I.

Objectives

This international workshop is to brainstorm on and to form a committee for the deployment of broadband Internet in Amazon, Brazil, with;

• CampusNet Amazonia which will interconnect Multimedia Resource Centers (MRCs) at the main campuses of all six Federal Public Universities and at their branch campuses in the localities of their states in Amazon areas via broadband satellite Internet, and
• Community Development Networks (CDNs) which will connect higher, secondary and elementary schools, libraries, hospitals, local government offices and NGOs, etc., firstly in the City of Manaus and later in the cities of main campuses of the CampusNet affiliated universities by broadband wireless Internet.

Their deployment will utilize a community development approach with the involvements of all non- and profit-organizations to have global E-Rate. Joint contents development, e-learning and e-healthcare programs and projects, teacher and general-public training for digital literacy will also be discussed. This workshop will also initiate US/Brazilian joint research and development projects. This project will promote the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for economic and social development with special emphasis on the poverty and isolation reductions in Amazon region.

We will produce a comprehensive documents of system design, feasibility study, cost estimates, market survey, action plan, design of organizational structures for technical support and administration, etc., during and after our proposed workshop. The documents will be submitted to the Japanese government’s “non-tied cultural aid” grant through appropriate Brazilian governmental agencies. This project will combine (1) the Japanese government's Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds and (2) electronic equipment (computer, tranceiver, dish antenna, etc.) of Japan with (a) the Internet technology and (b) content development of the north America to help underserved people in rural and remote areas of developing countries.

Global University System (GUS) will emulate this project in other developing countries around the world (e.g., Cuba, Venezuela, etc.) in the future.

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

• Direct Population: In the City of Manaus alone, 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. We can expect similar numbers in the cities of main campuses of the CampusNet affiliated universities. There will also be significant numbers of people who will benefit from this project at libraries, hospitals, clinics, local governmental agencies and non-profit organizations, etc. From second stage of this development, even profit-oriented organizations will benefit from this project out of our sustainable community development approach.
• Indirect Population: Professors, pupils and general public of Amazônia international region, by the transmission of the videoconferencing and telemedicine demonstration via the AMAZONSAT of the Amazonian Network of radio and television.

Specific deliverables out from this workshop are;

1. Formation of project teams,
   
2. Direction for collaboratively furthering global e-learning,
   
3. Complete plan for the deployment of CampusNet and community development networks,
   
4. Conference report for public dissemination,
   
5. Strategy of joint fund raising for the projects,
   
6. Final report to Tinker Foundation with complete web site, including a copy of comprehensive document, which will be submitted to the Japanese government.