about gng | global nomads group

About gng

Partners

Polycom, Inc. is the worldwide leader in unified collaborative communications (UCC) that maximize the efficiency and productivity of people and organizations by integrating the broadest array of video, voice, data and Web solutions to deliver the ultimate communications experience. Polycom's high quality, standards-based conferencing and collaboration solutions are easy to deploy and manage, as well as intuitive to use. Supported by an open architecture, they integrate seamlessly with leading telephony and presence-based networks. With its market-driving technologies, best-in-class products, alliance partnerships, and world-class service, Polycom is the smart choice for organizations seeking proven solutions and a competitive advantage in real-time communications and collaboration.

MASERGY is a leading provider of customer-controlled enterprise networks specializing in simplifying wide-area networking for enterprises. The company delivers quality of service (QoS) assurance for high-quality VoIP and IP video across converged business networks. MASERGY offers global Ethernet VPNs, combining the simplicity and convenience of Ethernet with the advantages of an international IP/MPLS network to deliver converged network services and reliable application performance. Using award-winning, web-based network management tools, customers can change their bandwidth on demand, add or drop services, or check on the status of their billing and service changes at any time, day or night.

The Institute for Shipboard Education is proud to announce that we have formed a strategic alliance with Global Nomads Group (GNG), a non-profit organization dedicated to heightening children's understanding and appreciation for the world and its people.

Using interactive technologies such as videoconferencing, GNG brings young people together face-to-face to meet across cultural and national boundaries to discuss their differences and similarities, and the world issues that affect them.

CURRENTS is a joint project of ISE and GNG. During the Spring 2007 voyage of the Semester at Sea® program, our groups will collaborate to provide a series of live, open dialogue videoconferences, web casts, and Internet communications between schools in the United States and schools and cultural sites around the world. Nations involved will include Venezuela, Brazil, South Africa, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

CURRENTS enhances the already established Vicarious Voyage program currently offered by ISE and is an expansion of GNG's successful videoconferencing series uniting youth around the world for cultural exchanges.

We look forward to sharing with you the groundbreaking results of this exciting alliance.

Bridges of Understanding is a non-profit, non-political organization devoted to supporting projects and efforts that foster better understanding between the American people and people of the Arab world. Founded by two dozen prominent Americans, Bridges of Understanding believes the chasm dividing our two cultures is a serious, and dangerous, one. But by building cultural and educational links between individuals, it can be bridged.

Youth Venture was launched in 1996 in the U.S. with the vision that everyone in society could take initiative and address social needs, rather than looking to the elite few who lead today. Youth Venture inspires and invests in teams of young people to design and launch their own lasting social ventures, enabling them to have this transformative experience of leading positive social change. They provide coaching, resources, and seed funding to help these teams launch, lead and grow their Ventures.

iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) enables young people to leverage internet and other communication technologies for collaborative educational projects that both enhance the learning process and allow youth to impact issues of global importance. Established in 1988 as a pioneering online program among schools in the United States and schools in the Soviet Union, iEARN has grown to serve more than 15,000 schools in 100 countries. iEARN and GNG are working closely to maintain online communication between students during GNG's interactive videoconferencing programs. Collaboration with iEARN allows us to reach many students who do not have access to videoconference equipment.

AFS is one of the world's largest community-based volunteer organizations dedicated to building a more just and peaceful world through international student exchange. More than 10,000 students, young adults and teachers participate in AFS programs each year. AFS and GNG have teamed up to provide a groundbreaking series of videoconferences between AFS member countries around the world.

Global Nomads Group has the official endorsement of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), and UNESCO's "Global Action Programme on Education for All." These relationships are essential in providing GNG with in-country access. Often the UN will act as an intermediary between a host country's Ministry of Education and the Global Nomads Group.

Global Nomads Group partnered with People to People International (founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower - www.ptpi.org) during their Global Youth Forum in D.C. from 6-11th November, 2003. GNG added the international educational component, connecting a school in Colombo, Sri Lanka for live dialogue with youth selected from the +200 students worldwide attending the forum. GNG expects to partner with People to People International again in the future on more international educational programs.