Earlier this summer, the Public Interest Registry (PIR)—manager of the .ORG domain—expressed its intention to apply for the management of a new top-level domain, .NGO, when the domain becomes available in January 2012. Now, as part of its ongoing efforts to engage the non-governmental organization (NGO) community worldwide on- and offline, PIR has partnered with the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) to host a series of eNGO Workshops—training programs to help NGOs develop and manage an online presence—across India. The eNGO program is a national movement to help India-based grassroots organizations attain economic and commercial viability through means of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).

Currently, more than 80 percent of the 3.3 million NGOs in India do not have an online presence. “I am thrilled to have PIR as a supporter of DEF, as both organizations share identical values, especially in bringing the Internet to underserved markets,” said Osama Manzar, Founder & Director of DEF. Over the next three months, PIR and DEF will provide, through the eNGO training program, a significant portion of these NGOs with a web-supported platform that includes a free website, domain name, and capacity building.

“A critical component of our campaign to manage the .NGO domain is to show PIR’s long-standing commitment to and engagement with the NGO community worldwide,” said Brian Cute, chief executive officer of PIR. “We are making a concerted effort to speak with members of the NGO community around the world to get a better understanding of their specific needs. Through this collaboration with DEF, we are committed to educating the NGO community about the importance of being ICT-enabled so that they can increase visibility and awareness of their cause both at a national and global level.”

PIR and DEF have partnered with NGOs in India and South Asia to kick-start the eNGO grassroots campaign, including Technology for the People in Karnataka, Sristi Gyan Kendra in Haryana, ALOK Sanstha in Champaran District in Bihar, North East Development Foundation in Assam, and HenvalVani Radio in Tehri in Uttarakhand.

eNGO workshops are held in Bangalore, Panchkulla, Champaran, Bihar, Shimla, and Kanpur. For more information, please visit www.PIReNGO.ORG.