Information and Communication Technology for Development in Arab Region(ICTDAR)

ICTDAR relies on a strategic approach to implementing the ongoing regional projects with the aim of achieving the Millennium Development Goals and creating a knowledge society in the Arab region. It intervenes at many levels; starting from policy formulation, to project implementation, and the realization and monitoring of results.

The key innovative pillars in ICTDAR's approach are the following:

• Partnership: ICTDAR was able to develop solid partnership agreements with key members in the private sector whether on the international level, local or national levels, other UNDP sectors and local governments, communities and NGOs who are believed to be aware of the key issues in their surroundings.
• Quick Wins: identifying a small scope within projects that have the potential to grow rather than starting big and discontinuing in the middle.
• Rollout and Realization Strategy: ICTDAR formulates a business model and an execution framework implemented as a pilot and is consolidated on the national level and is available for replication in other countries in the region. The ultimate goal is to optimize the efforts incurred, consolidate investments in each initiative and ensure sustainability of all activities.
• Capitalize on National Expertise: the comparative advantage for Arab countries is its richness and diversity of the human capital. ICTDAR strives to build capacity and develop the local content in each one of its initiatives.
• Policy Formulation: ICTDAR is actively involved in assisting local communities and governments to become instrumental in making and extending the right policies to implement and consolidate those initiatives projects on a national level.

ICTDAR works with youth through a number of NGOs in 266 youth community centers in the Arab World. The plan is to grow the number of active centers to 1,000 by year end. The addition of the MYTecC component to their program makes logical sense and brings additional value added to the youth in those centers.

The acronym ICTDAR also translates into “empowerment” and the various programs that are run under the umbrella of the UNDP also reflect the purpose of the initiative.

ICTDAR's Initiatives

 “At its core, AjialCom provides underprivileged Arab youth with an alternative to hopelessness that leads to extremism, crime, and wasted potential. Its ultimate goal however is to create a new outlook on citizenship by educating Arab youth on their duties towards their societies as well as on their rights. As today’s youth will be the leaders of tomorrow, they have to be prepared to understand and face challenges and address them courageously and in an informed manner. This will lead to a shift in mindset, creating new types of leaders who will play an active role in their local communities and in the developmental process at large.”

ICTDAR brings the support, to MYTecC of an Arab based group that fully understands and welcomes the initiative that MYTecC represents.

www.ictdar.org

Teachers Without Boraders

Teachers Without Borders is making a critical contribution to MYTecC. They have created content, collaboration, and community-building tools that allow instructors and students to connect, gain skills, and learn from each other. With an international volunteer and member network, currently spanning 84 countries, TWB focuses on closing the education divide through teacher performance. The organization focuses on those teacher leaders with initiative, who are passionate about their subjects and compassionate towards children.

TWB Programs: Teachers Without Borders’ Certificate of Teaching Mastery is a five-course professional development program that provides coursework to help teachers become mentors and leaders. Teacher members can also create their own courses, participate in TWB Conferences and Community Teaching and Learning Centers. The TWB Toolset is breaks new ground as an innovative, research-driven, practical, and adaptable platform for collaboration and content sharing.

The Problem TWB Addresses: Despite its crucial connection to economic and social development, teacher training is often uneven, protracted, or unsupported. In addition, teachers are rarely included in educational policy change or significant decision-making. Teachers are not just a resource for our children; they are the key to development. They know who is sick, who is missing, who has been abducted into the sex trade or conscripted into a military gang, who has been orphaned by AIDS, who is achieving and who is not. In short, teachers are society's glue, and they certainly deserve our assistance; otherwise, we are all left with a gaping digital, educational, and economic divide. If the key to economic development and our young people's future is education, then teachers should have resources, tools, and access to the Internet, as well as each other.

www.teacherswithoutborders.org

“Cisco strives to be a good citizen worldwide. Our culture drives us to set high standards for corporate integrity and to give back by using our resources for a positive global impact. We pursue a strong "triple bottom line" which we describe as profits, people and presence. Profits are one traditional and valuable metric which helps measure our financial performance. People are equally important. Strong, mutually beneficial relationships with partners, customers, shareholders and the people who work for, with and near us are essential to our business. The third bottom line – presence – measures our standing in, respect for and contribution to global and local communities. We believe companies with strong triple bottom lines are the most sustainable, responsible and successful.”

www.cisco.com