Application for Grass Root Fund (Draft #7)

for the

Manaus Community Development Network

(May 13, 2002)

 

Formul·rio de Requerimento para a AssistÍncia para Projetos Comunit·rios

Application Form for Communitarian Projects Assistance

 

1. Requerente
Applicant

 

(1)   Nome do Requerente
Name of the Applicant

 

FUNDA«ˆO UNIVERSIDADE DO AMAZONAS/FUNDA«ˆO DE APOIO INSTITUCIONAL RIO-SOLIM¹ES

University of the Amazon Foundation/ Institutional Research of Rio-Solimoes

     

(2)   EndereÁo

Address

 

Av. Gal. Rodrigo Oct·vio Jord“o Ramos, 3000,

CEP 69077-000 ‚ Coroado I ‚ Manaus ‚ Amazonas

     

(3)   N™mero do Telefone
Telephone Number

 

+55-92-647-4063

 

N™mero do Fax

Fax Number

 

+55-92-647-4066

 

(4)   Pessoa Respons·vel

Responsible Person

 

Principal-Investigator

 

(Nome)

(Name)

 

PROFESSOR DOUTOR ALEXANDRE ALMIR FERREIRA RIVAS

Professor Doctor Alexandre Almir Ferreira Rivas

 

(Cargo)

(Position)

 

DIRETOR GERAL DO CENTRO DE CINCIAS DO AMBIENTE

General Director of the Center of Sciences of the Environment

 

Center for Environmental Sciences (CCA)

Universidade Federal do Amazonas / FundaÁ“o UNI-SOL

Campus Universit·rio

3000Manaus, AM

Brazil 69000

Phone Number: + 55-92-647-4066

Fax Number: + 55-92-647-4066

alex_mau@argo.com.br

http://www.fua.br/

 

Co-Principal-Investigator

 

(Nome)

(Name)

 

Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E.

 

(Cargo)

(Position)

 

President Emeritus and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of Global University System (GUS)

Chairman, GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A. (GLOSAS/USA)

 

43-23 Colden Street, #9-L

Flushing, NY 11355-3998

U.S.A.

Phone Number: +1-718-939-0928

Fax Number: +1-718-939-0656

utsumi@columbia.edu

http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/

 

(5)   Sua organizaÁ o j· recebeu alguma assistÍncia financeira e ou tÈcnica de governos estrangeiros, organizaÁ es internacionais ou ONGs?  (Em caso afirmativo, favor descrever o conte™do da assistÍncia)

Has your organization ever received any financial or technical assistance from foreign governments, international organizations or NGOs?  If "YES", kindly describe the content of the assistance:

 

Sim

Yes

     

A.   Received by the University of Amazona

 

FundaÁ“o Kellog ‚ EUA : Projeto Coari, 1989-1990 ‚ US$ 1.000.000,00

Kellog Foundation. U.S.A.: Coari Design

 

Banco Mundial ‚ V·rios projetos

World Bank. Some designs

The Fund for Improvment of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) ‚ EUA

 

As Inter-relaÁžes entre Ambiente, Desenvolvimento EconÙmico e Qualidade de Vida: Uma Vis“o Interdisciplinar, 2001 ‚ presente. US$ 200.000,00.

The Inter-relations between Environment, Economic Development and Quality of Life: An Interdisciplinary Vision, 2001. gift. USS 200,000.00.

 

B.   Received by the University of Tampere on behalf of Global University System

 

Workshop and conference on "Emerging Global Electronic Distance Learning (EGEDL#99)" in August, 1999 at the University of Tampere <http://www.uta.fi/EGEDL>, from the InfoDev of the World Bank (US$100,000.00), the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) (US$50,000), the British Council, the Ministry of Education of Finland, the Soros Foundation/Open Society Institute, the United States Information Agency (USIA), and many others.

 

This event brought together about 60 decision-makers and leaders in e-learning and telemedicine from 14 underserved countries who discussed practical solutions for the implementation of affordable global e-learning across national boundaries. They brainstormed and the workshop recommended the formation of the following three interrelated organizations:

 

1.   Global University System (GUS) (Tm),

2.   Global Broadband Internet (GBI),

3.   Global Service Trust Fund (GSTF) (Tm)

 

The group also formulated specific pilot projects focused on major regions of the world to reduce the growing digital divide between information-rich and information-poor populations, as realizing "education and healthcare for all," at anywhere, anytime and at any pace. The regional GUSs will be interconnected with GBI, which will be financed by GSTF. See more at; <http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/Global_University/Global University System/Reference_web_sites.html>.

 

The proposed project with this grant application is the continuation of our Tampere event.

 

(6)   Queira responder as seguintes quest es, conforme a natureza da sua organizaÁ o.

Kindly answer the following questions to the nature of your organization:

 

(a)   OrganizaÁ o N o Governamental (ONG)

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)

 

(i)   Ano de FundaÁ o

Year of Establishment

 

(ii)   N™mero de assistentes(staffs)

Number of assistants (staffs)

 

(iii)  Propósito da Organizaç o

Purpose of Organization

 

(iv)  Principais Atividades

Main Activities

     

(b)   Escola ou Instituto de Pesquisa

School or Research Institute

 

FundaÁ“o Universidade do Amazonas / FundaÁ“o de Apoio Institucional Rio-Solimžes

University of the Amazon Foundation/ Institutional Research of Rio-Solimoes

 

(i)   Ano de FundaÁ o

Year of Establishment

 

12 de junho de 1962

12 of June of 1962

 

(ii)   N™mero de Professores/Pesquisadores

Number of Professores/Researchers

 

Doutores: 174

Doctorates: 174

 

Mestres: 402

Masters: 402

 

(iii)  N™mero de Estudantes

Number of Students

 

Cerca de 28.000 alunos de graduaÁ“o e 700 de pÛs-graduaÁ“o.

About 28,000 undergraduates and 700 graduate students

 

(iv)  Objeto da Pesquisa

Object of Research

 

Por se tratar de uma Universidade, a instituiÁ“o atua em diversas ·reas de pesquisa. No entanto, para o fim desta proposta, visa-se atender ý pesquisa e extens“o em tecnologia e utilizaÁ“o de ferramentas para o ensino e sa™de a dist’ncia aplic·veis especificamente na Regi“o AmazÙnica.

 

Being a University, the institution is diversified in its areas of research. However, this specific proposal is aimed at using technology as a tool for the applicable education in distance learning and healthcare focusing on the Amazon region.

 

(c)   Hospital ou InstituiÁ o MÈdica

Hospital or Medical Institution

 

(i)   Ano de FundaÁ o

Year of Establishment

 

(ii)   N™mero de MÈdicos

Number of Doctors

 

(iii)   N™mero de Enfermeiras

Number of Nurses

 

(iv)  N™mero de Leitos

Number of Beds

 

(v)   ServiÁo mÈdico prestado por seu hospital/instituiÁ o

Medical job given by its hospital/institution

 

(d)  Governo Local

Local Government

 

(i)   PopulaÁ o

Population

 

(ii)   Tamanho do OrÁamento (Em cada ano Fiscal)

Budget Size (each fiscal year)

 

(iii)  SituaÁ o atual e problemas em ·reas sob a jurisdiÁ o do requerente

Current situation and problems in the area under the jurisdiction of the applicant

 

(e)   InstituicÁ o Governamental (Departamento)

Governmental Institution (Department)

 

(i)   N™mero de pessoas

Number of people

 

(ii)   Autoridade e obrigaÁ o do requerente

Authority and obligation of the applicant

 

Se houver algum documento ou brochura que apresente sua organizaÁ o, favor anexar a este formul·rio.

If there are any documents or brochures that promote your organization, please attach them to this form.

 

2. Projeto

Project Details

 

(1)   Nome do Projeto

Name of the Project

 

Establishment of Manaus Community Development Network (MCDN) for E-Learning and E-Healthcare

 

(2)   Local do Projeto (Inclusive a dist’ncia da cidade conhecida mais prÛxima

Place of the Project (also the distance to the nearest well-known city.)

 

Manaus ‚ Amazonas

 

(3)   Objetivos do Projeto

Objectives of the Project

 

This project is to construct a community development network as connecting non-profit organizations in the City of Manaus with the use of broadband wireless Internet units -- see Figure 1.

 

Figure 1

 

 

 

In the initial phase, non-profi organizations will be selected among the followings;

Other candidates are;

See Figure 2, 3 and 4.

 

Figure 2

 

 

 

Figure 3

 

Software: Microsoft Office

 

 

Figure 4

 

 

 

(4)   Linhas gerais do Projeto

Detailed description of the Project

 

We recently submitted a grant application (US$230,000) to the InfoDev of the World Bank to conduct a workshop in Manaus in the summer of 2002. (See "Community Development with E-Learning and E-Healthcare in Amazon, Brazil" -- Grant application submitted to the InfoDev of the World Bank (1/25/02) at;

http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/Manaus Workshop/InfoDev_Application/InfoDev_Prop_Final_Web/Main_Proposal.htm

 

The objectives are to brainstorm on and to form a committee for the planning of necessary telecommunication configurations, their systems design, feasibility study, market survey and action plan of implementing the infrastructures, and the construction of their cost estimates for dish antenna, transceivers and satellite segments, etc. They are for;

Possible joint projects with Brazilians, Americans and Canadians will also be discussed and planned on how to utilize the expected broadband Internet. They are contents development, teacher and general-public training for digital literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL), nurse training, etc., for poverty and isolation reductions.

The resultant comprehensive documents will then be submitted to the Japanese government's "non-tied cultural aid" grant through appropriate Brazilian governmental agencies. The total estimated amount could be in the range of US$15 to 20 million. The Brazilian government has already pledged US$2,800,000 out of this total costs.

 

See summary slides at;

Global University System will emulate this project in other developing countries around the world in the future.

