Internet Society Newspaper V2 N3, 1993
NETWORKS AND DEVELOPMENT
By Daniel Pimienta,
FUNREDES Head
"Networks and Development" is a new organization formed to help
the way of the Internet in Developing Countries.
FUNREDES (from Spanish, Fundacion Redes y Desarrollo) takes
over the team and activities of the former REDALC Office of Union
Latina, and, below the lemma "Information without Barriers", is
a systematization of something close to "the Internet Peace
Corps", concept pointed out by Tony Rutkowsky, in ISOC V2N1.
FUNREDES is the result of a decision made by Union Latina in
order to allow the creation of an autonomous and efficient
structure for actions in the CMC field, which would not be
limited by its own objectives (restricted to Latin derived
speaking countries and more oriented toward languages and
cultures).
STATUS: FUNREDES is an International Non-Governmental
Organization, receiving seed support from Union Latina and the
Latin-American Science Academy (ACAL), with Head Offices in Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic.
MISSION: It is a structure for thinking and acting on the impact
of networks upon scientific, economic, cultural and social
matters, in Developing Countries (DC). FUNREDES will promote and
facilitate the use of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC)
technologies.
OBJECTIVES:
- Establish dissemination and systematization strategies for the
CMC in DC: networks, value-added networks, electronic libraries,
multimedia objects...
- Promote the creation, structuring, preservation and
dissemination of the Scientific and Technical Information
(STI), within national and international frames, with emphasis
in the regional and the south-south context.
- Participate in the training of CMC end-users in order to allow
their responsible control of the technology and their
participation in the decision process concerning technological
solutions.
- Participate in the creation and development of new
networks, and organize technical assistance and added value
services to existing networks.
- Participate in activities related to the development of the
Science and Technology, Research, Higher Education and
Telecommunications infrastructures, such as:
- Bringing content to existing networks.
- Systematically identifying the networks end-users.
- Designing context-appropriate dissemination methodologies.
- Organizing effective STI flows.
- Improving the information and communication interfaces.
- Providing assistance in negotiating special telecommunications
tariffs.
- Systematically developing and organizing electronic directories
and conferences about researchers and STI.
- Globalizing the concept of national research sector, integrating
the researchers from abroad.
- Promoting distance education.
PLANNED ACTIVITIES:
- Coordinating electronic conferences, libraries, and directories.
- Maintaining technological watch on IT.
- Editing newsletters about CMC themes.
- Organizing training programs and packages for potential CMC
users.
- Publishing pamphlets creating awareness and promoting CMC.
- Conducting researchsm on the social and cultural impacts of CMC.
- Creating appropriate methodologies for CMC in DC.
- Designing systematic evaluation frameworks concerning CMC
products (networks, softwares, hardwares, protocoles,
services...).
- Defining, formulating and coordinating specific projects.
MAIN ORIENTATIONS:
- Easing the use of CMC services to its potential market.
- Demythologizing the CMC associated technics.
- Implementing the research-action concept.
- Stressing the cultural and social components.
- Inducing the participation of end-users during all phases of
the CMC development within institutional, participative, open and
pluralistic structures.
MAIN PRIORITIES:
The communication (specially inter-cultural and inter-regional)
and Information (specially STI) above the technology:
- The participation of CMC in the development of persons,
countries and regions.
- The respect of the social-cultural environments as well as the
individual and collective freedom.
- The understanding of the sociological and human impacts of CMC.
- The early consideration of the globalization of the information
exchange patterns.
- The incentive for regional integration and sustainable economic
development.
- The pursue of results likely to gain sustainable autonomy.
- The adoption of a systemic and integral vision of the problems
of development.
- Synergistic cooperation between the industries (in particular,
the telecommunication) and the science and technology actors.
BACKGROUND: The main objective of FUNREDES is to extend and
expand the activities carried out by the REDALC Office of Union
Latina (from January 1988 to August 1993), some of which have
been supported by the EEC and executed in collaboration with
UNESCO and ACAL (*), others with the participation of the UNDP
(**):
- REDALC Project (LAyC Networking) *
- MULBRI Project (PC based User Interface)
- Listservs moderation (REDALC at FRMOP11.CNUSC.FR and SALSA,
KISKEYA, HAITI-L at CONICIT.VE)
- Study of the networks potential impact in the French West Indies
- REDALC Methodology (for launching networks in DC)
- Peruvian National Network (RCP) **
- Dominican National Network (REDID) * and **
- Haitian National Network (REHRED) *
- Training Workshops for the networks users * and **
- Participation in an ITU/Unesco study for recommendation of
Telecommunication Tariff Policies for the research in DC, *
- Study on Higher Education in the Dominican Republic, *
Note: As far as the follow-up of the REDALC regional project is
concerned (the feasibility study was ordered by EEC and carried
out by UNION LATINA, together with UNESCO and the ACAL) and
future launching thereof, Union Latina remains the institutional
partner of EEC and any decision as to the future will be the sole
and absolute responsibility of the EEC.
The author is open, on request, to:
- send by e-mail the complete FUNREDES brochure,
- provide more details or specific information,
- consider offers of cooperation or sponsoring...