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Reach Out To Asia (Rota) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a three-year collaboration deal to increase public access to libraries in Asia and the Middle East. |
The agreement is a testament to the common belief Rota and Gates Foundation share - that achieving the Millennium Development Goals will require new partnerships between all sectors and global societies, along with new mechanisms to encourage others with significant resources to
engage.
“Rota is pleased to be a part of this important agreement. We are confident that this partnership will go a long way in expanding our efforts and create new opportunities that will improve the lives of many people in the quest for a more equal society, and thereby make a difference,” said Rota director Essa al-Mannai.
“Public libraries are powerful development institutions that improve lives by opening a world of knowledge, information and opportunity,” said Joe Cerrell, director of global policy and advocacy for Europe and the Middle East at Gates Foundation. “We are pleased to work with Rota and Qatar Foundation. We can expand our collective impact by supporting dynamic public libraries that help people have access to the opportunities offered by the digital world.”
Under the terms of agreement, the two parties will collaborate to bring public access to libraries/information in developing countries in Asia, in addition to sharing opportunities for learning, advocacy and
implementation.
Rota is committed to reaching out to the Asian continent to provide those in need with quality education. It has identified the development of education opportunities and information & communication technology (ICT) resources for youth in the developing countries of Asia as critical to achieving its mission.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty.
The goal of its Global Libraries programme is to ensure that all people, especially those in disadvantaged communities around the world, have access to information through technology in public libraries.
The objectives of the agreement are to share learning and develop opportunities for advancing education and development efforts by providing public access to information in Asia and the Middle East, which will accelerate the impact that these organisations seek to reach, as well as to encourage global
philanthropy.
Similarly, both parties will seek to explore opportunities around development, public libraries, information access and education resources in general and specifically with respect to the implementation of Gates Foundation’s Global Libraries strategy and programmes
throughout Asia.
In addition, Rota and Gates Foundation have agreed to collaborate on facilitating relationships with individuals and organisations to advance each of their respective charitable goals. This includes identifying other aspects of mutual interest in the areas of global development for resource mobilisation, advocacy and public awareness. Besides, for programme-specific co-operation, the parties may share and learn from one another’s approach to grant-making, including strategy development, grant implementation and
operations.
Rota, through its international capabilities, will seek to jointly develop and fund a pilot programme with the Gates Foundation to implement a Global Libraries initiative in a mutually agreed upon country. Based on the success of the pilot programme, Rota and Gates Foundation will determine a timeline and framework to consider additional initiatives in Asian and/or Middle Eastern countries that are mutually identified and fit within the priorities of the two
organisations.
The landmark agreement will enable Gates Foundation to work with Rota to ensure that its efforts will be recognised appropriately and provide Rota with information and access to global events to ensure that the latter is well represented as a sponsor of global
development issues.
Rota, on its part, will ensure that funds generated for the initiatives will be allocated in alignment with the Gates Foundation’s grant-making in related programme areas.