 

Figure 5

 

 

 

It is expected that broadband wireless and satellite Internet, available to universities, elementary, primary and secondary schools and hospitals, will promote the interaction among young people from different areas of the Amazon Region with young people from the rest of the world.

 

As the infrastructure becomes a reality, there will be a need for the development of contents (e-learning on environmental education, rational use of the forest, techniques and methods for implementation of suitable agroforestry activities, e-healthcare, etc.) and of new uses of the technology (Internet telephony, distance medical diagnose, access to information, etc.).

 

In this process, the Manaus community will become the closest, more capable and culturally identified with the Amazon region¼s needs and problems. This will be a pilot project replicable of the activities throughout the region. The replication and expansion will happen through strong partnership with other institutions in Manaus and other states of the region. CampusNet Amazonia consortium will play major role in this initiative because it constitutes the main federal universities network in the Brazilian Amazonia and it is also active member of UNIREDE <http://www.unirede.br/>, a consortium of all public universities in Brazil.

 

In a second phase, this effort will contribute to provide the necessary conditions for private initiatives such that more resources will become available to more needed communities elsewhere in the region.

 

So, this project is a community development approach, firstly connecting non-profit organizations (elementary, secondary and higher education institutions, libraries, hospitals, local governmental agencies, and non-profit organizations, etc.) and secondly with for-profit organizations to have global E-Rate, thus all applicable groups are inclusive. The more participants can share the cost of expensive digital satellite trunk line better -- see also Item (6) below. The use of broadband wireless Internet for the Manaus Community Development Network will make their participation easy so that the so-called "last-mile" problem to reach individual end-users can more effectively be solved. (Similar community development networks will be made later in the cities of main campuses of other CampusNet participating universities with the "non-tied cultural aid" of the Japanese government.)

 

(5)   PopulaÁ o estimada que ser· beneficiada pelo projeto

Estimated population that would benefit from the project

 

As populaÁžes beneficiadas pelo projeto podem ser calculadas em dois momentos.

The population that will be benefited by the project can be calculated in the following two categories;

 

População Direta: Cem (100) Professores universitários das Universidades participe do consorcio CampusNet Amazônia, cinqüenta (50) Professores e mil (1000) Alunos do Ensino Fundamental e Médio da Rede Estadual e Municipal de Ensino do Estado do Amazonas, distribuídos remotamente nas seis (6) Zonas Urbanas da cidade de Manaus;

Direct Population: One hundred (100) university professors will participate in the consortium of CampusNet/Amazônia, fifty (50) professors and a thousand (1000) elementary students and middle school students of the State and Municipal Network of Education of the State of Amazon, distributed remotely in the six (6) Urban Zones of the city of Manaus;

 

População Indireta: Professores e Alunos da Amazônia Internacional, através da transmissão do evento pelo Amazon Sat da Rede Amazônica de rádio e televisão.

Indirect Population: Professors and pupils of Amazônia International, through the transmission of the event for the Amazon Sat of the Amazonian Network of radio and television.

 

(6)   Efeitos esperados do Projeto (Favor descrever a relaÁ o entre o projeto e o objetivo, e como o projeto contribuir· para a realizaÁ o do objetivo)

Expected effects of the project: (Kindly describe the relations between the project and the objectives, and how the project would contribute to the accomplishment of the objectives)

 

1.   Previous Workshops and Demonstrations in Manaus

 

A.   1998 Workshop/Demonstration

 

A demonstrative conference on available new technologies for e-learning was held on August 21, 1998 in Manaus. See the following website for more detailed information: <http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/GLH/10-21-98_Manaus_Brazil/Flyer_&_Program_10-3-98.html>

 

During this event, a professor at the University of Tokyo described via audio conference with PowerPoint slides, about his "Medical Information Network by Communication Satellite for University Hospital (MINCS-UH)" which connects more than two dozen university hospitals around Japan with two-way, broadband (45 Mbps) digital satellite channels for medical diagnosis with HDTV. Netmeeting videoconferences via narrow-band Internet were also made with Houston Community College and with colleagues in Ukraine.

 

B.   2000 Workshop/Demonstration

 

A workshop to show the usefulness of the Internet as combining new technologies and contents was held on May 31, and June 1 and 2, 2000 in Manaus. See:

 

1. <http://lab-tiama.pop-am.rnp.br/cca/workshop/English/wksp_E.htm> and

2. <http://tc1.hccs.cc.tx.us/hist/yr00/brazil/>

 

During this workshop, telemedicine demonstration with the most advanced echocardiogram diagnosed a real patient by an expert doctor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which was televised throughout South America via BRAZILSAT.

 

These two workshops in 1998 and 2000 showed the possibilities of using cutting-edge telecom technologies even in the middle of rain forest jungle. They stimulated and promoted public awareness on e-learning and e-health, and initiated a core basis for forming the CampusNet coalition.

 

Each of Amazon TV and GLOSAS/USA contributed about $80,000 respectively, for the conduct of the above two workshops.

 

2.   Technical and Economic Benefits

 

The main focus of the proposed broadband Internet is either or both of satellite and terrestria