-
Our Month of Proposals Our Month of Proposals
This past week completed a long month of proposal-writing for us. When we’re writing, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in a single proposal, or the smaller themes that run throughout each one. After we’ve completed one, we like to get an overview of our work, to see what is and isn’t being emphasized as we describe our organization and the more specific details of our various projects. By looking at the bigger picture, we can see the changing themes in our writing, and what could be altered or kept the same when we tackle our next one. To do this, we create word clouds from our proposals. The cloud is created from the most frequently used words in the document. In addition, the words within the cloud vary in size depending on frequency of usage. The most interesting comparison can often be looking at word clouds from several different proposals side by side. See below for a few examples of word clouds created from 2 of our most recent proposals. Read more…
-
Rohingya Refugees Face Uncertain Future Rohingya Refugees Face Uncertain Future
Recent news reports have been detailing attempts by Rohingya refugees to enter Thailand after fleeing Bangladesh and Burma, and the horrific treatment that has ensued. Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic group originally from Rakhine State in Burma. Considered stateless because Burma denied them citizenship, and due to increased violence against the group, Rohingya were forced to flee Burma in numbers reaching the hundreds of thousands, to neighboring countries, most frequently to the Cox’s Bazaar region of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh they are persecuted and live under deteriorating conditions as well. Read more…
-
New Website! New Website!
Welcome to our new site! We’ve made a lot of improvements in layout and design, and added some images that give you a more visual idea of what we’re all about. It’s easier to search archives of past entries on the right side of this page, and on the top of this page you can navigate through the options to locate more information about our programs, products, and how to donate. Read more…
-
Week in Washington Week in Washington
Our co-directors spent this past week in Washington D.C., witnessing history and looking to the future as responsible citizens. D2 presented our research on technology in closed societies and had several exciting meetings with groups doing incredible work, some of whom might turn out to be great partners. Inspired by the quick call to action of our new President, we too have hit the ground running in the new year. Read more…
-
D2 Among 2009 Echoing Green Semifinalists! D2 Among 2009 Echoing Green Semifinalists!
In December we applied for a 2009 Echoing Green fellowship. Recipients of this fellowship receive seed funding and technical support, as well as support from a large network of organizations and individuals. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve made it to the Semifinals! Read more…
-
Welcome, 2009 Welcome, 2009
As 2008 came to a close we were able to take a look back at the highlights from the past year, the places we’ve been, the people we’ve met, and the many milestones we’ve been able to reach as Digital Democracy has continued to develop. Read more…
-
Congratulations USAID Development 2.0 Challenge winners! Congratulations USAID Development 2.0 Challenge winners!
Thanks to everyone who voted for us for the 2008 Development 2.0 Challenge! We’re grateful for your continued support. Unfortunately we did not make it to the 2nd round, but we send our congratulations to the winner, Child Malnutrition Surveillance and Famine Response, and runners-up ClickDiagnostics and Ushahidi V2. We’re excited to see how the field of mobile projects continues to develop in the coming year. Read more…
-
2008 USAID Development 2.0 Challenge 2008 USAID Development 2.0 Challenge
We just entered our Virtual Community Center (VCC) project into the 2008 Development 2.0 Challenge being presented by NetSquared and USAID. The mission of USAID is to: Read more…
-
News From San Francisco News From San Francisco
After returning from Africa in early November, and spending several weeks in New York and D.C. presenting our research from the past 2 years, we headed to San Francisco. San Francisco is the hub for the world’s largest technology companies. It is also home to a number of younger companies, who are working along with those more well-established, specifically with emerging technologies. Read more…
-
Presentation at the U.S. Institute of Peace Presentation at the U.S. Institute of Peace
On Thursday, Nov. 13 we participated in a fantastic roundtable discussion at USIP on the role of youth in the process of peace-building in Burma. Twenty-five people from a range of organizations including the Center for Peace Building International, USAID, USIP, the State Department and PACT International came together to discuss observations, experiences, lessons learned and ways forward for involving and strengthening youth in peace-building. Read more…