[Telecentres] Global Endorsement for a Global Telecentre Alliance

[Gurstein, Michael]

Global Endorsement for a Global Telecentre Alliance

At the Indian Telecentre Forum held in New Delhi, India, August 23-25, 2006 a number of representatives and leaders of telecentre networks from countries around the world had an opportunity to meet and discuss common concerns, issues and opportunities.

An outcome of these discussions was an agreement to endorse and participate in an initiative sponsored by the Telecentres of the Americas Partnership and the European Union of Telecottage Associations towards the creation of a Global Telecentre Alliance. 

Those attending signed onto the following statement:

"Looking back over twenty years of successful initiatives, the global community telecenter movement can point to the transition from single community based telecentres to local and national telecentre networks and now regional and hemispheric networks.  Areas of common interest and concern can be identified and the value of collaboration is clear including in the areas of policy intervention and lobbying.
"The Global Telecentres Alliance (GTA) will be the means through which the Community Telecenters movement and grassroots ICT activists actively participate in global, regional and national ICT policy forums and realize an integrated and aggregated capacity for lobbying and advocating on behalf of the interests of grassroots and community based ICT users.
"Those at the national and global level involved in the planning and development of efforts in support digital inclusion as a means to promote the transition to an «Information Society» in many cases lack access to the knowledge and experience of those most directly concerned-the communities themselves, those individuals and groups working with ICTs within them and in particular, the community telecenters.  The GTA will aggregate this knowledge and find ways to introduce it into these processes so as to ensure that investments in the area of ICT4D benefit from this knowledge and experience and are made so as to provide maximum benefits to the grassroots targets for these initiatives. 

Enhancing a global dialogue for ICT supported community development
"The GTA as a global network of networks of telecenters and other community ICT-based development initiatives will bring to the variety of policy and advocacy forums the experience and concerns of local ICT activists in the areas of local telecentre activity such as the promotion of ICT adoption, skill development, and support for community innovation; stimulating and enhancing local economic development, social well-being, and good governance; and, in a world of significant migration, linking migrant populations in different parts of the world. 
"The GTA will be the voice of Telecentres in the world, presenting their interests and showing to the world the results of their work and their capacities. It will link the activities of Telecentres into global issues and global responses to those issues, and will connect Telecentres to global movements, resources, businesses and intergovernmental networks.
The individuals listed below have indicated an interest in endorsing or affiliating with the GTA on behalf of their organizations:
	Matyas Gaspar: European Union of Telecottage Associations
	Michael Gurstein: Community Informatics Research Network 
	Klaus Stoll: Telecentres of the Americas Partnership 	 

	Shaid Uddin Akbar: ICTDPB, Bangladesh
	Sagarika Bose: Nasscom Foundation, India
	Maria Teresa M. Camba: Commission on Information and Communications Technology, National Computing Center, Philippines 
	Dhakshinamoorthy (Dash): Warisan Global, Malaysia
	Dorothy K. Gordon : Kofi Annan Center, Advanced Information Technology Institute, 	Ghana
	Veena Joshi: SDC India (Switzerland)
	Harsha Liyanage : Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka
	Michael Maranda : Association for Community Networking, USA
	Aminata Maiga: Federation des Telecentres du Mali (Afriklinks), Mali 
	D.C. Misra: National Informatics Centre, Government of India, India
	Phonpasit Phissamay: IT Centre, Laos
	Zulfikar M. Rahman: PE-PP, Indonesia

The founding organizations of GTA urge all networks of community telecenters to join GTA. To do so contact one of the following:

		Matyas Gaspar-gaspar.matyas at axelero.hu
		Michael Gurstein-gurstein at gmail.com
		Klaus Stoll-klaus at chasquinet.org <mailto:>  

GTA Roadmap:
	Formation of GTA Steering Committee 2005/early 2006-
	Founding Members
		* Telecentres of the Americas Partnership (TAP)  www.tele-centers.net/
		* European Union of Telecottage Associations (EUTA) www.euta.hu/
	Outreach to Telecentre networks (2006)
	Legal Registration of GTA (October 2006)
First GTA Conference (late 2006/early 2007)


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