Focus:
The objective of this discussion is to generate momentum about the .NGO and .ONG domain which will be launched by PIR in collaboration with DEF early 2015.
Format: Round table discussion with the eNGO active participants, PIR team and DEF team
- Dave Stewart, VP – Sales & Marketing, Public Interest Registry
- Osama Manzar, Founder- Director, Digital Empowerment Foundation
Devendra Singh Bhadauria, Digital Empowerment Foundation
On 4th of December, 2014; 11th edition of the Manthan Award, held at Habitat Center. Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) in collaboration with Public Interest Registry organized a session on .NGO/.ONG domains called the “eNGO Reseller Club Meet”. The objective of this session was to generate momentum about the launch of the .NGO and .ONG domains which will be launched by PIR in collaboration with DEF early 2015 and to discuss the local opinions, opportunities and bottlenecks to the reseller plan.
The session also aimed at getting face to face, the producers of the technology and the direct consumers of the technology at this colossal platform. For this DEF has invited around 100 organizations from across India to discuss their doubts and absorb in details how they can contribute to further the mission of Digital India and Asia Pacific with the PIR team which flew all the way from America to meet with these organizations and attend the Manthan Awards.
The special session was panelled by Mr. Dave Stewart who is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at PIR, Megan Soffer who looks after Communications at PIR and Mr. Devendra Singh Badhuria who heads the international eNGO program at DEF, he also played the role of Moderator for this session.
Devendra Singh opened the session by laying out how ICT tools has changed the communication scenario for grassroots NGOs and its potential to provide global visibility and sustainability to the grass root organizations. He then invited Dave Stewart, Vice President, Public Interest Registry to address the participants; Dave congratulated all the participants and said they were the real winners of this to be able to understand the need of this change and taken a step ahead to come in the front line of the early technology adopters.
The discussion was then opened to the audience who discussed many pain points including how this would help them raise funds, how this will help them improve the visibility of their organization at the global level and what were the expectation of DEF and PIR from these organizations. Both Mr. Dave and Mr. Devendra answered them by emphasizing the importance of being recognized as a validated ngo and being able to receive funds from anywhere in the world and this Exposure and global presence is achievable through the .NGO and .ONG domains.
Some of the participants expressed the bottlenecks for the success of this plan and the regional support required to successfully launch the .NGO and .ONG domains in their state, For the benefit of participants Mr. Devendra translated Dave`s comments and suggestion to the audience in the local language to give a better clarity on the discussion subject.
The session also discussed how to overcome the bureaucratic barriers; it was suggested that the ngos must not completely depend on the external funds to kick start their causes; instead they should immediately start the project with their own funds then seek external funds to sustain their initiative.
The session was concluded with a promise by all to become the early adopters of this technology and Mr. Dave and Mr. Devendra continued discussion over the cup of tea and coffee during the break.