An international initiative, with a mission to increase the impact of development programming. Fosters inter-agency collaboration through more effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Open to partnerships with agencies requiring assistance in using ICTs (such as WWW, email, networks) effectively for collaboration. Bellanet also manages numerous email discussion lists related to ICTs and development. Bellanet is an international initiative funded by CIDA, IDRC, The MacArthur Foundation, Netherlands DGIS, The Rockefeller Foundation, Sida and UNDP. It is a secretariat of IDRC, housed in Ottawa, Canada.
In the past, Bellanet has developed information support activities related to a number of programmes including: Infodev (see separate entry: WWW site has list of proposed projects), Indix (WWW site has list of information technology projects), African Networking Initiative (ANI), African Information Society Initiative (AISA), Fisheries Development Donor Consortium (see separate entries), Indigenous Knowledge Programme, Iwokrama International Rain Forest Programme.
Bellanet currently hosts GK-AIMS on behalf of Global Knowledge Partnership. GK-AIMS is a database of organizations and projects in the information for development sector. Other projects include IDML (XML for international development), information tools for coordinating landmine removal in Southern Africa.