North
America
Alternatives,
Action and Communication Network for International Development,
Canada
Website: http://www.alternatives.ca
Institute
for Global Communications (IGC), United States of America
Website: http://www.igc.org
LaborNet,
United States of America
Website: http://www.labornet.org
LaborNet
was founded in 1991 to build a democratic communication network
for the labor movement by linking up workers on the Internet to
build solidarity, internationalism and democracy. LaborNet educates
workers on how to use communication technology to support their
struggles for health and safety and justice on the job, and continue
to do this through their close support to LaborTech conferences
around the world. The first regular Labor News web page in the
United States was created by LaborNet in the early 90s.
Since
then, LaborNet has continued to work at building up LaborNet not
only the in the United States but internationally, through the
APC and with independent labor communicators on the Internet.
LaborNet US has supported the developments of LaborNets in Korea,
in Austria and most recently in Japan. LaborNet supports a democratic
labor movement with the right to communicate as a key element
of democratic rights. They work to defend the Internet from censorship
and the privatization of information that would limit and destroy
our rights to communicate. LaborNet has also played an important
role in defending trade unionists and unorganized workers in the
US and around the world who are using Websites to defend their
rights.
LaNeta,
Mexico
Website: http://www.laneta.apc.org
Web
Networks, Canada
Website: http://www.web.net &
http://community.web.net
The
Web project was conceived at the 1986 Fate of the Earth Conference
by a group of Toronto environmentalists. In May 1987 it began
operating as part of the Ontario Environmental Network (OEN) with
the assistance of a small start-up grant from Environment Canada.
It was Canada’s first and only non-profit computer network serving
non-profit and social change organisations.
In January 1989, the Web project separated from the OEN to become
an independent, non-profit business - NirvCentre - with an expanded
mission - to serve the electronic communications needs of the
broader non-profit sector across Canada. In May 1990, NirvCentre
became a founding member in the creation of the Association for
Progressive Communications (APC). In June 1996, NirvCentre renamed
itself "Web Networks".
South America
Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales (CEPES),
Peru
Website: http://www.cepes.org.pe
Colnodo,
Colombia
Website: http://www.colnodo.apc.org
Fundación
Escuela Latinoamericana de Reds (ESLARED), Venezuela
Website: http://www.eslared.org.ve
Networks & Development Foundation (FUNREDES), Republica Dominicana
Website: http://funredes.org
NODO
TAU, Argentina
Website: http://www.tau.org.ar
TAU
was founded in October 1995 is based in Rosario, Argentina. TAU
began as an initiative of a Franciscan group that encouraged community
based organisations to use ICTs in their work. TAU’s mission is
to bring information and communication technologies to individuals
and organizations working to combat exclusion, poverty and discrimination.
They provide connectivity, training and support to the NGO and
trade union sectors, as well as to individuals. The organisation
is registered as a non-profit and was being self-financed since
1995 by contributions from its members and users (individuals,
NGOs, trade unions and members).
RITS
(Information Network for the Third Sector),
Brazil
Website: http://www.rits.org.br
RITS
is a privately run, nonprofit organisation, founded in 1997. Their
mission and greatest challenge is to help Brazilian non governmental
organisations (NGOs) make better and more intensive use of information
and communications technologies (ICTs). They are also one of Brazil's
most vocal advocates of using public policy to universalise access
to the Internet.
RITS
provides multi-faceted support of the civil society sector in
projects such as: Rets, a weekly online magazine which produces
around thirty original articles a week on civil society in Brazil;
a joint project with the British Council on human rights; an interactive
site for a Youth network; hosting of some of the most important
civil society networks and Websites in Brazil (including the World
Social Forum Website); creation of a new ambitious portal, Citizenship;
and the establishment of a Brazilian Internet Rights observatory.
Instituto del Tercer Mundo (ITeM), Uruguay
Website: http://www.item.org.uy
Wamani,
Argentina
Website: http://www.wamani.apc.org
Europe
BlueLink
Information Network, Bulgaria
Website: http://www.bluelink.net
The
mission of BlueLink is to create a free information forum for
democracy, civil society and sustainable development. BlueLink
started in 1998 as an electronic network of environmental NGOs
from different parts of Bulgaria. BlueLink aims to improve the
co-operation and joint work among civil society organisations.
ComLink,
Germany
Website: http://www.comlink.org
Computer
Aid International, United Kingdom
Website: http://www.computeraid.org
Cooperativa Kinè scs, Italy
Website: http://www.kine.coop/
Econnect,
Czech Republic
Website: http://www.ecn.cz
Amidst
tremendous change, turmoil and political uncertainty in the Czech
Republic in 1991, an inspired group of environmentalists created
Econnect. This small operation, reliant on borrowed space and
foreign technical support, provided free email and computer conferencing
services to a group of Czech environmental organizations. The
online communication tools that Econnect provides supported the
development of the Czech Republic's emerging activist community.
