On June 4 in Cairo, President Obama called for a broader engagement and a “new beginning” to relations between the United States and Muslim communities around the world.

As part of that commitment, the President outlined expanded U. S. support for online learning, networking, and partnership

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among a range of stakeholders.

In support of the President’s vision, the Office of the Partnership Initiative (NEA/PI) announces an open competition seeking pilot proposals that will leverage innovative new technologies to connect people – particularly youth – in order to expand civic participation, increase new media capabilities for civil society, and enhance online educational opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).Innovative technologies that enable, encourage and build social connections, especially those operating on mobile platforms and the internet, have created new opportunities for promoting democratic practices, civic participation, and learning.

In the MENA region, these new technologies offer means to effectively engage youth and difficult to reach or previously unengaged populations.

NEA/PI seeks implementers to educate, train, organize, and empower audiences and interlocutors through technologies such as, but not limited to, social networking, digital video conferencing, interactive online learning, widgets, Wiki-functions, mobile applications, and blogging.

These efforts should promote civic and political participation; women’s and youth empowerment; or economic and social entrepreneurship.

Priority will be given to applications that maximize the capability and reach of existing resources, including human, knowledge, infrastructure, technology, and other resources and tools.

Partnerships between or among public sector, private sector and nongovernmental entities that meld capabilities to address the announcement’s objectives are particularly welcomed.

NEA/PI is seeking applications that are innovative and test technological boundaries by developing or scaling cutting-edge tools to engage, inspire, and motivate.

Proposals may address one of the following three priority areas:
• Social networking – platforms, training, applications, or program modules.• Increasing new media capabilities of civil society – development of information technology capacity among civil society, including individuals, civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and independent media outlets.• Enhancing online learning – improved access to and dissemination of online curricula, training, and information, including for NGOs and civil society, especially activists and thought leaders.