Digital Empowerment Foundation

DEF is one of the world’s leading practitioners in the field of Information & Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D). Its Founder-Director Osama Manzar is globally recognized as an expert in this field and he, or DEF as an organization, is a member of several national and international government and non-government bodies, expert panels, and task-forces engaged in promoting a digitally-empowered and information-rich society. Through all its diverse programs, projects and activities, DEF seeks to help people living in information darkness overcome the information barrier, learn how to use digital tools and the Internet to achieve greater socio-economic equality by uplifting themselves almost on their own using the power of digital devices to access information and knowledge. It has been more than 15 years since DEF took an oath to work with the poorest of the poor in rural India to fight information poverty. A lot of its beliefs and efforts have turned into national movements. DEF is glad that what it envisioned a decade and a half ago is replicated in the government’s vision — a vindication of the ethos that the organization holds. “Digital empowerment” is a phrase that is extensively used in the national agenda because the Internet is an empowering tool. It has the power to bring in equality, equity, transparency and account­ability. It can create a world where the powerless and the powerful enjoy equal opportunities to be online and equal chances to access information.