U.S. Launches Digital Freedom Initiative in Senegal

Earlier this week U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Don Evans announced the Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI) would be piloted in Senegal, a democratic secular nation in which 94 percent of the population is Muslim. DFI is designed to promote economic growth by transferring the benefits of information and communication technology (ICT) to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the developing world.

The new initiative leverages the leadership of the U.S. government, the creativity and resources of America's leading companies, and the vision and energy of entrepreneurs in developing countries. If the three-year pilot project is successful in Senegal, it could be rolled out to 20 countries in the next five years. Key elements include:

• Placing more than 100 volunteers in small businesses to share business knowledge and technology expertise;
• Promoting pro-growth regulatory and legal structures to enhance business competitiveness; and,
• Leveraging existing technology and communications infrastructure in new ways to help entrepreneurs and small businesses better compete in both the regional and global market place.

As a joint program involving the Commerce and State departments, the Agency for International Development, USA Freedom Corps, and the Peace Corps, DFI's pilot project also will train and equip the 130 Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal who require laptops and other technology to perform their service duties.

Senegal was selected to launch the initiative because of its political stability and existing high-level commitment to encouraging economic prosperity through technology. For example, the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, chairs the ICT committee of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The DFI website says that since 1996, Senegal has been one of the leading African countries to make significant investments in technology and is currently benefiting from a relatively high rate of penetration and growth of technology-related services. More than 10,000 mostly entrepreneur-managed phone shops, many equipped with Internet access, serve poor urban and rural populations.

More information on DFI, including contact information for businesses and volunteers interested in getting involved, is available at http://www.dfi.gov/.