The 2004 Social Innovations Awards, given out by the Global Ideas Bank (aka the Institute for Social Inventions) are announced today, and the winners are as follows:

The £1,000 Overall Social Innovations Award for 2004 goes to Mahabir Pun, a teacher whose dedication and imagination has brought the internet and telecommunications to some of the remotest communities in the world in Nepal. Using an inspired mix of solar power, tree-based relay systems and wireless technology, the project is helping yak farmers stay in touch, families communicate and, with an expansion into distance learning, children to gain education. See NepalWireless.net for more information.

The Financial Social Innovations Award for 2004 goes to the Bendigo Community Bank in Australia for their innovative franchising programme. Under the scheme, rural communities, who are often the first to suffer from branch closures, can become franchisees of the bank, providing them with the resources, technology and expertise of a major bank, but with local ownership and control. This, in turn, gives local residents and businesses a major incentive to use the branch's services, ensuring its viability for the long-term. See BendigoBank.com.au for more information.

The International Social Innovations Award for 2004 goes to Shyam Telecom of India for its novel rickshaw project which is taking phones to people who need them, as well as employing many from below the poverty line. The win-win solution sets up those at the margins of society with their own rickshaw-phone system, allowing them to earn a decent wage while simultaneously taking communication to areas where there are few landlines and fewer mobiles. For further information, see ShyamTelelink.com

The Welfare Social Innovations Award for 2004 goes to Emmaus France, the homeless charity, for its innovative use of the internet to help the homeless. Emmaus set up a day centre to facilitate the creation of websites and free e-mail accounts. Those without a permanent residence can use online facilities to store personal documentation, to apply for jobs, to keep in contact with family and friends, and to become technologically literate. The charity's volunteers help people through every step of the process. For further information, see Emmaus-France.org

The Communications Social Innovations Award for 2004 goes to Multikulti, the multi-language website, providing access to important information and advice on a range of issues. The website uses cutting edge multilingual technology to provide accurate and appropriate welfare information (on debt, housing, immigration, benefits, etc) to minority communities. Available languages currently include Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Gujurati, Somali, Spanish and Turkish. As it expands, the website hopes to effectively support citizenship to an increasingly diverse population in the UK. For further information, see Multikulti.org.uk

The Environmental Social Innovations Award for 2004 goes to Kerry Channing, an IT consultant from Brighton, who proposes a footprint or profile for products to allow people to make ethical choices between them. Products would be assessed on their fairness (to workers), their sustainability (can they be recycled, what impact they have) and their health (do they affect the health of humanity or the environment?). In this way, an 'IQ' would be created, allowing for greater transparency in the retail market, and greater choice for consumers. For further information, see the EIQ Profile

The Judges for the 2004 awards, to whom the Global Ideas Bank gives thanks, are:

- Joanna Brown, head of creativity, Prime Minister's Strategy Unit
- Mark Davies, co-ordinator of the Grassroots Innovation Network
- Michael Norton, founder of the Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action
- Adam Short, of Changemakers and "Young People Change the World"
-James Smith, social sector consultant (Monkey Mosaic)

All the award-winners, and hundreds of other ideas can be found in the new Global Ideas Book which Charles Handy has called "A great cornucopia of social inventions that talks of possibilities rather than problems".

For more information about the awards, the book, or the work of the Global Ideas Bank, please contact Nick Temple via the Contacts Page