Overview of the WACSI Project.  Access to the Internet is a valuable resource for organizations working on societal improvement, increased economic development, women’s empowerment, improved educational institutions, religious tolerance, as well as for multiple other uses.  In the Middle East, governments have recognized the need to increase access to the Internet for their populations which remains much lower (as a fraction of their populations) than in other regions of the world. Increased Internet access will allow organizations within one country to interact more easily with other like-minded organizations within their own country, regionally, and globally. There is therefore a need to provide better Internet access and training to organizations in the Middle East region working on a variety of societal improvement issues. In response to this need in the Middle East, the Web Access for Civil Society Initiatives (WACSI) project has been initiated by the Southwest Institute for Religion and Civil Society (SIRCS) at the University of New Mexico (UNM). This project is run independently at UNM, and funded through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI supports efforts to expand political participation, strengthen civil society and the rule of law, empower women and youth, create educational opportunities, and foster economic reform throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In support of these goals, MEPI works with non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and academic institutions, as well as governments. More information about MEPI can be found at: www.mepi.state.gov.

The goal of the WACSI project is to develop Internet-based systems for sharing information among organizations that are working on societal reform initiatives in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria; recently, NGOs from Turkey and Iraq have also joined the project. This WACSI website has been developed to provide links to data sources, present partner information, and share information generated by partners. The project’s participants have identified selected issues that help initiate and sustain reform and that will benefit from regional cooperation and information sharing. SIRCS/UNM and EDAC have significant technical expertise that can be applied to developing Internet-based knowledge and information sharing systems, including data management, geographic information analysis and mapping, and decision support tools. SIRCS/UNM also helps their Middle East partners develop the infrastructure to access the Internet and maintain web sites. Working together with our Middle East colleagues, we believe this project will contribute to increased Internet access within participating countries and to increased cooperation among organizations across national boundaries. Dr. Richard L. Wood and Mozafar Banahashemi of SIRCS/UNM direct the WACSI project in collaboration with partners in the region, with technical support from Dr. Karl Benedict and Hays Barrett of the UNM Earth Data Analysis Center.
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