Top 15 Finalists Chosen in the USAID Development 2.0 Challenge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2008
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WASHINGTON D.C. - The top 15 finalists have been selected in the 2008 U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Development 2.0 Challenge. The finalists, selected by an online community vote by people from around the world, were among 115 entrepreneurs who had submitted proposals for innovative applications for mobile phones in developing countries. "This builds a community of innovation and ideas to help people around the world," said USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance Henrietta H. Fore.
USAID launched its first-ever open source challenge in October to draw new innovations into international development. It made an open call, "USAID challenges you to apply an innovative mobile technology solution to a major challenge for maximum social benefit in developing countries."
The USAID Development 2.0 Challenge is powered by NetSquared, an initiative of TechSoup Global. It seeks to make positive social change through challenges by harnessing the web. USAID and NetSquared aim to help all of the finalists gain support to move forward. "When a challenge is public and open source, it helps to surface all of the solutions, not just the winner," says Marnie Webb, co-CEO of TechSoup Global. At USAID, interest has already been expressed by some Missions and bureaus in some of the projects. The challenge organizers will help connect interested parties as appropriate.
The top 15 finalists will continue to the next round of judging by a panel of private and public sector representatives from Agora Partnerships, MobileActive.org, Peace Corps, National Defense University, the Vodafone Americas Foundation and technical and regional experts from USAID. The winner and two runners-up will be honored at an awards ceremony on January 8th, 2009, at the Newseum in Washington D.C.. Grants of $10,000 will go to the winner and $5,000 each to the runners-up.
The USAID Development 2.0 Challenge is brought to you by the Global Development Commons initiative at USAID that seeks to make information available to all people. The Global Development Commons calls for development practitioners to collaborate to foster innovation and a more open approach. Learn more about the Global Development Commons at www.usaid.gov/commons and www.globaldevelopmentcommons.net.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.
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