Freedom Fone
Award
$876,000
Winner
Organization
Kubatana
Location
Summary
Freedom Fone will provide a voice database where users can access news and public-interest information via land, mobile or Internet phones. In a concept similar
to a telephone tree employed by many private companies, users will call in and then dial specific numbers to find the information they need. Independent radio station content will be broadcast, along with frequently updated audio reports created specifically for Freedom Fone. Users
will be able to pose questions and leave answers on a voicemail system. The concept, which employs both new and old technologies, will allow the poor to receive and contribute information in a practical and economical way. It will be tested in Zimbabwe.
Winner Bio
Bev Clark, pictured, co-founded Kubatana.net, in 2001, an online community aimed at mobilizing Zimbabwean activists. The site makes human rights and civic education information accessible from a centralized, electronic source. Clark has been involved in a variety of civil society and independent communications campaigns designed to inspire Zimbabweans to stand up for their rights. She is a graphic designer and co-founder of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ).
