Title: Under the Radar: The Contribution of Civil Society and Third Sector Organisations to eInclusion
Author: Alexandra Hache
Editor: Clara Centeno
Pages: 76 pp.
ISBN: 978-92-79-20488-3
ISSN: 1831-9424
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
Publisher: Publications Office of the European Union
Date (published): 29/07/2011
Date (accessed): 19/07/2011
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"EU eInclusion policy goals reinforced in the flagship initiative ‘A Digital Agenda for Europe (2010)’ aim to both develop digital skills and competence for empowerment and emancipation and use ICT in support of social inclusion processes. The vast majority of the eInclusion initiatives in the field are carried out by the third sector and public sector organisations. In order to better understand how EU-third sector synergies could be strengthened in favour of the eInclusion process and, given the scarcity of data available about the structure, characteristics, needs and challenges of the civil society and the Third Sector Organisations (TSO), JRC-IPTS has carried out an exploratory research study to shed some light on the above questions.

The study, on which this report is based, starts by analysing the European policy framework for the third sector, and clarifies the nature and specificities of civil society and TSO activities and their contribution to social innovation. It analyses TSOs’ contribution to eInclusion objectives and makes an attempt to classify the different types of TSO from this perspective, providing many inspiring examples of TSO actions. Finally, it proposes some policy options to support and further develop the role that this sector plays in achieving eInclusion goals."

Title: How a younger world and the internet will change financial inclusion: Scenarios for 2020
Author Jim Rosenberg
Source: CGAP: Consultative Group to Assist the Poor
Date (published): 18/11/2009
Date (accessed): 18/11/2009
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
...My colleagues, Mark Pickens and Sarah Rotman of CGAP and David Porteous for DFID took in the views of nearly 200 people from 30 countries to try to answer this question:
How can government and private sector most affect the uptake and usage of branchless banking among the unserved majority by 2020? ... concludes that the growing use of branchless banking, including mobile phone banking, is inevitable in most countries. But it’s far less certain whether large numbers of the unbanked poor will use these alternative channels for financial services beyond payments, such as savings and credit. Some highlights: