Open Forum collaboration with other likeminded organizations was initiated in March 2005, which today has taken shape of a vast dimension. The first phase helped Open Forum to learn critical lessons of mainstreaming ICT within developmental efforts; and Greater need to support the ongoing efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the region by collaborating with partners to develop debates on the MDGs. The experience also demonstrated the need to enhance the communication capabilities of grassroots and intermediary organizations. The current phase of this partnership attempts to reinforce these learning with an aim to undertake grassroots focused interventions to strengthen the ‘voices’ of poor and marginalized living in rural and urban areas in India; and to jointly understand the efficacies of ICTs as a tool for poverty alleviation enunciated cohesively in MDG framework. These deliverables wholly conforms to stated priority areas of Open Forum for the next Five years starting March 2009:

Towards realization of these objectives, Open Forum has also launched a series of capacity building programme in audio techniques; initiated DKN hubs for local language content generation; initiated the South Asian language web-hosting and communication platform; published monthly magazine to communicate MDGs, launched an on-line campaign on MDGs; organized national level policy events; and developed information packs and briefing papers for pro-poor policy advocacy using ICTs.

How Intellect support can help Open Forum Programme & Activities
Many Organizations, around the Nation, which have social development focused ethics, have supported Open Forum in implementing its Programme, Activities & Services to reach Grassroots Communities. The Key programme objective is to provide a platform to support development initiatives in developing, sharing and measuring Social development activities and innovation. Another primary function of Intellect support is to support Civil Society Organisation, NGOs, Government, Public Sector, Mass and Grassroots Communities in taking the Programme & Activities of Open Forum to the last cluster of beneficiary. Also to encourage Decision Makers to consider different and innovative Technology/Programme based approaches to policy making for Human Development. The process we hope will attempt to address the barriers of skills and knowledge of government which currently hold Civil Society Organisation, NGOs, Public Sector, Mass and Grassroots Communities back from being able to implement their services effectively.

Intellect support for Open Forum will showcase innovative ideas, products and solutions relating to specific themes. These themes will be identified by experts of the issue. Themes will be based on the key programme challenges of Social development and may include Human development, Human Rights, Access to Knowledge & Information, and improving collaboration etc.

The benefits for organizations and individuals who apply are two-fold. Firstly, there is a real opportunity to have their ideas, programme and innovations seen and assessed by both procurement decision makers and business managers across nation. Secondly, successful applicants are able to receive formal support through a report and mentor mechanism which will help them to promote and showcase their innovations to the public at large.

To learn more on Intellect Support to the Open Forum Programme, Activities and your involvement with the thematic areas, we request you to kindly write us about your involvement queries at support@openforum.in