneurial and professional expertise and resource networks.

The Challenge
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are rapidly reshaping socio-economic parameters worldwide. Latin America and the Caribbean face increased challenges unless new and effective means are developed for its beneficial participation in this technological revolution.

The Goal
The goal of the Digital Bridge Latin America and Caribbean is to foster a leadership movement, in which the market-development acumen and activities of high-tech and other successful entrepreneurs are joined with the poverty-alleviation acumen and activities of social entrepreneurs, foundations, and development institutions.

About UN ICT Task Force
The UNICT Task Force was established to provide overall leadership to the United Nations role in helping to formulate strategies for the development of information and communication technologies and putting those technologies at the service of development. The Task Force focuses on forging a strategic partnership between the United Nations system, private industry and financing trusts and foundations, donors, program countries and other relevant stakeholders in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions through its various Regional Networks and Working Groups.

About Digital Partners
Digital Partners is a Seattle based not-for-profit organization working to utilize the benefits of the digital economy to benefit the poor all over the world. Digital Partners has already developed a network of IT entrepreneurs in India and Africa, and is in the process of developing a similar network of entrepreneurs in Latin America. Digital Partners provides professional services and financial support to visionary social entrepreneurs interested in effectively utilizing ICT to benefit the poor. They have created a venture capital fund model, a "social venture fund," to invest in and incubate new initiatives designed by ICT and social entrepreneurs to trigger solutions to problems of poverty.

About UNFIP
UNFIP was created to act as a conduit for collaboration and communication between the UN organizations and civil society. These include representatives from multiple sectors such as; corporations, governments, foundations, bilateral and multilateral donors with the goal of meeting the Millennium Development Goals. To this end, UNFIP works closely with the Office of the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General to facilitate partnerships with the private sector. In addition, UNFIP serves to identify innovative programs developed by various UN agencies and match these programs with funding from the UN Foundation.

About Sandaleo
Sandaleo is a technology consulting firm specializing in providing customized creative digital solutions. Our services are geared towards developing technology-based solutions that leverage the internet in innovative ways. We provide technology consulting, graphic design, web and custom programming services for businesses, government and non-profits.

Our experience and expertise enables us to develop tools and systems that take advantage of multiple perspectives and cross-functional problem solving. Our services include:

- Strategy & Planning
- Web & Creative Design
- Marketing & Branding
- e-Business Systems

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