The Malaysia ICT Volunteer (MIV) initiative aims to cultivate digital champions within local communities. Since its inception in 2016, MIV has enlisted over ten thousand volunteers from various communities across Malaysia, including those in rural and underserved areas. Approximately half of the recruited and trained digital champions hail from Malaysia's rural and underserved communities.

In 2023, a total of 913 volunteers were recruited nationwide. These digital champions have actively served and assisted their communities, enhancing digital literacy and promoting positive online behavior. The volunteers have organized various small-scale activities tailored to meet the specific needs and age groups of their communities.

Prior to engaging with the local communities, volunteers attended a workshop to acquire relevant knowledge and skills. A hybrid online and offline training method was employed to equip the digital champions before their involvement in community activities.

Following the workshop, the volunteers’ volunteering period lasts between 2 and 3 months to organize activities within the local communities. Additionally, they actively advocate for Internet safety awareness within the online communities. Volunteers are encouraged to sustain their activities beyond the volunteering period.

www.miv.mcmc.gov.my

• Malaysia

• Youth
• Women
• Indigenous and nomadic peoples
• People with disabilities
• The unemployed
• The poor
• Remote and rural communities

The MIV initiative has employed online and offline methods to recruit, train and organise volunteers. Online strategies can be quickly adopted and replicated using social media and video conference platforms.

The MIV program aims to empower Malaysians to become digital citizens by providing them with ICT knowledge and skills which subsequently improves the quality of life, education, and livelihood of the communities it serves.

The initiative fosters a culture of volunteerism, collaboration, and digital inclusion among Malaysians, bridging the digital divide by providing access to technology and digital skills. This ensures communities, including those in remote or underserved areas, have the tools and knowledge to participate in the digital economy. This aligns with the vision of Malaysia as a digital nation.

More importantly, participation in MIV is opened to anyone with ICT knowledge and skills aged 18 years old and above. Because of this, the volunteers consist of young people, women, professionals, homemakers, educators, retirees, people with disabilities, students of tertiary institutions, civil servants, and private sector employees from various backgrounds. Through building the skills of participants and empowering them with knowledge, MIV contributes to their personal and professional growth.

MIV promotes the use of eco-friendly technologies through its social media platforms and MIV portal thus minimizing electronic waste. MIV uses various online and offline methods, such as social media and video conference platforms, in recruiting, training, and organising volunteers.

Partnerships and collaboration with local organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders ensures a more holistic approach, leveraging resources and expertise from various sources.

MIV sustainability leverage on the commitment of volunteers, the support of local communities, and its adaptability to changing circumstances, evolving needs of communities, and technological advancement.

MIV initiative empowers local volunteers with knowledge of digital literacy. The empowered volunteers will return to their communities as the local digital champions and advocate the knowledge to them. MIV does promote the WSIS values in your community, as it aligns with some of the principles and goals of the WSIS Declaration. MIV contributes to these values by: • Empowering Malaysians to become digital citizens by providing ICT knowledge and skills. • Improving the quality of life, education, and livelihood of the communities it serves, especially those in rural and underserved areas. • Promoting the use of ICT for social good, innovation and environmental protection • Fostering a culture of volunteerism, collaboration, and digital inclusion among Malaysians Therefore, MIV is a valuable initiative that supports the WSIS vision of a sustainable and inclusive Information Society.