IDRC is a public corporation created by the Canadian government to help communities in the developing world to find solutions to social, economic and environmental problems through research.

ICT focus:

IDRC has been supporting research on ICTs for development for most of its 30-year history. In addition to specific programmes (see below), much of its other work is strongly associated with the use of ICTs to facilitate the collection, management and dissemination of information, expertise and knowledge.

Programme activities:

Acacia Initiative: The Acacia Initiative aims to empower sub-Saharan African communities with the ability to apply ICTs to social and economic development. It aims to:

• discover and demonstrate how the benefits of ICTs can reach disadvantaged sub-Saharan communities, particularly women and young people, and help them solve development problems;
  
• learn from research and experimentation, and disseminate the information gained;
  
• build international momentum and commitment to widen access to ICTs by rural and disadvantaged groups.

  http://www.idrc.ca/research/xacacia_e.html

  Learning and Evaluation Action Program (LEAP): The Learning and Evaluation Action Program (LEAP) is an initiative to promote a coordinated and comprehensive approach to learning about the use of knowledge and ICTs in international development.

  http://www.bellanet.org/B_index.cfm?menu_id=6

  Pan Asia Networking: This programme pioneers information networking in Asia, linking people and computer-based information resources on sustainable development from Asian organisations. The PAN program seeks to understand the positive and negative impacts of ICTs on people, culture, the economy and society, so as to strengthen ICTs uses that promote sustainable development.

  http://www.idrc.ca/research/xpan_e.html

  Bellanet
  IDRC provides the secretariat for Bellanet (see separate entry).

  http://www.bellanet.org/

  
  http://www.idrc.ca/