GreenNet,
United Kingdom
Website: http://www.gn.apc.org
GreenSpider,
Hungary
Website: http://www.zpok.hu
GreenSpider
was born in the early 1990s out of the Hungarian environmental
movement. Its mission is to help citizens’ organisations take
full advantage of information and communication technology, and
in doing so to promote ecological values to the general public.
The organisation began by providing basic e-mail, conference,
and connectivity services. Conferences quickly became a place
where environmentalists met for online meetings, working groups,
and campaign organising. Over the years, GreenSpider has established
a reputation as the communications backbone of a successful national
federation of environmental NGOs.
Metamorphosis Foundation, Macedonia
Website: http://www.metamorphosis.org.mk
Pangea,
Spain
Website: http://www.pangea.org
StrawberryNet,
Romania
Website: http://www.sbnet.ro
OWPSEE - Oneworld - Platform for Southeast Europe Foundation, Bosnia Herzegovina
Website: http:// www.oneworldsee.org
ZaMirNet,
Croatia
Website: http://www.zamirnet.hr
North & West Africa
ArabDev,
Egypt
Website: http://www.arabdev.org
ArabDev
is an NGO based in Cairo, Egypt. ArabDev’s objectives are
to spread information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge
and skills among poor communities in Egypt. They provide women
and youth with an educational venue for better livelihood opportunities,
through improved access to information and its use in skill development
as well as small and micro enterprises. This is achieved by building
the capacities of the local NGOs/CBOs that are forming the backbone
of the ArabDev initiative.
AZUR Developpement, Congo
Website: http://www.azurdev.org
AZUR is a registered non-profit organization working in the area of socio-cultural development in the Congo and Africa generally. It is quite a young organisation, founded in May 2002, but only became active in early 2003. AZUR's objectives include promoting women’s empowerment, sustainable development, and arts and culture; bringing multi-fold assistance to sick and vulnerable people; and working to protect environment. Although ICTs are not the major focus of AZUR's work, many activities incorporate ICTs significantly through training and capacity building, particularly with young and rural women, generation of local content (including a CSO information sharing portal, <http://www.lissanga.org/>www.lissanga.org, and a newsletter which aims to gather together stakeholder information for policy processes), and research on the use of ICTs, to name a few.
Enda-Tiers
Monde, Senegal
Website: http://www.enda.sn/
ENDA
Third World is an international NGO based in Dakar, Senegal that
focuses on sustainable development in Africa and the developing
world. Membership with the APC is held by their Networking Department.
Since the early 1990s, this extended IT department has provided
connectivity to the larger organization, its projects and NGO
partners in Senegal and other francophone West African countries.
Fantsuam
Foundation, Nigeria
Website: http://www.fantsuam.org
Fantsuam
Foundation, founded in 1996, is the only NGO attempting to provide
ICT services in rural communities in Nigeria: 70% of Nigeria's
120 million people live in rural communities. Fantsuam's mission
is to alleviate poverty through a multi-sectoral approach. Their
packet of integrated projects always starts with the provision
of microcredits to organised women's groups in rural communities.
From this basis, the Foundation moves into health promotion, community
learning centres, and integration of indigenous knowledge and
skills into a comprehensive rural primary healthcare system. In
all these activities, the primary agents are women.
One
of Fantsuam Foundation initiatives - the Bayanloco Community Learning
Centre - was the winner
of the APC Africa Hafkin Prize in 2001.
Protege QV , Cameroon
Website: http://www.protegeqv.org
South & East Africa
Arid
Lands Information Network (East Africa), Kenya
Website: http://www.alin.or.ke
African Regional
Centre for Computing (ARCC), Kenya
Website: http://www.arcc.or.ke
CIPESA, Uganda
Website: http://www.cipesa.org
Community
Education Computer Society (CECS), South Africa
Website: http://www.cecs.org.za
SANGONeT,
South Africa
Website: http://www.sangonet.org.za
Ungana-Afrika,
South Africa
Website: http://www.ungana-afrika.org
Women'sNet,
South Africa
Website: http://www.womensnet.org.za
WOUGNET -
Women of Uganda Network, Uganda
Website: http://www.wougnet.org
Asia-Pacific
Bangladesh Friendship Education Society (BFES),
Bangladesh
Website: http://www.bfes.net
Bytes for
All.org,
South Asia
Website: http://www.bytesforall.org
Community
Communication Online (c2o), Australia
Website: http://www.c2o.org
Foundation
for Media Alternatives (FMA), Philippines
Website: http://www.fma.ph
Institute for Popular Democracy (IPD), Philippines
Website: http://www.ipd.org.ph/
JCA-NET, Japan
Website: http://www.jca.apc.org/
Japan Computer Access for Empowerment (JCAFE)
Web site: http://www.jcafe.net/english/
Korean Progressive
Network Jinbonet, South Korea
Website: http://www.jinbo.net
Open
Forum of Cambodia, Cambodia
Website: http://www.forum.org.kh
VOICE- Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment
Website: http://www.voicebd.org
WomensHub,
Philippines
Website: http://www.womenshub.net
About APC Members and APC Membership
